Several days ago, I received this reader letter in my email inbox: 
Amber Rose: Keeping all of the leggings makers of the world in business.
“How long do you thing leggings have before they are way, way over? Leggings have had a good 2-3 year run now and I’m sure that run is coming to an end. I recall a couple of mags/blogs/people predicting the end of leggings a year ago, but they won’t die. In fact they came back with a vengeance: ripped up, liquidy, metallicy and short. I honestly adore leggins. I think I always have (notice that I sometimes drop the last g in leggins – lollololol!). I remember being all into them when The Limited first came out. The Limited was leggins central. They were white, or black or lemony yellow with lace around the bottom and I would spend my entire summer youth employment check on them! But you HAD to pair your Limited leggins with a bright-assed drawstring top, also from The Limited, back in the day. There was even a period before that – the precursor to the whole leggins movement when we would actually WEAR (nay ROCK) BIKER SHORTS! I was in day camp and we actually had Biker Short Day. Can you imagine 100 little day campers in biker shorts?! It was ridiculous. Mine were black with the hot pink stripe down the side and yes, I had a hot pink t-shirt to match. In fact, I feel like that Amber Rose was rocking a full bodied version of those very shorts in Paris this year – craziness. Anyway, I want to know when it will not be okay to wear leggins. I guess I need to prepare myself to let them go, again.” -Anya
Well, Anya, first I’d like to thank you for your completely exhaustive timeline of leggings in ’80s and ’90s American street fashion. I have been quietly chuckling at the visual image of Biker Short Day ever since I read this. Second, I think leggings have got a few more years of life yet — or at least for as long as American Apparel keeps churning them out and hipsters keep buying them. Plus, the fashion world is currently having a major crush on all things ’80s, and leggings fit firmly in that category. So I think you’re safe. I’m still not a fan of the leggings as pants trademark that Amber Rose has been working so hard (you can’t accuse her of being inconsistent). But they can look totally great paired with, say, a long cardigan and thigh-high boots for fall.
