How the Freak to Wear Leg Warmers: Four Ways

Once upon a time, I had a pair of purple leg warmers with white hearts on them. They came with a matching sweater, and they were one of my prized accessories. I loved the way they allowed me to wear a skirt despite the bitterly cold Michigan winter weather, I adored the way they looked over my bright pink corduroys, and I would plan entire dance class outfits around being able to wear them.

And then, you know, the 80s ended and so did my affinity for leg warmers (although, not for 80s music, of course). Or, so I thought. Because, in the last few months, that love has been somewhat rekindled, and whaddaya know — 20-some years after I said good-bye to my purple leg warmers, I’ve started wearing them again. These chunky knit cable leg warmers from Lole ($50) have gone into my regular rotation this winter.

I mean, you seriously can’t guess what’s going to come back in style, can ya?

Even though I liked the look the first time I saw them in a catalog over the spring, I was a little nervous about how to pull them off, so I went to the source and asked Athleta (which has a few pictures of sporty-looking models rocking the leg warmers in their recent catalog) what to do, both for sporty events and as cute, casual wear. Check out a few of their tips (like pairing them with boots or heels for casual wear) and one or two of my own in this video! There’s even dancing …

So, be honest. Would you ever wear leg warmers? Why or why not? I suppose not everyone clapped their hands and squealed when they started seeing them out in the wild again. —Kristen