Legwarmers

FAME! Oh, yeah! you’re practically already dancing, aren’t you? And you know that little jig won’t look right without one very important accessory: a pair of legwarmers.

Dancer gear leapt onto the street with this stylish sweater for the leg. A principal part of a dancer’s wardrobe, the legwarmer moved from functional garment to fashion statement when the movie and television drama Fame turned into a number one favourite.

An elongated tube of knitted cotton (or dacron/polyester blend, as seemed to be the preferred concoction), the legwarmer was worn scrunched down on the calf and onto the ankle, over the shoe. Whether or not the leg needed to be kept warm didn’t really matter. You looked cool.

Solid, striped, speckled – the colour possibilities were endless and allowed for a different pair for every outfit. The legwarmer became the primary accessory to your jog pants, denim mini skirt, or your Jordache jeans.

Properly worn, the legwarmer would cover the exposed patch of leg that jutted below the hem of your ankle-high pants, creating a link from pant to sneaker.

While they may not make you fly, legwarmers promised possibilities: standing around, you just might do a high kick or a pirouette in the middle of the mall and be discovered.

Then, just like Coco, you’d look fashionable running to catch the bus, your toe shoes slung over your shoulder, leg warmers scrunched down over your Nike sneakers.

Baby, remember my name . . .