You DO look sharp. I wish I looked as sharp as you. Wear these leggings with a lower contrast top, your Aquatalia motos (perfect boot for these), some heavier jewellery (or none) and play around with your makeup a bit. Maybe a small tweak like that would help you 'feel" it. I should stop commenting here - it's like an accident I can't look away from ! Ack - not you, the whole issue, rather !

I think you just answered your own question, Suz. Your current style IS sharp. These particular skirted leggings are not sharp. That's why I perceive them as a step back from what you want to achieve.

Lisa, I'm sure you look great in leggings, and dress them appropriately for your style.

OK, first of all, you look totally fantastic in these, every version. I love them. I would love to try them. But...I view it as a skirt, and like you, I've never worn a skirt that short, ever. I can see your hesitation, and I would have that same hesitation. It is definitely a different style for you, and is it where you want to go? Maybe it's where you want to go - edgier, more urban - but perhaps this still isn't the right piece for you. Or is it just an age thing? If you were a decade younger, would you wear it or would you still be hesitant because of the short skirt?

Everyone here on the forum who's worn the skirted leggings, I have loved that look on them, no matter what their age. It's been a style that suits them. I just don't know that it's a style that suits you, and I think you are unsure of that as well. Think on it for a few days

This is possibly getting off topic here, but I was thinking about this earlier this evening: why does a look have to fit with a person's usual / perceived style, anyway?

This idea was on my mind because yesterday, I wore a pink velvet boden jacket and did the preppy look, and today it was black and allsaints print. They are both me in different ways (and both involved grey jeans though not the same pairs.)

I don't think you need to stick to your typical classic/crisp style, Suz. I am newer to the forum and I have never been exactly sure what urban warrior prince is, anyway. To me it somehow implies a Prince Valiant look, which to me is shorter straight hair and leggings and a tunic. hmmm. Isn't this it?

I like the legging skirt on you, particularly with the asymmetric top and longer cardigan. I also jumped on the legging skirt train; I have to be in a certain mood for them though -- they won't be a daily reach-for.

And FWIW I like the skirted leggings on Una. and Dashielle. And Firecracker. I might like them on LisaP, too, if she showed them to us.

Good for you, for trying these, Suz. I like 6, 11, and 12 best. If you are going to mull them over at all, I would say try wearing outfit 6 for a day and see what you think. It looks the closest to your usual style while treating the skirt part more as an extra layer, rather than as a skirt. For me, the problem with the look for you is that you've styled the garment mostly as a skirt with leggings attached. Una's butt-vest idea is crucial, to me. I think of my skirted leggings more as a built-in layer that I can use in creating an arty multi-layered look. That's how I feel they can work for me. But your style isn't typically arty, multi-layered, so I wouldn't be surprised if the way I'm envisioning them might not work for you.

p.s. I wonder if the gray is actually contributing to the problem of melding this garment to your style. Would black look more crisp?

edited

I'm with UmmLila on this one Suz. You look great and if you're looking to branch out a bit, I say go for it. Sleep on it (well, not literally), look at your feedback and make some more outfits. I'm sure it seems as though I "doth protest to much" but I like a little flexibility in how I dress. Yes, RATE is my core, but some days I feel preppieish, and I can rock the corporate vibe as needed. I don't feel remotely immature in my skirted leggings, but like Una, I think of them as more of a pelvic vest, or loincloth (I'm going to throw in the parts I like to cover too ;-)). I don't at all consider them to be a skirt and honestly, at least for mine, since it's all black, you can't always tell what all's going on down there, lol. I'm beginning to wish all my skinnies came with flaps, hey, maybe I'm on to something!

Wow, these skirted leggings are polarizing, that's for sure!

Maybe it's time to seriously put some thought into where, when, and how you'd feel confident and appropriate in your skirted leggings, Suz. That might give you a better sense of how this look would fit into your life. I think the ladies on the forum who love their skirted leggings have this figured out but their lives and personal styles aren't necessarily the same as yours.

Suz......Your comment about colouring your hair struck a cord with me. I use a demi to blend in my grays and occasionally people question that like it's not necessary. But, I'm a brunette and those gray hairs pretty much stand up and yell "hey look at me...here I am". I colour because it's more flattering now and I often say I'll happily go gray if my hair decides to go all the way.

I hope you're doing ok. I think this thread was probably a bit hard on you. You say you love the leggings and wanted to make them work. Take a few days and see how you feel going forward. I sometimes flip flop on my clothes on a daily basis.

Suz before I read the comments I will say you have styled them beautifully - BUT I think they are too short for your style. Not your age, not your figure (which is fabulous), but for your style. I will soon read the comments and see if I change my mind.

I'm going to try and throw in my two cents worth, in a convoluted way, so bear with me.... I was in the EF store again (third time, I just want to move in there), a girlfriend wanted a pair of the skirted leggings after seeing me wearing them non-stop. Seems I've started something in my neck of the woods. Anyways, she has your style, suz, more preppy, crisp and clean, rather than my shlumpy, I mean boho arty drapey whatever (although I do feel right at home in EF, I seriously could move right in). Anyways, she tried them on and they didn't look right on her at all. Then the SA went to work, unbuttoned her shirt, pulled it out, switched out her cardi for a bigger drapey one and made her look like me! She bought them and I haven't seen her wear them once since. I've been wearing mine (literally) every day. They work with almost every sweater I own, as a butt vest (love that!), or a shirt extender, not a skirt. I wore them today with a poncho and got stopped in Sephora by a guy asking if he could take a street style photo. That was a first. As much as I admire and covet your style Suz, I could never ever pull it off. I guess what I'm getting at is, maybe these just don't feel right to you, even though they look great on you?

ETA: and I'm 50, as age seems to be a factor in some of the discussions!

Well that was a wild ride through the comments! I laughed, I winced, I reconsidered the pictures, I thought about taking you shoe shopping! Shoes are my solution for you Suz. I have a one track mind.

Thank you so much, everyone -- I am really enjoying this discussion! Please don't worry that I'm hit hard, Marilyn. But thank you for your concern on my behalf, which is really kind. I think if I hadn't seen these as a calculated risk I might be more upset, but truly, I am not. Bemused and puzzled but not hurt. I really like that people are being upfront and I also find the reasoning extremely interesting and helpful to me as I try to work out what it is that isn't working with these for me.

In the end I think it comes down to the fabrication more than anything. It's really, really soft. And that makes them feel like loungewear. To ME. I don't think they look like loungewear. On anyone.

Gaylene sensibly asks where I would feel okay wearing them. Well -- IF THE FABRICATION WERE A BIT DIFFERENT (ah...that telling "if") I would feel okay wearing them to meet friends at a pub, to go to a book club meeting or a meeting of my poetry group, to buy groceries, to drive my daughter to her various classes, to go for a walk (in the right weather -- probably not right now), and to work at home -- in short, to do just about any casual activity that I might otherwise wear jeans to do. That's sort of how I saw these -- as a jeans alternative.

Back then, I didn't realize they were also a loincloth/ butt vest. Ha!! It took the tutelage of the YLF UWPs to teach me their hidden mysteries! But maybe this explains why I am so ANAL about them.

I would NOT feel comfortable wearing these to meet completely new people for the first time, to go to the doctor, to give a presentation, to teach a class, to go to a funeral (gah!), to lunch with my 90 year old mother, to run for office (not that I plan to), to go to a religious service. But you know, I do the things in that first list a whole lot more than I do the things in the second list. Which is why I ordered these.

Ah well. It's a great learning experience for me, and I thank you all for your opinions. If there is one thing that's clear, it's that skirted leggings are even more polarizing than unskirted leggings.

Darned leggings! Always making trouble.

Suz, I hope that you do take a fresh look at these in the morning. Maybe you should sleep in them ;).

Suz, I'm right there with you. I got my EF's a few days ago. I couldn't wait to wear them out. I paired them with an oversized asymmetrical cashmere sweater (a NAS purchase) topped with short puffer jacket. Proportions were just right, I liked how it looked in photos. But then felt totally seasonally confused, wearing them out in winter weather! My lower half froze! I contemplated maybe putting fleece leggings underneath, but the skirt is still the same lightweight jersey. And yes, I felt like I was wearing gear on the bottom, with street wear on the top.

I am KEEPING them regardless .... for loungewear, weekends (long walks/grocery store/movies), non-business-related travel, and for warmer temperatures/climes. And I will probably pair with a cotton tee or knit top or cotton sweater of similar weight. I think a trendy sweatshirt would look adorable with these too.

I think pairing my VC ruched midi (which is self-lined) with tights and tall boots was actually warmer than wearing these. But when I tried that experiment, I was still too cold (and that was when it was hovering around 40-50s).

I'm not sure that I can add anything to the thoughts that have already been articulated here. I opened this thread thinking "yes! Suz has joined the bandwagon!" But was instantly not so sure you had... Much like others, I'm not so sure these are you, even though I love them ON you. Then I got sucked into the comments, fascinating. And hilarious. :).

But dare I say, I don't find you've styled them as leggings, rather you've styled them as a skirt. Do you have any sweaters or tunics that are pretty much the same length? Your burgundy cardigan perhaps? Firecracker had some great examples of this... Using the skirt as more of a tunic extender than an actual garment.

Wish I could go back and look at the pics, but don't want to lose what I've typed.

Just a thought....

What an enjoyable thread. Perfect for keeping me from all the work I need to get done this evening.

OK. It's the back view that has me saying, 'no way' for myself, and I don't think that you and I are that far apart in age or style. All I can see is "super short mini-skirt" from the back, which would make me feel extraordinarily uncomfortable out in public. I realize that you're trying to figure out if they work for YOU, but I thought I'd lay that out there in case it resonates with you. I get Angie's emphasis on structure, but honestly the deal breaker for me would be the mini-skirt resemblance.

Hi Suz --

I read through all 71 replies before I logged in to see the photos.

I haven't seen the skirt on anyone else yet, so I had a bit of an "ooooooh, that's why this particular version is pretty polarizing re working for Suz."

You know how tennis skirts read as either flirty or sexless depending on who's wearing them and what else is involved?

I feel like this skirt will read either saucy or IDGAF/blase depending.

And since you can't *possibly* do blase, and with my bad memory I can't recall you doing a lot of wink wink/saucy outfits, this seems like WOAH.

Personally I think it looks great and could be fun if you're looking to loosen up more in a visual sense. I'm more in love with the fairly streamlined monochromatic or tonal variations *or* the artier ones; both of those seem more of a cool urban casual look for women with some mileage on them (us!). The big wooly and plaid + uber-covered doesn't scream flirty to me and I say go big or go return.

ps in summer we SO need a classic tennis skirt thread. I used to live somewhere where women 40-85+ seemed to wear them everywhere but the courts [I kid] and no one batted an eye.

Wow Suz, don't you know how to start a popular conversation on the forum or what?!
I am right there with you (as you could have guessed already). I liked tyhem in Angie's post but had an inkling that they are NOT right for my style. You and Angie just explained why - not crisp enough!
So here are my 2 cents. Yes, I can see that you styled them as a skirt and it feels too short and juvenile - for your style, not for your age. Agree.
There are suggestions to focus on a skirt as a tunic extention- in other words let it make your tops longer for that "butt vest" effect (Una rocks!)
However I am sure I will have a problem with making this work for me and very possibly you will have a problem too. For me it is the legging thing. I don't feel good in them now - period. As you said - too soft, too launge wear -like. I would always go for my ponte pants and tunic if I need to tuck into tall boots but not leggings. Ponte pants are more structured and dressier - and crisper. Leggings are not. You got your navy leggings from Nordstrom - do you wear them a lot?
I flirted with leggings for a couple of years after joining YLF and came to the conclusion that they are not for me - aside for exercising or wearing with a sweater dress as house wear. I suspect you are the same...

Ok wow, this is quite the thread! I haven't been able to read all of the replies, just skim, but I can't resist chiming in just to throw my hat into the ring. While I do think that you LOOK fabulous in them, as everyone has confirmed, I agree with many that I just don't see the Suz that I know from other posts, and it's not about whether they look too youthful on you. I looked at the photos one by one, several times over, and what struck me first was that you didn't look comfortable. Not that you didn't look good - just not your normal confident self. It wasn't until the second to the last photo that I went "oh, there she is!" The last two photos look the most like you, in my opinion. I think that those renditions bring some of the sharpness into focus, and the polish that makes me think of you - and they seemed more sophisticated. But even if you can find ways to style them in ways that suit your style, it really boils down to how you FEEL in them. There is nothing better than feeling comepletely at home in your own skin... or jeans... or leggings.

Meanwhile, Thanks to Una, I am never going to EVER be able to wear mine again without thinking about "butt vest". That may be the best fashion phrase of all time!

Oh my! I replied to this thread in the morning and then was gone all day. I've just popped back into check it, and it appears to have metastasized!

Suz, lots of good advice here. I'm glad you appreciate honesty. Like I said, it's not that they look bad (on the contrary; you've got the shape for it!) so much as they don't really look like 'you'. I thought it was because they were a little juvenile for your style, but others have pointed out that it's their slouchy, gear-like, non-crisp integrity that may be the problem.

Also, I feel like I should respond to those of you who like the skirted leggings. They could, possibly, work for some women, and anyway it's never a good idea to make blanket statements because I inevitably find an exception and then I have to eat crow.

LisaP, you said 'This whole leggings issue really amazes me - in that so many women think they are inappropriate and too juvenile for anyone older than , what, 30? I'm not offended by this at all, only curious.' Actually I don't think regular leggings with a tunic are inappropriate for older women -- I bet the right seventy-year-old could wear them well, if she got the details right. I think skirted leggings, on the other hand, can easily be a very youthful look. I stand by what I said before: they are not sophisticated. It reads as a streetwalker-short skirt, whereas a tunic reads as a long top. However, If that youthful integrity works with your overall style, you're good to go. Goldie Hawn could probably wear skirted leggings even now and look right. I, on the other hand, would not. (And although I haven't seen you in your pair, I have no doubt you know what you're doing).

ETA: but to clarify, wearing skirted leggings does not make one look like a streetwalker! Because of the thick leggings. And the fact that you don't wear them with 5" stiletto-heeled OTK boots.

I haven't read all the replies thoroughly, but my first thought was that this item is at odds with your usual style. I would not call it sophisticated. I do think you look really incredible in them, though!

Sex, politics, religion,and now leggings. Who knew?

(topics to avoid at the proverbial dinner table)

Note to self: do not get sucked into conversations about leggings, earrings, puffer jackets, and jeans.

Good night everyone ! xo.

LOL, Lisa! The fashion dinner table...

This tops any awkward conversation I've had with my sister-in-law at the Thanksgiving dinner table . Streetwalker? No one here is wearing them with OTK 5 inch heels and never did. I'm going to bed now and pretending I didn't read that.

Lol! Lisa, you know I'm joking, right? (Of course no one is wearing them with 5" heels!) Even though I have not seen you in your skirted leggings, I am ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE that you do not look like a hooker.

What I mean, though, is that if you took away the leggings, it would be an indecently short skirt!

I love you in them in almost every iteration. I don't think you look uncomfortable and I do think they are fine for those occasions you envisage.

See, these are just about as thick as my Kut ponte skinnies. Instead of a fly and pockets, there's a zippered skirt, but same difference to me. I am enjoying this debate a lot.

I am with shevia, shoes are the answer!