Where do skinnies stop and leggings begin?

doubleh

Typically I have used the self-applied rule, if you can see the "apples" of my bottom, then tunic. However, I just got these. http://www.anntaylor.com/eques.....038;catid= They look "skinnies" to me, but material wise, more legging perhaps? Causing me to second guess previous purchases...

I used to be pretty flat bottomed so never worried about this. But post-pregnancy, I have a little junk and I like it! Just don't want to be vulgar about it...:)

12 years ago

Dressing

12 replies

Latest reply was from Gigi

April

Veteran

Hmm. Since those have a zipper at the waist, they seem more pants than leggings. But it seems like they could also be made more leggings-like by wearing them too tight. As long as they're not sealed to your legs like plastic wrap, I think you've got skinnies.

12 years ago

Echo

Veteran

^ Agreed. If worn in the proper size, these count as skinnies. Almost any pants can be turned vulgar if worn too tight!

12 years ago

gryffin

Veteran

doubleh - good question, and April - you totally crack me up!! "sealed to your legs like plastic wrap" Good one!! I think Echo and April have nailed it. The model seems to be sporting April's "plastic wrap" motif. Ann Taylor did ponte ottoman ribbed equestrian pants in the 90's. I still have mine. They fit like leggings and I treated them accordingly - styling them with long equestrian blazers buttoned and booties at the time. If you can size up for a skimming "skinny" fit I would treat them like pants. If they are skin tights, I would personally treat them like leggings. Very pretty. I had not seen these. Love. I hope you enjoy them!!

12 years ago

Gaylene

Veteran

My rule has always been, if I'm in doubt, treat as them as leggings, not skinnies. Adding a zipper doesn't turn a legging into a skinny. As April says, it's about how they fit, not what is on the label or in the description.

12 years ago

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I would call those leggings on the model, because of how they cling to the legs especially around the knees, despite the trouser-like waist. I tend to notice the fit around the knees as much as the fit on the butt - if you can see the kneecap and the articulation around the knee and the thigh the fabric is more legging like.

IRL it will depend on how they fit on you as well as your figure type - less fluffy gals can pull off wearing thinner leggings than I'm comfortable with myself.

12 years ago

April

Veteran

The seemingly ridiculous cut of the new-style skinnies has made me completely unhesitant about sizing up -- twice if necessary.

I just think it's so much more elegant to have a skinny with a bit of space in it than the current look, in which one appears to have been dipped in latex.

12 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Fit is one part of it, for sure. I also think the thickness and structure of the fabric has a lot to do with the legging-vs-skinny look. I have a pair of so-called "leggings" that have a full zip and button fly, real pockets, and are a substantial enough fabric that I simply recognize them as jeans or pants. They skim my backside enough (especially after an hour of wear) that I don't think they appear legging-ish at all.

Conversely, there are so-called "jeans" out there in the world that I have tried that were so clingy and thin in fabrication that they left little to the imagination, even when sized up. We're talking lumps and bumps galore. I don't think those deserve the term "pants" or "jeans." I say trust your eye more than the label.

12 years ago

doubleh

Veteran

Thanks all. They do seem to fit well everywhere, but since I would like them to be a skinny more than legging, I think I will try to size up and hope they don't go saggy elsewhere. They are a comfortable weight to wear as a pant, I think.

I appreciate the pointers in general- I will apply the knee observation as part of my criteria now.

(and fwiw, if anyone remembers the "I wanna see your tootsie roll" song from the early 90s- if that song pops into my head while trying on a pair of pants it is an immediate "no"! I do not want to see my tootsie roll."

12 years ago

Thistle

Veteran

Others all have you sorted, I think.

Just want to say I have seen an increasing number of ladies wearing leggings as pants instead of under a tunic. I hope this doesn't become a trend!

12 years ago

doubleh

Veteran

Thistle- yes, exactly! And I do not want to unwittingly contribute to this trend. I am going to size up and if all is well to my untrained eye, I might have to do my first photo post.

12 years ago

Anonymous

In general I consider the fabric. If it is a knit, I think leggings and wear a top that covers. If woven fabric, I think skinnies. However a very heavy knit or thin woven can change things up.

12 years ago

Gigi

Veteran

I think that you have to trust your own judgment; I think it really is based on appearance and what it feels like to you. I have a pair of "jegging pants" from American Eagle that are cotton knit. They are a pretty decent weight, have a zipper, and have real back pockets. They have faux front pockets. Everything would seem to indicate the "skinny" category, but when I put them on, I see leggings. It has to do with the type of fabric, I think, and how it hugs the body, especially the rear end. So although they are very opaque and don't "show" anything, I still treat them as leggings and try to wear them only around the house (I don't have any longer tunic tops, or I would wear a tunic with them).

12 years ago

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