3 Ways I’ve Been Wearing Black Leggings as Pants Lately

One of my white whale wardrobe items of the past ten years has been a pair of black velvet Alaïa leggings. I once saw the model Jamie Bochert leave the backstage exit of a fashion show during Milan Fashion Week in her own pair, worn with a thin, oversized white tee and black Chanel ballet flats. The effortlessness of this outfit, with her signature messy hair, left such an impression on me that my irrational need for these leggings has lasted nearly a decade. I never could muster up the guts to plunk down the $1,300—at the time—for a pair of leggings, even the seemingly perfect pair. No matter how many ways I tried to “girl math” them—cost per wear, push present from me to future pregnant me, freelance fashion editor tax write-off, etc.—it just never made sense to me. Since that initial sighting, Mr. Alaïa has passed away, inflation has skyrocketed, the brand has gained a new creative director, and now the same pair currently retails for $1,900. In 2021, I was invited to an elusive Alaïa digital sample sale and nabbed a navy blue high-waist version for a still-crazy $400, which I thought I could one day dye black but never did. I’ve worn them several times, and they did indeed come in handy during pregnancy, but they were always about one size too big and just not the right color.

One fateful day this year, I had to use up a credit on The RealReal that was burning a hole in my pocket. It was very difficult to determine the fabric of a $70 pair I had saved in my favorites, but they looked subtly more substantial and slightly fuzzier than the others, so I took a risk and… It. Paid. Off! At last: the perfect velour pair in the perfect size and perfect color—all mine! They are better than I had expected. They don’t stretch out over the course of a day and are warm and thick enough to wear as pants. They were worth waiting for.

One of the issues I’ve had with leggings in the past is that they are usually too thin to wear with anything that doesn’t really cover your butt or crotch. Now, if you don’t have a problem with that, more power to you—but for me, it felt like putting a lot of information out there that I wasn’t fully comfortable with presenting as a “look.” It’s fine for dipping in and out of a workout or a quick dog walk, but that’s about it. For me, leggings become a more substantial wardrobe piece when they can function as pants and be worn with any length of top. They also feel like more of a considered outfit, rather than a transitional base or workout wear. The Alaïa pair is definitely not for working out.

While most of you may not have had as much success finding this very specific pair, considering it’s taken me about ten years to track them down, I would suggest investing in another pair that is thick enough to wear as pants. Key words to look out for are: velour, ponte, neoprene. Breathability can be an issue with many of these, as their bases are often rayon or poly, so I generally reserve my leggings for transitional or cooler weather seasons and give them a break come summer. Now that the parameters have been set, choose your weapon. I’ve highlighted some other great options below, in addition to my Alaïa wonders. Here are three vibes I’ve styled my leggings-as-pants recently, proving the versatility of this wardrobe workhorse when done right.

Preppy Leggings

For a day of taking care of my kid and dog while under the weather a bit myself, I styled my trusty Alaia’s with some of my New England wardrobe staples: a punchy-colored striped shirt, turtleneck layer, herringbone tweed jacket, my new old reliable Hervé Chapelier bag, scrunchy white socks and boat shoes. I also popped on a rhinestone hairpin at my toddler's request, which actually worked. The whole look had an 80’s mom-on-the-go kinda vibe to it, which I didn’t hate. The cozy springtime layers, oversized elements and pops of color on top felt comfortable enough to power through slight illness and more polished than sweats which helped to keep my morale up.

Sporty Leggings

My dear friend Bryan went on an early-00’s Prada and Miu Miu shopping spree and generously gifted me a Spring 1999 Miu Miu runway jacket that didn’t fit him. It’s cotton with a removable hood and this fun techy seatbelt waist-cincher detail. It’s truly an instant classic that I will be wearing on repeat all spring and early summer long. One man’s ill-fitting vintage, another woman’s treasure! I wanted to recreate a Miuccia-esque vibe with this sporty jacket by adding a stretchy headband, a striped tee, a pop of white kitten-heel pumps, a nylon Prada bag from high school, and, of course, my perfect leggings. This was the most butt-revealing look I tried, but I felt confident with the thickness of these pants to wear all around town. I felt sassy and sporty for running errands and would love to try it again for a girls’ brunch or even a chill date night.

Romantic Leggings

Something about a slip dress over velvet leggings with a cropped cardigan felt kind of like something a '90s-style underdog like Peg Bundy or The Nanny might wear, and I didn’t hate it! I grew up near Atlantic City so borderline tacky style kind of feels like home to me. But I will say, I didn’t feel super tacky in this, I felt good. This slip dress is a custom piece a designer friend of mine who passed away a few years ago made for me and I love honoring his creativity everytime I wear it. The wonky shade of green feels very of the moment too. Anchoring this tiny slip with necessary early spring layers like the legging and the cardi gives it a kind of ballet dancer-off-duty vibe where limbs require to be covered between rehearsal and home. Simple black accessories let the green dress take center stage even more.