I still find it hard to accept leggings for everyone, no matter the context. Do I have to get over it and recognize that, in the spirit of body pride and freedom, it’s the way of the world that everyone, any age, should recognize leggings as a reality? Are there rules about when you can and can’t wear them anymore? — Rhona, Philadelphia
There’s no doubt that the transition to leggings as a lifestyle outfit that was underway before Covid, like so many other phenomena (online shopping! hybrid work!), was accelerated during the pandemic. Suddenly, even those of us who fell into the leggings-not-pants camp and saw them as sports equipment began to see the benefits of hanging out at home in what are essentially thicker tights.
And once you get used to that… well, it’s hard to go back, even if we all go back to public life.
Indeed, when I asked Tory Burch — who as the force behind her namesake label and Tory Sport has thought a lot about how clothes and leggings fit together — what she thought, she said, “I’m always surprised by the leggings debate. They’re just as essential to our wardrobe as T-shirts and jeans. By mixing them with ready-to-wear, it’s simply how many women dress these days, whether they go to the gym or not.”
That said, not all leggings are created equal. Like sneakers, leggings (no pun intended) can run the gamut from performance wear to professional wear. Which one you wear when it matters. And as with most things in life, so is context.
For example, the more technical techno-patterned Lycra styles — the kind that telegraph, “I’m going to SoulCycle, and I’m going to crush it today” — are probably best left to the sports they’re intended for. Otherwise, you run the risk of looking like you’re going into downward dog or camel pose once work gets stressful.
But thicker leggings, which come in neoprene, leather, stretch ponte and even denim (yes, I’m talking jeggings, but how far have they come!) stretch and can slide more easily into the everyday wardrobe. Some even have a little flare at the ankle, giving them the smell of pants.
Which brings me to how you wear them. When it comes to leggings in non-traditional leggings, it’s all about how you frame them.
For example, don’t wear your leggings with a T-shirt, bra top or sneakers in a non-workout environment, be it a coffee shop, restaurant, workplace, cinema, airplane, whatever. Also, don’t wear them with an oversized button-down shirt unless you’re deliberately trying to channel the 80s.
Instead, think of them more like capri pants, but as pants that don’t allow you to tuck your shirt in. Pair them with ballet flats, chunky loafers or ankle boots and a jacket or maybe a fitted tunic top. You don’t look like you’re breaking unwritten sartorial rules. Just… well, stretch them.
Your style questions, answered
Every week on Open Thread, Vanessa answers a reader’s fashion-related question, which you can send her anytime via e-mail or Twitter† Questions have been edited and compressed.
