There I was, minding my business in the lobby of the Dirksen Federal Courthouse on a Tuesday morning before my Advanced Reporting class. 

Then I saw it. 

A heinous, heinous crime. A crime I could litigate in Dirksen federal fashion court. 

I saw a woman in “Pink” branded leggings, black heeled booties and a duffel coat waiting to go through security. 

Misdemeanor. No, felony. 

Those of us in the Advanced Reporting class were instructed to dress in business attire for our day in court, and we all understood the assignment.

Everyone in our class looked very dapper indeed. Real trousers — none of this legging nonsense — a nice crewneck sweater here and there, some crisp blazers, tasteful jewelry. 

The woman in the leggings — let’s just call her “legging lassie” for now — was a stark contrast to most other people in the court house, yet she would fit right in at most other locations in America. 

I know, I know, I must seem like a judgemental, haughty person. I understand there are much more worthy sights to be personally offended over, but honestly this woman’s lack of decorum took me aback. I think her choice to pull those “Pink” leggings over her arse that fateful Tuesday morning speaks to a far more serious epidemic of casual dress that is permeating our society. And I, clad in my mink stole, will not stand idly by and let it continue! 

Riddle me this: when did wearing spandex to work — not to mention branded spandex leggings contrasted with a sensible professional shoe — become acceptable? Is it acceptable?

So-called athleisure attire gained tremendous ground during the Covid-19 pandemic when people were stuck at home. 

“A hundred years ago, people wore clothes that were dictated by the event they were attending, but modern-day athleisure is for people who want a one-size-fits-all approach to their wardrobe,” according to the Fashion Law Journal. 

It bears noting that there are many, many fashionable people in the world and in Chicago. All is not lost to the legging frenzy even after the pandemic.

Niki Southern, a lawyer by trade, operates a Chicago-based fashion photography Instagram page under the handle @streetstylechicago. She started the page when she moved to Chicago from San Francisco in 2020. 

“After Covid, people wanted to be noticed and seen,” Southern said. “We had been in our houses for a while, and it was just really beautiful to connect with people on this ‘humans of New York’ type project, and just say, ‘hey, I just noticed you. I see what you’re doing, I love it.”’

Southern said intentionality is the key to great style. Not trendiness, not expensive items. Intentionality. 

When she comes across someone who is really attuned to their own style and self-expression, she seeks to showcase it on her Instagram. 

“It’s to me about being put together, being intentional, having a style expression,” Southern said. “And I just really wanted to document that and celebrate people.”

I should take a note from Southern’s book and celebrate people’s fashion instead of judging it. But I agree with her appreciation of intentional style. Perhaps that’s what bothered me so deeply about “legging lassie” — the glaring lack of intentionality. The sense that the outfit was just arbitrarily thrown together with no consideration of her destination. Maybe she got dressed in the dark?

A woman after my own heart, Southern loves to dress up and especially loves vintage fashion. Gallantly, she takes a very generous and compassionate approach to other people’s fashion.

“When I see what I’ll say is a lack of intentionality, if asked, I would love to help,” Southern said. 

She said the amount of choice when it comes to attire these days — the many trends and aesthetics that come and go — can make it difficult to find personal style. Nevertheless, she thinks unique personal style is important socially and culturally. 

Isabella Fuentes, a DePaul freshman studying English and secondary education, says she feels more put-together when she puts a lot of thought into her outfits. Nevertheless, she acknowledges that it can be overwhelming to find one’s personal style.

“I believe people should dress up more or at least infuse a bit more authenticity into their outfits,” Fuentes said. “Society has become increasingly casual because everyone is obsessed with fitting in.” 

Despite pressures to fit in, Fuentes has found a style that makes her feel like herself.

“Growing up, I was often told, ‘You look how you feel.’ For me, my clothing has always reflected that,” Fuentes said. “If I feel creative or eccentric, I add more patterns or vibrant colors. If I feel fancy or ‘extra,’ I tend to wear more tweed outfits or those that lean towards the fancier side.”

Southern, too, views fashion as a gateway for confidence and improved self-concept. 

“I’ve always believed that what you wear can really change your life in many ways,” Southern said. “It gives you a certain confidence. It gives you access to things. It translates socially.”

Perhaps legging lassie really felt confident in that outfit. If she did, consider me pleased for her. Maybe I’m just a hater. One thing I’m certain of is the undeniable confidence I feel when I present myself in an intentional, interesting and visually stimulating way. 

“Whenever I see someone in an amazing outfit, it just makes my day, and I just have to know all about them,” Southern said. “The visual sort of draws me in, but then when I connect with the person, get to chat with them or kind of get to know them online a little bit, they’re always someone interesting, doing something creative or in some interesting endeavor.”

She said it’s encouraging that people who look fabulous usually are fabulous in other aspects of their lives. 

Legging lassie, wherever she is, is surely fabulous in her own way. But I challenge all the legging lassies out there to take their inherent fabulousness to the next level with added intentionality of style and location. 

In other words, put some real trousers on!

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