I wear jodhpurs to ride, but they are not quite the shape of leggings.
I wear leggings regularly. BUT I DEFINITELY have a Golden rule about how: I've repeated it often on this forum, so forgive me, if you've already come across it: a very narrow (or skinny) lower half of the silhouette, for me, MUST be balanced by width on top: this might be a tunic, a short dress, or a long A-line sweater. Conversely, anything form-fitting above my waist, MUST be balanced by width below: ie wide palazzo pants or an A-line skirt, (worn slightly longer than the knee). A clingy top paired with leggings is a recipe for disaster on the slimmest of figures IMO.
However, leggings can give a lovely, long-legged look when worn correctly. I often pair them with a long A-line sweater in Winter, and wear my leggings in black, with high-heeled stretchy black suede knee-high boots over them. It's a trick that really elongates and slims my legs, whilst the A-line sweater hides my hips and chunky upper thighs. I think, rae, by following the rule I gave in the first paragraph (which isn't just mine, it's in any good style guide) you can probably make your peace with leggings and wear them happily! Good luck with styling yours!
BTW, If you want to see how this rule works in action, just look at Angie's blog for today. She pairs an ultra-slim mid-calf skirt (which could be almost as difficult to pull off well as leggings can be) with a crisp, fairly long A-line blouse for balance, and the result is spectacular!
