Seriously, Ladies, Leggings Are Not Real Pants.

Leggings are an accessory, ladies. They are something you put on in place of tights. Something to keep your legs warm in the cold, or covered when you just don't feel like shaving your legs even though you want to wear that super cute dress hanging in your closet. They are an addition to an outfit, not a part of the base. I get that West Coast and East Coast fashion rules are different, and Pacific Northwest Rules are even more strange comparatively, but let's be real here for a moment, shall we? Leggings are not jeans. Leggings are not sweatpants. Leggings are not slacks. Leggings are leggings. Leggings are basically thick tights that you wear with tunics or dresses or, if you are going for more of a casual look, long t-shirts. Most leggings, when worn as pants, have the unfortunate effect of making those near you wonder if you lost your real pants because now they can see your underwear and you have the unfortunate luck to also have a hint of camel toe. You cannot unsee camel toe.

Wearing leggings properly means your crotch area should be covered.

There are the odd ones out, those few lucky individuals, that can rock the leggings without looking like they left their home half dressed. Most people, however, do not fall in that category. Even if you are one of those people, however, you still shouldn't wear them as pants to work. It is unprofessional unless you are a personal trainer or yoga instructor. Also, it makes all those girls that know better (and don't look as cute) kind of jealous. Maybe that's just me.

On the topic of accessories, why are people layering their scarves? This is Seattle, it is not that cold out. In fact, it's still pretty warm. We've got about a week before the rainy season starts (it's our longest season) and you shouldn't need all those layers. Also, next week when the rain really starts, you are going to be a soggy mess and it will be all your own fault. I am stomping down my foot and demanding you listen when I get to tell you I told you so.

With the bulky layering around your neck and shoulders you look a little like a body builder from the armpits up and it's creepy.

I guess we are going to stick to accessories because that's what I'm fixating on, and by we I mean I. So, accessories! Since we've hit leggings and the scarf debacle, let's move on to jewelry, shall we? I get that you have all this bling you want to show off. That's great. Wearing it all at once, however, is something less than great. "But they do it in magazines!" Of course they do! They are trying to sell you as much as possible in a single page ad. Also, it can be considered artistic rather than gaudy simply because it is a photo shoot and not something any of the creative directors or models would do in real life. When you wear bracelets piled up your arms and then add rings to every finger (or even every other finger) all anyone can see is a carnival fortune teller.

It's distracting.

Less actually is more in this case. Less jewelry is more flattering. If you are going to layer a couple of necklaces don't add dangling earrings. If you are going to pile on four or five bracelets, don't wear more than one ring.

No matter how great your outfit, no matter how professional (booty shorts are not professional ... I just want to throw that out there now.) the accessories can kill the rest of the outfit. Wearing a black skirt suit with black pumps and metallic blue leggings? The leggings killed the professionalism. Simple dress, nude nylons, matching heels, 6 necklaces? Necklaces killed the outfit. It's the little things, trends that are in for casual looks that people want to use at work, that ruin an outfit. So today's rant is kind of about that, but mostly because I'm tired of seeing what everyone's underwear looks like through the leggings.

Wear what looks good on you, not what looks good on other people,

Stevie