Yikes.

I spotted this person as I walked into my university's main library. I can make my peace with the hideous UGGs, but what I cannot tolerate is the fact that she is wearing cropped leggings with them and then proceeded to roll the boots down! It's barely 30 degrees outside, gray, windy-- this is not bare leg weather!

Did you really need to feel the frigid breeze?

Leggings are a great thing for tucking into boots because they require virtually no manipulation of your pants to make them fit with a sleek, streamlined appearance. I myself am wearing thick, 2-ply leggings at the moment. They also happen to be full length and adequately tucked into my arguable more stylish black boots... it's not a gross enough day to place function over fashion, in which case I would have gone the route of my offensively unattractive The NorthFace boots.

Le sigh. I've worked really hard to train myself to not be critical of every choice I disagree with when it comes to style, but there is no question in my mind this person actively chose this ensemble as a result of what can only be deemed brain washing at my university. The number of girls I see in classes clad in similar ensembles (which are typically finished off with shirts so short I can tell whether or not they are, in fact, anatomically female) is outrageous. Obviously it is sensible to attend class dressed in a utilitarian fashion-- I can even tolerate the occasional sweatsuit-- but this outfit is anything but efficient. She must be cold. And no, she did not slip into that look to show how aloof she is, rather the concept of taking pride in one's appearance is lost on 80% of the female population here. The look she is sporting is not style, it's conformity.

I might be slightly more understanding if it weren't for the fact that last year I worked in a department devoted largely to contemporary suiting and worked with way too many young women who desperately needed help figuring out what was appropriate to wear to an interview/job. Perhaps if they started looking the part of a person who wants to succeed in the first place-- instead of like one who has yet to make friends with a product known as shampoo-- the whole What to Wear to Work debate would not be so complex to them.

That's my rant and I'm sticking to it.