Leggings are any of several sorts of fitted clothing to cover the legs. Originally leggings were two separate garments, one for each leg.

In contemporary usage, leggings refers to tight, form-fitting trousers that extend from the waist to the ankles; in the United States, they are sometimes referred to as tights (although the word tights is often used to refer to opaque pantyhose). Modern leggings are typically made from a blend of lycra, and either nylon, cotton, or a cotton-polyester blend. However, leggings can also be made from wool, silk, and various synthetic fabrics as well.

History

Leggings in various forms and under various names have been worn for warmth and protection by both men and women throughout the centuries. The separate hose worn by men in Europe from the 14th to 16th centuries (the Renaissance period) were a form of leggings, as are the trews of the Scottish Highlands. Separate leggings of buckskin leather were worn by some Native Americans; These were adopted by some Long Hunters, French fur trappers, and later by mountain men. They are the leatherstockings of James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales. The Buckskins, however were mostly a dull grey brain-tan, not the bright, glossy vegetable tanned leather we so commonly see today. It was also common for leggings to be made of light wool.

Cowboys wore leggings of buckskin to protect from chapping caused by riding, wear and tear to their pants, and bites from such animals as snakes or insects in the scruff such as ticks.

In many places, especially in colder countries such as ex:Russia or Korea men and women continued to wear wool leggings into modern times, often as an additional outer layer for warmth.

The linen pantalettes worn by girls and women under crinolines in the mid-19th century were also a form of leggings, and were originally two separate garments. Leggings became a part of fashion in the 1960s, as trousers similar to the capris pants but much tighter.

It was not until the fitness and aerobics craze in the very early 1980s that leggings became fashionable as gym-styled street wear for women. Popular ways leggings were worn in the 80's through the mid 90's included with skirts, and short dresses like babydoll dresses, oversized shirts, sweaters, etc... and with slouch socks and Keds.

Military Leggings

During World War II, United States Army foot soldiers were referred to as legs by paratroopers and other U.S. forces that did not wear the the standard Army leggings issued with the field service shoe. Late in World War II, after experimenting with general issue of high-top combat boots and jump boots for their soldiers, leggings began to disappear from military service. In 1943, the United States Army modified their field service shoe by adding a taller leather upper that reached to the lower calf; secured by a combination of laces and buckles, the new design was designated the Type III Field Boot. However, the United States Marine Corps retained canvas leggings throughout the war, and even used them in combat as late as the Korean conflict; they were referred to as Yellow Leg troops by North Korean and Chinese Communist forces.