Leggings Do Not Count as Pants: Why I Can’t Get Behind the Trend

Leggings Do Not Count as Pants: Why I Can’t Get Behind the Trend - POPSUGAR

Leggings Do Not Count as Pants: Why I Can’t Get Behind the Trend - POPSUGAR
Cargo Pants: The Most Hotly Contested Trend for Women - The Wall Street Journal
Kate Middleton Wore the Pant Trend to Replace Skinny Jeans With This Summer - Yahoo Lifestyle

Leggings Do Not Count as Pants: Why I Can’t Get Behind the Trend - POPSUGAR

Posted: 23 May 2019 12:11 PM PDT

Leggings are not pants. They are an active sister to pants, sure, but very much not trousers that should be worn anywhere but the gym. With their no-frills, body-hugging style (that are, in fact, more sheer when stretched than their wearer often realizes), they are more akin to a pair of knit stockings than they are pants and should be treated as such. While I can already hear the chorus of nay-sayers who vehemently disagree with my beliefs about leggings, I think that we owe more to ourselves than to simply focus on what's comfortable. Because the reality is, there are plenty of equally comfortable options that look a whole lot more pulled-together than thin-knit leggings.

I'm not quite sure at what point the world decided that leggings fit into the ready-to-wear category, synonymous to everything from khakis to denim; however, something that pulls on like a second skin and is made 100 percent of spandex is not the same thing, even if it does cover similar real estate on your body as their more tailored counterpart. The trend-of-sorts was helped along by some combination of the Kardashians and the recent exponential rise of fitness focus. And, while I fully support both the Calabasas-born empire as well as an active lifestyle, leggings as pants is not something I can get behind.

A little over two years ago, two girls made headlines because United Airlines denied them entry to a flight because their leggings were considered unsuitable definitions of clothing. The airline claims the girls were "pass travelers," or employees and their families traveling for free via company benefits, and required to dress up more formally than others while flying. Let's be clear: I strongly disagree with the airline's reaction to the issue — for more reasons than I am able to fit in this article, and then some — but it does bring up an interesting question about how we should all treat ourselves when it comes to the image we present to the world.

There are only two exceptions I see to this particular fashion rule (yes, that's right: I am calling it a rule . . .). The first? If you're actually on your way to or from a workout, by all means, wear those leggings in transit. There's no need for you to pack an additional change of clothing just because your legs are going to see the light of day before or after you head to the gym. The second is quite similar. If you're a studio owner, yoga teacher, personal trainer, and the like, consider leggings like a uniform. You're wearing all the cutest styles, know more about fit and material than any of us, and have an arsenal of leggings that would rival that even of Kim K. You're golden, keep on rocking that look.

Now, I understand the appeal of leggings — I really do. They're easy, comfortable, don't need to be fussed with, and are a no-brainer outfit addition. The thing is, though: you should care more about what you wear than that. Sure, pajamas check all the same aforementioned boxes, but you don't see adults going to dinner wearing their plaid flannels, do you?

Whether it's super-stretch jeans, cashmere joggers, wide-leg pants, or the like, there are a ton of different "comfortable" options, in lieu of leggings. Ahead, some "comfy" pants that are also — you got it — not leggings.

Cargo Pants: The Most Hotly Contested Trend for Women - The Wall Street Journal

Posted: 14 May 2019 12:00 AM PDT

Why We Love Them

LET'S GET ONE thing straight: Cargo pants, the full-length trousers furnished with pockets down the leg, are not cargo shorts. The former was introduced around WWII and has heroic, military roots. The latter is a cropped, '90s faux-pas popularized by Old Navy and Abercrombie & Fitch and favored by over-imbibing Sigma Chis.

Proper cargo pants slowly evolved from a baggy combat staple to a '70s protest garment, to a grunge rebel's garb in the '90s, to a pop-princess essential by that decade's end (see:...

Kate Middleton Wore the Pant Trend to Replace Skinny Jeans With This Summer - Yahoo Lifestyle

Posted: 20 May 2019 04:13 PM PDT

It's not often that Kate Middleton gets to dress down when making public appearances, but when a public appearance involves climbing tree houses at a flower show, dressing down is a requirement. The Duchess helped to create a garden for the Chelsea Flower Show in London (the same one that she took her family to recently), and returned today to visit the garden with local schoolkids. We're used to seeing Middleton in skinny jeans when she gets the opportunity to dress casually (see a recent example) but lately, she's been ditching those in favor of wide leg trousers (here and here). That's exactly what she did again today, opting for a cropped camel-colored pair with exposed buttons and a high waist.

With the pants, Middleton wore a pretty eyelet top, classic brown belt, and the $65 sneakers European girls love—Superga Cotu. This is the perfect time of year to ditch your skinny jeans for a pair of pants that allow your skin to breath instead of suffocate during these warm spring days. Keep scrolling to see Middleton's look and shop similar wide-leg pants (hers are sold out for now, naturally).