It's that time of year again. The trees are bare, the temperature is rapidly declining, and soon the flakes will begin to fly. Girls all over Buffalo are shedding their summer dresses, skirts, and shorts for something more practical and less leg-revealing.
And at UB, it's no secret where many girls turn to cover their bare legs: leggings.
I'm not immune to this seemingly pants-less phenomenon. I stand by my conviction that leggings are, indeed, an acceptable form of pants – if done correctly.
Girls, don't let anyone tell you there's a size requirement for leggings; you're all beautiful and leggings can work for you, no matter what size or shape you are.
My only rule: make sure your butt is covered.
Trust me, no one is wondering what color your underwear is (or if you're wearing underwear at all…). Try for a flowy top or long sweater to balance out the clingy spandex on your bottom. Toss in a pair of cute rain boots or riding boots to downplay your lack of real pants.
But, by heavens, I implore you to not wear leggings paired with Uggs and a Northface jacket. I'm not quite sure who designated this as the "uniform" for most college-age girls, but you simply look like a clone of the girl standing next you.
That aside, you cannot deny the comfort and simplicity leggings offer. Want to wear sweatpants to school, but know you have a meeting with a professor or some other important person? Throw on a pair of leggings and you're that much closer to comfort and bliss. You get the comfort of sweatpants or pajamas without looking like you came to school in what you slept in (even though more often than not, I wore the same leggings I wear in public to bed the night before, I'll admit).
Leggings are more flexible and move with you – much unlike that unforgiving pair of skinny jeans sitting on your bedroom floor. You can do yoga, go for a run, walk the dog, dance, or even go to brunch in a simple pair of leggings; they're very versatile – and all without the fuss of zippers or buttons digging into various body parts.
And if Pippa Middleton, the epitome of British class and style, decides leggings are suitable to wear in place of pants, then it must be OK.
Let's be frank here: any man who claims to be even the slightest bit heterosexual enjoys a woman in leggings. Any man who tells you that leggings are the creation of the devil is either clearly lying or is jealous that he can't pull them off as well as you.
Men, you know leggings are one step ahead of tights and one step behind yoga pants or jeans – how could you not want the women in your life to wear them? I've heard the argument that they're not "classy," but how are leggings any different than a pair of skin-hugging skinny jeans?
I'll answer for you: they're not. As long as fabric is keeping your lady from being exposed, does it matter what form it takes? That layer of spandex is much better than that mini-skirt that barely covers below the butt.
While leggings may not be actual pants, they serve the same purpose. Pants are, essentially, "an outer garment covering each leg separately and usually extending from the waist to the ankle," according to Merriam-Webster's definition. Last time I checked, my leggings do just that.
I'm a leggings girl, through and through. Who needs pockets, zippers, and stiff denim when I can have soft comfort and flexibility?
Girls (and boys), don't let societal norms dictate what you want to wear on your bottom.
Long live leggings as pants.
Email: rebecca.bratek@ubspectrum.com
