We all have our own sense of style, which changes and evolves as we get older. One woman told us her tale of the year in which she wore tights as pants.
Most of my clothes came from thrift stores in high school. I went through a massive growth spurt and felt like a praying mantis and to compensate for all the changes happening to my body, I tried to hide under layers of baggy clothes. As I became more comfortable with my changing shape, and felt more and more inspired by the hard-core rock bands that I was listening to (think T-Rex and The Locust), I started to wear tighter pants.
At the same time I became more and more aware of my mother's very distinct style and tried to distance myself from what I knew would one day be my sartorial destiny. She wore outfits that included gold lamé jackets and baggy leather pants, and the woman was not afraid of shoulder pads. I knew I would one day dress just like her, but for as long as I could avoid it, I would do so by dressing the exact opposite.
My style became even more extreme when I went to college at McGill University in Canada. I felt liberated and accepted and very much inspired by the people surrounding me. My neighbors were a DJ and a MAC makeup artist, and their influence rubbed off on me. Eventually, through alcohol and confidence, I stopped wearing pants.
At first it started with transparent crinoline skirts that looked like '80s prom castoffs. The grunge aesthetic was still alive and Courtney Love was an inspiration. Then I stopped wearing the skirts and was only wearing tights, paired with a skeleton shirt. I was the epitome of the gothic punk aesthetic.
In some way, not wearing pants allowed me to push the boundaries of what was sexual. My style was sexualized but in a way that was on my terms. There are so many ways in which our culture directs us to be sexy or sexual, and this was a way that I could own it and feel very comfortable with it. I was never the bubble-gum cheerleader girl, but this was sexy to me. This was not a look that would appeal to the typical audience, but that was never who my style was aimed at.
As you can imagine, this phase of my life had to end. As college came to a close, I started to consider my professional career and what I'd be doing next. I knew what I'd be doing would most likely involve more clothing. I bid adieu to my days of wearing nothing but tights and T-shirts, and I never looked back.
She's not the only woman to forego pants -- check out the celebrities who've deemed pants unnecessary below. And if you're considering not wearing pants, we strongly encourage you to check out this handy guide before you leave the house.
