How to Wear Leggings

As I mentioned in a previous post or two, I commute on foot and by train most days.  It hasn't always been this way, but this is my life now and I'm adjusting quite well.  I love wearing dresses, but it's a long, arduous walk when the day turns windy and I'm desperately trying to stay covered to make it home.  Bicycle shorts and capri leggings seemed like the obvious solution, but all my research said the same thing:  Unless you're an little girl, leggings and bicycle shorts are a major don't.

Well, I disagree.  So I bought a few pairs of capri leggings and proceeded to try to figure out how to make them work. What I discovered is that they look best when you're not trying to hide them.  One person said she wore bicycle shorts under her dress so she could ride her bike to work, but the line of the shorts showed through the skirt.  That's definitely a problem, but it's one that goes away if you don't try to hide the shorts.  My personal rule for wearing them is that they must be longer than the dress.   Here are a few styles of dress that I wear almost exclusively with leggings.

The Sheer Dress

I love a watercolor print and this little dress from Target gets lots of summertime wear with my teal flats.  However, the fabric is sheer and has a deep V in the back so a slip is not an option.  I'm not really sure how anyone could wear it without leggings. 

The Shirt Dress

This Forever 21 red geometric print dress was an instant favorite, but it just didn't look right until I added the leggings.  I usually wear it with Jessica Simpson ballet flats and my Charter School Cardi by ModCloth in Navy Blue.

The Tunic Dress

Another Target purchase and again very sheer and an open back, but also so short I cannot bend over in it.  However the cut is so flattering, I can't just let it sit on the shelf.  I normally wear ankle length leggings with this dress to give it more of a tunic feel.

The Knee-Length Dress

This is a tea dress by Effie's Heart.  The capri leggings here barely show, but they do coordinate with the navy color of the dress.  If the dress is a cotton fabric like this one, I usually add a nylon half slip to keep the dress flowing freely.  Cotton on cotton tends to stick together.

If you're looking for your own Capri leggings, check out ModCloth's Across Town Shorts

with lace trim.

I usually go for cotton like ShopRuche's Forest Cottage Leggings