Leg Warmers are a type of clothing similar to a sock except that they are footless. Even so, leg warmers are considered socks. Leg warmers were traditionally made of pure wool, though nowadays they are typically made from a mixture of cotton and/or synthetic fibers.
Despite the [misguided] belief leg warmers are used by dancers to keep the calf muscles and tendons of the ankle warm until they have been loosened from stretching, there has never been any scienific data to substantiate these claims. Leg warmers in fact do not serve any functional purpose.
In the early 1980s they were part of a fad when they became popular with teenage girls as everyday clothing. Their popularity was partly due to the influence of the films Fame and Flashdance and the concurrent aerobics craze. However, they had retreated back into relative obscurity by 1989, although they are still used by dancers.
In 2004 leg warmers made a brief comeback and were once again worn as a fashion item. This time they were usually more toned-down than the 80's style, and were worn to dress up casual outfits. They have also been worn with flip flops, although more often worn with boots or flats. Leg warmers are frequently worn in the rave scene.
A new take on leg warmers has been arm warmers and cleaves (arm warmers with an attached neck). These were first seen as a wider fashion piece in the fall of 2004.
