Where It’s At: Leather Leggings

What could be more alluring than skintight leather pants? Designers have redefined sexy with a new trend: leather leggings.

In chocolate or black, nothing could be more chic. Supple lambskin leather is specially processed to add stretch before being shaped into ultra-lean, edgy leggings.

Sold out within just days at Bergdorf Goodman, a pair of these sexy skinnies might set you back a cool $1,200, but you’re investing in a look that will last for seasons to come.

Where rock ‘n’ roll meets runway, this is one fashion statement that won’t burn out any time soon.

“The leather legging moves effortlessly from coffee to cocktails, perfect for day when worn with a menswear-inspired blazer or a cropped jacket with a ‘60s flair,” stated Neiman Marcus Fashion Director Ken Downing.

Ken advised taking the legging out at night with a lurex knit in a low-velocity sheen or a one-shoulder blouse in one of the many saturated shades of rich color that informed the catwalks for fall.

“Color is so important now,” Ken said. As a result, designers are now churning out leather leggings in bright saturated colors like red, pink, bordeaux and peacock blue, worn with a great jacket or a fur chubby. The look is less urban and more Hollywood glam.

Designers at Balmain are using creative metallic finishes of burnished gold and pewter…a definite hit on our Legging Lust List.

It’s all a continuation of the most important message of the season, coined “Lady Chic” by Ken, for upcoming Fall 2011.

“Less urban in its attitude, the leather legging looks elegant and sophisticated when worn with the shoe of the season, the pump,” he said. The pump is an important silhouette now. “Mid heel or high, the pump with a sexy, slender heel replaces the bootie that has often been paired with leggings in the past.”

With a narrow profile such as the legging, Ken advises wearing a fuller silhouette on top, creating a harmonious sense of balance.

Pair the legging with a long-haired chubby jacket–a statement-making fur in a saturated color.

“Long hair and a bright feminine lip” complete the Lady Chic look, Ken explained.

Remarkably, the leather legging moves effortlessly from fall into spring, Ken told me. “I love the cigarette pant in a combo mix of leather and woven (textiles) at Celine by Phoebe Philo…it’s a smart way to add newness to your wardrobe.”

An elegant statement of a modern classic at Akris and Etro, directional on the catwalk for Celine and Balmain, “the legging has transcended trend,” Ken said.

“Leather leggings have become a seasonless essential in every fashionable woman’s wardrobe.”