On a Monday morning, do you look longingly at your leggings as you open up a closet full of suits and pencil skirts? Do you hate your yoga teacher for the sole reason that she can wear leggings and be comfortable all day, everyday? Are you a firm believer that, yes, leggings are pants? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then we want you to know that you are not alone! We have suffered through skinny jeans, muffin tops, and uncomfortable tweed for far too long. It’s time to take a firm stance on the matter of leggings. We are taking a stand today and declaring once and for all that you can wear leggings to work!

We know what you’re thinking - maybe that’s a little too fashion-forward. Maybe leggings are inappropriate for an office setting after all. Before we’re quick to judge, let’s a take a long, hard look at fashion throughout history. We won’t even go as far as the Elizabethan era when noblemen wore leggings with pride. Let’s go back just a couple of decades, to the 1990s, when wearing jeans to work was only acceptable on casual Fridays. We guarantee that, if you look around your office today, at least half the women there are wearing jeans or something like it. Because jeans (more comfortable than suits, less comfortable than leggings) have been made acceptable office wear by dressing them up with a killer combination or adding a stylish accessory.

Life has grown busier and our schedules more active, so we’ve learned to adapt and be both comfortable and appropriately dressed in our workplaces. This is exactly what we should be doing with leggings.

Say it with us - I CAN wear leggings to work. And here’s how you’re going to pull it off.

Look #1: Camouflage it

Leggings? Tights? Pantyhose? No one has to know! Camouflage your leggings under a skirt or sweater dress, depending on the season. Paired with some stylish knee-high boots and with a bold belt, long necklace or earrings to top it off, you’re ready to get your work day rolling like nobody’s business.

Look #2: Length and flow

Pair your leggings with lengthy tops.From a simple denim or plaid shirt for more casual work settings to a soft, oversized sweater or long blazer if you’re more of a corporate type, anything works. It can be anything, as long as it covers that derriere you’ve been working out on at the gym. Speaking of which, one of our favorite reasons to wear leggings to work, aside from the comfy fit, is that we can go straight to the gym after work, then shower up, slip on a dress for the evening. Because getting things done, saving time, and looking good can’t possibly be a bad thing.  

Photo by: Maria Morri (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Look #3: Dress it up

Make your leggings look fancy with a crisp dress shirt or a blazer. Ideally you would like to find a top that is a tad bit longer than what you would wear normally. Also note that this won’t work if you’re leggings are at all see through, so make sure you have thicker, darker shade leggings for this look, such as the SPECIALITA Basic Activewear Legging or HIPKINI Turnover Kicking if you want to add a bit more flare to your outfit. Pull your hair up into a statement do, and wear those leggings with heels and a pinch of sass!

British fashion consultant Trinny Woodall really knows how to make a pair of leggings look crisp and classy. Image by: Trinny&Susannah (CC BY-SA 3.0)

There you have it. One first world problem resolved. Never again will you shy away from wearing your most comfortable attire to work. And if anyone ever tries to tell you leggings aren’t pants or aren’t suitable for work - make sure you share our historical hindsight and efficiency philosophy with them to prove them wrong.