I don’t mean to leave out all you handsome men on campus, but this article is for the ladies of Southeastern. In case you didn’t know, leggings are not pants. Leggings are footless tights, therefore making them a form of hosiery, therefore making them a form of underwear.
I’m in no way trying to tell you ladies what to wear because leggings are a mass-market trend here to stay, but unless you’re a dancer just coming from dance class or a 10-year-old, leggings worn as pants can be extremely tacky and vulgar. There are ways it can be done right, but it’s a very, very thin line to see, which is why so many of you cross it. So here is some fashion history for you as to where this trend surfaced, and some tips to pull off the look.
It started in the 1964 when Edie Sedgwick made it to New York. She started leaving the dance studio in her tights and leotard. Wearing ballet flats and a fur coat to finish the look, this 20-something socialite, and newly discovered Andy Warhol factory member, would prance around the streets of New York while wearing no pants, just her dance leotard and hose with heavy eye make-up and chunky jewelry. It was dubbed the “mod” look.
This trend resurfaced when the Harvey Weinstein film “Factory Girl” began production. The film starred British actress Sienna Miller, who is a dead look-a-like for the former Factory star, and she was seen flaunting her legs in costumes for the biopic about the late Ms. Sedgwick. The fashion industry took notice and paid homage to her through their collections, making her a fashion icon. Girls everywhere wanted to look like they just stepped out of a time machine from 1965.
John Galliano showed black and white oversized mohair knit sweaters worn as dresses with fishnet tights and knee high boots for Christian Dior in February of 2005, for the Fall 2005 Paris Fashion Week. This trend continued to spill over into other seasons as “Factory Girl” hit the big screen in 2006. So, for the Spring 2007 collections, presented in September of 2006, the 60s mod trend was heavily referenced.
Marc Jacobs and his Spring 2013 collection screamed Edie Sedgwick so loud I’m sure she could hear it from beyond the grave. Now though, with Hedi Slimane taking helm at the newly branded Saint Laurent Paris, the tights as pants look has taken on a new look. The grunge look is back in-fishnets, combat boots, oversized cable knit sweaters worn with no pants has made waves in the fashion world. The 90s vibe is new again, and tights as pants are still making statements on the runway, so here is how to wear the look tastefully.
Too many times to count, I’ve seen ladies walk through campus wearing tights so tight the fabric becomes transparent. I can see your panties and your skin through them, and that’s completely inappropriate for winter wear. Try buying a pair of opaque (not see-through, made out of a more jersey material) tights so when stretched to their limit, they don’t show your lovely lady lump. Also, make sure to wear a shirt, or tunic, that covers your entire bottom. The top should fall two to three inches above your kneecap. My go-to look for fall is jeans, boots and an oversized cozy sweater, but if you’re going to replace those jeans with tights, do it respectfully. Even though you may be wearing ikat print or pinstriped tights, the patterns also can be unflattering for some so stick to solid colors: maroon, evergreen, navy and black are the most slimming.
Always keep in mind that trends are something to be reinterpreted through one’s personal style. If you chose to wear the tights/legging trend, think about the history behind it before walking out the house every morning. It can be done right ladies, just know your body and how to dress it.