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Life&Style

 

   

The

Lose the leggings, ladies

By Sharon Miki,
Editor in Chief

A the weather cools
and the bright neon

sun of summer fades into

the pumpkiny chill of fall,
women everywhere are
trading their sandals and
bare legs for boots and
pants. And yet, I’ve noticed
a disconcerting trend:

: Are leggings a legit sartorial choice?

some people seem to have
forgotten what pants are.
Instead, ladies are strutting
about town with nothing
but cottony wraps of fabric
turning their once—warm
flesh into human sausage
casings—and it shall not
stand for a moment longer.
Look, I get it: leggings,
with their stretchy Lycra-
Spandex mix are incredibly
comfortable. But, do you
know what else is really,
really comfortable? Being
naked. You wouldn’t go

out in public naked, so why

would you wear leggings?
No matter what size
you are, chances are that
these skin-hugging leg-
condoms are not the best
look for you. By nature,
leggings show every

How | learned to stop worrying and love my leggings

By Sophie Isbister,
Staff Writer

t all started in my first
semester of college. [had
resisted for so long, but then

I caved. I started wearing
leggings as pants. Jeggings,
or “gateway leggings” as

I like to call them, got to
me first. Super-tight, oft-
embellished, denim-esque
Spandex tubes into which

I could stick my legs, pair
with a loose tee and some
cute flats, and be considered
a style maven? What's not

Wear Leggings If You’re
Skinny. Well I’m here to say,
rules be damned! Leggings
are here to stay, and I
couldn’t be happier about it.
Anyone who has lived
in the Lower Mainland for
more than five minutes
knows that the climate here
is fairly moderate. When the
weather transitions between
winter and summer (about
eight months out of the
year), it can be a challenge
to dress appropriately. Too
cold for skirts, but too warm
for pants. This is where
leggings-as-pants play a

my clothing allowance
while also shaving some
what-to-wear hassle off
of my morning routine, it
seems like an all-around
win. I also save on laundry.
Did you know that your
washing machine can fit
three pairs of leggings for
every pair of denim jeans?
The savings just multiply!
Perhaps the most
compelling argument to
wear leggings as pants is a
simple one. They just look
good, and if you think they

don’t, then I’m sorry. I didn’t

realize I needed the world’s

Once | realized that leggings were just jeggings in black,
| was in real trouble—if you consider extreme comfort-
meets-style to be trouble.

¢

to love? Once I realized

that leggings were just
jeggings in black, I was in
real trouble—if you consider
extreme comfort-meets-style
to be trouble.

But then the backlash
started. And with the
backlash came The Rules.
Draconian restrictions on my
new sartorial staple include
such gems as Only Wear
Leggings With Shirts That
Cover Your Butt and Only

key role in a Vancouver-chic
wardrobe. When there’s a
cool bite in the air, like the
last few weeks, there isn’t
anything more comforting
than a thin layer of cotton-
Spandex blend covering
your vulnerable ass-to-
ankles region.

Furthermore, leggings
fit my booty as well as my
budget. Rent is expensive in
this world-class city, and if
I can shave a few dollars off

tacit approval to simply
walk around. Leggings

fly below the radar. They
don’t scream, “I’ve given
up!” like sweatpants, and
they don’t imply, “Hey,
I’ma douchebag!” like a
TapoufY shirt. Our clothes
do speak volumes for us,
but ultimately, all leggings
say is, “I’m committed.”
Committed to looking cute
and being comfy.

millimeter of your shape—
so unless you feel at ease
walking around school

in a bikini, you should
probably think twice about
the leggings. Oh, what?
You have a supermodel
body and you look amazing
covered in nothing but a
sheer film of fabric? Well,
that’s good for you, but I
still don’t approve. I don’t
need a constant reminder
of how perky your butt is

when I’m walking down the

hallway, so put it away!
Besides, regardless of

how good or bad you look

in them, the fact is that

leggings are simply not

an appropriate substitute

for pants. They give off

an overly casual vibe that

harkens to a life of either

 

SPs

extreme leisure or laziness.
While personal expression
through fashion can be a
positive, creative outlet, few
people intentionally set out
to convey an appearance of
sloth.

So, am I suggesting you
throw out your collection
of leg sheaths? Of course
not. Leggings are a great
option to wear around the
house, or in a functional
environment, like the gym,
where you actually need
extreme comfort and to
see the shape of your legs
in order to accomplish the
task at hand. Or, you can
wear your leggings as a
warm under-layer with
skirts or tunics. Just don’t
get confused and mistake
leggings for pants.

AM

Photo courtesy of www.stilleagle.com

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