The Collegian

Issue date: 3/5/09 Section: Opinion

Look, you might not realize this, but your leggings aren't pants.

This isn't a difficult concept, but for some time now it's eluded both you and a significant population of women on campus. Because you're everywhere: the library, the classroom, the Grewcock Student Union … and wherever you are, you're treating everyone else to an eyeful.

Perhaps you feel your furry boots, sweatshirt and leggings are appropriate casual wear. After all, it's comfortable and easy to throw on before running up the hill. But being comfortable and looking like you rolled out of bed are two different things. Yeah, maybe you just came from the gym or you're doing laundry. But are you really so low on clean clothes that your only alternative is a pair of leggings?

Maybe you haven't noticed there are consequences involved with your favorite ensemble.

Your classmates and professors aren't, as a rule, interested in seeing what your "oversized" sweatshirt fails to cover - and no matter how skinny you are or how flat your rear is, it fails to cover a lot.

Your outfit hasn't gone unnoticed. Responses range everywhere from puzzlement to outright disgust - for instance, Katy Bachelder, a senior at the Hillsdale Academy, thinks the practice is worth a raised eyebrow, but not much else.

"Wear leggings to the ballet studio, fine," she said. "But wear them to class? That's a little weird."

Some students have stronger opinions than Katy.

"If a woman's good-looking, it's distracting." said Matt Johnson, a junior. "If she's not, it's disgusting."

Junior Sean McDermott is vehemently opposed to the trend.

"It's camel-toe city," he said. "And girls get really angry if you look at them. But what do they expect? Their a- is right there."

"I have to say, if the shirt does not cover their rear end, it's an abomination," junior Abby Nones said, gently. "Leggings are not pants. I have that written on a bumper-sticker."

This isn't to say leggings are always inappropriate, or that you should never wear them again. There are situations where leggings work in your favor. The trick is, knowing when enough is (or isn't) enough.

Here's a good rule of thumb: it's generally accepted that if you're wearing leggings and a shirt - or tunic or sweater or minidress - and it doesn't or only just covers you, it's too short. A quick way to check is to let your hands hang naturally at your sides - the middle of your thigh is about where your fingertips hit. At that length, your top safely covers your bottom.

So by all means, wear leggings under a skirt, jeans or a dress. Go ahead and wear them during a walk or to Pilates class - just don't wear leggings (and only leggings) to your political economy lecture.

It's not too late to break this habit (or change your outfit). Please, do.

Because this isn't sexy. And it's got to stop.

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