One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received is as follows."If you were there for the trend the first time, you should never, ever repeat it. No matter how cute you think it is."
I got this from my boss at the time - a beautiful, fit, funny woman with a great sense of style. I'd just gotten back from a trip to Spain, where everyone was wearing the jeans tucked into boots look. I wanted to try it.
She talked me out of it. Which I think was for the best.
And so it has been with the leggings. I've been living by that rule, and have staunchly avoided them, no matter how sorely I've been tempted.
Recently, however, at a commenter's suggestion, I bought a pair of maternity leggings. They're in the closet, tags on. I haven't yet figured out how to wear them.
I remember loving the leggings - and the stirrup pants - in the 80s. But that was back when I loved oversized sweaters and bought men's button-down shirts, size large, in which I swam. I remember having a long pink cotton sweater that I wore with my stretchy white stirrup pants and my perfectly-matching pink loafers.
Cannot. Be. Repeated. Not even remotely.
So I went searching on various sites for leggings, to see what they might pair them with.
And found the leather leggings above.
Leather! Leggings!
Why didn't we think of this in high school? We were in India - there was leather galore, and cheap. I had a fabulous leather mini-skirt. And don't think I didn't consider a snakeskin one as well; boy, did I.
If I were embracing leggings for the first time, oh, they would be fun!
I arrived at the certainty that if I were in my early 20s, I would find some way to wear the leather leggings. And to justify the expense.
Which tells me that in terms of age, it's probably better this way, all around.
(Tunic or shirtdress)+leggings=awesome
ReplyDeleteI concur with Jo. Urban Outfitters has some great tunics right now.
ReplyDeleteBut leather leggings? I think the only way to go with leather leggings is all-out. Jean-Paul Gaultier bustier, mesh gloves, rubber bracelets, and streaked hair.
While I have NO doubt that you could pull all of that off like no one else, I just don't think it would be comfortable. So yes, it's probably for the best to leave them for someone else.
Jo - Tunics or shirtdresses. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteDagny - Totally easy to stop into Urban Outfitters.
As for the super 80s look, I seriously would do it if I were in my 20s. Comfort? Secondary. Nay, tertiary. I am trying to locate a picture of me in 10th grade with my Cyndi Lauper criss-cross shaved into my head for posting. I think it may be lost for good, though.
i lived by stirrup pants for the longest time. i really did love them more than i should have. i can still remember some of my favorite tops i wore with them... oh well. definitely not a style i would recommend for anyone over 12 though.
ReplyDeletei'm torn on the maternity leggings. on one hand they're leggings but on the other hand they're maternity so they're only for a short time anyway so you really couldn't outwear the trend.
i can't wait to hear what happens the first time you wear them in public!
Wear those with those tarty boots of yours and you may just make enough to put that kid of yours through Harvard.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had the same self-confidence during my teens and 20s that I do now so that I would have worn leather leggings then! I would have realized how nice I would have looked in them. :)
ReplyDeleteFor some ideas:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.glamourgirltips.com/2008/03/what-should-you-wear-leggings-with.html
Honestly, I liked them best with dresses when I was pregnant.
I saw a girl wearing leather leggings on TV last night (okay, okay, YES I watch The City, I know) and fell in love INSTANTLY. How can you not??
ReplyDeleteLeather leggings in India? You'd be sweating bullets! It just brings me back to that Friends episode when Ross were those tight leather pants... (So it seems like there's some subtitles in a different language, but if you haven't seen it, found it on you tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBrCZQO6-o4)
ReplyDeleteoh god, the stirrup pants...i had something like 5 pairs and absolutely LOVED them. Of course, I'd never go back to them, but boy. They made me happy.
ReplyDeletenotsojenny - We shall see. I'm only wearing them out of the house if I feel attractive enough in them.
ReplyDeleteCG - I agree with you entirely. In so many ways.
Jane - With a dress I am of two minds. I think they look cute on other people, but then I feel like, if it's a cute dress, why add what are essentially pants?
LiLu - You MUST get some. You're the right age. I want to live vicariously through you!
Beach Bum - Delhi gets cold in the winter. Like, heavy jacket and wool sweater cold. And I do remember that episode! Yikes!
moosie - I know. I could see wearing them inside boots, IF I did that sort of thing. But otherwise, no way to goo back.
I've never heard that advice before, but it will help me in the future when I'm standing over a rack thinking, "Should I?" for way longer than I should.
ReplyDeleteHowever leggings are sooooo wonderful! And when you're pregnant, I think you can get away with doing things you can't otherwise! So go for it!
Kind of off-topic, but there's a great line from one of the essays in The Bitch in the House, where the writer asserts that leather pants are the perfect maternal outfit, because you can just wipe them clean.
ReplyDeleteLeggings under dresses work because due to the "fun" shape from pregnancy- it was harder FOR me at least, not to show the ho-ha area to the greater metropolitan area, mostly with non maternity dresses.
ReplyDeleteBut that will be in the later months- also, you can wear them if you take a prego yoga class.
Looking at those leather leggings, all I can think is "wow." I'm 22 years old and very tiny and thin and I still can't imagine pulling off a look like that. It might have something to do with my personality, though. I would be très self-conscious.
ReplyDeleteI'll give you a dollar to get leather maternity leggings made, haha.
ReplyDelete