The Comeback of Leggings Is Bringing Back Some Old Wounds
A Pair of Leggings Is About to Come Full Circle
I am 13 years old, attending a gymnázium for gifted kids in a small town in Czechia. This is the least confident version of myself I have ever been.
That day, I wear turquoise leggings, a mini skirt, a shirt, and a jacket.
I don’t have many memories from that time as vivid as this one. I will never forget the outfit I put on that morning. I remember that day at school in colors just as bright as I see them now, and the brightest of them all is the turquoise of my leggings.
Not to be too dramatic, but I have often thought about that day the way people describe those classic bad dreams—where you end up naked at a school assembly while everyone laughs at you. That day, I skipped lunch because I didn’t want more kids to mock my outfit. Instead, I sat behind my desk, eating a rohlík and waiting for the day to be over.
Today is February 10, 2025. I’m working from home, and I see the Sandy Liang show. And there it is—that look. The exact outfit I wore when I was 13, now walking down the runway.
Unfortunately (or fortunately?), I have no proof of this moment because I didn’t own a camera back then—and yes, this was pre-smartphone times. But I swear, it’s the same styling, down to every detail.
Mark my words. I will wear that exact outfit this spring. As soon as the temperature rises above 10°C, I’ll find the first pair of floral-print leggings I can get my hands on. And on that beautiful spring day, my friends, consider me healed.
💖
Marie
It’s crazy how words about our clothes in school can hurt us and stick with us forever. I still have two pieces I absolutely loved but never wore again after the wrong comments: pastel-colored sandals with a little heel and a jacket with a mouse on it. I really hope I can raise my child with the kind of confidence that this will never happen to them! 💛 How do you handle this with your kid?