Why I will NEVER stop wearing leggings

With all the different opinions floating around the internet on “Why I Won’t Wear Leggings”, I thought this post needed to resurface. I hope you’ll bear with me as I ramble and try to tell this story of why I will never stop wearing leggings.

Let it be known…. I will NEVER stop wearing leggings.

But I didn’t always feel that way.

I’m a girl. I am critical about the way I look and I compare myself to others. I try not to, but as a dancer and a woman, it just happens. Great. Now that’s that out of the way….

One of my many weaknesses is shopping. It’s embarrassing. Online shopping is always dangerous. Victoria’s Secret is on my top three for sure (not for lingerie – but clothes and pajamas—sicko). They always have some of the most fabulous clothes, and if I can score a deal, even better, right? I’d been crushing on their yoga pants forever. I’d never bought them because, I reasoned, “I could find those same pants at Target for a fraction of the cost.” or “I don’t need those, they’re just silly.” Still, I lusted. Every time I got a Victoria’s Secret magazine (which was literally every single day) I’d stare longingly at these pants and hypothetically figure out which ones I’d buy (and of course I could never pick).

After MONTHS of talking myself out of these pants, they were on sale and I just DID it. I know, right? FINALLY. They were $40 and I was worried what my dear husband would say. I mean, they’re stretchy yoga pants. I braced myself for the worst. The package came and I hid it upstairs. I opened it when he wasn’t home and I slipped the pants into my closet like they’d been there all along.

(Now I’m not trying to paint Handsome as a prude who never lets me out and never lets me spend money. A better way of putting it is that I have little/no self control when it comes to shopping. I can’t help it and it’s pathetic.)

Moment of truth: I put them on. They were sensational. They felt fabulous. I did a couple of spins in front of my mirror, checking out every possible angle (as girls do) and I liked the way these pants fit. Better put: I liked the way I looked in said pants.

GUYS. This has never happened before. I’m ALWAYS critiquing myself (don’t all girls?) and ALWAYS finding something that needs to be tighter, smoother, smaller, etc. Since I’m built like a gymnast (short and muscular) I’ve spent most of my life with the thought that I was never skinny enough and wished that I looked like someone else – we’ve all done it. I’ve never been enough. But these pants gave me a new sense of self. They showed off my curves and muscles. They gave me a confidence I hadn’t felt before, and I LIKED IT.

Well it’s hard to keep a purchase secret when you love the item SO much. I practically never took these pants off and I wondered what Handsome would say. He definitely noticed; the conversation went something like this:
Him: “Are those pants new?”
Me: “Yes.”
Him: “Where did you get them from?”
Me: “Victoria’s Secret. [pause] They were on sale.” (as if that makes it better. I was just trying to soften the blow!)
Him: “Can you never take them off?”
Me: “I’ll probably have to wash them sometime, but there are a lot of other colors I could buy…” haha!

SHOCKED. Complete and utter shock. Here was a reassurance that I wasn’t crazy – my husband liked them, and again, liked the way I looked in them. Why is this so hard for any of us to believe? We, as women, are constantly tearing ourselves down and comparing our weaknesses to another’s strengths. This is my biggie: body image. I’m really not sure why, but for some reason, in this moment it just clicked…..

I am skinny.
I am muscular.
I am fabulous.

I wish I could explain it to you – But these pants gave me confidence, a new sense of self and a love for my body. This was an entirely new experience for me, and I’m hoping I can just continue to discover I am awesome instead of tearing myself down. Since this experience, I’ve been much more open-minded in what I wear and how I view myself. I DID cave and bought a few more pairs of Victoria’s Secret yoga pants, but then I branched out and bought running pants, running shorts, and WAY too many fashionable leggings (use code YOUNG20 for 20% off Agnes & Dora) and they have only made me more secure in myself and my body.

These days, you’ll be hard-pressed to find me in anything but leggings. I put jeans on yesterday….blech. Last time I counted, I had around 80 leggings. I may be a hoarder, but that’s a different story. I LOVE leggings. Absolutely adore them. I feel like I’m in pajamas, but I can be comfortable enough to be on the floor playing with my kid while still totally presentable… (or so I thought). Plus, leggings come in the most fabulous colors and designs. Why not wear tigers or the galaxy? Why the H not?

Again, with all the differing opinions that have been floating around, I thought I’d share mine. I will NEVER stop wearing leggings because a) I like the way they look, b) I like they way they feel, c) I like the way I feel when I wear them. It’s not my responsibility to control what everyone is thinking about me (I learned that valuable lesson in junior high). Please, avert your eyes if you see me in public, because I’ll most definitely be wearing leggings.

This post was originally featured on Flats to Flip flops blog on August 7, 2013. (You can see that post HERE if you want)