Leggings are not pants, people!
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To wear pants or not to wear pants? That is the new existential question for would-be fashion victims. There have been some staunch advocates for the leggings-as-pants (LAPS) movement—most famously, notorious pants-hater Lindsay Lohan—but, for the most part, it’s been met with resounding disgust and disapproval. From the Go Fug Yourself girls’ continuous denunciations to “Tights Are Not Pants” DIY fliers to my very own obsession, the pantsless phenomenon has more decriers than defenders. And yet, the trend somehow continues.
If you’re sitting there shaking your head and pretending that your Pilates-toned legs are the exception, then think again. No one likes to see the crevices of a stranger’s lady bits while walking down the street. No one likes to see the inevitable shake of an unharnessed booty (well, most don’t) while at the grocery store. No one likes having to awkwardly avert his or her eyes at the sight of an uncomfortable-looking camel toe on the horizon. It’s simple, people: No one likes seeing someone else’s nether regions during normal, day-to-day interactions.
Wearing a size zero or a size 10 is beside the point—although, ahem, dressing for your body should at least be a consideration. The real issue is that LAPS leave nothing to the imagination. LAPS are not only completely unflattering, but they are also garishly trashy. Wearing them is the equivalent of donning a bikini top as a shirt—it’s inappropriate and hopelessly desperate.
Leggings are not pants. It’s a simple fact. They can be worn under dresses, skirts, and the occasional oversized shirt, most of the time to great effect. Alternately, they can, in select instances, be worn for active purposes such as yoga, biking, a trip to the gym, or, say, being an Olympic athlete. But they should not—cannot—ever be worn as solo attire. Please, do us all a favor and put on a pair of real pantaloons—it’ll save everyone some much-needed dignity.
