They're not pants, but they are awesome

It is time, you guys, to talk about leggings. Because leggings, they are awesome. What is this, I hear you all say. They're tubes of cotton and lycra. People wear them to the gym. Or with puffer jackets and ugg boots and it's just all kinds of wrong. Well, yes. Leggings are all of these things, but also they can be so right. A good friend of mine recently said, "You know, I never thought I was a footless-leggings-and-high-heels kind of girl, but I guess I so am!" You know why she came to this conclusion, dear readers? Because Leggings Are Awesome.


Why? Why are they awesome? I have to justify my love for leggings? I suppose I do. WELL THEN.

• Ankle-length leggings make your ankles look Super Dainty. Really truly. My best friend is, by her own admission, large-framed. She is of Dutch-German heritage and has a good three inches on me. Yet in a pair of footless leggings and heels, her ankles look as tiny as the twee-est of Disney princesses. 
• The seasons, they are changing. If you're in the southern hemisphere like me, the twinkling of spring is probably beginning to make you flirt with the idea of changing up Sturdy Boots for cute little peep-toe high heels, and if you're up in the mystical lands of the north, it's probably not quite cold enough yet to justify putting away all your cute summer shoes. But either way, if you try to go barelegged, or even add a pair of sheer stockings, you will Probably Freeze, especially if you're anywhere with something as tricksy as a Wellington southerly. Leggings (especially with a pair of sheer knee-high stockings layered underneath) work excellently for letting you break out awesome shoes while still keeping your legs unfrostbitten, and let's be serious, frostbite is never the new black.
• Footless leggings let your shoe be the statement. You might have read the above line and thought, with a snort of disgust, "Yeah, but thick, opaque black tights will keep me warm and aren't leggings!" This is true, and I have an undying love for opaque black tights. But sometimes they Just Don't Go. My Fantastic Pink Shoes, for example, just wouldn't work with thick black stockings - they're peep-toe, and a light colour, and obviously meant to be worn with bare feet (or, let's be honest, sheer stockings. I very rarely go completely barelegged, and I think Kate Middleton has the right idea about sheers.) I'm not saying you can never wear dark stockings in light shoes - I love rocking my white lolita wedges with contrast black tights - but leggings add excellent versatility. AND, if you have a pair of dark-coloured shoes, wearing black tights often turns the shoes into sneakily invisible ninja shoes. This can also be a great look, but to let the shoe really shine, blocking it with a peek of bare skin works wonders.
• Leggings are utterly invaluable when it comes to layering. For something like a short dress or a long tunic, even the thickest of opaque tights might still be a wee bit too risque for anything short of a night out on the town. They're not pants (as legions of internet complainypants have pointed out ad nauseum) but they're very close to, so my take on the matter is that if you're covering your bum with another layer then you're good to go. They're generally more slim-line than even the most fitted of jeans, so you can layer over them without weird lumps and bumpy sticky-out zip bits.
• Okay honestly I cannot legitimately make a post about how great leggings are and not mention this because I would be a LYING LIAR: they are really super comfortable. As just mentioned, jeans have lumps and bumps and sticky-out zip bits. And they're a nightmare to shop for, and you either get low-riding awfulness or, as a delightfully down-to-earth shopgirl in a rather high-fashion clothes shop here said to me recently "They're high-waisted and they squish your uterus and it sucks". Indeed, such are my trials with jeans. Leggings, dear readers, will never squish your uterus. Cotton-blend leggings do need replacing more often than the nylon version (they fade and get shabby fairly quickly), but they are soft and gentle and you don't get static cling from long skirts and are generally just all kinds of comfort to wear.
• You can get fantastically awesome printed leggings to liven up a plain outfit. No, seriously. Look. BlackMilk have the Best Ever, including galaxy print (DO WANT) and sequins (also DO WANT). Sometimes I find myself falling into a slightly-lazy outfit involving All Of The Black (yes, it's very Wellington, but a bit of pattern or colour always makes things better) and I do think that these awesome leggings have a place in my life.

So there, you guys. Six inarguable points on the merits of leggings. GO FORTH IN YOUR NEW KNOWLEDGE.


Details (click picture for larger version): Turquoise/cream print dress, handmade. Black patent belt, Cue. Black leggings, Glassons. Brown peep-toe wedge heels, Overland Shoes. Black and pink metal beads, Bling. And because I liked it, have a semi-informative shot of my makeup and general face. That's some liquid eyeliner right there.