Suz, I have purposely not read the other comments so I don't know if I am swimming with or against the tide:) You look perfectly fine in these, but I really don't see this as being congruent with your style. You dress like a very cool grown up, and these are just reading way to juvenile for some reason. I am struggling with the length too. You have great legs, no issue there but the length just doesn't look right for you either. Forgive me!

Suz I have not read all the comments but I have read about the "butt vest". Too funny. I am close to 60. I am still getting my head around that number. I would totally wear a "butt vest". No problem. I love the look.

To me you don't look comfortable in the look. You can carry it off physically but not comfort wise. I hope that makes sense.

I searched all over Toronto last week for skirted leggings. None to be found. I will have to wait until I go south and pay in US dollars. Not looking forward to that!

Suz, in my opinion, and as Angie and others have stated, these are simply the wrong pair of skirted leggings for you. That's all. They are just way too short given the cut and fabrication.

I hope that you will try these again, possibly in something like the sleek longer tappered pencil skirted, and black EF version. They may not be thick enough for the dead of winter, but I would bet you'd get a lot of wear out of them during other times of the year.

This is a thread for the YLF Hall of Fame.

Well, this thread has been amazing. Thanks so much for indulging me, everyone, and weighing in with opinions, whether yay or nay. I should have had a "vote" button, too. That would have really amped it up! Not that we needed anything to get us fired up and going.

My daughter was giving a presentation in class the other day and was looking for a topic that people would take sides on so she could get some discussion going. Too bad I couldn't tell her: Talk about BUTT VESTS!!

And don't be "anal" about it.

These leggings are not for me. Una, I was so interested in what you said about their thickness being equal to ponte pants. You are absolutely right. And yet...they are so much softer than ponte pants. And that's the difference. For me, I mean.

Fascinating to ponder. This gets right down to stuff we're not even conscious of, right? The textures/ feel of different fabrications...I mean, we know instinctively if we like the feel of something and usually either grab it or avoid it for that reason -- but to think what a big role this plays in overall style....

Anyway, if there is one thing that makes me sad in this whole debate it's that I don't think I'm going to have a new silhouette to play with. Because PANTS under a dress absolutely does not work for me, either.

I've discussed it a zillion times with Deborah (who is expert at it). For me, I can't get past the "bunchy" feeling that woven pants under any kind of skirt or dress seem to create for me. It is probably what others feel when layering a top and sweater. For me, it is FUSS TO THE MAX - I am always having to adjust, fiddle, deal with the darn things. Why this isn't so for others is a mystery that only the Fashion Gods can answer. If they can.

I think fabrication is just as important in whether you like something on you, as colour is. It either meshes with you, or it doesn't. I have a friend that was looking for a dress, and I suggested the BR wrap, and she knew without trying that the fabric in it doesn't have enough structure for her and she'd never wear it... regardless of fit and colour. I rarely wear mine, and I wonder if it's for the same reason. So yeah, if it's not you, it's not you. I also think this is a harder thing to get a handle on, because it's not really discussed the same way.

However... not all skirted leggings are created equal! If it's a silhouette that you are still interested in, perhaps you DO need some that are less "bunchy" (sounds like the EF ones are thinner?). Or maybe you'd like the sleekness of black? Or a longer pair so that they work better styled as a skirt on you, like your (our) BR dress?

Oh, and I also cannot do pants under a skirt/dress. Some rock the look, to me it makes me feel like I'm 6 and wearing a dress to school on a cold day, so needed to put something on temporarily. And that's before we talk about ALL. THAT. FABRIC!

It's a good thing we're all different, isn't it! And such a good thing that the people on this forum appreciate and applaud that. It's very cool.

Elizabeth, that's it. Pants under a dress = going to school on a really cold day wearing the snow pants. URGH!!!!

These leggings don't feel bunchy to me at all -- they just feel too soft. Like long johns. So thinner wouldn't be better. Not if it was soft.

But here's something I don't get. You know our modal BR blue dress? Talk about SOFT and unstructured!! So how come that works??? Doesn't bother me a bit? Not even with a soft cardigan over it?????

That is because it is a dress. Doesn't have the butt vest effect?
I think for this skirted legging to work for my eyes, the shirt needed to be tucked in. But then this particular skirt might be too short for you.

I see, leggings(skirted or not) are always intriguing the crowds, mee included-so I read most of the comments in a hurry then went back to see Una's pair for comparison. I would die to see LisaP's one, too:-)).

IMO it has nothing to do with personal style, but with the styling. Now, with my eyes trained on Una's examples I can say, she really put her finger on something RIGHT with both of her stylings, there.

The one with the citron sweater (wich is tunic length) it's paired with some OTK boots, wich are leaving only a few inches of visible leg line between them and the mini skirt hem, which is quite a good trick, to my eyes, for making them work on a 40+ girl.

The other look is paired with some gearlike mary janes(?), and so, they are styled for a more casual setting, which is still all right on anybody(of any age!) petite and slim frame like Una, and You are.

Suz, dare I say I'm sure you would feel (more) comfortable in any of some similar stylings with Una's. But these shown here are all of another kind to my eyes, like you were trying to elevate the look to a crisp and polished one (which these skirted leggings will never do).

It's NOT you, it's your shoes used here(too structured and polished).

LOL Suz, I was thinking that exact thing as I typed my previous comment. I wonder if it's about the shape of the garment, and what we expect it to "do". That dress doesn't move much, because of the ruching. My BR dress is flared, and has a tie floppy belt. More fuss, for sure. I haven't really thought much about this, I just know I don't reach for it and I thought it'd be a workhorse. I don't mind soft, but perhaps the soft needs to stay where it's supposed to. Tissue tees is an example for me...toooooo soft.

RE the leggings, I was thinking that ponte-like under a skirt might feel more like pants, therefore the "bunching". Not so much bunching, but a lot of fabric. And thinner might feel more like tights. But without feeling them, I don't know - maybe I should shut up now

ETA. I agree with Lyn. Before you give up, try styling them like skirted leggings, AKA Una, not as skirt.

I was wondering if you tried the the long red sweater and red booties.

Edited because I misspoke. You did pick long tops to wear with these leggings, I just wondered if you'd tried the red one. For the record I was hoping if these didn't work out you'd try another pair. I like your style and color palette very much so it would be totally fun to see skirted leggings work for you.

As an aside, I sure wish skirted leggings would take off in my area. I'd vastly prefer it over the leggings as pants style where people do not wear tasteful long tops over them.

For the record: some of these sweaters are just as long as Una's sweater (my j. Crew tunic sweater, and my big oversized J. Crew framed cashmere sweater). That is the same length as my red J. Crew sweater -- actually, it is a bit shorter than the tunic sweater. One of my sweaters is longer than anything anyone has shown yet (the grey cardigan). ALL of these sweaters are just as long in the back as anything Una wore.

So it is not the length of the sweaters, unless it is just that said length of sweaters doesn't look right on me.

And I wasn't trying to treat it as a skirt in my stylings. Well, except maybe the one with the partially tucked plaid shirt and long grey cardigan.

These are the tops I would wear with my legging jeans. This is what I would wear with leggings, too, if I liked them. They are the same kind of tops that those of you who do like and wear leggings wear with them. Some are tunic length all round. One is an asymmetrical shape but tunic length in back. ALL cover my bum.

Phew. That was bugging me. Thanks for indulging.

I guess I have seen you look SO SO fantastic. These do not add to your awesomeness. Add 4 " and it is possible.
I know you can wear a broken line well and it gave me some pause and I looked thru ALL of them to try to figure it out. So is it where the line is broken here ? Is it because you have long legs in proportion to your entire body... would it look better with someone who has shorter legs ? I don't think it is age related. Also, hese are probably some of the best tops to wear it with. Imagine a waist length pop-top. No. So... why??? Unknown... I'm confounded.
You DO have a fantastic figure ! Great ! But perhaps it's fantasticness is implied in other silhouettes rather than shown directly.
Again... I am glad you did this... gives me something to ponder.
I would send them back. You have so much better stuff than this.

A YLF Hall of Fame thread, Suz! From now on, "Butt Vest" will be a code word that distinguishes a YLFer from the rest of the crowd. If you think you might have found a fellow Fabber, just sidle up, say the code, and wait for the reaction!

After a night's sleep, two things became quite clear: First, I, along with others, have a definite tendency towards a thumbs down when we see someone wearing an item of clothing outside of what we think of as that person's "style". Mostly, we like to keep our perceptions of others neat and tidy, and not have them challenged. Suz in a Butt Vest is like seeing Angie in boho or Una in Corporette garb--a collective chorus of Nooooo.... arises from the peanut gallery---the good, and not so good, reaction to women who have honed a distinctive personal style that is admired by others.

Second reflection: Adding a decidedly different piece to our wardrobe may require changing more than we intend to modify. Maybe that's why we end up with orphans and mistakes? We try what seems a small experiment only to realize that we are in for more than we bargained. To make the new item "work", we need different shoes--and accessories--and hair--and makeup--and maybe a new top in another color... The more we change, the less we feel like ourselves, and the more we feel like we are in a costume, imitating instead of expressing--giving rise to that dreaded "fashion victim" feeling? If we persevere, we can often make a real breakthrough into a new way of dressing, but, as Angie wisely points out, maybe we first ought to decide if that's a direction we want to explore? I suspect her wisdom comes from working with more than one client who, caught up in the excitement of trying something new, ends up with an item that is quickly consigned to the purge bin.

The EF leggings are nowhere as thick and structured as my ponte knit pants - which I am living in lately since nothing else fits right now. I have 5-pocket ponte knit pants from Theory (high end) and from LOFT (low end). These are the greatest thing for traveling/business meetings because they stretch and expand, but still look sharp & crisp. Though technically "leggings" on me, because my legs are thin, they look more like skinnies.

In comparison, the EF leggings are thin, flimsy, and lightweight -- not appropriate for Boston winter, but I can definitely see how they'd be cool & comfy and temperature regulating in spring, summer & fall.

I would never put a dress or skirt over my ponte knit pants. I've tried in the past, and it just looks off to my eye and feels wrong.

Leggings definitely have a place in my closet. They are great under skirts and dresses in the winter (especially if fleece lined). They are great under a long tunic. I have chicken legs, always have -- and when my upper half is expanding (as it has this past year), at least they remain slim and I like to show them off.

Suz, I will post a pic of me in the EF leggings later tonight when I get the chance. I bought two sizes for comparison. The PXS has a much shorter skirt, similar to your leggings here, and is tighter as well (butt vest). I kept the XS-regular because the skirt is a more modest length and not so clingy - which felt more appropriate.

Sorry Suz. Didn't mean to push buttons. I guess I was comparing too much to ME - the sweaters you are wearing here are all shorter than _I_ would wear with leggings due to the shape of my legs. I would wear these with skirts. Tunics with leggings on me need to be more like short dresses, as they need to cover much more than my butt. So the appeal of skirted leggings for me is to create the illusion of a few more precious inches in what I'm wearing on top that most shirts and sweaters often don't provide. And that my thunder thighs need.

What I was suggesting is that I'd love to see them with tops that were pretty much the same length, give or take a couple of inches, than the skirt. the length of your grey cardi fits this. Firecracker has worn hers like this several times, and it was what won me over.

No more beating a dead horse, I just obviously didn't explain myself very well.

No worries, Elizabeth - and just so you know, I was reacting to a kind of general trend I saw in comments, not just yours. People kept saying the sweaters were shorter than they are in fact. These leggings are the funniest things ever!!

Late to the BV party, but wanting to join in!
Well it's a novelette in the making! Suz I am blown away by your energy to put the skirt/leggings through it's paces! As others have said, you can totally rock it with your gorgeous figure. On the other , and and to Viv's point - it does read a little sk8ter gurl. My thoughts are that this would become an orphan...and that there is a far better BV out there for you.

This thread continues to fascinate me. I really think the difference lies in people "knowing" us. As we've discussed before, this is both a blessing (holding us accountable and keeping us from being all over the map) and a curse (limiting our horizons and possibly preventing others and our own selves from exploring). I guarantee if I posted a picture of myself in a Laura Ashley-style floral dress with a lace bib, it would not go over well - and rightly so. You all know that is just Not Me. But if you didn't know me and my usual style, you might feel differently.

And yet, it's not so evident to me that this look is inherently "Not Suz". I took several pictures of my own Butt-Vest with different tops and will post those in a new thread for your consideration. Two are basically IDENTICAL to what Suz has posted and said as much (longer sweater, asymmetric poncho style). Suz and I overlap in quite a few way style-wise - similar weather, many twin items, and not that different in size and height (although the devil is in the details).

How do we sort out the nuances of our personal style and how it carries through in our clothing when we step outside our comfort zone?

"How do we sort out the nuances of our personal style and how it carries through in our clothing when we step outside our comfort zone?"

Excellent question, and worthy of another thread. I suspect that the answer might be more complicated than just the items of clothing that are common to two people. Two women of approximately the same size in identical outfits, yet different interpretations and associations in the minds of the observers. What do each of them bring to the party that makes the difference?

No wonder so many of us retreat into a formula and call it our "style".

ETA: And, just for the record, Una, I think I'd recoil at a picture of you in a Laura Ashley dress even if I didn't "know" you. I probably would keep quiet, but I'd wonder why you were going incognito, or if you'd borrowed the dress from a girly friend.

"And, just for the record, Una, I think I'd recoil at a picture of you in a Laura Ashley dress even if I didn't "know" you. I probably would keep quiet, but I'd wonder why you were going incognito, or if you'd borrowed the dress from a girly friend."

Gaylene, too funny! And why is that? There are certain items I feel are inherently not right on me as an Indian woman (like a kilt, or a Lilly Pulitzer dress) - I don't know why. But then how is it I'm comfortable with leather leggings and BVs?

I'm in awe over the wit and sharp observations pronounced in this thread. It's positively killing me. Butt vest!

Suz, I adore you in anything, but this style feels very foreign to your sharp, cool, grown up style. But - if anyone could make that work anyway, it'd be you.

Hey, Una, I tried to fumble my way through an answer on your thread.

My response to Gayene's

Two women of approximately the same size in identical outfits, yet different interpretations and associations in the minds of the observers. What do each of them bring to the party that makes the difference?

is - personality. My very BFF is a twin. When I look at photos I don't know if it's my friend or her sister but irl it is easy to work out which is which because they have such different personalities.

IMO the best clothes express who we are in a visual way. So when we wear things that mesh with our personalities people get us on some deep level.

Slowly reading through the comments...not quite finished:). I agree that as we get to know one another, we develop a reasonable understanding of one a others style, preferences etc. However I think we can all bring our flavour to different looks. When I have to, I can do corporate, say black pants and blazer but I would choose a blazer with a draped lapel and perhaps a draped and cowl neck top underneath which would bring strong elements of "my style" to the look. I like to think we are all understanding and supportive of one another trying different looks. Suz, you wear a gorgeous asymmetric sweater that on the surface I wouldn't have thought of for you, but it works for your style. Your styling has made it "yours". But other items, remember that draped dress (in Mo's wardrobe now?) had similar style elements but it just didn't work for you. I do think it's about the right item. Skirted leggings could still work for you, just not these ones. I think a longer skirt will create better proportions.