Leather Leggings | The Frisky

Warning: Buying Into This Trend Costs More Than You Think

Posted by: Leonora Epstein Filed in: style
10:40AM, Tuesday October 6th 2009

I’ve been seeing these sexy black leggings with the leather patches around for a while. I’ve been really been wanting a pair, so last week I caved in and bought one from COS (above, left). They were a bit pricey for me at around $120, but I could have spent a lot more—I’ve seen versions of them for over $400. Yet, I went home, slapped them on and felt great when I took them out for a spin that evening. I wore them again the next day, congratulating myself on making such a useful wardrobe addition. Then, when I was cleaning my room the day after and was about to chuck them in the laundry pile, I halted.

Wait ... you can’t just put leather in water, can you? Would I dry-clean these? Huh?

I fished around inside for the washing instructions tag which told me: “Professional leather clean.” Oh crap, really? I’m going to go ahead and guess that professionally cleaning these babies will cost more than the $7 or so it costs to dry-clean my regular pants. And plus, who is the type to go regularly to the leather cleaner’s?

And not to get too grody and TMI with you ... but these skin-tight pants require specific underthings. You either have to wear a thong or nothing at all because panty lines are unavoidable. Which, as you can imagine, doesn’t help in keeping them any cleaner.

So, if you’re thinking about jumping on this trend, here’s a heads-up. And while I am a little bit pissed that I didn’t have the foresight at the time of purchase, I do still love them.

Have you ever bought something that got you into a bigger money hole than you bargained for?

comments

lostrun
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 09:43 am: [report]

Those look like breeches. Buy a pair at a tack shop, they’ll be cheaper and easier to clean. Plus, a rainbow of colors to choose from.

kimkayt
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 09:48 am: [report]

I’m a thinking your patches are actually suede, not leather and they are just like my riding jods, I wear a pair at least 3 times a week, and they go into the wash with all of my other jeans… I don’t put them in the dryer though, and they hold up just fine…check sites like modjods.com or tuffriders for specific wash instructions… ain’t no way I’d dry clean work jods, but I do dry clean my show suits (habits) just cause they have to look perfect -

sammyisadog
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 09:48 am: [report]

I was going to say the same thing, @lostrun! If you specifically purchase what are known in the horse world as “tights” you will get the look you’re wanting, at literally about a fourth of the price that Ms. Epstein paid. Plus, machine washable! And no, they’re not literal tights (like pantyhose) they’re just a thin, stretchy material with appropriate leg leathers. As a horse trainer, I know that I have several pairs of “tights” and I have worn them to the club before!

gevlife
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 09:54 am: [report]

J. Crew has something called the pixie pant out now that has that styling without the leather patches. theyre 88, a little pricey for me, but i got them in black and i love them and want the other color too. they zip up the back and ive heard people say they arent flattering but even on my big downstairs area they look fine. Im normally a 12 and the 10s fit me perfectly! check them out.

ZoeCat
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 09:56 am: [report]

I was going to comment on how those are just breeches, but I see other horse people have beaten me to it.
I guess next time I go out, I can break out my full-seat breeches and NOT look like a freak? lol