Leggings without pants are a painful sight to behold

Published: Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Updated: Sunday, October 5, 2008 20:10

Excuse me, Miss, I think you may have forgotten your pants.

There is an epidemic sweeping the female student population at the University of Cincinnati. Symptoms include a lapse in memory and a breech in judgment.

I am at crossroads; do I call the doctor or the fashion police?

Legging virgins campus wide can consider themselves rule breakers by utilizing their leggings as a viable substitution to pants. Say it with me now: leggings are not pants, leggings are not pants, even with a body like Kate Moss, leggings are not pants.

You have seen the fashion assailants on your trek across campus, you probably even catch yourself taking a second look, rubbing your eyes and blinking a few times just to make sure you are actually seeing straight: a girl has neglected to put anything over the tights on the lower half of her body.

"In the 1980s with the craze for the Flash Dance look, leggings and long tunics became fashion staples," said Nancy Brinker, Assistant Director of the School of Design through the College of Design, Architect, Art and Planning.

Long tunics over leggings? Not a problem. T-shirts, sweaters and mini dresses that are likely to classify as illegal in the absence of tights? Problem.

T-shirts and sweaters that are an inch or two longer than average are not dresses and should not be worn as such. I subscribe to InStyle magazine and have yet to find this fashion faux pas spread across its glossy pages.

"As with all articles of clothing, some styles are more aesthetically pleasing and more flattering on certain body types and age groups," said Brinker. "Viva la difference, but wearer beware."

Can we please get an amen for Nancy Brinker?

More than I am concerned for the sake of my retinas, I worry about the uninformed fashion decisions.

The winter months are drawing near and temperatures are continuing to drop. I can see it now, these poor pantless girls, walking from class-to-class without any pants, shivering and knees buckling with every step they take.

Ladies, I am just looking out for your well-being. I am anti-hypothermia and frostbite.

Can leggings and tights be acceptable? Sure they can. Are you now asking yourself "how can I know if my leggings are okay to wear?" Do not worry. I have a solution: the no-leggings test.

This is a very intricate and complicated process, so pay attention and read closely. First, put on the awesome outfit, leggings included and stand in front of a full-length mirror. Take a mental note of how it looks.

Second, remove leggings from the outfit and return to the mirror. Has your outfit just offended you? Is this more full frontal than you would normally expose to tens of thousands of people?

If you answered no, then A) proceed with your outfit or B) we have bigger problems than I thought. If you answered yes, however, leave the leggings at home and replace them with a pair of dark-wash skinny jeans. These will provide a flattering alternative for all.

Let us save Cincinnati from the butt-cheek view of the girls who favor leggings as pants and promote the no-leggings test. With this simple at-home remedy, everybody wins.

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katie griffith

Wed Sep 23 2009 22:18

hahahaha agreed. 100%

jazzica

Tue Sep 15 2009 21:21

i agree with this article, "girl", "a-gay" and "RB", one hundred percent. wearing leggings as pants looks completely ridiculous, trashy and skanky. my younger sister was wearing some cotton leggings today, as pants...with no underwear. no wonder some guy was like "damn, what's up girl!" to her while we were walking down the street. she was offended because i was telling her that she shouldn't be in public wearing something so scandalous...but she also said she has worn them to work (as a waitress in a pretty nice sushi restaurant) and even worn them to her college classes! yikes!!!! granted, her shirt wasn't very short but it DEFINITELY wasn't long enough to qualify as appropriate. i definitely agree with the "leggings test". if you're wearing an outfit andyou take the leggings off, as long as the shirt/ tunic/ dress/ skirt you are wearing is at least long enough to cover up the whole private area...even if it just makes it...that's acceptable. as for "heatherpierce"...what's so wrong with someone having an opinion about fashion? i definitely do not think that fashion is unimportant, it's something that is very prominent in pretty much every culture. the problem is that someone started an untrue rumor that leggings worn as pants is acceptable. nope, definitely not! if you wanna wear them around the house, that's perfectly fine. i've totally done that before...i have a pair of cable knit sweater leggings from american apparel that i have worn as pajama bottoms...but i would never be seen out of the house like that. i have worn them with something over them though, but i much prefer tights...especially opaque one...not as pants of course! haha. tights looks so much better with skirts and dresses than leggings...unless you're wearing high top sneakers with it...in that case i think a legging that cuts right above the top of the shoe is nice...looks less awkward.

Your name

Mon Sep 14 2009 22:44

Leggings rule. I love girls in leggings. My girl just bought 3 pairs. :)

Jesseeeeeeeee.

Tue Sep 8 2009 20:02

what about wearing a long cute top over leggings? i mean u can see my butt but it looks fine. :).

Laur

Mon Aug 24 2009 19:47

I agree 100%. And the sad part is that this was written back in 2007... and people are still continuing the horrendous trend. I actually saw a girl today, who probably should not have chosen said outfit. Needless, I could not only see the outline of her underwear, but every single dimple and imperfection in her ass. Quite disguising and as you stated, a painful sight.
Amen.

whatever

Fri Aug 21 2009 23:50

ok my only issue is that this article was written in 2007 when im guessing this trend started and you all are still either complaining about or defending the article. why do you still even care. the trend is here and it will be here until people find something else to make part of their everyday wardrobe. you all need to get over yourselves

Michelle

Sat Aug 1 2009 01:28

If this article wasn't written so fervently it would probably be more accepted. But honestly, as a student myself, I have no problem wearing leggings (as pants).

Probably the most disturbing is that the author seems to think more of herself because she doesn't wear this certain article of clothing (the way she dislikes).

THE BOTTOM LINE: Get over yourself, stop being a bully and gain some perspective! Save your anger for something that matters. And while you're thinking about the woes of the world, you can stare at my tight Lycra covered butt as I walk down the street in front of you!

Anonymous

Wed Jul 29 2009 20:14

All girls should wear leggings.

golo

Mon Jul 27 2009 06:17

c' mon wearind leggings as pants is so sexy girls still wearing like this

girl

Thu Jul 2 2009 09:52

Leggings as pants makes you look really really easy...so if that is what you are looking for by all means go ahead...but don't expect any one to think you don't look like a corner worker...

a-gay

Fri Jun 26 2009 03:19

As you can see, only dumb guys and lazy girls think that leggings are used as pants. The dumb guy can't distinguish between the very important difference between 'there' and 'their'. Furthermore, he doesn't know that there are better ways to see a woman's butt than imagining it cause she is wearing leggings as pants.

RSM, on the other hand, needs some mental evaluation. "Everyone looks good in leggings and some look great."? Really? Now, I don't know where you live, but that is not the case in ANY picture I've seen of girls wearing leggings as pants.

And the one that thinks that writing about this is not important, go outside and look around. Some people need this kind of information. Some people are not qualified to talk about chemical reaction kinetics, or organic chemistry, but they can certain do their little something by educating others on proper etiquette when wearing their leggings.

Wear leggings if you have a nice dress, and I agree with the article in the 'no-leggings test'. Please... try it.

Loveeeee....
a-gay (at tumblr, of course)

Sun Jun 14 2009 12:55

I AGREE WITH THIS ARTICLE
who wants to see cameltoes and buttcheeks galore? i mean, come on everyone.

heatherpierce

Mon May 4 2009 05:17

I came across this article by accident and couldn't stop reading, I was so surprised by its dedication. I see a much bigger problem, and I'm sure I'm not alone: why do so many of the opinion articles students write today concern nothing important? When you care enough about leggings to write about it, what are you not writing about?

Your name

Sun Mar 8 2009 22:38

I love my leggings I'm acually wearing them tomorrow and just bought a new pair

a guy

Fri Mar 6 2009 12:21