Leggings

[Ozdelights]

Although I have no desire for a discussion about leggings, I do believe people here should be allowed such discussion. It relates to outerwear similar to shirts/tops or shoes that goes with skirt wearing. For some it is part of styling your outfit and comfort for the weather.

If it were purely underwear then I take your point.

[DrFishnets]

FYI, this topic is really close to getting put into "off topic" as (1) "leggings" are not skirts and (2) women's wear is not appropriate to the forum.

What is this fascination with hyper-casual and grunge? I just don't get it. There are so many wonderful styles out there. Why do we garbage-collect at the very bottom?

YIKES! I didn’t realise my thread about how comfortable I found leggings (that’s supposedly made for women) would cause so much commotion. I am fully aware that leggings are not skirts and I’m baffled that you say women’s wear is not appropriate to the forum yet I thought Uncle AI said there is no such thing as women’s wear. Why would this be off topic as leggings are a form of wear that used in the fashion of skirts and dresses.

I enjoy writing about my love of skirts and dresses on here and I find it a part of therapy for my anxiety and depression but it is stressful for me when I read forum moderators kicking up a fuss in what I wrote which was perfectly innocent.

[Midas]

But leggings aren’t what we are about. They are just garments worn by women to make the look ugly.

[Jim]

I have tried leggings and tights as a means of continuing to wear mini skirts through winter. My problem is that the waist band of these are higher than the waist level of my skirts which becomes a problem when needing a pee, something that can become quite frequent with the combination of age and cold weather.

They do make crotchless tights. They may try to sell them as being "sexy" but they are practical this way when you want to cover your legs for warmth while wearing a skirt and not worry about garters.

[Myopic Bookworm]

But leggings aren’t what we are about. They are just garments worn by women to make the look ugly.

Mine aren't!

(I wear them mainly for running, but they also offer a warm layer under a skirt.)

I have a pair of mock-suspender tights which solve the access problem, but they are a devil to untangle before you put them on!

[Coder]

I don't see anything wrong with leggings or discussing leggings on this forum in the "Freestyle Fashions" section - and I think having the discussion of *what* to call clothes useful.

I think everyone has personal opinions on leggings-as-pants and whether it signifies a deep failure in societal dressing. I don't care for them as the only thing worn for bottoms - but that is an opinion, not a fact. I just don't think we can ask for the freedom to wear skirts and not give others the latitude to wear what they want, however "offensive" it is to our eyes.

We could discuss their objective facts - material quality, fit, comfort, durability, complications - whether they layer under skirts nicely - and what to do with the interface between legging hem and shoe to make them look nice (that is to say, socks/no socks? tucked in boots or end just above, etc...). The latter being closer to opinions on how to wear them.

[crfriend]

But leggings aren’t what we are about. They are just garments worn by women to make the look ugly.

Completely concur.

What was beginning to grate on me was the constant harping about womens leggings -- with the focus seeming to be on womens. Wearing legwear is not the same thing as masquerading as a woman -- unless one wants to make it so.

Too, tights (and by extension "leggings" (the symbol of the '80s fashion victim)) are ancillary parts of a skirted rig and are not intended as outerwear in the main. Thus, in that context, "off topic".

[DrFishnets]

What was beginning to grate on me was the constant harping about womens leggings -- with the focus seeming to be on womens. Wearing legwear is not the same thing as masquerading as a woman -- unless one wants to make it so.

Too, tights (and by extension "leggings" (the symbol of the '80s fashion victim)) are ancillary parts of a skirted rig and are not intended as outerwear in the main. Thus, in that context, "off topic".

Leggings are in a way outerwear because they are still seen when wearing a skirt, shorts, dress, etc. Even though they are ugly forms of clothing.

By the way I did change the thread title to just “Leggings” to stop anymore pointless commotion.

[denimini]

They do make crotchless tights. They may try to sell them as being "sexy" but they are practical this way when you want to cover your legs for warmth while wearing a skirt and not worry about garters.

Thanks Jim. I am often espousing the fact that little is revealed wearing a mini skirt ........... but that is with the undercarriage lifted. No doubt you are assuming that unmentionables are worn over the said tights, which would still be a practical solution.

[Kirbstone]

For my sins I still engage in that most gruelling of endurance sports, competitive rowing. With our notoriously cool and fickle climate, in all but the sunniest of conditions some sort of leg covering is worn by crewmembers at least at the start of an outing. With warm-up, layers tend to be shed.

At least half of an Eight would arrive wearing tight-fitting legwear under their almost obligatory 'one-pieces' (Rowers' stretchy shorts-singlet garment) Big disadvantage of the tight leggings is that they must stay on throughout the 90-odd minute outing.

Personally I don't wear leggings, so under my 'one-piece' I wear my amply forested bare legs, but conventional tracksuit bottoms serve to warm them and are easily gotten rid of, to free up said legs so they can perform well when the going gets lively later on in the outing. Tops the same, rain top and gilet are shed, leaving just a 'T' to absorb the sweat.

I genuinely give thanks that at my tender age of 82 I can still regularly engage in such an activity. I am the oldest of my rowing group by several years.
To illustrate the undeniable long-term health benefits of this I attach pics of my College's VIII of 1974 at Henley Royal Regatta, who won the University VIIIs 'Ladies Plate' trophy there all of 50 years ago. To put things into perspective, I represented my College at HRR in 1964, ten years previously.

Tom

[STEVIE]

I find this rather absurd, we should not be discussing leggings on the basis that they are womenswear and ugly, really?
Ok, not to my taste, but freedom means just that, the right to make yourself a perfect fashion victim if you choose.
Skirts and dresses are essentially womenswear and there plenty ugly ones, should we now make those unmentionable lest we offend some sense of good taste and good old semantics.
Sorry, Carl, but I have to disagree with you here and I am surprised too.
I never thought that you would try to limit discussion in what appears to be a personal expression of annoyance.
Watching how some things are now going around here, I really feel that it is not the Skirtcafe that I was so glad to have found all.those years ago.
Sad, to have to say that.
Steve.

[Midas]

Sorry Stevie, it’s my fault as it was my comment that kicked it off. It wasn’t really about leggings per se, which can look good when worn under a skirt. I see a lot of (not exactly shapely) women wearing leggings alone, which can be a horrible sight.

That’s the rationale behind what was a throwaway comment. It wasn’t intended to impugn the freedom of all to wear what they want.

[DrFishnets]

Sorry Stevie, it’s my fault as it was my comment that kicked it off. It wasn’t really about leggings per se, which can look good when worn under a skirt. I see a lot of (not exactly shapely) women wearing leggings alone, which can be a horrible sight.

That’s the rationale behind what was a throwaway comment. It wasn’t intended to impugn the freedom of all to wear what they want.

As I’m the OP it all kicked off when Uncle AI corrected me as I wrongly described Leggings as Women’s Leggings but I have since corrected and then crfriend saying that leggings are off topic and leggings are trash.

When I created this thread all I wanted to mention was that how comfortable “womens” leggings are to “men’s” sports leggings. I would never wear leggings without a skirt, dress or kilt on top because they look silly without. I always wear a skirt, dress, kilt or shorts when wearing leggings.

When I see shapeless overweight women wearing just leggings it’s an awful sight and I’m baffled why they don’t wear a nice skirt or dress with them.

[Bertino56]

I agree, leg wear is not skirts, it's a separate topic, but covered under the "freestyle fashions"
category which would include footwear and whatever you might choose to wear WITH skirts.
I wear leggings a lot, as outerwear, and have a drawer full of them. I think leggings look
quite good, and slimming, whether on women or men. I see a lot of them on runners and'
cyclists, and kids on their way to or from soccer practice. They are accepted as athletic wear,
and, as usual, making the crossover into street wear.
There is a retail store in my town devoted to leggings. I haven't bought anything there, but
they have a huge variety of colors and patterns. I'll get the exact name and (if anybody's
interested) contact information on that place.

[DrFishnets]

I agree, leg wear is not skirts, it's a separate topic, but covered under the "freestyle fashions"
category which would include footwear and whatever you might choose to wear WITH skirts.

The topic of leggings was put in the correct category of “freestyle fashions” anyway. I know leggings aren’t skirts that’s why I put it in the “freestyle fashion” category in the first place. Your post makes me think you thought it was put in the wrong category when it wasn’t.