Rodarte Leggings, Motorcycle Jackets and Rihanna

The Rodarte leggings which appear in the photo above are incredibly expensive and have been the subject of much obsessing at my desk (and, okay, I may have licked my screen the one time). Why do I love them so much? I'll be honest, I can't explain it, but as T Magazine explains, in reference to the also incredibly expensive, Rodarte Motorcycle Jacket:

I knew I wanted one for myself. That’s how fashion works: you have an emotional response to something and you just want it, no matter what the cost. And the cost of this jacket is a lot.

She's right. The cost of the motorcycle jacket, which is one nutty-looking thing (and yes, I know the leggings are in the same category to many people) is $3,795. The leggings are $920. The jacket actually seems like the better bargain to me, given that the leggings are probably made from the same amount of leather as one sleeve of the jacket. Yes, I think about how much material is in the garment and do calculations around, "is it a good value?" Rodarte may have been named 2009 Womenswear Designer of the year by the CFDA, but you have to be cool to wear them. I have been accused of being many things in my life. Cool isn't really one of them.

I'm excited to see this photo, because this is the first photo I've seen of them, other than this, er...not as attractive, photo of them on Rihanna, which clearly shows they are a pull-on legging, akin to a long legwarmer, more than a pair of true-leggings or footless tights, AND the model is wearing them over fishnets. I have died and gone to legwear heaven.

Rihanna has cured me of my personal dreams of owning a pair of these beauties. Like many high fashion items, they appear to look best on the slender of body (boo to the designers on that). I am not fond of the idea of having leggings-marks pressed into my skin at the end of the day. However, the things I could do with the hosiery I already have, scissors and various lengths of tubes cut from them...