I think I"ll wear my skirted leggings to work today With a long cashmere sweater . And I can't seem to get rid of the italics, sorry !

Too late to the party, but I don't wear leggings really at all. If I did, it would have to be with a super long tunic. Even with things covered, anything shorter than mid-thigh to me looks like someone forgot to finish getting dressed, like 20 somethings with early alzheimers.

On others, the look I like the best is with a dress or at least mid-thigh tunic...I think that looks really cute and I can see trying that myself. So leggings all the way with that look.

As far as wearing them with shorter tops and everything you have on display, a big NO! I don't care what age, gender or fitness level someone is, I just don't want to know them that well! You may have the world's best butt but unless you are my SO, keep it to yourself! And I don't give a flip if that dates me! "The kids are doing it" has been used as an excuse for an incredible amount of stupid things. Since when are "the kids" the wisest age group?!

Peri, what age group are you talking about? You seem not to be talking about "the kids"

I do think it's back to terminology. Are they leggings if they have actual pockets? I only wear the kind with actual pockets as pants, i.e. without something covering my bum.

Some "leggings" really are hosiery -- they're very thin. In my climate at least, you'd need a layer over top for warmth as well as modesty.

Some (like gear leggings) have heft and are substantial. They might have some compression. They might even be lined, which is more than most jeans are! Why not wear them as bottoms if you like?

And some "jeggings" etc. have pockets and are sold as jeans.

For myself, the question is: does this show my undies? If so, I'm not wearing it as a bottom on its own.

I only wear ponte like thick leggings that have pockets like jeans. I always wear them with a longer top that completely covers my butt and the longer the better. Not comfortable wearing as pants.

Thanks for your thoughts, ladies. Good to hear and ponder.

Suz, as always, you are a pillar of wisdom and diplomacy. Thank you.

Interesting thread - leggings bring out such a range of opinions. That’s mostly good - I like diversity!

But I agree with Angie - don’t judge the wearer even if the outfit is not your favourite. What you think is indecent can be absolutely fine elsewhere - and why should only young gorgeous people be able to wear an item- especially a readily available, comfortable, easy to fit piece?

I wear a bikini and shorts and sometimes flash a bra strap - I am 48 and as yet have failed to develop a modelling career.

Ha, Sally- failed to develop a modelling career! Me too at 9 years older than you! Will stick to the day job.

Sal, you are grounded, wise and fabulous. There would a spot for you in my modelling agency.

Oh my...the YLF agency would be the best. If only manufacturers realized how well we could sell their clothes!!

This is such a fun and interesting discussion. Ok so I have/wear two different types of leggings as pants (see below). I only wear them on the weekends, running errands, grocery shopping, walking or biking our dogs, etc. I sometimes wear them to pick up DD from cheer practice at night during the week. I typically wear them with a T-shirt and or sweatshirt and the 1 pair of tennis shoes I own. Yes my bottom is exposed. I live in the Malibu, Calabasas, Westlake area and this is the "outfit du jour" of the majority of young girls and adult/mature women in my "hood". I am 52 years old BTW. Many are fit, obsessed with their looks and like to show off their figures. So while I consider myself semi-fit I don't feel like I "stick out" or call much attention in to myself in my getup due to my surroundings, lol. However, its a very specific outfit for very specific activities in a very specific neighborhood. hahahah

No. The only leggings I wear at present are fleece leggings. They are worn for additional warmth in cold outdoors temperatures and represent just one of several layers I use in winter.

Wow, what a thread! I’m late to this and almost didn’t chime in.

I don’t wear leggings, not really. I have a pair of skirted leggings that I only occasionally wear. They’re just not my best look and I’d much rather wear jeans, even skinny jeans.

But really, how much difference is there between wearing substantial leggings, jeggings, and tight skinny jeans? They all show the shape of the leg and lower body when worn as pants (ie, with non-tunic-length tops).

Also, I wear workout leggings for running and workouts and yoga. And yes, I shamelessly run errands in my workout gear. Frankly, if the public can see me out running down the road in my leggings, what’s the difference between that and seeing me in Target?

I am not a fan of thin, see-through leggings worn as pants when they are insubstantial enough to show underwear, but really, no one is hurting me by wearing them, so I say “you do you.”

This is the best thread ever! The more we discuss it the more I feel they can be pants and worn to shop, goto class, workout, get coffee etc. obvi not at work unless under a skirt or dress, but as a casual outfit I think they can look really good

Wear them as you please. That is the takeaway.

I do, but only with butt-coverage. I don't see the leggings as pants thing without butt-coverage so much where I live, even though I work with young people. Fellow moms are often wearing yoga pants with no butt coverage. When I was on a trip to Chicago last year, though, I was actually a bit shocked by how common leggings as pants without butt-coverage was. What I do see often where I live (that someone mentioned above) is people wearing slippers instead of shoes.

*edited comment for clarity*

Fashintern, you are right, I didn't mean actual kids. I wasn't referring to 8 year olds! It was just part of the ongoing discussion that several people made comments along the lines of my daughter says everyone wears them this way, and well then, that must mean it's okay. Without knowing the ages of everyone's daughters I was thinking teens thru 20s and since I'm 59, that's a much younger age group than me, but I don't accept that well, since they are young they know better and if they wear a certain thing, well that's the final answer.

I just don't want to see anyone's bits, that's all. Fit, not fit, it's all the same. Doesn't mean I think it should be forbidden...just that I'm not a fan. If the leggings are thick enough to not show your anatomy, then maybe, but I still don't think it looks great. I think the look is much more pleasing with some coverage.

Perl, my point was that there are 20-somethings and maybe younger here who shouldn't be expected to follow edicts for people a couple times their age, just as you don't want to dress like a teen-ager.

We used to have long discussions about "leggings as pants" when I worked at Northwestern University. This was 5 years ago when the look was starting to pick up steam. It had become de rigueur for the college students to wear leggings as pants and I and the other middle-aged women were curious about how the college men felt about this trend. We had 2 student interns in the office who happened to be members of the football team. Naturally, they were fine physical specimens (and smart! These guys had it all). We expected the guys to be 100% behind the leggings-as-pants trend. Then one intern surprised us by commenting that he didn't like leggings as pants for the simple reason that it made girls look sleeker and more fit than they actually were ... in other words, he said, leggings were "false advertising." LOL.

I mostly wear my leggings as exercise gear. I can think of one time I wore them out of the house when I wasn’t headed to or from the gym, and it was a day I had been feeling ill but needed to run an errand. I threw on an oversized fleece top and hoped I wouldn’t see anyone. I wished I had added mirrored sunnies and a cap as well! Of course I bumped into four or five people while I was out. So, my answer is an absolute NO! Other than this one time, I have not used leggings as pants. I don’t even wear them as leggings with my clothes, I would rather wear thick wool tights or skinny jeans with my long tunics than leggings.

I wear athletic leggings a lot, usually before/to/after CrossFit and the gym, on the weekends, and at home as loungewear. Leggings are a little tougher for me to wear as part of a work-related outfit because I have a fairly ample-sized butt (can't believe I just typed that). But I do sometimes wear them under a tunic or longer sweater. And, I have a friend who rocks her "lulus" at the office a couple of times a week and you'd never even know it. She's really clever about dressing them up in ways that hide she's wearing her gym gear.

Edited to say: I like the GapFit blackout leggings for the gym and wear them almost exclusively.

Yes, I admit I do wear leggings as pants sometimes, and I am not young or skinny and probably shouldn't. HaHa.

I do look for thicker leggings. I do try to cover the butt and crotch, so I wear a long shirt, tunic or other long top to cover those. I often wear leggings + tall boots. However, I have on occasion worn leggings where I didn't meet these criteria around the house or to run errands, which was probably kind of bad.
I've certainly never looked this bad, but hopefully no one is secretly filming me for my legging sins. LOL!
https://www.buzzfeed.com/amyod.....;utm_term=

Try as I might, I can't bring myself to care if anybody wears leggings as pants.

With one exception: If you are a lawyer, please do not wear leggings as pants in court. (And yes, I've seen this happen. Mercifully only once.) It's too casual and I think it's disrespectful to the court and to your client.

Witchy D, the picture of Conan O’Brien in “jeggings” is hilarious.

I have poison eye for people (no matter how great you look in them) who wear leggings (meaning no pockets) as pants (meaning I can see your butt - and most likely panty lines). If you're in your gymwear, OK, but really why not put on real clothes? If you're not (all those people at the airport!) then I'm not on board. I wear them as long johns in the snow and if I ever return to the gym I may wear them again for that purpose. I even have people who wear them to work (very casual environment) which I think is not professional, but I'm an old fuddy duddy. No offense to those who choose to wear appropriate ones (ie I can't see through them) in a fashionable way, which is OK but not a look I will be sporting.
Phew I guess this is a look I have definite opinions on

 Love seeing those pictures of you Angie - I remember seeing them when you first posted!

I wear leggings as hosiery, as leggings and not (apart from at the gym) as pants.

This thread is making me rethink my policy of making my daughter wear them "as leggings".  It has been hard finding tops that were long enough to cover everything.

BTW I wanted to find some new track pants this year for lounge wear, and wanted to wear them with shorter tops and I couldn't find any that weren't unflatteringly tight around the thighs.

I wear thick ones under dresses and tucked into boots in cold weather, under mid thigh length tops/sweaters with boots from knee high to ankle high. Love the comfort and, if needed, added warmth.

To each his own for others, but I wonder if some folks really don't realize that what they're wearing as pants are too sheer?? If I can see your freckles through the knit, they're not appropriate as pants.

Interesting thoughts here. Lots of passion for leggings!

Thanks, Anne.

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