Sara Bimmel writes…

We’re on the cusp of spring (FINALLY!), and that means leggings and tights will soon start to crop up everywhere. I know they’re fair-weather winter wear, too, but spring is the season when they’ll actually feel comfortable and won’t result in goosebumps all over your legs.

I often have trouble figuring out what to pair with leggings that will look classy instead of ’80s, so I put together this set to show my thoughts. You can see that there are a few common themes:

1) Prints with solids. Generally speaking, if your leggings have a lot going on, don’t pair them with a Hawaiian shirt, and vice versa. You can see that both the shoes and the leggings in outfit #3 are patterned, but they seem to go together naturally rather than clash.

2) Any shoes can work. By that, I mean it’s fine to pair flats, heels, or boots (see outfit #2) with leggings. If your shoes are flashy, see Theme 1 and keep the outfit simple.

3) Accessories should match the spirit of your outfit. What do I mean by that? Well, the black rose in outfit #3 is a little bit grunge, just like the rest of the outfit, and the layered gold necklace in outfit #4 reflects the layers of peacock feathers in the tights. The yellow balls in the necklace of outfit #1 add a pop of color and also mirror the rounded flowers in the dress.

4) Don’t limit yourself to dresses. I paired the leggings with dresses here because I think that can be a tricky combination, but they’d go just as well with skirts or long tunic tops.

This post was contributed by Sara Bimmel, who writes about Halloween costumes over at www.StarCostumes.com.