DURING the pandemic, leggings were our go-to outfit – and this year they were given a style revival with celebrities wearing pairs that cost more than the monthly rent.
If you over-indulged in turkey and mince pies at Christmas, you are likely to be in a pair of them right now.
But is this really what fashion has come to?
Do we really want to see Kim Kardashian, Victoria Beckham and Rihanna dressed in skinny sweatpants to dine out in at exclusive restaurants?
I don’t think so.
Don’t get me wrong, the £645 YSL leggings do look good as they suck you in and lift you up.
But our fashion influencers should set a better example.
Don’t they know that the leggings we can afford are a tenner and so thin that they reveal what we had for breakfast?
Leggings began life as a functional piece of clothing for men to protect their ankles and lower legs from mud during battle.
Thigh hugging
With the invention of Lycra in 1959, women including Hollywood’s Audrey Hepburn started wearing tight trousers.
By the end of the Seventies, leggings as we know them were born, hugging the thighs of everyone from singer Debbie Harry to Grease actress Olivia Newton-John.
The Lycra leggings Sandy wears to the carnival in the 1978 musical movie, also starring John Travolta, have become legendary.
The style reigned supreme during the Eighties, featuring heavily in Jane Fonda’s workout videos and being a go-to piece for singers such as Madonna, who layered them with taffeta and lace.
In the Nineties, trend-setters including Sienna Miller would wear leggings cropped to the knee under tunic dresses and skirts.
And celebrities in the Noughties such as Lindsay Lohan started wearing full-length versions as trousers on nights out.
This led to the invention of jean leggings — or “jeggings” — which made their way into wardrobes around the world.
Kim Kardashian became a fan of the super-tight leather-look style.
But leggings eventually fell out of favour. Then the pandemic saw them return with a vengeance, turning us into lazy dressers.
You see yummy mummies strolling through the park in pristine pairs with bright-white ankle socks, over-priced trainers and over-sized jackets.
Then there are those who still have dreams of being Sandy and wear them on nights out.
But lockdown restrictions are long gone and so-called normal life has resumed, so slovenly dress is unacceptable.
Shuffling off to Aldi in your Primark leggings, which show off every lump and bump, is not a look most of us want to see.
I’m not saying don’t buy them at all, just be mindful about the occasion.
I’ve been startled many times by the sight of someone’s underwear visible through their faded leggings as they lean over to press the stop button on the bus or bend down to get something off a shelf.
It is the stuff of nightmares.
You must have seen the viral videos circulating of unsuspecting women who have bought flesh-coloured leggings that sit in every crease, giving the illusion that they are standing in the supermarket aisle in the buff.
So if being an internet joke is not a sign to stop wearing these creations, then I don’t know what is.
Even Gen Z have cancelled leggings.
They have been telling Millennials via TikTok to swap the look for the more stylish flared trousers.
I understand if you are going to or from the gym, but the women I see look as though they have got a full face of make-up, immaculate hair and are likely to have taken ten selfies without breaking a sweat.
And it is not as if there are no other comfortable alternatives available.
The high street makes jeans and trousers packed full of elastane and stretch.
So rather than being one of the half-a-million women who have bought Marks & Spencer’s high-waisted jeggings this year, check out what else you could buy that ticks the comfort box.
The Japanese brand Uniqlo had a pair of bottoms that took the internet by storm, even adopting their own hashtag.
The £34.90 pleated wide-leg trousers sold out after amassing 13.8million views on TikTok due to their flattering silhouette and comfort.
So, could 2024 be the year we finally ditch the slobby dressing of the pandemic?
Surely we can do better when it comes to dressing for shopping trips, work, nights out, or dare I say it, the school run?
Yes, it’s fine to embrace leggings for Twixmas — to hit the gym or to wear when lounging around the house.
Otherwise, let’s give them the swerve they deserve as we head into 2024.
