The Iron Range culture has its own sense of fashion. It just always has. I have grown up here since the early 1970's and am an '80's girl at heart. Recently, Todd told our son Evan, "Just go put on your airplane pants." Evan's response, "What the heck are airplane pants?" Todd was referring to those pants otherwise known as "parachute pants" of the 1980's. I could easily feather my hair and get the bangs high at any moment. You don't have to look too hard sometimes to see that Zubaz pants, the mullet, and feathered hair still have a solid place here on the Iron Range. What I love: Clothes that are soft and comfortable What annoys me lately: 1) Too many people who try to sell things to their friends on Facebook; 2) When I get placed in a Facebook group I did not ask to join just to get lured by the latest product "I must have......."; 3) When women try to convince me to buy something because as a woman it will "empower" me. I recently became acquainted with a women's fashion company called "LuLaRoe." I first kept seeing on social media that some friends had the word "Lularoe" before their first name and I got curious. I knew that there was some trend happening that I was in the dark about. I soon learned that Lularoe was a clothing company and known for its signature item, the "buttery soft and smooth" leggings they offer. I remember the first time I came across them. I was volunteering at the Brickyard Fundraiser and a friend said to Michelle Rice, "I love those leggings you have on! They are so cute!" Michelle's response initially surprised me. She responded with, "They are the softest leggings you have EVER felt! Come feel them!" It seemed like too peculiar of a response to not engage in her request! So, there we were, at the Hibbing Armory touching and rubbing Michelle's thigh at her invitation. She was right. I have never felt anything so soft. The leggings sell for only $25 and come in two sizes: 1) OS and 2) TC. One thing to note about Lularoe when you first join, they have a language of their own that you need to familiarize yourself with. The "Lularoe Lingo" is important to know if you want an item that other women want. I have provided a key below for interpretation. Many of the patterns are a bit too wild for me, but they are infamous. The patterns range from solid (if you are fast at typing you can catch a pair of these), to geometric shapes, to CooCoo Clocks, dogs faces, to a pattern for every holiday during in the year. The process to buy them can be quite hectic. You either wait for a live show to pop up and then claim an item by putting your e-mail address in the comment section on Facebook or you wait until a consultant loads an album and then scroll through fast to find "the one." The enthusiasm in the live show is nothing like I have every seen. You wait for the consultant to bring that item in front of the screen and the descriptions are always "you must have this" sort of description. Whoever gets their e-mail address in their first gets the item. If you are not a fast typer, I just that you type your e-mail address somewhere else on your computer and then highlight it and hit "copy". That way you can just paste it in to get in fast - that is unless you never want a black pair of leggings. I have decided that those who type fast only get those. Those who type slow will be wearing geometric shapes only forever. Now, back to the title of the blog: Are leggings pants?............ Here are a few opinions across the country and the Iron Range: Kelley Ann Conway - President Trump's senior advisor's response: NO Apparently after Kelley Ann Conway (advisor to President Trump), wore that horrendous "revolutionary" outfit on inauguration day, she responded with something like, "Sorry to offend the black stretch pant leggings wearing women of this country with a bit of color!" So, we can guess that Kelley Ann Conway did not spend her Friday night on social media looking on albums of Lularoe (I promise, this will be my only political reference in this blog). A few Christian Bloggers: NO *Note: Yes, I am a Christian and yes, I am a blogger but I do not centralize or coin myself as a "Christian blogger" per se. Christian blogger and Oregon mom, Veronica Partridge, took her struggle over whether or not to wear leggings to the internet. She asked her husband his thoughts on leggings. According to Partridge her husband told her, "When I walk into a place and there are women wearing yoga pants and leggings everywhere, it's hard to not look. I don't, but it's not easy." And with that, she stopped wearing them. A few other infamous Christian bloggers have called leggings "lustful." Partridge wrote that she is pleased with her decision..."My conscience is clear and I feel I am honoring God and my husband in the way I dress." Lularoe fans on the IRON RANGE: YES, YES, and YES Overall, for those who I asked on the Iron Range the question, "Are leggings pants?" their answers were "YES." I have to confess that I asked no one over the age of 50 this question. For those who said "yes" to "Are leggings pants?" question, their reasons included: 1) If your weight fluctuates like ours does in Minnesota winters, then wearing stretchy clothes saves both energy and money; and 2) Tight jeans or a form-fitting dress can be just as "revealing." There was also an attitude amongst many women of "There's nothing wrong with wanting to show off your body and if you're going to do so, you might as well do it in the softest leggings ever!" Lularoe Lingo (yes, they do have their own language): OS = One size TC = Tall and curvy; fits sizes 12-22 OOTD - this means "outfit of the day". I have learned that a lot of Lulalover's (yes that is a real name), post their outfits for the day with the hashtag #OOTD Unicorn = Your MUST have piece of Lularoe. This is a print that you have fallen madly in love with and must have. Every person apparently has a different "unicorn" that they are searching for. Mine is a basic pair of plain old black Lularoe leggings. I know, nothing exciting but very hard to find - just like a unicorn is! Pop-Up = A Pop-Up is a personal shopping boutique that come to you through either online on Facebook Live or an album or in someone's home.
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AuthorMelissa Scaia is a writer, Iron Ranger, social activist, and globe trotter. ArchivesCategories |