Wednesday, December 02, 2009

fashion: legwarmer love

legwarmers: pink (blog only)

it was 1983.
i was in 3rd grade.
i remember standing
on the schoolyard
at recess.
looking down
at the yellow painted lines
of the hopscotch
and my new
navy blue legwarmers.
don't get me wrong,
i hated navy blue
then
as much as i do
now
but we could only wear
colors that matched
our school uniform.
navy blue,
white,
or golden yellow.
blue was
the only
reasonable option.

legwarmers: gray

like most girls
my age,
i dreamed of being
a dancer.
but not
one of those
pink,
tutu-type
ballerinas...
i wanted to be
a modern dancer
like those
in the tv show
fame.

legwarmers: green (blog only)

i'm gonna live forever
i'm gonna learn how to fly
i feel it comin' together
people will see me and cry


i was never
a particularly
good dancer.
i think that
i just liked
the clothes.
maybe it was
just the 80s
but maybe
it was
the legwarmers.

legwarmers: brown(blog only)

one way
or another
it's a favorite
item
in my wardrobe
this
season.

not in costume.

xo

18 comments:

emily said...

i've been thinking about making a pair of legwarmers for my daughter - and you've convinced me that i must.

Elspeth said...

Aw, you are so lovely. I miss you and your amazingly coordinated fashion sense.

Julia said...

oh gosh i loved these. to be honest, i made fun of someone in legwarmers yesterday (well, not the person--the legwarmers) but i think they must just not have been the right ones. because these are amazing.

The Rotary said...

Oh how I remember wishing I had legwarmers. For some reason could never talk my mom into buying me some. Though it was comical that in her english as a second language way, she called them "warmlegs."

Rebecca said...

you are my new fashion icon. ah, fame... i loved it too. do i see one pair with buttons? did you make them or buy them? more details please...

azzuka said...

I think we're more or less the same age... I hand a handknitted pair of legwarmers in flame red. I adored them...

You have a lovely room!

shari said...

i love your style so much. i have two pairs of legwarmers but somehow i look kind of silly in mine. you on the other hand look tres chic. xox

Anonymous said...

i have a few pairs of legs warmers and luv them! yours look fantastic.

mary jane said...

love your legwarmer wardrobe, especially the buttoned ones...and that dress!

lisa solomon said...

you make legwarmers look so so good [new haircut??]

i love the button ones
[and i loved fame too]

lookwhaticando said...

Simply put
you
are too cool for words
my dear!!!
Too cool.
Flashdance rulzzzzzzzz!
I totally had a bizillion
homemade off the shoulder
sweatshirts....LOVED every
single
one of them too.
:)
thanks for sharing your amazing home and fashion sense!!

Miss Kolleen said...

i love them. legwarmers are my favorite.che

amisha said...

your style always inspires me gwen. i love the buttoned ones too (and i love how legwarmers make skirts possible well into cold weather :) ) xo

jacqueline said...

I love your selection of legwarmer especially the gray one with red tights! Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing and i adore your fashion sense! Have a lovely merry happy day and love to you!

RW said...

these are fantastic.
in fact maybe I will have to knit a pair for my daughter too... and find the old tv series and wrap them up together. she is studying modern at school.

Anonymous said...

Oh God Jenny, when you were in 3rd grade I was a JUNIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL...
But never mind my senior moment, its funny you should post this because I was just going through my material bins and thinking how much I would like to make some spats. I was looking for my old leggings from the Navy (not leggings as in tights, but those white canvas things with buckled stirrups and hooks that laced up the side).
They looked dorky on most of us, but in a different material, like leather and canvas for instance, and a longer cut, they could be SO COOL. You could make them thigh high if you wanted, and they would be a real practical outer layer on really cold days, and effectively turn every pair of shoes into boots.
Let's bring back spats, the punk-rock alternative to legwarmers, because those of us who were old enough to wear them back then probably shouldn't go back there...

f. pea said...

Could you be any cuter??? Let's go out Fame dancing!

Deanna said...

I love the leg warmers with buttons on them, so great.