I seem to bang on about her once a week, but I really do enjoy Hadley Freeman's writing. Her Ask Hadley column for The Guardian is fantastic; I find this one especially so. It's about leggings being worn as pants, a topic that the blogosphere has debated time and time again but possibly not as hilariously as Freeman.(I'm really sorry for the photo...)
Q: At the Brits this year, a remarkable number of the female performers seemed to have forgotten their trousers or skirts. Is this a new trend? - Marianne, London
Hadley: Yes. It's called Camel Toe Chic, Marianne, and I think we can all agree it does exactly what it says on the tin. Well, 66%, anyways. As serious fashion historians (contemporary era) know, this trend was started by that modern-day icon, Peaches Geldof, the 21st century's Marchesa Luisa Casati. We can only wonder how precocious Peaches first came up with this extraordinary wheeze of not bothering to wear anything with her leggings, aside, perhaps, from a small top and a "suck on my paparazzi photos, Bat for Lashes" headband. Peaches realised, like many women have done before her, that the best way to ensure you are photographed by the paparazzi and therefore feel the glow of life affirmation is to show as much of your anatomy as possible. Lo, Camel Toe Chic.
This has now reached such ridiculous proportions that we have novelty pop act - sorry, Best International Female Performer - Katy Perry turning up to the Brits in a corset and leggings and Victoria Beckham showing corset tops with just a pair of tights - tights! - at her show in New York. Now, if even Victoria can't afford to buy another pencil skirt, this economy truly is in trouble.
So yes, Marianne, it is a trend. But unlike other, far inferior columns, that does not mean we advocate following it. A trend is just a suggestion, not an order, and definitely not, slipping into fashion speak, "essential". If all your friends walked off the Brooklyn bridge would you, too? To be honest, I'd rather you all did that than going out in just a pair of manky tights.
