The humble legging gets a bad rep, namely because of that time we all wore them under denim skirts, over-wearing them until they became as ubiquitous as bras. And we’re all bored of bras, amiright? Leggings became un-chic because there’s nothing chic about everyone, you know, wearing something. There’s nothing exclusive about an epidemic (which is what leggings were and, arguably, still are, and why we have to buy really fancy bras with bows on them otherwise we’d get bored).
Imagine if you were a pair of leggings – you’d be feeling pretty low right about now. We’ve had the highs of the ’90s, the artificial high of the noughties, followed by the crashing lows of the last few years, but hey, it's not all bad news: leggings have evolved, they’ve desperately attempted to change with the times, they’re here to stay and we should all celebrate these bastions of a) comfort; and b) flexibility. Because, give me an item of clothing and I can pair it with some leggings. Even jeans. Yeah, I’m that mad about them.
You can move your legs properly
OK, let’s deal with the comfort element first because hot damn these bastards allow you to flail. You can confidently put your leg up on a chair when making a salient point. You can do a high kick if the person you're presenting your point to either agrees or disagrees. You can do a dance if said point means you get a promotion. You never have to worry about accidentally flashing, or ripping a seam. You can go for a run, perform heart surgery, do a pirouette and be heavily pregnant in leggings. There is no other lower body clothing that allows for all of these things.
There’s shitloads to choose from
If you want simple black leggings under a dress, then that looks totally fine, but if that sort of thing makes you sartorially shudder then you can buy a pair of fancy ones with a pattern on them and team it with a simple black top: boom. You’re wearing a nice outfit you can do a conga in. Hilariously patterned leggings are one of life’s great joys, and are sure to brighten any day in a way that black jeans just can’t. Mainly because they’ve got toucans on them and how can you be upset when you’re wearing toucans on your legs?! If you want your jeans to be more flexible, then jeggings no longer look shit – they look like actual jeans. If you want to look really edgy, opt for leather-look leggings. Way easier to get on than actual leather pants, and no talcum powder required in order to remove them.
They’re cheap
Oh God, they’re so cheap. Go to Primark and buy ten pairs for the same price as a pair of trousers in another high street store. You’re winning at life, man, and you can also now afford to buy an incredible top. Go you.
You can dress them up and dress them down
Put some heels on with a pair of leather-look leggings and everyone will think you tried really hard. They won’t even notice you’re wearing leggings, they’ll just be revelling in how put together you look. Pop to the shops in leggings and a sweater and you’ll look like you’re wearing leggings and a sweater. You’ll scream ‘I just popped these on because I’m going to the shop’ rather than try-hard – nothing worse than seeing someone dressed up to go to Tesco. They’re also totally perfect for flying in, because of the elasticated waistband and forgiving material; when you joyfully expand due to dehydration and general flight-bloat, nobody will be any the wiser.
They’re low maintenance
Yes, they wash easily. But if you spill paint on them or set fire to them, you can just buy another pair (see: they’re cheap). If you spend £300 on a pair of Chanel leggings then you’re an idiot and I feel sorry for you; they're leggings. Nobody should drop over £10 on leggings.
They take the pain out of city-dressing
If you’re at work and want to go out afterwards, then leggings are basically perfect because, as previously stated, you can make them look smart-casual as well as dressy. You don't need to change in the loos, or an un-booked board room – you can just whack on heels (or not!) and you’re good to go do some dancing/drinking/shagging. On that note, they’re way easier to get off than jeans, so there’s also that. Leggings are your friend for all occasions, so let's stop bashing them and start appreciating them like the true legends they are. Legend leggings. Legg-ends. Or something cleverer.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.