I would like to defend the trend of leggings! Yes, leggings need to be worn a certain way to look cool, attractive and alluring, yet when worn with the right tops, shoes and accessories, leggings look absolutely striking and luscious.
Accentuate your lovely legs in stretch leggings.
Leggings are a type of skin-tight clothing the covers the legs. Originally, leggings began as two separate garments (one for each leg, much like stockings) yet modern leggings greatly resemble a pair of pants, just much more form fitting.
Skin tight leg huggers, actually!
Modern leggings are typically made from a blend of lycra (spandex), nylon, cotton or a polyester blend, but they also can be made from wool, silk or other materials. Leggings come in a multitude of colors and decorative designs. Sometimes leggings are worn fully exposed, but more often leggings are worn partially covered by a long shirt, a knee-length or mini skirt, a large T-shirt, a longer, tapered jacket or blazer, etc.
Leggings are generally worn with the hips and buttocks covered by another garment, leaving a portion of the thighs and the lower legs exposed.
Depending on the materials selected, leggings wear well with high heels, boots, flat shoes or tennis shoes. Your body, your fashion, your choice!
Leggings Fun Fact: Leggings are typically ankle length, and some are stirrupped or encase the feet (cup around the bottom of the foot to keep the bottom portion of the legging in place). This ensures that the ankle portion of the legging won’t creep up your calves.
Leggings can be worn to keep your legs warm, but leggings have become a fashion statement and the tight-fitted garment is a stylish fashion staple worn more for looks than for practicality. Isn’t that the true crux of high fashion?
Leggings are usually made from a stronger material than tights, although they look and feel and fit much the same way as a pair of tights.
Leggings Fun Fact: In 2005, leggings began to make a comeback into high fashion. Leggings have become quite popular to wear with oversized, long sweaters, denim miniskirts, plaid skirts, short dresses and short shorts. Ballet flats are common footwear with leggings.
Leggings Not So Fun Fact: When leggings are worn with a short shirt or a crop top, they tend to display the dreaded camel toe, simply by the tightness of the leggings and the stretch/elastic fit in the crotch area.
My favorite way to wear leggings is to wear them with a long, oversized sweater with a belted waist (to add some style) and then wear a nice, sleek four or five inch high heeled pump. Another top that looks great with a pair of leggings is a tunic, and then slide your feet into a comfortable pair of ankle boots. Both of these looks work wonders for evening dinner wear, or to get you through your work day in comfort and style.
Jeggings: Jeggings are a recent variation of leggings. Jeggings are leggings that take certain attributes from jeans, such as color and style (particularly with a colored seam running down the sides), creating a mixture of both jeans and leggings, hence the term jeggings! Another plus with leggings, in addition to looking vogue, is that they make for great exercise wear, as they are flexible and easy to move in.
Striking and luscious in stretch leggings.
Another thing to keep in mind when wearing leggings is that if your buttocks is exposed, panty lines will be visible. This is where a stylish pair of thong underwear will come in handy and dandy!
Leggings Fun Fact: When leggings are worn with a high heeled shoe, your legs tend to look longer and slimmer. An extremely attractive look with leggings is to wear knee high boots with the leggings. Since leggings are tight and form-fitting, your leggings won’t bunch up around the knee in the way that jeans and pants do when they are tucked into knee high boots.
Leather knee high boots with leather leggings and a velvet or velour jacket is high flying styling.
Leggings appear stunning on the runway, so why not allow yourself to be catwalk ready and run a pair of lovely leggings into your closet immediately.
Why wait to look great?
Nancy Mangano is an American fashion journalist, screenwriter and author of the Natalie North murder mystery book series. Visit Nancy on her global online fashion/style/beauty magazine Nancy Marie Mangano Style at https://nancymariemangano.com, her Facebook page Nancy Mangano at https://www.facebook.com/nancymmangano/ Twitter @https://twitter.com/nancymangano and her author website http://nancymangano.com
