Through my research, I have come across numerous sites slating tights or leggings being worn as pants such as Sadly Leggings are Not Pants, Those Aren't Pants, The Frenemy, A Diva State of Mind, A.V. Club, The Nevada Sagebrush, The Quarterlife Quandry, Sunkissed, Leggings are not Pants Facebook Page, We Know Awesome, Tragedies and Greevances in Fashion, College Candy, Human Skin is Hard to Live in.
(just to name a few)
The topic has been under debate for quite some time and I’ve had enough. Leggings have been back for 6 years now, it’s about time we had some clarification. Women are wearing this trend left, right and centre so there must be something to it. I’ll admit that I’m not at all anti the trend, but there are rules as with anything in fashion.
I can’t stand any trend, even the strange ones, being slated by people, especially when the majority of slaters have yet to try it and are usually dressed by their mothers. I’m just saying that unless your mum’s Anna Wintour, I’m pretty sure you’re doing it wrong.
Trends become trends for a reason, and this one has a leg to stand on. If you’d like to wear leggings as pants I say go for it! I’d usually much rather be friends with the girl smiling from ear to ear in her leggings and crop tee than the one with the evil grin behind her taking pictures of her ass for her Perez-Hilton-inspired bitching blog anyway.
Because I can’t take the shameless bashing of an important fashion basic in any girls wardrobe, here are some guidelines as to how to wear the trend and its various versions. The choice to do anything should be an educated one and it’s no different in fashion.
1. Know Your Terms.
Tights, leggings, stockings, pantyhose, they all mean different things. The words have become interchangeable through the mixing of terms in different countries, but they’re all very different and donning the wrong item could end up with you showing off a bit more than your toned legs.
Tights are often confused with leggings, I need you to understand that they are NOT leggings. Tights are most commonly related to pantyhose. They’re a bit thicker and much warmer for winter months, but these are not pants. Why? Because they’re see-through, they’re made to be see-through. They were, like pantyhose, designed to be sexy, to reveal the leg without revealing the leg. You’re supposed to see some skin and when you’re wearing any item as pants, the general rule is not to let skin show through.
Leggings! Leggings are the one you go for. In my opinion, these can be worn as pants if you have the right personality (note: personality, not body). Leggings are usually made of cotton and are not designed to show skin. Lycra or spandex is often added to improve fit and comfort. The easiest way to discern leggings from tights when shopping is to note that leggings are most commonly footless.
2. The Opacity Test
Many garments, not just leggings, can be see-through without you knowing it. How many times have you put on that gorgeous new black top or dress, realised you forgot to do laundry and had numerous photos of yourself and your pretty blue bra up on facebook. It happens, and as any celebrity will know, you do the flash test first! Have a friend or a mirror help you out with this one. Bend over, stand under different lights or take a few test pictures. Fabric quality is never a guarantee with shops, no matter how shiny its brand name is, so make sure your “Thursday” underwear is not showing through your pants (Yes! I said pants! Take it!).
I find that when 6ft tall, stick thin women run around wearing leggings as pants, fewer girls seem to bitch about it. But give a girl some thighs and phwoar! Watch the mean girls swarm. You don’t have to be stick thin to wear this trend! The key to wearing leggings as pants is, just like any other item in your wardrobe, to feel comfortable. I don’t mean Croc comfortable, don’t wear leggings as an excuse, I mean comfortable enough in your own skin to pull off the look. If you feel good, you look good, the simplest formula to making you happy. A woman’s body was made to be gorgeous, so don’t feel bad showing it off if you’d like to.
Like anything though, not everyone can wear every fashion item. If you have a rather dimply bum or are not comfortable showing off your thighs, the most flattering option would be to wear a dress, skirt or long tee over your leggings. If you are bottom heavy, darker leggings with a brighter top would balance out your shape. If you have really skinny legs and a larger upper body, opt for patterned or colourful leggings that level the eyes.
If you’d like to wear leggings as pants, wear leggings as pants! Not everyone’s a fan but who cares. I’m not a huge fan of velvet tracksuits, but some girls dig it and some totally rock the look. Fashion can be so expensive, at least be free in what you choose to wear.
If all else fails and you're still a sceptic, just follow this guide:
