Fall Leggings
Nothing says fall like the checkout isle at Walgreens once the tapestry of thick, jewel toned magazines hits the shelves. That and the scary halloween stuff. The arrival of fall fashion magazines transforms a trip to Walgreens for decongestant into a cozy promise of sweaters to come.
For as long as I can remember, I have loved clothes and magazines about clothes. Sitting down with a four pound periodical and some coffee on a crisp Sunday morning is a treasured event. It is also a rare event, in large part because Vogue is available online and my kids generally have a soccer game.
BUT, when the stars align and I am able to secure a sunday morning with magazines and coffee, old school, it brings me into a meditative state. Oh, the methodical rhythm of thumbing through page after page of colors, textures, and clothing dreamed up by designers and curated by Ms. Wintour and her cohorts. Suddenly, I am in a jaunty hat and an electric blue Burberry swing coat leaping my way to a business meeting in New York.
It's hard not to notice there is a great divide between the clothes I love to look at each fall and the clothes I choose to wear. Comfort and ease of mobility have come to trump relevant, yet stifling, clothing. I simply can't rock a pencil skirt and fitted shirt while scrubbing hummus out of the rug. The jaunty hat can still be done in the right circumstance.
In the spirit of acceptance and surrender, a few years ago I set out to find what I consider to be “fashionable” leisure wear, specifically leggings, to satisfy both my need for comfort and my desire for basic cuteness.
As lovers of leggings know, you always run the risk of looking like a woman who has chosen to “tank” her inherent sexual desirability for the sake of comfort. I’m here to say that you can lead a legging-heavy life and still appear to have self worth. In my defense, I always wear lipstick.
Here are a few of my fall legging gotos for your consideration. I wear them as actual pants:
Splits59: The Raquel. I love everything about these. So comfortable. Thick enough to hold it all together. "Not quitters", as my neighbor Annie would say. Little flare at the bottom, which give them more legitimacy as pants. Two sales a year. Stock up!
Saint Grace: Ashby Flare. I am wearing right now. Flattering flare bottom. You can cut them to your length and not have to hem. Cute array of patterns. Get ‘em when they are on sale!
Liquido Active: Patterned Leggings. A dizzying variety of patterns. They are very soft and comfortable. They run small. Also, their return policy SUCKS, so you’ve got to be pretty in love with the pattern.
What are your favorites?
Keely