Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
A pair of bright yellow-and-black bumblebee tights isn't exactly a chic look, but these tights sure do help define Lou's unique sense of style.
In a conversation with Will, Lou explains that this was the first "loud" clothing she ever owned. Her mom gave them to her as a gift when she was a kid, and she wore them so much they basically disintegrated. We've all had a clothing item like that, right?
These tights represent the inner adventurer in Lou that she now struggles to keep suppressed in order to keep on truckin' in her small town. They become a symbol of that inner self that would like to burst out, if Lou would just stop being afraid to let it. It's no wonder she gets so attached.
In fact, check out how Lou describes her sadness when her mom had to throw those tights away: "I have never found a pair of tights I loved like that again. They don't do them anymore. Or if they do, they don't make them for grown women" (6.180).
A true tragedy. Amazingly, however, Will achieves the impossible by getting a pair of these bumblebee tights custom-made for Lou on her birthday, which he proudly gives to her at a family dinner.
This is a big deal for Lou. Not only is she receiving a clothing item that she's been pining after for years, but she's also being shown by Will that he truly knows her—and that he's giving her permission to let her hair down and live her life on her own terms.
Contrast this stellar gift with Patrick's: a necklace Lou describes as being "not remotely [her]" (13.161). No wonder Lou ends up liking Will better.