Saturday 17 January 2015

The Return Of The...

Legwarmer!

Do you remember them? They were very popular in the 1980s, when this lady introduced them to a (nearly) worldwide audience:


Of course, I owned a pair of legwarmers back then, too; although mine were different in that a) they did not have the bit underneath like a sock, b) I did not wear them for sports but as part of outdoors outfits on cold days, and c) mine came in a dark green, matching the flared "baby"-corduroy mini skirt I loved wearing for a couple of years in the early 1980s, when I was about 14. 

Now they are back!

We had a few cold days in December (which was very mild overall), and one day when I was wearing a pair of skinny trousers but no boots, I thought it would be nice to have something warmer on my legs. Now, I hate wearing tights underneath trousers, and so the only other way to add something warm is to add that layer from the outside, right? I thought of legwarmers, and mentioned to my Mum (who is a self-professed knitting maniac) that I'd like to have a pair.

What shall I say - they were there for me under the Christmas tree!

On Monday, I wore them for the first time:


It's a shame the sunlight was so bright you can't really see the colours. I have a woolly hat (also made by my Mum, of course) from the same wool. 
We're apparently in for a cold spell next week, so I may get to wear them more often now. They really are very cosy. Thank you, Mum!

28 comments:

  1. Oh! I know what wonderful knitting your Mum does! So I know that your leg warmers are not only warm but beautiful! Let's see the wooly hat in another post, okay?

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    1. The hat is actually there on the first picture, you can just about see the rim at the top of my head :-) I always think I look really daft with woolly hats and caps and beanies on, so I doubt I'll do a proper post about it.
      You're certainly right about my Mum's knitting, Kay!

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  2. Remembered, but never worn, Meike. Your mother is a very clever woman.

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  3. These are so beautiful! I just ordered another pair of socks from your Mom......She does wonderful work.
    I didn't know they were back in style.

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    1. I don't know whether they are back in style, either - I just thought they'd serve my purpose (and be stylish at the same time), and so I asked my Mum to make them :-)
      Yes, she told me you'd ordered more. Thank you so much for your continuous patronage!

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    2. Oh yes, they seem to be back in style here in Germany, you can buy them now again everywhere. And if anybody would like to get some handknitted legwarmers, I would like to do.

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  4. Comfy and stylish - what more could you want?

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  5. What a great idea. I could really do with some myself. I had completely forgotten they ever existed!

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    1. They are great! If you like, my Mum will gladly make a pair for you! (I don't know the price, though, but am sure it won't be over the top.)

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  6. What a brilliant idea to wear them over jeans. They look fabulous as well as being cosy.

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    1. Thank you, Maggie, that's exactly what I think!

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  7. They look fantastic! I have a pair I wear when I go running, for the extra warmth. They are no-where near as nice as yours though (and I doubt I look as good in them...) x

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    1. Thanks, Gillian! I don't think I would want them for running; I'd probably constantly stop to pull them back up, as the material of my winter running pants (with a nice cosy thermo layer inside) is very smooth and they'd probably be slipping down half an inch with each step.

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  8. Oh leg warmers! So awesome. They look fabulous. Enjoy! I remember that Jane Fonda record too because i used to do all the exercises with her and MAKE IT BURN. I was living in Queensland, Australia at the time in an old wooden house on stilts. And every time I jumped the record jumped. SO I had to exercise lightly like a nimble little elf. Thanks for the memory! ;-)

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    1. Hello jen, I believe this is your first comment on my blog - welcome to My Mental Library!
      Nice to know my post brought back this fun memory. I didn't do any aerobics back then - I just found it all plain silly (that was me in the middle of puberty, you know!).

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  9. Why should Mama do all the knitting? Surely she taught her daughters when they were little girls. Why not have a go at knitting some more legwarmers - to go with a different coloured outfit? A matching balaclava would also be possible.

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    1. She did not. I never learned to knit; I did learn how to crochet, though. Crocheting is not ideal for legwarmers, and I simply am not quite the hand-crafting type, I'm afraid. As for balaclavas, I hated to see them on other kids when I was little and never wanted one myself. Thankfully, my Mum never made me wear one.

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  10. Love your legwarmers. And love the name "Knitting Maniac." Does knitting 800+ ski hats over a ten year period for a charity qualify me as a KM too? I hope so! :) xoxox

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    1. I'm quite sure you qualify, Carol! Did your 800 ski hats sell well? :-)

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  11. Yours are stunning and being tall & slim makes you very fashionable! I'm about 5'2" tall and look silly & bunchy if I do that sort of thing. I had a pair way back when I was about 14, too......They were 'store-bought' and brilliant red & yellow striped!!

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    1. Yours sound pretty cool, much more eye-catching than mine! Not sure whether this is your first comment on my blog; I certainly have "seen" you around at YP's blog. If it is your first time: Welcome! If not - you are just as welcome :-)

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  12. I didn't have the legs for them! They look really cool on you though. I like that: leg warmers looking cool. Hmmm.

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    1. An apparent contradiction, but it fits. Not sure men/boys were wearing them back then... but I know it was OK for guys to wear eyeliner.

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  13. Good idea :) I still have a pair of black leg warmers bought years ago but they're probably too tight to wear like that on top of trousers. Back in the autumn though I bought a long quilted skirt to be worn over either skirt or trousers in cold weather. It's designed for the purpose, as outer garment, with a zipper all the way down one side. And it's black so goes with any of my winter jackets. Not as smart-looking as your leg-warmers :) - a bit clumsier! - but easy to take on/off, and does the job of keeping me warm!

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  14. It sounds very warm, Monica, and a good idea. My legwarmers will only fit in the tightest if all my jeans and pants, and if course in tights, as I will demonstrate in ine if my next posts.

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    1. Actually just now I was feeling cold sitting still inside (and watching it snowing outside!) so tried putting on my black legwarmers on top of the tight jeans I was wearing... They did go on. :) With black socks and slippers too, it looks like I'm wearing indoors black boots! :)

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