Leg warmers are coverings for the lower legs, similar to
socks
A sock is a piece of clothing worn on the feet and often covering the ankle or some part of the calf. Some types of shoes or boots are typically worn over socks. In ancient times, socks were made from leather or matted animal hair. In the late ...
but thicker and generally footless. Leg warmers are worn to keep the lower legs warm in colder weather. They can be tubular sleeves, long fabric wrappings, or simple pieces of fur or fabric tied around the calves. They are used in several outdoor activities and sports including cycling, soccer, hockey, hiking, ice skating, and dance.
They are used as
dancewear
Dancewear is clothing commonly worn by dancers. Items of dancewear include:
* arm warmers
* dance belts
* dance shoes
* legwarmers
* leotards and unitards
* pointe shoes
* skirts
* tights
* tutus
See also
* Dance costume
*Sportswear
...
by
ballet
Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
and other classic dancers in order to keep the leg muscles warm and to prevent cramping or other muscle injuries. No scientific data has been yet collected to substantiate the claim that leg warmers prevent injury.
Traditionally knitted from pure sheep wool, modern variants are more typically made of cotton,
synthetic fiber
Synthetic fibers or synthetic fibres (in British English; see spelling differences) are fibers made by humans through chemical synthesis, as opposed to natural fibers that are directly derived from living organisms, such as plants (like cotton) ...
s, or both. Some are made of other materials, such as
chenille.
Leg warmers can vary in length, and in width, due to the material's stretchiness. They are commonly worn between the ankle to just below the knee, though many dancers prefer it to extend to cover the lower parts of the thigh. Some cover the entire foot—these "warmers" usually have a pad that grips the floor so the dancer does not slip—however this has been known to cause career-ending injury. Some leg warmers are particularly short and made of thinner material; these are also known as "ankle warmers".
Originally, legwarmers were worn by dancers to keep their muscles from cramping after stretching. In the early 1980s leg warmers became a
fad
A fad or trend is any form of collective behavior that develops within a culture, a generation or social group in which a group of people enthusiastically follow an impulse for a short period.
Fads are objects or behaviors that achieve short- ...
after David Lee and Trisha Kate opened a dancewear shop in the East Village, New York.
They mainly sold legwarmers. Wearing them was fashionable among teenage girls; later to be an adopted fashion by boys in the city of Berkeley in the
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...
. Their popularity was partly due to the influence of the films ''
Fame'', ''
Xanadu'' and ''
Flashdance
''Flashdance'' is a 1983 American romantic drama dance film directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Jennifer Beals as a passionate young dancer who aspires to become a professional ballerina (Alex), alongside Michael Nouri playing her boyfriend an ...
'' and the concurrent
aerobics
Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness (flexibility, muscular strength, and cardio-vascular fitness). It ...
craze.
They were worn with
leggings
Leggings are several types of leg attire that have varied through the years. Modern usage from the 1960s onwards has come to refer to elastic close-fitting high-rise garments worn over the legs typically by women, such as leg warmers or tights. ...
, jeans, and tights or as part of aerobic wear. They were internationally popular in the 1980s.
Recently, leg warmers have become popular with new parents as a way to keep babies and toddlers warm while making it easy to change diapers. They also have become popular again in the 2010s with girls, tweens, teens, college students and women. They are worn just like knee socks are with boots. Either over leggings, tights or jeans and then a pair of
riding boots
A riding boot is a boot made to be used for horse riding. The classic boot comes high enough up the leg to prevent the leathers of the saddle from pinching the leg of the rider, has a sturdy toe to protect the rider's foot when on the ground and ...
is worn and the leg warmers are slouched at the top of the riding boot.
See also
*
Arm warmer
Arm warmers are knitted "sleeves" worn on the arms. Sometimes worn by dancers to warm up their bodies before class, they have also become somewhat of a fashion item, appearing in the fall.
Arm warmers can also describe any glove-like articles of ...
*
Spats (footwear)
Spats, a shortening of spatterdashes, or spatter guards are a type of classic footwear accessory for outdoor wear, covering the instep and the ankle. Spats are distinct from gaiters, which are garments worn over the lower trouser leg as well ...
*
Gaiters
Gaiters are garments worn over the shoe and bottom of the pant or trouser leg, and used primarily as personal protective equipment; similar garments used primarily for display are spats.
Originally, gaiters were made of leather or canvas. T ...
*
Leggings
Leggings are several types of leg attire that have varied through the years. Modern usage from the 1960s onwards has come to refer to elastic close-fitting high-rise garments worn over the legs typically by women, such as leg warmers or tights. ...
*
Puttee
A puttee (also spelled ''puttie'', adapted from the Hindi '' paṭṭī'', meaning "bandage") is a covering for the lower part of the leg from the ankle to the knee, alternatively known as: legwraps, leg bindings, winingas, or Wickelbänder. The ...
*
Loose socks
thumbnail, Loose socks in Japan
are a style of baggy sock worn by Japanese high school girls, as part of culture. This style of socks has also become popular among American teens and college students who are fans of Japanese anime and manga. ...
References
Leg warmers of the 80s
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leg Warmer
History of fashion
1980s fashion
2000s fashion
2010s fashion
Sportswear
Dancewear
Hosiery
1980s fads and trends
de:Gamasche