How an editorial campaign changed my outlook on the sporting staple.
In a recent, rather down-the-rabbit-hole-esque bout of Instagram scrolling, I stumbled upon an image with the kind of Philo-like austerely minimal styling that stops sartorialists dead in their digital tracks. An image from sustainable luxury house Another Tomorrow’s fall campaign, the photo featured a model in a boxy, short wool coat over a black denim jacket; at her feet, a pair of sleek, low-heeled pumps. Sandwiched in between was what I found most interesting, a piece of previously-deemed “athletic” wear mixed into this fashionable cocktail: leggings.
A hint of sheen, a sleek skin-tight look: this was not your average pair of Lululemons. Another Tomorrow’s creative director Elizabeth Giardinia explains, “We approached the design and end-use with the same considered construction as with all the ready-to-wear garments in our collection,” noting that they still retained performance qualities in their makeup (you can also read more about the sustainable production process on their site). “The legging is constructed from a matte black micro lyocell jersey that is incredibly soft, cooling, and breathable.”
Photo: Courtesy of Another Tomorrow
Constitution aside, I believe what struck me most was the out-of-context styling of this casual piece. We’ve seen leggings with cropped puffers and dad sneakers à la Hailey Bieber, but this girl did not appear to be coming from the gym. The leggings were instead an intentional element of her polished ensemble. “We styled the legging with an oversized recycled cashmere chunky knit turtleneck, a double face RWS (Responsible Wool Standard) cocoon, coat, and a pointy kitten heel,” Giardinia elaborates (extra points for the sheer black socks slipped into the shoes). Dressed up, the leggings looked like clothes rather than gear. “I have seen two of our team members wear the legging with a crew neck t-shirt (tucked in) and an oversized blazer, which I think is a cool mix of tailoring and ballet clothes.”
As I’m sure many writers would attest, as soon as you begin a story, new evidence surrounds you. At a recent market appointment, I saw Emilia Petrarca, freelance writer and author of the newsletter Shop Rat, in a stirruped variety. Upon further prying, they were revealed to be the Leset “Rio” leggings, selected “because they were thicker than usual, and the stirrup made them feel a little more elegant and ski-like.” Petrarca styled hers with a Theory black cashmere turtleneck and a cropped vintage Jean Paul Gaultier puffer from Club Vintage, then tucked the stirrups into cherry red patent Mansur Gavriel flats (that, of course, matched her Simone Rocha hair clips). “I was watching Charade with Audrey Hepburn and she wears this incredible ski resort outfit that I was inspired by,” she contextualizes. “It’s not exactly leggings, but it was a reminder about silhouette, and I liked the idea of wearing tight, warm pants with a more voluminous top—maybe a puffer.”
Photo: Courtesy of Tibi
Few could forget the infiltration of leggings at Paris fashion week, thanks to Miuccia Prada’s work in the Miu Miu Fall/Winter 2023 collection (also spotted in recent collections of Ottolinger, Bally, Alaïa, and Ferragamo, The Row, and Wardrobe.NYC). Above the slinky trouser selection, she heaped layers—crew neck t-shirts and sweaters, zip-up sweatshirts, and wool coats—upon the upper half of each ensemble. Amy Smilovic, founder and creative director of Tibi, and another legging enthusiast, vocalizes the common thread in all these instances, “They help round out proportions in an outfit; I live in big, oversized blazers, the extra sculpted and roomy sweater.” She has cataloged her own engagement with the trouser-substitute via Instagram, where she often shares personal styling tips.
Photo: Courtesy of Emilia Petrarca
A similarly stirruped pair just became available in the Tibi resort collection—”balancing out the look with the stirrup feels really modern and interesting to me,” she explains. They styled them with an oversized “shacket,” tights, and low-heeled sandals. “Pragmatically speaking, layering a legging solves so many problems,” Smilovic professes. “I love wearing skirts and dresses in the fall. Boots are good, and so are socks, but I still want more options—and leggings give them.”
Personally, I live in leggings on the days I work from home (the Toteme zipper-hem ones are a favorite). I toss on some variety of chunky outerwear and a slipper (perhaps, soon, an oxford in homage to Miu Miu) to run errands, and I’ve been liking the effect more and more. “Our lives are very much in transition,” Giardinia summarizes, “our casual and work wardrobes are constantly mixing together reflecting how we seamlessly work at the office, at home, and while we travel.” A notion Smilovic reiterates: “My work life and my everyday life are so merged; the legging transcends both.”I reject the marketing around a loungewear-centric wardrobe the pandemic bolstered; I accept the idea that we can embrace these comfortable elements styled in a non-athleisure manner.
Source : Coveteur
