Leggings - pick a side!

Behold, leggings:

£28, American Apparel

They've caused a little rift between myself and my good friend Lulu, the noted Fashion Hound. The scene of our original rift was obviously one of carnage and unspeakable violence, as with any fashion-based disagreement.
So we decided to meet on neutral ground, shoegazerfashion.blogspot.com, and present our arguments in a measured, articulate way. Ecoute:


Leggings – the case against.

By Lulu the Fashion Hound.

Treggings, meggings or jeggings – whatever you call them, leggings in some form or other have been plaguing the high street for a couple of years now. I appreciate that leggings do have their uses, especially on days when it’s too hot for tights but too cold for bare legs, or when it’s too cold for tights so a nice pair of leggings can do the job of tights but with an extra warmth to them as they protrude from your tea-dress and nestle into a nice pair of winter boots (note: not Uggs. NEVER Uggs.) I’ll admit, leggings can even look fine teamed with a long line tunic – providing you have the figure for it. And there is the statement that, in my opinion, is key to the wearability of leggings: “if you have the figure for it”.

I’m not about to go all fashion dictator on you (well, I might), but too many times I’ve got stuck walking behind an over-weight, under-washed Closer magazine reader wearing hot pink, lacy leggings with nothing more than a Ribena-stained t-shirt covering their camel toe. WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR SKIRT? My eyes want to vomit! Did the fashion houses not consider that this is what their hard work might boil down to once their oh-so-hot trend had trickled from Topshop to New Look to Primark and countless dodgy market stalls nationwide? (I think Stacey Slater now does a nice line of acid-wash jeggings in size 24, if you’re interested ladies.)

To summarise, I suppose my point is - Leggings? Fine, as long as you wear them well (and here ‘well’ means you looked in the mirror before leaving the house and were truly honest with yourself.) And if you’ve got meat on your bones maybe don’t skip the skirt/dress. No matter how good it looks on those lucky few who can pull it off, it won’t look the same on women Gok Wan would probably like to befriend/strip/force to self-love.

Lulu x

The case for:

By Poppy Shoegazer

Legs are great, don't you think? Trousers attempt to emulate their shape and trick the eye into seeing a more attractive posterior (I know your game, bootcut jeans!), but they always fall short.

The shape of a leg is a beautiful thing - whether you're proud of the whole of your drumstick, or just a well-turned ankle - leggings allow one to show it off, whatever the weather, where trousers only seek to cover and disguise.

Leggings are as comfy as jogging trousers, without the self-loathing that jogging trousers bring out in a girl. They are as stylish as harem trousers, without looking like you have filled your nappy (quite the opposite - everyone can see quite clearly that you're not wearing a nappy - filled or otherwise). They go with almost anything that ends below the hip bone but above the knee and have formed the basis of the greatest and most democratic look of our time. The big vest and leggings.

The big vest and leggings look is the greatest and most democratic of our time because it can be worn to cover and celebrate whichever body parts you like. Perfect waist? add a belt. Great tits? position them at the top of the vest. Hot legs? wear a shorter vest. Perfect arse? wear a tighter vest. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Long Live Leggings!