Leggings as pants/trousers, 'classy' or 'trashy'

I'm wearing print leggings today :) with a shift dress style top. It's my first time wearing the two pieces (both together and otherwise) and what I would consider a very casual outfit (an alternative to skinny jeans and a tee). I don't think leggings are trashy unless people wear them while exposing their ass/panty line but they're not exactly what I would wear if I wanted to look classy.
 
I wear leggings all the time when I skate, because they show body line clearly and there's nothing to get in the way if I'm doing lifts or something like that (skirts are definitely a problem for this, as beautiful as skating dresses can be!). But they have never become a regular part of my wardrobe, not even with a dress over them or anything like that, because I love jeans and that's what I wear most of the time.

I think they are great for skating and I do wear them to exercise (hey, they look 99% better on me than shorts!), but I make every effort to not wear them anywhere not directly fitness related. Ever.
 
It definitely depends on the whole outfit, your body AND the leggings' material.

I just ordered a pair of faux leather leggings and personally won't wear them w/o something that covers the butt, but I think super skinny could totally get away w/ it. I think they look pretty bad ass.

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I own a similar pair and sometimes I wear it with something that doesn't cover my whole butt and I think it looks great.
I often wear leggings in general, but I wouldn't do that with another pair (apart from maybe one exception). It really depends, but that kind of leggings qualifies the most and it's able to look classy in the right combination.
 
I've been tempted to wear my black leggings as pants on occasion; they're just so damn comfortable. But I've heard the horror stories, so I obediently stash them away for wearing with tunics.
 
I wear opaque leggings for working out (lulu's) and I do love to wear them around the house . I think they look so much better than shorts or sweat pants as long as your legs are slender and shapely. I like to wear them when being active because I don't have any wind resistance and I don't worry about them catching on something, also, it's much easier to check your exercise form when you can see all your body lines.
 
A girl in my class is the same height like me but she really is overweight and always wears leggings. Normally I don't judge people who are overweight although I don't like it. I mean you never know, maybe they are already on a diet and weighed much more a month ago or so. But this girl really annoys me. Not only can you see everything through her clothes (and she claims to be into fashion) but she also always says things in the classes which do not need to be said because it's obvious.
Arrgh, I don't like her, but the main point is I think you can only wear leggings as trousers if you are skinny and a long top.
Sorry for being so upset about that girl :)
 
I will only wear leggings when I feel lazy and am going to class in an oversized sweater that covers my butt and boots. Leggings with a top that doesn't cover your butt never looks good, and leggings should definitely not be worn by girls who aren't thin...I think some people think leggings are slimming but really it just accentuates any thigh fat you have. And leggings on anyone who is older than their 20s just looks sort of silly in my opinion. I get that some women like to wear leggings to the gym though. Also, people who wear leggings with sandals or other shoes that don't cover the ends (so basically, not boots)....please stop.
 
leggings and short tops are sooo trashy!!! I like to wear leggings but I make sure my bum and everything is covered by a top.

IMO fat girls shouldn't wear leggings, well not uberrr thin ones anywayy...
 
I can't stand it, the see-through look when worn two sizes too small (usually the case), the camel toe, muffin top, cellulite visable through them, everything about it is trashy. I wore leggings once when I was heavily pregnant and nothing else fit me but never without a dress over the top that came to the knee and they went in the bin the moment I popped! However, I do own several pairs of 'jeggings' that are quite thick and I love them-but I still cover my arse when wearing them. It's my, perhaps rather mean, opinion that certain clothes just should not be available in sizes larger than UK 10. They don't flatter the wearer at all, it'd be doing them a favour. Although I just know that if that happened there'd be a tonne of size UK 12 girls shoehorning themselves into size 10's :(
 
Eh, I'm about to head out and I;m wearing leggings as pants. They're a pretty thick material and there's no panty lines so I don't really see what the huge deal is. If wearing lululemon pants (or other yoga pants) out in public is considered 'acceptable' than so are thick leggings. I've seen people wearing more revealing white linen pants than leggings where I live.

Mind you, I bought pretty expensive ones. I feel like a lot of the leggings you get at quick fashion places like forever 21 are made out of crappy, thin material.
 
So bad! Especially when they aren't cropped, because then the person looks super disproportional. And underwear lines.. geeze people! Invest in a THONG or something..

Its the worse when the leggings are super tight and thin so you can actually see the cellulite of their legs and ass. yeugh.
 
Gross. If you're working out, I get it, but other than that, gross. I have never seen anyone look good in them.

Biggest issues I see are panty lines/lack of panty lines (aka camel toe) and people not realizing that fabric looks different in different lights. It may look great in your bathroom mirror, but out in sunlight, hunny, I can see your buttcrack. Not a good look.

I'm sure if someone was fit and paid attention to the aforementioned, they're look fine.
 
I can't stand it, the see-through look when worn two sizes too small (usually the case), the camel toe, muffin top, cellulite visable through them, everything about it is trashy. I wore leggings once when I was heavily pregnant and nothing else fit me but never without a dress over the top that came to the knee and they went in the bin the moment I popped! However, I do own several pairs of 'jeggings' that are quite thick and I love them-but I still cover my arse when wearing them. It's my, perhaps rather mean, opinion that certain clothes just should not be available in sizes larger than UK 10. They don't flatter the wearer at all, it'd be doing them a favour. Although I just know that if that happened there'd be a tonne of size UK 12 girls shoehorning themselves into size 10's :(
I can really see this happening (unfortunately) since girls ALREADY go a size too small to make themselves feel smaller :superpuke:
 
I can really see this happening (unfortunately) since girls ALREADY go a size too small to make themselves feel smaller :superpuke:

Must be a sad life where you have to trick yourself into feeling better like that, they could so easily put a bit of effort in and drop 10lbs, then they could feel the real achievement of actually being the size they convince themselves they are!
 
I use them at home all the time, they are very comfortable ! To go out I put a long tunic on top so my behind is covered. I also hate to see girls in the street (fat or skinny) with see-through leggings, I can't understand how they can go out like that really.
 
For me: No go no matter your size. I want to slap everyone who wears them as pants. Its like wearing tights as pants, no one with class does that. Its only okay if your top is more like a dress than a top.
 
Ahh leggings as pants, the eternal debate.

Personally, I wear themm but there are requirements. The main one for me is material - it has to be that thicker, more cottony material as opposed to the really thin, stretchy stuff that looks kind of shiny as it stretches out because of all the Lycra/spandex. I don't think your shirt needs to come all the way to mid-thigh, but at least to the bottom of your butt - because I'm short, if I go longer than this it looks awkward and disproportionate. But I can see the tunic length making more sense on taller girls, and the just-to-the-bottom-of-butt length being awkward looking. I really don't like being able to see a girl's ENTIRE ass because she's wearing a hip length shirt with it - that looks very odd.

And of course, this all depends on size. A general rule of thumb would be, if you can see cellulite or rolls through it, don't wear it. Legging etiquette. Super simple stuff.
 
Also, people who wear leggings with sandals or other shoes that don't cover the ends (so basically, not boots)....please stop.
Okay here I really don't see what the big deal is. Do you wear, let's say, skinny jeans also with boots only? I don't see the difference between leggings and pants when it comes to "covering the ends" :hmm: