I am not one of those girls who decided a year or two ago that leggings are the thing to wear. I am definitely not one of those girls who think that leggings are pants. However, I do have to confess that yesterday, I bought my very first pair of (capri) leggings. I know.
But you know what? They are great.
As I’ve mentioned before, I am overweight. And most of my extra weight goes into my thighs (as well as my upper arms unfortunately). Which presents me with not one, but two problems in the summer.
1) Chubby thighs – I have huge thighs. Especially with the extra weight I have gained in the past few months, there is no way I will wear a dress (or shorts) ending above my knees. I do have huge calves as well but well, but above the knee is where the chub really starts, as well as the cellulite. I have been looking for summer dresses that are longer than knee length but have had a really hard time finding one that is that does not have spaghetti straps. This is where my upper arms come into play. They may be big but wearing a shirt with spaghetti straps is like drawing a big red exclamation mark on them, so I’ve been trying to avoid them.
2) Chub rub – I have been told that this is not necessarily a problem of overweight girls per se, but I do have to deal with it. My inner thighs touch, and if I wear a skirt or a dress without tights, well, let’s just say, it’s very very painful. No dress is worth that pain. For a very long time, my solution to that was not to wear dresses and skirts. For years I never wore them, even though I did like them. Last year I invested in a pair of pantyhose which ends above the knee which is great as it prevents the chafing but you can’t tell I’m wearing it. This works great for skirts and dresses that go past the knee paired with shoes that you can’t really wear pantyhose with.
So, leggings. They allow me to choose from a wider range of dresses as they cover my thighs nicely and they prevent the chafing just like pantyhose does. Double-score! And this? Is why I kind of don’t give a crap whether the dress would look nicer without the leggings because on me, it certainly wouldn’t.
Yesterday, I bought a pair of leggings, and two dresses I would not have bought otherwise. And that? Is awesome. Would the dresses look nicer on a skinnier person? Probably. Did these pictures make me think (again), gosh, Karen, you really have to lose weight? Definitely. But right now, this is what I have, and I know I will be wearing these two dresses as soon as I can.
Do you have to deal with any of these issues, and if so, what are your solutions? And what is your take on wearing leggings under dresses, yay or nay?
I love the top dress, it is gorgeous. I am exactly the same – don’t do strapless and I hate (HATE) the chafing that comes with skirts and dresses. I think both of those are really flattering. I might have to invest in some of those capri leggings…
I own one pair of leggings that I use as pants haha. But I always feel self conscious when I wear them. Although I am super thin, I do not have a flat butt so I worry about if it’s jiggling too much! I shake my butt for my husband, and of course he sticks to man code!
I love both tops. You look great in both!
I adore leggings! And wearing loose, flowing-away-from-me long tops and dresses with them. I have the same “all goes to my thighs” problem, I was trying to tell David I was “pear shaped” the other day and he didn’t get that that was a bad thing lol “but pears are my favourite fruit!” I think they look really lovely on you, very flattering:)
You know what I love about you? You know that you have to deal with a few extra pounds BUT you dress according to it. I see so many people who just draw too much attention to their extra weight by wearing clothes that are too small and too short. The first dress with the leggings looks amazing! I love the color combination and the way it flatters your neckline and arms. Honestly, I am not quite sure about the second one: It could be that I am not a big fan of the color or that the contrast between the leggings and the dress is too strong. Maybe some dark blue leggings (same color as in the dress) would do the trick?!
I have come to the conclusion that I shouldn’t complain about that little bit of extra belly fat or whatever anymore. I have complained so much in the past but where I am at right now is where I feel happy. Maybe all this running did the trick. ;) I am still somewhere between 150-160 lbs but considering that I am 5’10 this is just right. :)
I agree with Stefanie… I think it’s awesome that you’re honest with yourself about your extra few pounds and that you dress accordingly. It seems that esp. here in the US, many people who shouldn’t wear short shorts or tank tops do and it’s so unflattering!
I especially like the first combination – the dress matches perfectly with the leggins (it almost looks like a long tunic, instead of a dress) and it really flatters your figure.
Way to go!
Dresses and leggings just go together – especially if they make you feel more comfortable in that dress! The two dresses you show here look really cute and they work well with the leggings. Personally I love leggings underneath dresses because I often get cold and this way I can wear my skirts and dresses more year-round. Another bonus. :)
Hi Sweetie! You look really pretty in leggings! Try using even colourful ones to match with the dresses, it’s a great trick :) I have same issues with tighs, but if you’re smart enough you can choose right clothing and look absolutely fab despite some extra pounds. I strongly believe that it’s your aura that makes you beautiful and attractive..not how skinny you are. Girl power!
P.S. I am really against using leggings as trousers…A big no no in my fashion-bible (even if you’re skinny, it’s just bad taste..)
First of all you don’t look overweight!! No seriously…. I’m not saying that because it’s something you want to hear.. it’s true. But yea, I know I’m the same way too. I dress like that all the time and wear black yoga capris. I usually wear a long tank top or dress like right now! I’d love to buy more dresses but I’m picky and have a hard time finding cute ones. I hate how big my hips are so almost all of my clothing are black because I feel comfortable in black. :) Wish we could go shopping together!! Haha!