Taste Debate: Leggings As Pants

Pro (Damassa)

Being a dedicated runner in Boston, I practically live in leggings. I can wear them with sneakers and hit the pavement or I can just pair them with some cute riding boots and a sweater and head off to class. Let's not forget the fact that leggings are beyond comfortable (they might even be up there with pajamas) and when worn correctly, they can look professional and polished. The best part might be that wearing leggings as pants allows us girls to show off our beautifully-toned legs resulting from walking up and down the Million Dollar Stairs everyday.

Now I know that leggings as pants have received a bad reputation recently, but that is only because they were worn incorrectly by a select few. To all my legging-wearing girls out there: Please make sure your leggings are not see through or too tight. If we wear them wrong, they might become a fad and honestly, I don't want to lose the comfort and versatility of leggings. Comfort, practicality, and stylishness – what more could a girl want? So wear them right, wear them proud, and try to keep the leggings-as-pants trend alive!

Con (Zhao)

Here's the thing: Leggings are not pants. Many people think they are, but the two articles are fundamentally different. They are not a different kind of pants, nor a fitting substitute for pants, nor in any way able to be mistaken for pants. Yes, it is hard to get up in the morning sometimes, and yes, sometimes you may be tempted to forgo real pants: Don't do it! The general rule is if you're going to wear leggings, you should pair them with a shirt that is long enough to cover your butt, or at the very least, pretend to.

With tunics, dresses, etc. leggings can be cute. With a regular T-shirt, it looks silly—it's equivalent to wearing pantyhose in public. You wouldn't only wear tights in public, so why would you only wear leggings? Paired improperly, they simply leave too little to the imagination. There are certain details of your figure that the whole world shouldn't see. Besides, there are plenty of other ways to be comfortable or lazy with your fashion choices, even at a style-conscious school like Boston College. If you're really having a hard time, throw on some BC gear. At the very least, you're showing some school spirit. Otherwise, unless you are at a ballet class, in a Renaissance fair, or currently working out, leggings should be treated as tights. Whatever articles of clothing you would feel strange pairing with tights, you should feel equally strange pairing with leggings.