The Spandex Diaries

Leggings are not pants.  I know this simple statement may come as a shock to some, but it's time to address this unsettling trend and put a stop to it once and for all...

Without telling my age, I will say that I participated in a earlier round of legging popularity back in the early 90's.  It was as if the biker shorts from previous years had grown legs and everyone was overjoyed about it.  Leggings were traditionally worn with lovely, thigh-grazing shirts known as tunics.  Tunics covered all of your unmentionables, while providing a fashionable way to wear your leggings.  Back then, tunics were the only acceptable thing to wear with leggings.

Fast-forward 20 years, and as we’ve seen with most fashion trends, leggings have come back into play and are more popular than ever.  But there seems to be little understanding or respect for the purpose that this garment serves.  Leggings should be thought of as a more comfortable version of tights that simply got wacked off at the ankle.  But somehow, somewhere in the midst of this legging craze, women started to view them as pants—pants that look good with any kind of shirt, even cropped ones.  Now I will say that I’ve seen the younger generation pull this cropped top/legging combo look off flawlessly simply because they hardly have any fat on their bodies.  It still doesn’t make it right.  Put some jeans on with that cropped tee, young lady!  What’s worse is that some women started to think of leggings as shape wear because they do possess some Spanx-like slimming qualities.  However, when delusional females opt for leggings instead of squats, thinking their rear end will be molded to J. Lo perfection and ready to put on display to the general public--well that’s when things go terribly wrong.

I don't care what your age, body type, or status in the fashion world may be.  Wearing leggings as pants with your buns on full show, regardless of how great you think you look, will get you a fine from the fashion police.  Ripped and/or sheer leggings will result in a more severe punishment. Leggings are not pants!  Buy a tunic, and consider yourself warned.