Leg warmers were originally worn by dancers, but made it mainstream in the 1980s thanks to movies like Flashdance, and the general aerobics craze. When I was a little girl in the 1980s I had a pair, because everyone else had a pair. Mine were in neon pink and blue, reflecting the bright 1980s colors.
I didn't wear them they way you should, however, since I didn't do much aerobics as a youth. Any dancing that I did was tap dancing, a skill that has never been put to use in my adult life. When the snow would hit, I would put them on over my jeans. Again, why I thought this was a good idea is beyond me. They didn't work too well when I was playing in foot high snow. The snow would become ice, and freeze to my legwarmers. Instead of my legs staying warmer like they should have, my lower legs were encased in ice. Eventually I did stop wearing them, because no matter how cool I thought I was when I was wearing my leg warmers, running around in ice legs weren't worth it.
I'm not sure what became of those leg warmers, they were discarded long ago. Leg warmers occasionally pop up again as a fashion statement, albeit in less bright colors. Now that I'm older I can never see myself wearing them again. My legs just never really get cold.
-Picture from
BethAKABetty on Etsy. If you're looking for vintage clothing, why don't you stop by?
