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Leg Warmers: Fashion Forward or Faux Pas?

I’m not sure if it’s the cold weather getting to me, or it’s just the fact of seeing them around lately, but I can’t help but think about leg warmers! It’s been a reoccurring theme over the past few weeks, leaving a permanent image of Olivia Newton John singing “Physical” in my head.

On Friday, a friend asked to borrow my hot pink pair for her 80s’ Halloween costume. This pair is hardly “leg warming” and are quite quirky; however, they do work for those special days like Halloween or a pink-themed Run for the Cure event - which is exactly the reason I now have three pairs of leg warmers residing in the dust-bunnies district.

On Saturday, I was down in Vancouver and reminded of the harsh reality that our Vancouver friends have a few more months of real autumn wear. There were definitely no leg warmers in sight. This left me wondering if Vancouver has their fashion figured, or if it’s just the curse of living in Edmonton’s climate.

About a week ago, the girl sitting next to me in class had on some stylish Abercrombie grey wool leg warmers. This left me wondering if leg warmers are more functional than fashionable? Or is it the other way around?

First emerging in the 70s’, and getting out of fashion by the late 80s’, leg warmers can be considered a celebrity-inspired fad we’d like to forget. Just think back to Milla Jovovich and Lindsay Lohan, for example. Then again, Alexander Wang’s Spring 2010 collection featured cut out leg warmers.

Why does this accessory keep coming back? Is it an ugly fad or just fabulous beyond understanding? Who knows, but thank goodness it wasn’t arm warmers...