Leggings are currently one of the most hotly debated items of clothing. Are they pants? Technically, no. Can you wear them out of the house? It depends. Are they really daytime-appropriate, outside of the gym? Well...they can be.
Hear us out: We can all agree that leggings are incredibly comfortable. However, comfort doesn't necessarily translate into put-together. Hence, the dilemma for all those looking to transition seamlessly from a Netflix binge-watching session to brunch, then back again. The trouble is, we get defeated by the challenge of dressing up our laid-back leggings from the get-go, which results in halfhearted attempts at a so-called "athleisure" look that might not make it onto the #OOTD feed. But this is not uncharted territory: This sartorial dilemma reaches even the pinnacles of Hollywood — where a little more effort is put into the day-to-day.
At the end of the day, celebrities are just like us: They love leggings. (Seriously, just ask Gigi Hadid.) So we're looking to them for the cardinal rules of wearing our loungewear out of the house — and making it look sleek.
A Lesson From Beyoncé: Embellish Thy Leggings
Queen B is no stranger to formfitting silhouettes — heck, she's been on that bodysuit beat since way before they were cool. When it comes to leggings, though, she adds a little something extra to make them stand out: Her faux-leather, moto-style bottoms — with paneling and zippers all over —feel more robust and substantial than the average jersey pair.
Queen B is no stranger to formfitting silhouettes — heck, she's been on that bodysuit beat since way before they were cool. When it comes to leggings, though, she adds a little something extra to make them stand out: Her faux-leather, moto-style bottoms — with paneling and zippers all over —feel more robust and substantial than the average jersey pair.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
A Lesson From Sienna: Zip Thy Ankles
Long travel days aren't easy for anyone. Sienna Miller copes much like we do, by breaking out the comfiest clothes in her closet. Instead of run-of-the-mill yoga pants, though, the actress opts for ones with zipped-ankle detailing — an easy yet sophisticated touch that makes the stretchy bottoms feel slightly more elegant. The zippers' effect is twofold: They not only make for shiny embellishment, but also draw attention away from the snug fit around the waist and thigh area.
Long travel days aren't easy for anyone. Sienna Miller copes much like we do, by breaking out the comfiest clothes in her closet. Instead of run-of-the-mill yoga pants, though, the actress opts for ones with zipped-ankle detailing — an easy yet sophisticated touch that makes the stretchy bottoms feel slightly more elegant. The zippers' effect is twofold: They not only make for shiny embellishment, but also draw attention away from the snug fit around the waist and thigh area.
A Lesson From Selena: Embrace Thy Summer Whites
So much summer talk revolves about the LWD. But let Selena Gomez school you in the LWL — a riskier, more stain-prone alternative to your everyday black leggings. With a wider band and paneling throughout, Selena's pair maintains its structure while outlining her figure. A thicker material also makes the fabric look more opaque (i.e. more like that of pants) and less revealing.
So much summer talk revolves about the LWD. But let Selena Gomez school you in the LWL — a riskier, more stain-prone alternative to your everyday black leggings. With a wider band and paneling throughout, Selena's pair maintains its structure while outlining her figure. A thicker material also makes the fabric look more opaque (i.e. more like that of pants) and less revealing.
A Lesson From Kendall: Layer Thy Tunics
You can put an It-girl on the runway, but you can't take away her affinity for figure-hugging loungewear. Kendall Jenner may don a smart, chic pantsuit on the Chanel couture catwalk, but on her downtime, she much prefers the cool comfort of a sleek pair of leggings. And she has a move: Pairing the skintight, leather-look bottoms with a silky, flowy top with a longer hemline — more than a blouse but not quite a dress — so the formfitting-ness of the bottom isn't quite an issue.
You can put an It-girl on the runway, but you can't take away her affinity for figure-hugging loungewear. Kendall Jenner may don a smart, chic pantsuit on the Chanel couture catwalk, but on her downtime, she much prefers the cool comfort of a sleek pair of leggings. And she has a move: Pairing the skintight, leather-look bottoms with a silky, flowy top with a longer hemline — more than a blouse but not quite a dress — so the formfitting-ness of the bottom isn't quite an issue.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
A Lesson From Gigi: Turn Thy Leggings Into A Suit
We could write volumes about Gigi Hadid's mastery of leggings: How she wears them to the club, to the airport, to lunch — okay, so we follow Gigi's sartorial antics quite closely. But the model has lessons to offer when it comes to wearing your loungewear 24/7. Case in point: The monochromatic suit she built from her favorite zipper bottoms to visit Taylor Swift. She matched her black leggings with a T-shirt of the same hue, then topped it off with a contrasting moto jacket to create a uniform look.
We could write volumes about Gigi Hadid's mastery of leggings: How she wears them to the club, to the airport, to lunch — okay, so we follow Gigi's sartorial antics quite closely. But the model has lessons to offer when it comes to wearing your loungewear 24/7. Case in point: The monochromatic suit she built from her favorite zipper bottoms to visit Taylor Swift. She matched her black leggings with a T-shirt of the same hue, then topped it off with a contrasting moto jacket to create a uniform look.
A Lesson From Rita: Commit To Thy Lewk
When your leggings are loud, the rest of your #OOTD should match. So take a cue from Rita Ora and embrace athleisure truly and fully with a sporty crop top and boxy jacket that hits right at the waist (where the leggings begin). Extra points to Ora for coordinating — but not going totally matchy-matchy with — her color scheme.
When your leggings are loud, the rest of your #OOTD should match. So take a cue from Rita Ora and embrace athleisure truly and fully with a sporty crop top and boxy jacket that hits right at the waist (where the leggings begin). Extra points to Ora for coordinating — but not going totally matchy-matchy with — her color scheme.
A Lesson From Karlie: Combine Thy Bottoms With Thy Footwear
Karlie Kloss is a multi-hyphenate talent who happens to have legs for days, so wearing combination leather pants and boots is no big deal. But you, too, can steal a page out of the Kloss (and The Devil Wears Prada) stylebook by emulating the one-piece look: Simply match the material and texture of high-rise boots with that of your leggings, and the va-va-voom moment is yours.
Karlie Kloss is a multi-hyphenate talent who happens to have legs for days, so wearing combination leather pants and boots is no big deal. But you, too, can steal a page out of the Kloss (and The Devil Wears Prada) stylebook by emulating the one-piece look: Simply match the material and texture of high-rise boots with that of your leggings, and the va-va-voom moment is yours.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT