By Jess Salisbury
The Eastern Echo
In recent months, no trend has taken the campus by storm quite like legwarmers.
In spite of their association with the ‘80s—or perhaps because of it—these quirky accessories are seeing a resurgence in popularity among young people. Maybe you feel that the legwarmer should have stayed dead along with its contemporaries, like parachute pants, shoulder pads and ultra-teased hair large enough to hide a family of birds.
But as legwarmers crawl from the depths of the fashion grave, it’s impossible to ignore their virtues. After all, in the freezing tundra of Michigan, who wouldn’t want warmer legs?
Here’s a bit of a history lesson: Legwarmers originated in the dance world, long before the ‘80s. Professional dancers liked them for their ability to keep their calves warm and, subsequently, help prevent leg cramps. With the success of classic movies like Flashdance, average teenagers decided to adopt the look as their own, and a trend was born.
Even with the past decade’s revival of many ‘80s looks, like skinny jeans and leggings, the legwarmer, deemed as “too kitschy,” seemed to get passed over by the general public. Until now, that is.
The legwarmers of this decade have taken a more subtle approach it seems, with many being sold in more subdued colors like gray or beige as opposed to the gaudy neon hues of their ‘80s predecessors. As a matter of fact, it has become increasingly easy to sneak a pair of legwarmers into your most professional-looking ensemble without getting too many eye-rolls.
Of course, there are tricks to making the most out of your legwarmers. If you’re looking to purchase a pair for yourself, you’ve got to know how to incorporate it seamlessly into your everyday outfits.
The first tip is to get a solid-colored pair, preferably in a neutral shade. This will ensure that you can make the most out of your brand new legwarmers. You won’t want something that will clash with the majority of your wardrobe, so pick a pair that will mesh nicely with stuff you already own.
Secondly, know how to wear the legwarmers with your preferred shoe. Love heels? For a classy-but-playful look, pair some legwarmers with your favorite pair of pumps or stilettos. This would be eye-catching with a sweater dress and leggings, but for special occasions, try the look out with an ever-popular little black dress.
If you prefer a trusty pair of sneakers to flashy heels, you’re not alone. But wearing them successfully with legwarmers can prove difficult. For a funky, youthful look, try wearing black legwarmers with some brightly-colored Chucks.
One look that is really taking off here at Eastern is the wearing of legwarmers underneath dress boots with heels so that a little bit of fabric peeks over the top. As cute as this style might be, it has the added bonus of warmth—many pairs of jeans these days are thin and offer little protection from the cold. Try putting the look with tight jeggings (as in, leggings with the appearance of jeans) and a loose sweater.
One more thing to experiment with is the addition of knit hats and scarves. It’s not too difficult to find a scarf, hat and leggings in roughly the same color. Try to match a gray or cream-colored set with a vivid sweater to add contrast.
It’s easy to dismiss the legwarmer as nothing but a silly reminder of the decade that brought us MTV and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but with the right amount of confidence and fashion savvy, they can add considerable spice to many modern outfits. Don’t believe it? Try walking one day in a pair of legwarmers and see for yourself.
