Goodbye, Mom Jeans. Hello, Black Leggings.

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At some point when I was in high school, my mom – naturally beautiful and down-to-earth – was walking up to my sister’s tennis match, and overheard a couple other moms whisper about her, “Here she comes in her uniform…” Referring to her usual button-down, jeans, and sandals. Well, I suppose the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Mamas, please. Tell me you, too, have a uniform. You know you do. I know I do. And we both know what it is – the black leggings.

They’re black. They’re stretchy. They have an elastic waist, and are so versatile you could sleep in them and then dress them up for work (…not that I’ve ever done that.)

Are they tights? Maybe. Are they pants? Sometimes. Are they pajamas? Could be! You know what I’m talking about – Black Leggings: those comfortable chameleons of fashion. They’ll take you wherever your imagination wants to go! Or wherever you actually physically have to go! The gym! The playground! Soccer practice, the mall, the office, to dinner, the club (hahahaha…remember “the club”?) Wherever it is, your Black Leggings can get you there.

There are so many ways to wear Black Leggings, and we at Indianapolis Moms Blog set out to find out just a few (beyond pairing with the usual hoodies and tennies). So we got together, drank some wine, and had some laughs. The only rule was that you had to wear black leggings (easy). And here is how we at IMB style our favorite legwear:

 

Katie

indy moms blog leggings

“This is my go-to lounging/travel outfit. I love it because it’s comfortable, the perfect camouflage for spit up, and easily adjustable for various temperatures. If it’s warm, off comes the sweatshirt! If it’s chilly; no problem; I layer back up!*
*I also want to note that I wear makeup about 0% of the time with this outfit. The glamification is for photo purposes only.”

Leggings- some little shop in Asheville, NC (fleece lined)

Sweatshirt- Ezra and Eli

Sandals- Clothes Mentor

 

Lauren

indy moms blog leggings

“At three weeks postpartum, black leggings are my de facto maternity leave uniform. I’m sick to death of my maternity clothes and not back into my pre-pregnancy stuff, and black leggings are versatile enough to make me feel relatively put together while still maintaining optimum comfort. I like to pair the leggings with a nursing tank and flowy cardigan or chambray shirt for easy access. Since none of my cute clothes fit and I’m stuck with pretty basic tops that will work for nursing, cute accessories like these coral rosebud studs and leopard flats help jazz up the outfit.”

Leggings- Vera Wang from Kohl’s (which I love because they are nice and thick and don’t emphasize every little bump)

Chambray shirt- Old Navy

Nursing tank- Amazon

Leopard flats- Target.

 

Lisa

indy moms blog leggings

“As a busy mom of two, my typical style consists of whatever is clean and at the ready each morning, and usually includes yoga pants or black leggings. So when the opportunity arises to step out and dress up, I happily oblige and love the versatility black leggings provide. Comfort is an important requirement these days (with the exception of my heels – a staple), so I chose to don a silk tunic, jewel-toned for a pop of color, and belted at the waist for a little more definition and added accessory. Add in the heels to dress it up a little more and I’m ready for a GNO or date night!”

Leggings- Target

Heels- Target

Tunic- Dottie Couture

Belt- Dottie Couture

Dana

indy moms blog leggings

“If you look in my closet, you’ll find a whole lot of neutrals. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good floral print and occasional pop of color, but I stick to the basics for the most part. The main reason for this is because it’s EASY- everything works with everything. Gone are the days when I could spend hours deciding on the perfect outfit. Now it’s more like “OMG WE HAVE 20 MINUTES UNTIL WE LEAVE AND I HAVE YET TO SHOWER. Pass the dry shampoo.” So I need clothes that can be thrown together into an outfit quickly. Contrary to popular belief, neutrals don’t have to be boring. I love finding pieces with unique cuts, textures, prints, and details, like you see with this outfit here, which includes all of my staples. And we can’t forget the workhorse of clothing- the black leggings. Seriously, is there anything black leggings can’t do? Dress them up, dress them down, wear them to the gym, preschool drop off, date night- the list goes on. I threw them on with this outfit because the romper felt a little short for spring and I also love the zipper detail it adds to the outfit.”

Romper- H&M

Cardi- Target

Shoes- Target

Leggings- Old Navy

Necklace- Stella & Dot

Bangle- Tory Burch for Fitbit (yes, there’s a Fitbit in there!)

Nickie

indy moms blog leggings

“If you can ignore the awkward head-tilt I seem to do in every picture ever taken of me, I styled these black control-top leggings (YES! They exist! And come all the way up to your rib cage!) with a white tank top, and a floral kimono. The kimono is what I find can take my leggings from workout clothes (Lol. Just kidding. By that I mean, “pajamas.” ) to “going-out-in-public” clothes. Paired with some sparkly sandals my feet can fit into for the first time since having my first-born, boho bracelets, and turquoise earrings (you can’t see here), I felt really put-together in a pretty simple ensemble. For work, I would wear this with some gold flats and a black leather diaper bag I carry around like a brief case.”

Leggings- Spanx at Kohl’s

Tank- Target (…probably?)

Sandals- Steve Madden

Kimono- Kohl’s

How do you style your leggings?!

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Nickie
Nickie is currently an Urban Education Studies PhD student at IUPUI. As co-owner of Indianapolis Moms Blog, she is interested in not only supporting and encouraging fellow mothers, but supporting the small businesses of Indianapolis. She also works for a Civil Rights organization, working specifically with Civil Rights in public schools. She is Mom to Charlie (3), Ivy (2), and Emery (1), and married to her baby-raising partner, Clay. She loves to travel with her littles and husband, walk the Monon, City Market, hikes, dogs, and barbecues. You'll find her with coffee in hand, likely talking to anyone who will listen.