Some of you may have seen–who am I kidding, we have all seen someone at sometime wearing leggings to school. Some regard them as a delightful fashion trend, while others disagree, seeing them as distasteful and not classy. The ultimate question every girl must ask herself before wearing leggings is “Can I wear these like regular pants?” Many girls do, pairing them with sneakers like Vans or Converse. But the truth of the matter is, leggings aren’t jeans, so they shouldn’t be treated as such. They should be worn like what they are, which is tights, leggings are tights. They are too thin and too tight to be in the same category as other pants, so why do we wear them as though they are? This mindset may be one that is so 2012, but we all know it in our hearts.

To be quite honest, the group I see most following this ideology is our beloved freshmen class. These little babies that are taking their first steps out of middle school have fashion choices that make me uncomfortable. I hate climbing up the stairs only to see a wall of booty before me. Covering up your butt is not shameful, it’s actually quite alright, and draws attention to your clothes rather than your behind (or lack of one). Instead of wearing that short hemmed shirt, why not throw on a long sleeveless tank or a sweater?

And if you are reading this thinking “man this is dumb, I can wear whatever I want, whenever I want,” then more power to you, I wish I didn’t care that much about what other people think of me. Just don’t look confused when people whose attention you do not desire decide to stalk you on all forms of social media.

So next time you want to wear a pair of leggings to school with a crop top and Vans, think about what that is saying about you. People judge others harshly on what they wear, something everyone should keep in mind when getting dressed in the morning. As someone once told me, “Dress as though you saw your grandparents at school everyday,” and though that may be a little extreme, it is sometimes a deterrent from wearing certain articles of clothing. All in all, if you feel confident in what you are wearing and how you look, then go right ahead, and don’t let people’s opinions stop you. Just remember who you are seeing, and that you’ll see most of them for the rest of your high school career.