Imagine it is 12 degrees outside and you desire to wear your favourite dress. Leg warmers are a great choice! They cover lower parts of the leg, especially below the knee up to the ankle and are generally thick and warm.

Originally used by ballerinas to prevent leg muscles from cramping, leg warmers became a fad among teenage girls in the early 1980s. These days they are seen everywhere. Even if you’re the sort of person that doesn’t want to show off, leg warmers are still a great accessory to wear on a really cold day and if you decide to wear a short dress, they can help you look soberer.

Spoilt for choices…

Leg warmers come in different sizes and materials such as cotton, synthetic fibres, or both. However, those made from wool are sure to keep you warm. Different sizes can be matched up with different outfits. The trend is to slip on over-the-knee high leg warmers with a skirt or a dress, knee-high ones over jeans and a textured ankle-high one with ankle boots.

Furthermore, leg warmers look good on women of all shapes. Gone are the days when leg warmers were only meant for ballerinas or people going for their yoga or pilates class. If you have a pear-shaped body and you feel uncomfortable wearing a pair of skinny jeans, don’t be afraid to wear leg warmers over them. They will add to the style quotient!

Moreover, ever since people have seen images of supermodels clad in leg warmers strutting down the runway, leg warmers have been worn with a little creativity. They are typically worn scrunched, layered or bunched around the ankle to bring out a modern, unruly look.

Leg warmers come in a range of colours but it’s best to always stick to neutral colours such as brown, beige, black, grey or nude, especially when you are choosing tights or boots to wear with them.

Leg warmers are generally worn with jeans peeking above calf-high boots anywhere from two to six inches. You don’t have to worry about wearing matching boots unless you are wearing black. Shades of brown and beige will work just fine with your jeans.

While flats and heels are also good shoe options, leg warmers tend to look a bit out of place if they are worn with pencil heels or glow-in-the-dark stripper heels unless you are wearing neon-coloured leg warmers. Always be careful when wearing black. If you are wearing black, its best to pair up black tights and black leg warmers as it gives you a modern look too.

When you’re wearing boots, make sure to pull them a bit over the top of your boots and crumple them up. Being little messy works perfectly in fashion. You can also keep them stretched, that will give you an understated, sleek look.

There are some fashion disasters to avoid when you are wearing leg warmers. Never wear leg warmers with flip-flops unless you are living on an island. Avoid using neon colours of pink or yellow because it can make you look conspicuous.

Furthermore, leg warmers for women come in a range of prints from charming best seller designs to funky designs like a skull pattern, fair isles patterns, tribal print, zigzags, x and o patterns, zebra patterns or with a string of buttons on the sides. Some of them are even lacy because of crochet or knitting patterns. The ones that are knit tend to shrink slightly after washing. The expensive ones come in faux fur.

Leg warmers are not just used by women. They have been adopted by men as well. Recently leg warmers have become popular for parents too as a way to keep babies warm and cosy during winter months.

Not many people are aware of leg warmers. If you liked reading this article,  go ahead and experiment with some trendy leg warmers! Make a fashion statement to your friends and family.