How to do lycra in the new millenium. (American Apparel Nylon Tricot Legging)

Member Name: springychicky

Product:	American Apparel Nylon Tricot Legging
Date:	05/07/09 (74 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great colours, long lasting, versatile.

Disadvantages: Expensive.

Five years ago pretty much no one would have been caught dead wearing leggings. We all remembered them far too clearly from the days when they were fluorescent and horrifically patterned in the 80s. Scary. Then a few stars here and there started wearing them and some started to think they were acceptable, but only if you were the size of Posh Spice after a 10 day fast. But somehow, the leggings, particularly in cool fabrics and shades like the American Apparel range, have crept back to become a stable item in many a young fashionistas wardrobe.

I would like to state from the beginning that I am still against leggings as pants. They are not pants. Indeed they are far closer to stockings or tights than they are to actual trousers. If you wouldn't go out wearing a pair of stockings and a t-shirt (which, let's face it, unless you're Pamela Anderson or Lady GaGa, you wouldn't) do NOT attempt to wear these as pants, without anything over the top.

That being said, the Nylon leggings from American Apparel are an excellent alternative to stockings for a number of reasons, which I will now walk you through:

1. They are thicker than even opaque stockings, which means you get more coverage, and your wobbly and/or cellulitey bits are held in much more firmly. This means that you can also get away with wearing them with a shorter skirt or dress that you wouldn't dream of wearing with bare legs.

2. Being thicker they are much warmer in the cold months, meaning that you can still wear skirts and dresses even in winter. Goodbye boring winter clothes!

3. They come in a stunning range of styles and colours. You can get everything you want from a dark metallic silver to a hot pink and even recently they've brought out zebra stripes. I would recommend some restraint here, unless you are extremely trendy/gorgeous/thin and can pull it off, because if you're not careful some of the brighter colours can look a bit Jane-Fonda-exercise-video. Dark colours are pretty safe though.

4. They have a slight sheen on them, meaning that they look a bit special at night. I would be careful wearing them in the day though.

5. They are much sturdier and won't tear the minute you step out the front door, like stockings seem to.

These leggings are cool, comfortable, and will fit to pretty much whatever your style is. Buy them in a few colours so that you can mix them up with tunics, oversized shirts and tops, short skirts, or mini-dresses.

The only real downside is that they are a little on the pricey side. At 28 quid I really do find these a bit extravagant. However I will say, in their defence, all American Apparel clothing is made in L.A. using ethical manufacturing procedures, so you are also paying more for that, which is worth it. And, these really do seem to last well. I've had mine for around 6 months, wearing them often, and they are still showing very little sign of wear. I think they will look good for at least another 6 months or year, before starting to be a bit battered.

Summary: A great addition to any wardrobe.