Leggings Abuse Rampant Amongst Young Women

Many women have experienced the joy of leggings. Available in all colors and designs, leggings are a popular clothing choice, especially during the cooler months. They have a way of making dresses, skirts, and long Tee-shirts seem more professional and miles more appropriate than wearing the item with bare legs alone, and they are generally warmer than tights. Occasionally, however, you see a young woman wearing a Britney Spears-esque crop top with leggings on her lower half. Therein lies the issue that often arises with young women today.

Ladies...leggings are not pants. They are a fashion accessory. If you would not walk around wearing only your tights or stockings, then you should not walk around wearing only leggings.

While it is true that they attract the attention of fellow women and of the opposite sex, this attention is normally of the negative variety. Leggings often accentuate parts of a woman's body that is best left in the privacy of herself and her significant other. On top of that, wearing leggings and a simple Tee-shirt together gives off the air of unprofessionalism to on-lookers.

Some girls—who enjoy wearing their leggings on a daily basis—have become hostile with the number of Facebook groups and statuses related to this topic. "There is nothing wrong with liking your body and showing it off," argues Leah Riley. "Sorry if you don't exercise and are jealous of women who can pull them off!"

"They are leggings!" counters Betsy Brown. "If they were supposed to be pants, then they would be called ‘pants'!"

"It's not even about weight!" says Theresa Cantu. "I don't care how skinny or fat the girl is; it just looks freaking stupid. It looks like you forgot to finish getting dressed. Leggings are only okay with a skirt, a dress, or a blouse that covers your butt. The end."

As time passes, the misuse of leggings seems to be growing in a frightening direction. The arrival of "nude leggings"—which are sheer and appear to show bare legs from a distance—onto department store shelves are bringing a new meaning to indecent exposure. There have been reported cases from around various college campuses and outlet malls of young women walking around with these nude leggings on sans skirt. The culprits argue that since they are wearing cloth on their legs—regardless of how it is perceived from afar—that they are appropriately dressed.

Part of being a young woman is learning how to have self-respect. Wearing something as provocative as skin-tight fabric that makes you appear nude is no different than wearing a bra with no blouse or walking around with your panties on full display. If layers aren't your thing, grab a pair of jeans or even yoga pants. You can also wear a skirt of appropriate length to avoid layering up.

"Leggings don't make your butt look good," says Laura Hoffman, who enjoys wearing leggings and tights but only under appropriate circumstances. "Girls who have lots of clothes go to their closet, and out of everything they own that's what they put on. I just think that a pair of cheap-cloth leggings is not the best means of covering yourself. Guys don't like it, and no one wants to look at you like that."