So I'm not much a 'shoe person'. Never have been. Perhaps not all due to choice either. I, for one, don't have loads of spare cash to indulge myself on shoe shopping. So I've trained myself to enjoy the basic necessary shoes and yearn for no more than that. So my pair of Adidas have taken me far and probably will continue to do so. And I'm glad. Because I like them.
Then winter rolled in, and with it, a boot craze like there's never been before. EVERYONE is wearing boots. Long boots, mostly. Which is not good for me, because I have short legs. So a boot that's supposed to stop above the calf on everyone else, takes me halfway up the knee, managing to just look ridiculous enough to be considered not an option.
My Mom always stressed that I had to dress according to what suited me, not what was fashionable. Because I'm short, this is something I've been forced to do, as not all the fashions suit me at all (regrettably, most of them actually have the opposite effect!).
Anyway, before I start lamenting abut my trials and tribulations as a 'shorty', let me get back onto my subject; The Legwarmer.
So after dragging myself through various shops, I finally found a pair of boots that caught my attention. Black, medium heel, not too thick (the thinner the heel the more I like it!). But best of all, it stopped at the top of my calf like it was supposed to do and it had folds of woolly material sewn on it - to resemble a leg warmer. Just up my alley. Anything that looks remotely like it could be related to 'dance' tickles my fancy something awful.
So I bought the boots.
Alas, they lasted about a month and got holes in the sides. Cheap Chinese Shit. And there goes my favourite boots.
Alas, they lasted about a month and got holes in the sides. Cheap Chinese Shit. And there goes my favourite boots.
So off I go shopping for more boots. But nothing compares to my favourite boots. My only boots. I have to have another pair of boots, we are only halfway through winter now. So I drag myself through some more shops and finally stumble into a small corner shop in China Town and here is a pair of ankle boots that I could grudgingly wear. It was obvious I wasn't going to find my legwarmer boots again.
It was only about two weeks later that the idea struck me. Forgotten, in my underwear cupboard was some pairs of legwarmers that used to belong to Mom. Back from her 80's gyming days. They went with the tights and the one-piece leotards, complete with headbands and wrist guards. I think they did things with such style those days. Now, a baggy tracksuit pants and sloppy t-shirt is what people are wearing to exercise in.
Anyway, so there I was, a pair of bright red legwarmers in my hand and a plan.
Wearing my new fashion statement to work for the first time, I noticed startled looks, not sure if it was because of the bright red or Return of The Legwarmer. But either way - I liked how it looked, AND it was warm. So I don't really care what they thought of The Look.
I was thus inspired to go and research on the legwarmer. Not much out there in the way of information. I found a few forums where people's comments were extremely negative. It would appear that in some countries the legwarmer made a brief comeback some years ago (around 2004) and was not favourably received. I saw it commented that the legwarmer was top of the lists of fashion disasters of the '80's.
Legwarmers were first designed by a company called KD Dance in 1980 with the purpose of keeping dancers' legs warms to avoid cramping while they warmed up and during the first parts of their rehearsal. They then became the rave for the first 4 years of the 80's - particularly when Flashdance and Footloose were released - only to disappear totally by the end of '84. During these four years though, they were worn in multi-colour, over jeans, with tights, with sneakers, with heels - just about any way you can imagine. And people either loved or hated it. Interestingly, apparently no dancer would have been caught dead wearing them anywhere other than when they were dancing - or so the story goes.
So I am inspired to try to bring the Legwarmer back. Though it might be a bit late, as the shops are already displaying their summer ranges. So it might just me - doing my bit for legwarmers.
I also found an interesting article on how to make your own legwarmers by cutting off the sleeve of a jersey and weaving a ribbon through this cut off part, which would then go around the ankle.
The legwarmer should always start at the base of the ankle and could end anywhere up to the knee. If worn with pants, these should be tight, not make unseemly bulges at the ankle or above the legwarmer at the knee. It is also a good idea to colour-co-ordinate the legwarmer with an item of clothing you are wearing, such as your jersey. Part of the failure of the legwarmer in the '80's appears to be due to the insane colour schemes the girls wore. It seems that they even wore more than one set per leg - in outrageous non-matching colours. A sure-fire way to kill a fashion.
So there you have it - the history of The Legwarmer. And the way winter's are getting colder every year, I think there could be a place in every girl's wardrobe for a pair of legwarmers!
Above: From Footloose
Below: A more modern look?
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