# Fashion Q: term for fluffy calf-warmers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 3, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fashion-q-term-for-fluffy-calf-warmers/534856 "2010-04-03T21:48:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fashion-q-term-for-fluffy-calf-warmers/534856/1 "2010-04-03T21:48:21Z")
I occasionally see women wearing things like this on their lower legs: [http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/?p=9430](http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/?p=9430) (yes SFW). I think it’s tall socks with fur or fluff or ??? to bulk them up, rather than being boots with fur or fluff or ??? to bulk them up. 2 Q’s: Are these generally socks or boots? What are they called? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fashion-q-term-for-fluffy-calf-warmers/534856/2 "2010-04-03T22:20:44Z")
I’ve seen the term _leggings_ applied to both: (a) very tall socks covering most of the calf, and (b) an interesting garment that covers the calf but not the ankle or foot. Either meaning of the term may be what you’re looking for. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fashion-q-term-for-fluffy-calf-warmers/534856/3 "2010-04-03T22:26:55Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I occasionally see women wearing things like this on their lower legs: [http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/?p=9430](http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/?p=9430) (yes SFW). > > I think it’s tall socks with fur or fluff or ??? to bulk them up, rather than being boots with fur or fluff or ??? to bulk them up. > > 2 Q’s: Are these generally socks or boots? What are they called? "O-Ee-Yah! Eoh-Ah!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fashion-q-term-for-fluffy-calf-warmers/534856/4 "2010-04-03T22:36:14Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > "O-Ee-Yah! Eoh-Ah!😃 \*\* looks askance at **runner pat** \*\* And just where did you pull those flying monkeys from? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fashion-q-term-for-fluffy-calf-warmers/534856/5 "2010-04-03T23:01:03Z")
Legwarmers. Think the aerobics look from the '80s. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fashion-q-term-for-fluffy-calf-warmers/534856/6 "2010-04-04T00:03:35Z")
I’m not so sure about “legwarmers” … '80s legwarmers were always worn as thick tubes which went from just below the knee to a bit above the ankle. If someone wore sneakers with legwarmers there was always skin or sock showing between them. And they looked mostly like rumpled oversize gym socks or the oversocks which hockey players wear. These things all seem to completely cover the ankle and shoe. And are much flashier. The other difference is that 80’s legwarmers were normally worn over tights so the the legs from the top of the legwarmers up to the crotch was covered. The only way I’ve seen these things worn is like in the photo, bare upper legs below shorts or a short skirt. So the garment is probably a derivitive of the 80’s legwarmer. Now whether it’s called that or not I think we need a 20-ish women to clue us in. As to **Polycarp** ’s suggestion of “legging”, I’ve known that term, at least in modern times, to mean something like heavy “tights”. e.g. An elastic waist-to-ankle garment which is sized to hug the contours of the legs (and crotch) and is made of a stretchy but opaque T-shirt-like material. They were big as women’s pants-equivalents for a few years in the mid 90’s or so. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fashion-q-term-for-fluffy-calf-warmers/534856/7 "2010-04-04T00:08:58Z")
[Yeti Boots?](http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=yeti+boots+&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&start=0) ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fashion-q-term-for-fluffy-calf-warmers/534856/8 "2010-04-04T00:35:01Z")
I’m inclined to agree with my colleague, **runner pat**. My first thought was that whatever we were reviewing was in fact attached to the shoe. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fashion-q-term-for-fluffy-calf-warmers/534856/9 "2010-04-04T00:35:28Z")
Awesome. I think we have a winner. Thank you. Hijacking my own thread … Also **runner pat** , have you seen this thread? [Any advice for the newly paraplegic? (now that's a bummer OP or what?) - Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=558344) I interpret your location & title to indicate you might have some useful advice. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fashion-q-term-for-fluffy-calf-warmers/534856/10 "2010-04-04T00:45:11Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Awesome. I think we have a winner. Thank you. > Hijacking my own thread … > > Also **runner pat** , have you seen this thread? [Any advice for the newly paraplegic? (now that's a bummer OP or what?) - Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=558344) > > I interpret your location & title to indicate you might have some useful advice. I did see the thread but all the good answers were taken. 😉 I’m not a paraplegic, just a mangled leg.