Those of us who have had the displeasure of seeing someone's bare ass through their leggings would likely agree that "leggings are not pants." April Lam, on the other hand, disagrees.
"It really depends on how you style them," she explained, adding that people in Asia are especially sensitive about exposing (and seeing) the lower curve of their buttocks.
As owner of DaddyLongLegz (www.daddyz.com), an online boutique in Hong Kong that sells sexy, fun and feminine legwear from independent designers such as QooQoo, Galstern, Sockserely Yours and Heyniek, Lam's mission is to turn leggings from boring staples into statement accessories and make them part of our daily wardrobes.
LifestyleAsia (LSA): What made you decide to start a legging business?
April Lam (AL): I launched DaddyLongLegz in December 2011 after realising that there wasn't a specialty store for legwear in Hong Kong. I wanted to change the way people think about and wear leggings, stockings and other legwear items, and encourage them to mix and match more.
LSA: Who should, or rather, shouldn't be wearing leggings?
AL: Anyone can wear leggings! To me, legwear is just as important and chic as a woman’s handbag. I hear a lot of women saying, “My legs aren’t nice so I can’t wear leggings,” but that's totally untrue.
Having your own style is way more important than looking slim, and leggings are great for showing off your identity. That's why our company tagline is, "My legs aren’t perfect, I just know what to do with them.”
LSA: Do you think leggings are a passing trend or will they be staying in our wardrobes for a while?
AL: These days, designers like Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen and Michael Angel design leggings as part of their fashion collection. It’s still a growing trend and legwear is already part of one’s essential wardrobe.
LSA: Can men work leggings too?
AL: Meggings -- hell yeah! They've been popular in Europe for a while but it’s less accepted in Asia except for Japan. We have a small group of male fans who posted their meggings on Facebook and Weibo, and we were stunned by how chic they looked.
LSA: What do you personally look for in a pair of leggings?
AL: Design comes first, since you don't want to see 10 other girls wearing the same thing in Hong Kong. I also pay a lot of attention to the slim fit cutting and prefer to wear comfortable fabrics like cotton and lycra for a second skin feel.
LSA: Your best styling tips for leggings?
AL: First of all, you can't go wrong with black. Second, wear a T-shirt with a longer back if you're worried about showing off too much. Lastly, pair your leggings with killer shoes to highlight the leggings' design and make your calves appear smaller.
Check out Lam's funky assortment of leggings at www.daddyz.com.
