What Not to Wear: So Long, Leggings

By Morgan Hill and Samantha Schwartz ’16

After 17 years of never matching navy blue with black or polka dots and plaid, we, as lovers of fashion, are here to share our opinions with the students of Sherwood. In each issue of The Warrior, we will choose a different fashion faux pas to critique. This time we tackle the over presence of leggings in everyday outfits.

Leggings. They are stretchy and comfortable and easy to just throw on. But, like all articles of clothing, they have a time and a place to be worn. Leggings were originally made to be worn as workout pants or lazy-day pants. They look great with an athletic style outfit, such as a t-shirt with a pair of colorful running shoes. Yet, when people try to incorporate them every day, a line is crossed between comfort and style. You wouldn’t wear sweatpants or pajama pants with booties or a sweater, so why would you pair those with leggings?

We want to clarify a common misconception that there are not good alternatives to leggings. If you are looking for an outfit that combines elements of comfort and style, you have plenty of options as far as bottoms go. We have heard the same excuse far too many times. “Jeans are uncomfortable.” Or “Jeans are restrictive.” These statements are false. With careful searching and consideration, finding a pair of comfortable jeans isn’t really all that hard. Hint: a pair of comfortable, durable jeans are worth the extra bucks.

We are surely not ones to say that jeans should always be worn in place of leggings. There’s a happy medium between leggings and jeans, and they’re called pants. By pants we mean the strong cotton-like chino pants that are greatly under-appreciated. They provide endless possibilities. Our personal favorite is the solid black pant, similar to what you can get from black leggings, that goes with absolutely everything. The even better news is you can find these versatile pants as comfortable as leggings, just a whole lot nicer. They add that pizazz that is lost with leggings.

Far too many stylish outfits have been ruined by the inclusion of leggings. By swapping out leggings for a pair of jeans or pants, your outfit automatically becomes more stylish, attractive and even comfortable.