Eating my words... help me with leggings! - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Dressing

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Eating my words... help me with leggings!

Ele

(website)

Ok, I have a teeny confession to make. I hate leggings. Really, really hate them. For the entire 4 years or so that they've been "in", I have mercilessly mocked friends of mine for wearing them, constantly asking them if they realized that they left the house without their pants on.

I'm not really sure why I felt this way, as I consider myself early adopter of trends. (I wore skinny jeans before anyone else I know! Why the aversion to this, then?!). Maybe it has something to do with my memories of wearing them when I was a kid. My mum would go on business trips to the States and buy my sister and me patterned versions at Gap Kids, which we'd wear with sweatshirts. (This was before we had Gap in Canada.)

Anyway, I digress. Basically, after seeing how fab so many people here look in their leggings, and thinking about the whole "practicality" issue a lot, I might be changing my mind. I have a couple of dresses that I really want to trot out this summer, but some are a bit short. I don't mind wearing tights, except that takes away the option to wear sandals, too. So I'm thinking that, at long last, it might be time to give leggings a try.

So my question is, what to look for? I'm pretty sure I don't want a long pair (not yet, anyway), so would calf-length or just-under-the-knee be the way to go? Thanks to genetics and years of horseback riding, I have very muscular legs, which I'm a little self-conscious of. I don't want anything that will make my calves look too big, obviously.

Here's an old pic, so you can see what I mean (incidentally, this is one of the dresses I want to try with leggings):
http://i641.photobucket.com/al.....tdress.jpg

Any ideas on colour? Black, to start with, or is that too harsh? Some of the dresses I want to wear are lighter in colour, and my skin is very pale. I love browns, maybe that's an option?

Help me, I'm lost and confused in leggings-land!

Dressing

15 replies

Latest reply was from shana

rute

Veteran

Hi Ele,

If you don't want to call attention to your calves, the best way is choosing a pair of leggings that ends on the narrowest part of your legs.

Brown is a good option (everyone uses black) or navy blue (with a mini denin skirt) as you have beutiful muscular legs I would skip the very light colours.

HannahC

Ele, you are so pretty!

I also think a pair that ends right under your knee is a way to go (I also have muscular legs, thanks to genetics mostly, and I discovered that this is the most flattering length).

Try chocolate brown, or charcoal gray. I think your dress will look great with a pair of leggings. I am just worried that brown leggings with a brown dress and brown sandals is too much brown in one outfit, does it make sense? This particular outfit will look good with a pair of black leggings. But in general, chocolate brown and charcoal gray are great options.

Another nice option is leggings that end just below the widest part of the calf. It is a bit leg-shortening, but you have long legs, so I don't think you should worry about it.

I am not a fan of light leggings on anyone, but this is just my personal opinion.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I have large calves and I have found that leggings that hit me at the largest part actually make my calves look smaller. I find that the ones that end just under my knee seem to draw more attention to my calves. Try different length and see what works for you. I don't really wear black- my dark brown leggings are my go-to pair.

Alecia

Veteran

I'm just exploring the world of leggings myself. I got a brown pair and think it will work well for me. A lot of my clothes will work best with brown. If that's the case with you, too, I vote for brown.

Ele

(website)

Eeek, lots of different advice! Widest part, just under, narrowest part, under the knee. Khris, you are probably right and I will have to try different styles. I was actually worried that someone would say that; I fear that I've trained my eyes to dislike the look of leggings, and won't be able to tell which ones actually work.

Hannah- The dress is actually green, though a muddy one at that. It does photograph brown, though, and I see your point. My sandals are brown so I'd probably stick with black leggings for that particular dress. I also like the suggestions of navy and grey, as well.

The other two dresses that I want to try leggings with are a) a light blue (denim-esque) shirtdress and b) a green and white print jersey sheath. If I was going to start with just one pair, what do we think would be the best option for these?

Oh, and one more question- fabrications? I confess that in my legging-aversion I've never even picked up a pair. Am I looking for 100% cotton, some spandex, or what?

Sarah

(website)

Veteran

I'm hanging on every word! I'm nervous about trying leggings. I like the look, and I want it to work. I tried them several years ago and hated it so much that I refused to every try again. So this is very helpful for me, too. Thanks!

shiny

Veteran

I'm laughing about your eating your words; I know exactly what you mean. I had to eat my words too. I often do, on this group.

I think black leggings would work with all the dresses you listed. Because your hair is dark, I think black leggings would give you contrast and coordinate with your hair, if that makes sense? Also I'm betting black leggings are going to be easier to find, since they are everywhere.

Otherwise, for me the challenge was finding ones that were the right length, which was no small feat, because I'm petite. I started by measuring and determining where I wanted them to hit - in my case, same place as my clams fit. Then I googled for that precise length.

Can you wear the dress and go legging shopping? That's what I did initially, but I had to go online to continue my hunt because even the petite leggings were - mysteriously! - too long on me. But trying on lots of leggings gave me a sense for what I wanted, and got me used to the look too.

As for fabrication, that was secondary for me - finding the right length was more important and I was willing to compromise on fabrication, provided they were OPAQUE. I think that is critical. There are a lot of cheapo-leggings out there that are not opaque enough and look more like hose. If I didn't have to compromise, I would look for something in cotton because it's comfy and breathable. A little spandex is a good thing. Mine are a synthetic with spandex; they do breathe and are comfy - feel silky against the skin - but in really hot weather, forget it.

My other consideration was I wanted some interesting detail. I fell in love with Angie's zippers. But I'm happy with the silver snaps. It adds just enough detail for me. I'm guessing you look better in gold than silver though, so do take that into consideration. I have seen a lot of leggings with silver details but not gold.

I also like the kind with lace at the hem, like Chewy's. That's a girly-girl/romantic kind of detail, so if it's not your thing, skip it. But if I was to invest in a second pair, that's what I'd look for.

HannahC

Ele - about the fabrication - it depends on how hot it gets where you live. If it gets very hot, your best bet is cotton with some stretch. If it is not too hot, you will also be comfortable in nylon leggings (also often called opaque footless tights). Also, cotton leggings are the most opaque (like pants), so this is another thing to consider. I live in the desert (and Chewy does too, though in a different desert), so the only option for me is cotton with stretch - I would cook myself alive in a pair of nylon leggings during the summer!

Maya

Veteran

I have leggings in black, charcoal, and white (the black ones need replacing though). I just wanted variety and I based it more on the colors and clothes I own than on skin tone or anything like that.

Proportions are trickier and more personal. For me, the length of the leggings is less dependent on where it hits the calf and more dependent on how long the dress/tunic is. I noticed this when I got my stirrup leggings. I love my Sweet Pea tunic with my cropped leggings, but it looked quite a bit on the short side when paired with the full length of the stirrup leggings. The longest I will go with a dress is maybe an inch or two above the knee. I thought this was because I'm petite but apparently it seems to cut across all heights.

I said in the beginning that this is all personal, and it is. I find a lot of pictures that have been posted don't work for me. The dress is too long and the leggings too short. But that doesn't mean it's wrong, of course. It just isn't my taste.

So yes, I hate to say it, but you are going to have to experiment, and if you need help of course that is what we are here for

As for fabrication, you mentioned teasing your friends about being pantless! Well, I think the fabrication makes a big difference in whether you're pantless. First of all, being pantless isn't a big deal. We do it all the time when we wear skirts and dresses

Second of all, I am not a fan of the nylon footless tights variety of leggings. They feel like hose. I hate how hose feels, especially in the summer. It defeats a big part of the purpose of wearing leggings, which is comfort. They are also not appropriate with tunics to me because they do look like hosiery and don't have the coverage and weight of proper leggings. REAL leggings that are thicker and opaque are still not a substitute for pants, but they are a step above hosiery, kind of in their own category. While I would not leave the house wearing just my Sweet Pea tunic with hose, leggings are okay to me because they are closer to a knit pant. My rule of thumb is that my rear must be completely covered, even when I sit.

Your friends are going to have a blast when they see you in leggings for the first time, aren't they?

Ele

(website)

LOL, Maya! Luckily for me, most of my friends live on the other side of the Atlantic, so they might not even see me in leggings. (I can't believe I just said "luckily" about that...) Also, I want to make clear that I only mocked those friends of mine who wore leggings AS PANTS, ie, with a regular-length top, butt in full view. Which is something I won't ever be doing! I'm really not that cruel... *evil laughter, shifty eyes*

What you say about proportions makes sense. I guess in that way I'm pretty lucky, as all the dresses I want to wear them with are basically the same length. I don't think I'll be wearing them with skirts, as my skirts tend to be long enough (knee-length) and I don't like that look as much, personally. I'll probably end up taking one of the dresses shopping with me, so I can see how they work right away. (And then, of course, posting pics here.)

Ok, from reading what you've all been saying, I'm going to look for a pair in either black or brown, and experiment with lengths between mid-calf and just under the knee. I'm also thinking that I'll look for a pair with as high a cotton content as possible, with a little bit of spandex for stretch. I also hate the feeling of tights in summer, so it makes sense to stay away from nylon.

Shiny, you have me bang on- hate silver and avoid it at all costs. LOVE gold details, though Maybe once I have the basic look down I'll try to hunt down a pair like that.

Maya

Veteran

I hear you Ele. If your friends are wearing them as pants, then they deserve to be made fun of :p

I look forward to seeing your pictures, and sending them out to all your friends across the ocean...err...nevermind...

Laura

Ele - I'm with you on the "hating" leggings. Actually, I'm not where you are ...yet. I'll be watching your experimentation. Maybe I'll see the light

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

*chuckle* I have to run, but I'll be back.

Asha

I'm excited to see more leggings experiments! I have black, grey, "denim" (sounds crazy I know but I really like them), olive green, and white, and I use the grey more than any other pair - they seem to go with everything. They also have a fun button detail that I love. I like my leggings to end at the widest part of my calf, but I like the emphasis on my calf. I think that has a lot to do with deciding what length to go with.
I also wanted to say I LOVE your new haircut, I saw it on one of the threads but I didn't have time to comment. Gorgeous! I'm a curly girl too.

shana

Veteran

Ele, I am also laughing about your post - I'm in the same boat. In my case, I already wore leggings back in the early 90's (oh yeah, I wore them as PANTS! Feel free to mock me) hence my aversion to wearing them now. I am a slow adopter of trends and usually by the time I "adjust my eye" to a particular fad, it's on its way out which is why I stick to the classics. But seeing all the fab women on this forum sporting leggings is pushing me over the edge. I have been researching though I have yet to make a purchase. I do not like the hosiery kind (my thoughts run along the same lines as Maya on that) - I prefer a more substantial cotton with a little bit of spandex (I would think you need some to prevent them from bagging out). I will definitely not be wearing them with skirts (personally do not care for this look) but I got rid of all my shorter dresses a few years ago so I am also on the lookout for some shorter dresses or tunics (a few inches below mid-thigh). I am petite so I think the proportion I am going for is a tunic that is a few inches above the knee paired with leggings that are mid-calf. Can't wait to see your experiments!