Tis the Season for Leggings!

Now, more than ever, with colder weather upon us, we find that leggings become an important part of staying not only stylish but also warm! In many areas of our bodies, we, as trans-women, find ourselves compensating for the differences in body shape that are remnants of growing up another gender. It doesn’t seem fair, but if there was ever a place for redemption, it is our legs! I’d be willing to bet that the most frequent compliment a trans-women will get from a genetic woman when dressed to impress, is how stunning her legs look… and its usually true! In this post we’ll learn how to make the most of those beautiful legs as we take a look at the finer points of leggings.

So when it comes right down to it… What is the difference between leggings, and tights or pantyhose? For the purposes of my blog (and generally accepted elsewhere), I consider any hosiery that ends at the ankle or higher to be a legging and anything footed to be considered tights or hose. Leggings are almost exclusively opaque while tights can range from totally opaque to very shear (the denier rating can be used to determine the transparency). Leggings are an important part of any contemporary chic wardrobe.

**Soapbox Alert!** 

Given its distinctly feminine nature, hosiery is understandably a favorite amongst the cross-dressing and trans communities. It also seems to be one of the least understood, and crudely executed style choices I see, despite its popularity. I challenge everyone who reads my blog to learn to wear hosiery in a classy, appropriate manner and help lessen the stigma the rest of the world finds with the association of hosiery and the trans community. (It needs to be said people!)

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Without further ado… let’s get talking about leggings. With so many options, let’s organize our considerations when creating that perfect look…

-       Leggings are not pants. Say it with me: “leggings are not pants” … good! Nothing takes classy to trashy faster than wearing leggings as pants… way too many women break this simple rule! Don’t be one of them. Think of leggings as an accessory rather than a replacement for pants. Be sure to cover up adequately.

-       Don’t wear socks with leggings. It just looks silly (unless they’re hidden inside boots then its ok).

-       Make sure your footwear compliments your outfit. This is a universal consideration, but when leggings are involved it merits a bit more specific thought.

-       Be aware of the occasion for your outfit. Usually, leggings tend to make an outfit more casual. Tights/pantyhose typically have the opposite effect.

-       As always, find lengths, patterns, and colors that flatter your figure. The goal is to create the look of longer, leaner legs and clean feminine lines.

-       Pair looser fitting tops, chunkier knits, sweaters or dresses with leggings to offer a flattering contrast that will make your legs look more sensually lean.

Sounds like we have our work cut out for us! 

Let’s get started with some examples and learn by doing :)

For our first example, let’s stick to the basics. Here I have paired an olive, tunic length top with dark brown leggings and knee-high, brown suede boots. It is a very quintessentially earthy, fall look… (I’m pretty partially to those color schemes as you may have observed)

The first thing to note here is the length of my top… it is just long enough to cover my butt, maintain my modesty, and ensure that I am not breaking the “leggings are not pants” golden rule. The length here is the shortest one should ever go. I’m young, and in good shape so I can get away with it… it is also age appropriate for me (yes, I know… hate me if you like :p). If you have a different body type or are older, don’t fret… just air on the side of more conservative (longer) length tops.

Secondly, my boot color matches my legging color, which keeps the line of my leg long and unbroken. Different colors can sometimes chop your legs up, breaking up the line of the leg where the color changes. A dark color as always is flattering and will make legs appear more slimming. dark brown and black leggings should be a staple of any contemporary wardrobe. Bright colored leggings, though super fun looking, will make your legs look thicker (remember, brighter colors highlight) and can put you into a time machine back to the 80s real fast. They should be reserved for decade themed costume parties only.

Lastly, you’ll see that my boots are flat. Leggings work great with flat boots (and heeled ones too!), and flats. You typical can’t go too far off course by matching flats or knee high boots to leggings.

Also… Bonus points if you noticed how I used a belt to define the waistline in this outfit!

Again, while sticking to the basics of leggings, let’s look at a bit more of a “going out” look. Here is an outfit I wore to a bar/club a couple weeks ago:

This ensemble features a patterned top with a gorgeous bronze sequin detailing around the hem, with simple, low black heels, and black leggings. The top is a little longer than the previous example, so we’re safely covered there. The sequin detail serves to enhance the hips by drawing attention to that area (oooo shiny!). The first thing to note here is the looser fit of top. Pairing looser tops with leggings is a great trick and will be the most flattering. If everything you wear is tight, there can’t be any contrast to balance your silhouette and flatter your legs. Resist the urge to wear all form fitting pieces; it will not make you look slimmer!

Next, lets take a look at the shoes… in this outfit, my heels match stylistically with my top (a dressier look, so heels are more appropriate). When pairing heels with leggings, I find its best to stick to simple and sleek styles. I also would tend to shy away from peep toe or sandal styles as they make the line of the foot choppy, remember the goal is to elongate our lines. Brush up on the best shoe styles to flatter your feet with one of our previous posts.

For our final example will stray a bit from the basics, but just far enough so as not to get bored. Leggings may also be worn under dresses that would be considered too short to be really appropriate otherwise (yes, admit it… I know you have them in your closet, I certainly do). Dresses that hit at the mid thigh or above fall into this category and can work well with leggings… longer dresses will look frumpier if you add leggings (for lower hemlines, sheer tights would be a better match). Let’s take a look at this in action:

Here I have a metallic, textured, beige tank dress with charcoal leggings underneath and a cute little pair of suede ankle boots. In the spirit of the colder weather, I also added a fleece pea coat, scarf and hat… after all, leggings help you keep warm too!

You may notice that you can’t see the bottoms of the leggings; this is because I pulled them down slightly and tucked the bottom under my heel. Why did I do this? My intent was to avoid having a little strip of skin poking out above my boot and to keep that sleek line of my leg into the chunkier ankle boot. Ankle boots are a bit tougher when it comes to pairing with leggings and dealing with them is a matter of personal preference. As a general guideline if you are uncertain, if the ankle boots/booties are chunkier… try to avoid having a gap. If they are more form fitting (the style keeps continuity between the line of the foot and leg) then a gap will probably look fine. Also in regards to length/gap above your footwear, keep in mind that Capri or cropped length leggings can be cute (especially in the warmer seasons) if pulled off correctly, they’ll tend to make your legs look stubby since their short length cuts the line of your leg off at the calf. If you’d like to try it, avoid having the bottom of the legging hit the widest part of your calf for your best chance of success.

Fact: Leggings are the most comfortable piece of clothing ever created (at least I think so!). So why not make them part of your regular wardrobe and be all comfy and trendy at the same time!

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Good luck shopping all the Black Friday deals and sales!