It’s Time to Walk Away From White Leggings
Dear Fashion Police: Is it proper to wear white sweats or leggings in Southern California? Also, is it too “blub” to wear all white in the summertime?
--A PALER SHADE OF WHITE
Dear Pale: Is it proper to wear white sweats or leggings? Sure, if you’re going to or coming from the gym or some other perspiration-inducing workout. Sweats themselves have no place in regular streetwear, and we don’t care whether you bought them in Paris, spent $500 and had them blessed by the pope. There may be no stopping fashion’s casual downhill slide, but we can slow it down.
OK, you can also wear them to the Laundromat. But that’s it.
As for white leggings, those should be banned altogether. They’re a cross between tights and a bad idea. White leggings are extremely unflattering--and that goes for any body type, so don’t accuse us of making this a size issue. They just don’t show off a woman’s leg well.
Which brings us to your question of all-white clothes making one look too “blub.” If this is your way of asking whether white makes a person look heavy, the answer is not necessarily. People look their size whether they’re wearing white, black, or pink and yellow polka-dots. If it’s a slimming effect you’re looking for, fit and style are much more important than color.
We’ll confess: We do reach for black on days when we’re not feeling so svelte, but we’re positive that whatever illusion we’re trying to create happens only in our minds. So if you want to wear all white (which just happens to be the hot new fashion color), go right ahead. As long as leggings aren’t part of the ensemble, of course.
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From the Fashion Police Blotter: Awards season is upon us. So far we’ve had the American Music Awards, the People’s Choice Awards, the Golden Globes, and yet to come are the Grammys, the Oscars, the Emmys, the Tonys, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, the TV Guide Awards, the Academy of Country Music Awards, the MTV Video Music Awards and the MTV Movie Awards.
There’s no denying fashion has become a huge part of these self-congratulatory star fests. From the moment celebs step one elegantly clad foot onto the red carpet, their clothes, hair, jewelry, makeup and underwear--if they’re even wearing any--are examined, dissected, criticized and dissed to death.
We’re sure you have lots to say about the way stars glam it up. Are you sick of those weird faux tuxedos? Tired of cleavage that runneth over? Can’t get enough of those skintight backless gowns? How about those hairstyles that look as if they were created in a Waring blender? While some celebs look absolutely drop-dead gorgeous, we have to wonder about the others. With all the stylists, hairdressers, makeup artists and designers at their beck and call, it never ceases to amaze us just how far off track some people can go.
So tell us what you think is right and wrong with how celebs dress for awards shows, and how you’d outfit them if you were head of the universe. Maybe you’d have them just wear PJs--that way they’d be super comfy during those tortuously long shows. It’s your call. Let us know. Send your comments to the address at the end of this column.
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Don’t Miss It: The February issue of Allure magazine features a hilarious short essay by David Sedaris that shouldn’t be missed. In “Claws,” Sedaris examines the disturbing trend of long nails, especially those worn by cashiers and other service personnel.
“Remember, please,” he writes, “that it is wrong to comment on the science projects sprouting like roots from your cashier’s fingertips. Any question would unfairly invade what is thought to be the young woman’s ‘personal space,’ and besides that, it’s wrong to force anyone to remove her Walkman during business hours.”
When reporting or preventing a fashion crime, write to Fashion Police, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053, or fax to (213) 237-0732. Submissions cannot be returned. No telephone inquiries, please.
