lovin’ leggings

When will we outgrow the legging trend?

I designed my first pair of leggings over three years ago when the trend was on the cusp of exploding – for the first time – again.  At that time my collection mainly focused on embellished tops, but as a self-professed entrepreneur, I wanted to capitalize on the moment and thus added the stretchy lycra infused staple to my mix.  They flew out of the warehouse as soon as we received them.

And, the enthusiasm has barely cooled today.  I have to admit that I only expected to get two or three seasons out of the trend.  For that matter, from a styling perspective, I hoped that was as long as they would last.  I never expected to be delivering leggings to stores with the same fervor today.

This morning Woman’s Wear Daily reported that it is “the trend that keeps on giving”.  I suppose that women have become comfortable with the layered look, appreciate the comfort of dressing their trunks in a “second-skin”, and are thrilled to find a replacement for their proverbial denim-dependence.  So, go ahead ladies, keep reaching for those stretchy saviors.  But, be careful of getting caught in a boring rut.

It was my own fear of “boring” that prevented me from designing a basic ballet class costume.  I’ll leave that to others.  I personally like to take trend to a more interesting and unique place.  By adding Swarovski crystals, interesting buttons, metal charms, eyelets, and silkscreens to a basic legging, I’ve been able to keep things fresh during the design process.  After all, a legging is the simplest of patterns so to keep things fun, you have to express your vision through some other addition.

Drum roll…designer secret coming your way.  You can add similar design touches yourself!  Just pull a pair of basic leggings from your drawer, let your creative juices flow, and voila.  You have a one-of-a-kind creation that’s perfectly on trend.  And, more importantly, expresses your own individual style.

For those of you who don’t find that tip alluring enough and for those of you looking for an admittedly fashion-forward take on the legging trend, check out my Longfellows (silk/cotton 54″ inseam stirrup pants).  I humbly offer that the Today Show, Ugly Betty, and Glamour are fans, but I also admit without selfishness that these long fellows are not for every fashionista.