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I knew when I started the Black Blazer Challenge that I wanted to do a day where I took the same basic outfit using black leggings and a white tee and changed it up with accessories and shoes to make multiple looks–thus the Three Looks, One Outfit day.
I kept it relatively simple–black leggings, white t-shirt, and THE blazer. All pieces you would most likely have in your closet.
“Leggings are Not Pants”
First, I want to start with the leggings. A very good friend of mine and fashion lover says that “leggings are not pants.” A statement to which I agree–to a certain extent.
I think it is important to clarify the difference be between leggings that ARE pants and leggings that are NOT. It all comes down to the following questions:
Are your leggings pants?
- Are they see-through? If the material is thin, test the “see-through” by holding them up to the light. If you can see a good amount of light through the fabric, your leggings are not pants.
- Is the only redeeming factor an elastic waistband? If so, your leggings are not pants.
- Do you feel uncomfortable wearing them unless your booty is covered–i.e. by a tunic top or dress? Yes–then your leggings are not pants.
So, what leggings ARE pants?
- They are not see-through. This is the MOST important. I don’t care how nice your ass is, ain’t nobody need to see your panties or lack thereof. Ain’t nobody. Look for leggings in a heavier knit. Check the tag or online description for a percentage of mostly polyester, rayon, nylon (etc.) and a little bit of spandex. If they are mostly cotton, what you have are more like tights. These should only be worn with a long tunic or dress–cover your ass, sass.
- They have something else going on–other than just the elastic waistband.
- First and foremost, shaping qualities are key. Look for a wide waistband and the fabric should smooth any imperfections. I like to read the reviews for mentions of this if shopping online.
- Secondly, detail is always nice–pockets, zippers at the ankle, a faux leather fabric, etc.
- You are comfortable wearing them as pants. Make sure the fit is flattering. In addition to not wanting to see your underpants, ain’t nobody want to see your camel . . . . you figure it out. If you have that kitty-whisker, pulling around your hips thing–they are too tight. If they are gaping in the back, they are too big.
Here are a few to check out:
Support my wine fund and hilarity. Click the photos to be taken to the site to purchase.
Look One: Morning Errands
For this look, I threw on a sporty cardigan and my Walmart tennis shoes. I don’t spend money on athletic shoes, because I am not athletic. Remind me to tell you about the one time I faked a knee injury in 7th grade to get out of running the mile at my home track meet . . . .
These are light and comfy. And cheap–less than $10. Shop them online HERE.
You could also pair with a cute hoodie or sweatshirt. Roll or scrunch the sleeves on THE blazer to give it a more casual look. I scrunched here.
The layers make running errands on a cool morning easy–you can easily remove a layer if need be (ya’ know, if the heat in the Post Office is set to 500 degrees and there’s a line–because there is ALWAYS a line).
Look Two: Afternoon Coffee
For this look, I ditched the cardi and kicks and added a fun necklace and black ankle boots. A great scarf would be another option.
LOVE my ankle boots because I got them on clearance at Walmart a few years ago. Total score. Unfortunately, they are out of stock. If you learn nothing else from reading my posts, I hope your one-take-away is that you never underestimate the Walmart clearance section. You just never know what gold awaits you for $8.88.
Here is a good alternative:
Look Three: Happy Hour
Here is a PRIME example of how styling can totally change the look. I popped my collar all the way up, and THE blazer looks like a totally different jacket. Pair with cute heels, more bling and add a colorful clutch.
If you really want to amp this up, go a little crazier with the shoe. However, I live in Chadron and if I wore this to happy hour, people would ask me where the hell I was going (I am always over-dressed). So, I kept it tame.
You can find similar shoes just about anywhere, but mine are from Tar-get (pronounced Taarr–jaayy, it’s fancy for Target). See below. They are actually pretty comfortable and classic. I say pretty comfortable because I did wear them to a wedding and after standing and dancing and drinking in them for 4 hours, I had to take them off.
My stiletto stamina isn’t what it used to be. #thisis35
Last word
Day Four was fun, but ultimately I think I could have pushed the envelope a bit more with the looks and styling. I am still oiling my fashion gears a bit, so I may try something similar to this again. My good friend said recently “I think you can be a little ‘extra’ for the internet.”
I will shoot for EXTRA next time.
