The year was 1999. I had just begun fifth grade. I was shopping for back-to-school clothes. This was my first encounter with leather.... or, actually, "pleather." My mom and I were in Gap and I spotted a garish pair of dark brick red plastic leather pants. I had to have them. You see, my tendency towards outlandish fashion started early on. Much to my dismay, my older and wiser mother vehemently refused to indulge in my youthful appetite for trends. So I spent the next week leaving her notes asking for my beloved red leather pants. When this didn't work, I enlisted the help of my friends and their parents. Finally, she gave up and gave in. Off to Gap we went! Needless to say, I never wore them. And, the tags remained intact until I finally admitted the next year or so that I was not planning on wearing them and they were toted off to the local Goodwill...
I've done a little growing up since I was ten. Not too terribly much has changed, though. I still purchase clothes I think I "have to have" and find them shoved in the farthest recesses of my closet years later with the price tags still attached. I still am a sucker for trends and whatever is new and exciting in any given moment. However, I'd say my tastes have refined, if ever so slightly. I am once again, almost eleven years later, desperate for a pair of leather pants! But this time around I'll pass on the red. And this time around I'll opt not to squeeze my body into stitched together tubes of synthetic fabric-- real leather only, please!
Surprisingly enough, a pair of leather pants is a versatile component to any wardrobe. While they will inevitably add a slightly rebellious tone to your outfit, there are a million and one ways to tame the temptress by pairing your leather lovelies with a soft knit or neutral colors. But, I say, what's so wrong with playing the part of a bad ass now and then? Just ask James Dean... or Catwoman...
-S.
"Fashion is made to become unfashionable."
-Coco Chanel
Click below for a few examples!
