Mom Style: Leggings Are(n’t) Pants

So I was always firmly on the side of “leggings are not pants” argument. You can totally be more creative than that, I thought. Skirts are just as easy. Dresses are just one piece. Even jeans can be okay, when styled nicely. And for the longest time, I looked at girls who wore leggings for pants with a certain amount of fashion disdain. They were so not trying hard enough.

In my defense, most of the girls I see (except for bloggers) wearing leggings as pants tend to wear sheer leggings, leggings that are way too tight, and/or leggings that are just… not meant to be pants. I mean, I’ll be honest: I live in a town that really isn’t known for having a lot of style. Or class. There was a hostage situation at the Wal-Mart, for crying out loud.

So, you know. I was judgmental of most leggings-as-pants outfits I saw.

But then I got pregnant. And through pregnancy I only ever allowed myself to wear leggings as pants if I was sick and going nowhere. I would not, I vowed, be one of those moms who was totally lazy and didn’t get dressed in real clothes every day. I would totally not wear leggings out of the house as pants. That was the one vow of motherhood I made; I’ve never vowed my kid wouldn’t be “that kid” or I’d never do that one parenting thing you always swear you’ll never do… because I know kids, and kids will prove you wrong.

But leggings? Heaven forbid I ever wore those outside the house.

Enter Asa. And motherhood. And working from home. And having little reason to get out of yoga pants other than going grocery shopping — a reason that wasn’t always enough. Enter the life of tank tops and yoga pants being the normal daily outfit, because I needed to be comfortable enough to be sitting at work, or playing with Asa, and the top needed to be easy enough to breastfeed in.

And I bring you this outfit having broken my vow to never wear leggings as pants… because I’m a mom, and being a mom gives you the right to wear reasonably thick and non-sheer leggings as pants if you darn well please. Because right now, I’m in a style funk and simply getting out of yoga pant and tank-top territory is a triumph. Because it’s getting cold, but not cold enough for tights all day, and I want to be comfortable and cute at the same time.

And because… you know what, I like the way these look as pants.

To all you girls that I silently judged for wearing leggings… I’m sorry. Except… please don’t wear muffin-top-inducing, sheer, ripped, pilled, torn-at-the-crotch leggings as pants. Because even in the freedom of style, that’s just… not attractive. So do yourself a favor and get some leggings that fit and aren’t see-through. Your body will love you for it.

I took my outfit pictures all by myself today, using the nice lens that is harder to focus when one has no camera remote, and I’m pretty pleased with them, actually! This is another area I want to work on; I love having my husband take my pictures, but some days I know I won’t get them after he gets off work… and with outfits like this he usually looks at me funny and goes “you want pictures of that?” because he has more standards than I do about what I post on my blog.

But I’m very much about being realistic, and this is what I’m wearing today. So this is what I post.

Blouse (similar) c/o Oasap | Leggings and cardigan, Target | boots, JC Penney | Flower crown, made.

And I just gotta say, taking your own pictures… I had forgotten how much work it is. I was sweating by the end. Seriously. It was not pretty.

I hope you are all having a lovely week! Happy Thursday!

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