If you need one thing this winter season to look chic – it should be a pair of cool leggings, tights, or leg warmers- or all THREE. I can’t get enough of leg wear accessories since they are offered in all kinds of beautiful prints, various materials and interesting colors. These accessories are getting trendier and chicer and are very popular with women of all ages, especially younger ones like moi (hehe!). Not only is leg wear versatile, it is an absolutely practical accessory that can be incorporated into anyone’s wardrobe.
Fashion terminology: Leggings have feet whereas tights do not and end at the ankle. Leg warmers are sectioned from knee to ankle. Leggings, tights or leg warmers can be worn with skirts of all lengths, shorts, dresses, tunics and shirtdresses (however, I would refrain from wearing leg warmers with full length skirts, unless you are shooting for a Russian grandmother look called A la Babushka).
I recommend including brightly colored leg accessories to brighten the dark days of winter. You will be surprised how fresh and appealing it can be. Neon leggings and tights in acid yellow, electric blue, hot pink and apple green are also awesome. Don’t forget metallic leg wear in gold, rust and silver for the nights when the moon and stars forget to shine. Accent leggings with studs, rhinestones, rivets, grommets, zippers and sequins are another emerging style. Classic leg wear is made interesting with unusual trims and embellishments
The rise of artists like Lady Gaga and Rihanna has made battered leg wear a recyclable fashion trend. Liquid and cut out leggings are among top trends for this and upcoming seasons.
Liquid leggings or shiny black leggings can be tricky to pull off. You either love or hate them, and there is absolutely no in-between. This leg wear is not the most flattering choice for every woman and is recommended for women with longer slimmer legs and most certainly not for day wear. If you are not into the rocker look and don’t have the fierce footwear to pair it with then definitely pass it up!
To elaborate a little more on cutout leg wear, this style comes in various looks from fishnet to lace to shredded and can be worn in a variety of ways. The most practical are shredded leggings, which expose some skin. Cutout leggings tend to be daring and expose a bit more. It’s the whole bad-girl look!
Faux denim tights are great in place of skinny jeans. Denim leggings are an equally hot trend these days and come in different washes from super black to faded as well as acid wash. Some leggings even have buttons and pockets to emulate the real thing! My recommendation for wearing this trend would be to pair it with an oversized white button down cotton shirt, cinch it in at the waist with a brown or red belt and wear it with a pair of ankle boots.
If you have a run or holes in your stockings, tights, or leggings, don’t discard them! Rips as well as runs, holes, burns, cutouts and unraveling leg wear is evolving into an interesting trend for this season and coming spring. There seems to be a fetish for battered leg wear among some fashionista’s who drop big bucks for a pair of distressed leggings. Battered leggings or tights are just enough to punk any plain t-shirt into a chic combo.
The leg wear industry is so huge now that even Miss Linday Lohan has tapped into the market by introducing her own leg wear collection called 6126. No, it’s not Lohan’s lucky lotto numbers – 6126 is the birth date of the late beauty icon Marilyn Monroe. The Marilyn Monroe inspired leg wear is rather pricy and offers its clients a unique style. Despite the hefty price tag attached to the leggings, they are selling like hot cakes according to some retailers who carry the line. The top selling style is the ‘Mr. President’ legging, which comes with the top price tag as well. This particular legging is black with grey quilted knee patches. Why knee patches? I can’t comment any further on this style of leg wear as it speaks volumes on its own…
Author: Aysha Ibtasam
