With Easter just a few days away, and many of us will be wearing dresses to church, I thought we would talk about pantyhose. Plus, I get a lot of emails asking “should I wear pantyhose?”
First, if your legs look good without pantyhose, don’t wear them. Natural legs are always “in”.
Here’s the way I see it.
>Pantyhose are not in style but if you feel your legs look better with them, then wear them.
>Age definitely seems to be a factor on whether you’ll wear them or not. Some of you are in the age group that have grown up wearing pantyhose and you have no problem with them.
>But there are those of us (myself included) that didn’t grow up wearing them a lot so we don’t wear them. At this time, I don’t own a pair of pantyhose.
>Self tanners help legs look better and I use Sun Labs all the time.
>Another option is Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs. This stuff is amazing and gets great reviews! It’s like putting on a pair of hose with out the hose.
It also covers up a lot of imperfections on your legs. (I have purchased it at CVS Pharmacy and it’s with the Sally Hansen products not in the tanning section.)
If you feel you need to wear pantyhose, here are my tips on wearing them.
1. Do NOT wear suntan pantyhose. Most women don’t have that color leg so it looks awkward. Wear a sheer or barely there color.
2. Do not wear the high gloss or shiny pantyhose.
3. Open-toed shoes with pantyhose are a definite NO.
4. Purchase a good brand such as Calvin Klein, Donna Karen, Pretty Polly etc. These can all be found at Macy’s.
5. Make sure whatever you put on your legs is subtle and sophisticated. You want it to meld into your outfit, not scream for attention.
So what do you think? Do you wear pantyhose?? Did this post answer your questions?
Beauty For the Heart~~Who Is Jesus? He is the key to knowledge. He is the wellspring of wisdom. He is the foundation of faith. He is the doorway of deliverance. He is the pathway to peace. He is the roadway of righteousness. He is the gateway to glory. He is the highway to happiness. -Anne Graham Lotz
Have a blessed day!
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Panty hose are not out of style. During the summer months, it looks great to be bare legs if you are wearing a casual dress. I work for a fortune 500 company. In DC, we wear suits, dresses with panty hose. Often, I have to attend black tie and business events and women have panty hose on with their cocktail dress. I have never seen anyone wear tights with a cocktail dress. Tights are worn during the winter with sweaters, dresses, skirts and boots. It looks too 80’s with a cocktail dress. I have been seeing a lot of the younger women wearing pattern panty hoses with dresses and skirts. It looks great on them. DC tends to be trendy. I love looking at the fashion. Bare legs are great for casual wear and summer time. It you want to look professional, go with the panty hose. Plus, there are many that could wearing them. Nothing worse is seeing a woman wear a dress, thong and bare legged. Don’t they realize that the dress lays in the crack of their butt? LOL
I am 54 going to a night wedding in south Louisiana in november. Wearing black dress. Do I wear nude hose, sheer black hose or no hose. So confused with all the comments don’t know which color to wear if any.
Kelly, wear what you’re comfortable with wearing. I would wear either black tights or no hose depending on the temperature.
Hope you have fun!!
Cyndi
I was raised on Pantyhose…..I prefer tights now- hose make my footsies smelly….hehehe…..I trust you ladies know what I mean? 😉
I’m having this dilemma as we speak. I’m headed to Vegas shortly and its still quite warm there except for the evenings. I have always liked and worn sheer hose, especially sheer jet black with any black dress other than a casual one. It looks phenomenal in my opinion. As far as work goes, I worked in IT and it was a casual work environment, so pants, slacks were more acceptable. I mean, guys are wearing Birkenstocks and shorts, for Pete’s sake.
Anyway I feel weather plays a big part in the hosiery debate. If its hot out I’m more likely to use a spray tan for legs. In the winter I wear long boots so hose isn’t a problem. If the outfit call for hose and it’s cold I also consider tights.
Secondly what you pay makes a huge difference. Spend the extra money for hose and you’ll get great quality a sheer color that doesn’t scream cheap!
I have been wearing peavy hose ever since I worked at Hooters. Its kind of their hooterspantyhose as it were. Kinda expensive but you can get a lot of wear on em. Plus you can get them footed or not… THey also tighten your legs up and make them look much firmer than they might really be…
This is a late post, but I found your site in my search for info in other women’s thoughts. I am in my early sixties and work hard to be in shape and look my best. I would rather be bare legged in temperate weather and when my legs have color and I am casually dresses it feels ok. Varicose veins are the reasons most women commented about, but your knees begin to drift south as does your face and that does not seem as attractive to me barelegged in above knee dresses. I am in the hot south so I am not sure how I will deal with this is time goes on. Most of my friends wear pants all the time and they have not seen a dress in years.
I am a 39 yr old executive in a fortune 100 company (rare I know) – I say this only because I want to add perspective to the debate.
My company is technology and the pervasive dress style is business casual, or at least it has been since we were founded.
I have always lived by the code – dress the part, act the part, get the part, be the part. It’s something I embody and influence my organization and peers to embrace.
I wear pantyhose every day. It’s a staple of my wardrobe and is fairly common in the work place even with our dress style. Since moving into my exec position the amount of women I notice wearing them is UP significantly, proving that like anything in fashion, trend setters set the trend.
I wear them because they look better, and I wear nudes, tans, shiny and even a fishnet and patterned now and then. Wofford and Leggs are my choice – most often Silken Mist. I always wear skirts and dresses. Why, for a few reasons.
#1. It’s simply looks better. I run 20 miles a week, Pilates 3 times a week and don’t NEED them to hide a thing. Still, the hose make legs look better.
#2. They feel great. I am in Austin TX and it can get HOT. I still wear them. See #1.
#3. Men like a woman with them better than without. In a visual test 8/10 will pick a woman with hose vs one without. See #1.
Anywho – fun debate. Sign me up with Kate Middleton as a member of the new fashion staple accessory, pantyhose.
Christine, that is fantastic reply to terrible advice. Will you marry me? 🙂
The bottom line is Pantyhose ARE NOT hot and itchy if they are well made. You do not look as good dressed up bare legged as you would with nice hose, anymore than a man in a tux or suit looks good with no socks. its ridiculous. Sun dresses, and casual outfits, sure, but in no way, on any woman, do you look as good with no hose if the occasion is professional or dressy. You look unfinished. Made up, nails painted, often body pulled in by foundation garments, and bare legs. Sorry. Its just lemming deathly afraid of being out of favor, and left over feminists.
Oh when a lady was a lady and dressed the part!! sigh. As for me, hose are in always and are timeless. Why is anyone to tell you otherwise?
Pantyhose are actually coming back into style. The sales have increased each year over the last couple of years. And it’s no wonder because there are celebrities that are wearing hosiery now. When I was younger, I hated wearing pantyhose but it was the thing to do. Now, we have much better quality hosiery options that last longer and make your legs feel great. It used to be a big no-no to wear pantyhose with open toe shoes, but that isn’t the case anymore as long as you have the right pair of hosiery on.
Isn’t that the truth! And we women police each other as to whether we should wear certain things because our legs don’t look “right.” Do men stress about that? Doubtful…
Also from Wisconsin here. I’m 48 and still have nice legs but with some light spider veins. When I dress up, you bet I’m wearing nylons! They just look more polished and smooth than bare legs, especially with a fancy dress. Fashion should be about what works for you, not what some anonymous “authority” dictates.
Hose are not a bad thing. Bare legs with dress clothes are… or can be scary depending on the woman. …for lack of a better way to put it. Sorry
I have 4 daughters and we go round & round on this. But we didn’t have an issue until they got college aged and ditched the hose. They have great legs, and I think they look just fine in warm weather. It’s when it is Cold outside and they wear bare legs and dresses that I think it looks immodest. I wear tights in the winter (a Cindy learned thing) and sheer pantyhose in mild weather. In Summer I switch to thigh-high hose or bare legs w casual dresses. I am one who had my first ‘girdle w hose clips’ in Kindergarden! I remember all the crafts to be made w Leggs Suntan eggs in the days before Pinterest too!
If you are Vitamin D deficient the recommendations are that sunshine beats supplements. Needs to be without sunscreen and nearly nude–but limited to 30 minutes. If I get skin cancer it won’t be from that–it will be from all the bad sunburns I got as a teen.
Yep Gen I have the same issue of my thighs sticking together without them. I wear the sheer kind also. I feel like my legs look better with them, so I feel more comfortable too.
I know the conversation is over, but I think it is sad that as a woman over 50
who has been an OR nurse on my feet for over 20 years and now has a few varicose veins, if I wear pantyhose with my dresses that I’m told I’m not modern. I feel very professional and dressed up with pantyhose and as one reader pointed out Princess Kate wears them and is considered a fashion icon. So if you want to wear pantyhose–go for it! if you don’t–go for it…
I am 53, my daughter is 18, we both love fashion and we both wear hose! Bare legs can look bad–not classy, and not flattering!l Very sheer hose complete a look. With a sundress, or other casual dress, with sandals, in the summer, sure– go bare legged. But most women need hose some of the time, especially in cooler climates.
I have hose and use them only to wipe the deodorant marks off my clothing- works wonders!
It is a dilemma! I have seen some ladies over 40 with the no hose look and it just didn’t come together. I love dresses, but don’t wear them often now because of the no hose look right now. I don’t think I can pull it off.
Hi Cyndi! This conversation is probably over with, but I just had to mention what I remember about panty hose. I’m the youngest of seven and three of my siblings are older sisters. On many Sunday mornings, we would get out the clear fingernail polish and cover the runs in our pantyhose. If we didn’t have clear, we would sometimes use pink polish. This process was a major pain! I definitely don’t miss wearing pantyhose at all 🙂
I am in my mid 40s and wear hose at least twice week’ while I have nice legs still
I really need the support as I’m on my feet a lot. I grew up waring hose and tights. But there was a time Where I went through a tom boy stage and wore pants only But as I got into my mid 20S I Found hose and tights gave a more Professional look at work and ,most of the other Women wear them as well. Plus I get a compliment from time to time from the men at work.
It’s sad to me that so many have said they no longer wear dresses at all because of this debate. The style police should not cause women to lose half of their apparel options!
I haven’t worn dresses or skirts in years because of the no hose in Florida stupid rule. I can’t tell you how many chunky women who wear short tight skirts and high heeled pumps (imagine the stinky feet!) that I see clomping around. They look gross. I tried it a few times but felt very self concious and half naked
I wear pantyhose if I am very dressed up. I think it gives a much more polished look. In the summer with a casual dress, I will definitely go without if I have a little color on my legs. I have to say, though, Princess Kate ALWAYS wears pantyhose and is considered one of today’s fashion icons, so I think that makes pantyhose a “do.”
Hi Cyndi!
Great post and comments!
I never wear panty hose anymore- age 58! But, last summer my daughter got married. I had a really pretty cream dress with gold thread and bead accent on the bodice and a little jacket. I found some great open-toed beige shoes with a two inch heel, but what to do about my legs? I really did not feel it was appropriate to go bare-legged!
I found panty hose at a local department store that were extremely sheer and had a funny little toe thing. There was actually no toe except for a little thong that went between my big toe and second toe. This made it ok to wear with open toed shoes as you could not see the panty hose at all. I think it was a very classy way to finish off the outfit and not appear too casual as the Mother of the Bride! The color was perfect and you could not tell I had hose on at all. I will say the one pair of panty hose was expensive!
Thanks for all you do!
Carol
I guess I missed the post where anyone was promoting laying out in the sun. Maybe years ago, but not in this day and age., certainly!
Ah oh, so Leggs Suntan are a no-no? Guess I need to clean out my lingerie drawer and head to the mall for some subtle, better quality pantyhose. With my cellulite, spider veins and just all-over 56 year-old-legs, I can’t imagine doing without hose completely.
Try some “no show” footie socks or just the toe socks in your dress shoes. It really helps!
I have that same struggle with flats, and bare feet in heels. With my flats (and canvas tennis shoes, TOMS, etc.) I wear the “no show” little footie socks. I have to be careful to find the ones that are very minimal so they don’t show. But I love them! They help absorb moisture so my feet don’t feel sweaty (I know, yuck!) and provide just a little warmth and make the shoes so much more comfortable. You can find them just about anywhere. I stick with the tan / neutral colors.
I’m 47 and do not have the opportunities to “dress up” often anymore but when I do, I do not feel finished if I don’t have panty hose on. Plus I live in WI where it seems winter never ends, sigh. So I guess the only time I don’t wear panty hose is June, July and August, lol! Last spring my nephew and Godson had his First Communion. I had found the cutest pair of navy patent wedge sandals to go with my new dress but my legs looked terrible in April so bad I almost said I cannot wear these shoes since I will need to wear hose and noway will I do that with sandals! Well lo and behold I found open toe hose at Macys and they worked out GREAT!
http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-1446277/hanes-silk-reflections-ultra-sheer-control-top-toeless-pantyhose.jsp
Now I would never wear them if the weather would have been warmer or if it was the time of year when my legs looked better but they were the perfect solution at the time.
I’m 41 and live in South Carolina where it’s warm enough most of the year to go bare-legged. I definitely grew up in a “pantyhose church” in Ohio and actually had a professor at my Christian college say that a woman did not look like a lady if she was not wearing pantyhose. All of my friends and I thought that was so funny and went with bare legs to our college graduation. (How rebellious! LOL) We were right on the cusp of the not wearing pantyhose generation. I have heard that in the younger crowd pantyhose are “in” because of Kate Middleton. I do wear them to winter weddings and think they look pretty. To each her own.
Bandaid friction block. It is a rub on stick, can’t live without product. Lets your shoes slide, no blisters.
I go back and forth on the pantyhose thing. One of my concerns is always the temperature. Nothing can be hotter than a pair of pantyhose in August or colder than bare legs under a wool skirt in December. Then, I’m always confused about what “looks right”. I think it looks a bit odd to go bare legged while wearing a wool pencil skirt with a silk blouse, a wool/cashmere cardigan , a trench and pumps in December. I think it looks equally odd to wear pantyhose with a light, summer dress. Another concern is the look of my legs. I have short legs, a bit on the skinny side that showcase post-pregnancy varicose veins. They are not bulging, but one does not have to work hard at all to see them. It’s a vicious circle, this “pantyhose/no pantyhose” conundrum. I have a couple of nice pairs of good quality pantyhose in a color that seems to look okay and I have used Sally Hansen Air-Brushed on occasion and felt not quite as bad about my legs, but overall, I have taken to wearing trousers in the cooler and cold weather and linen or khaki slacks in the warmer or hot weather. It’s not a great solution, I miss dresses and skirts; but until I can come up with a true problem solver I guess I’m forced to wear pants…but not happily.
Oh, please, there is never a safe time to lay out in the sun. Several years ago, I helplessly watched as my good friend, 42 years old, succumbed to skin cancer. She was a single mother of 3 children. She thought she had always taken all the necessary spf precautions. She’d had a little scab thing on the back of her leg that didn’t hurt and she thought it wasn’t healing because she always shaved it off when she shaved her legs. On a routine doc visit, her doc noticed it and sent her to a derm right away. Not only was it skin cancer, but it was Stage III and had already gone (unbeknownst to anyone that day) to her liver and lung and eventually her brain. I was amazed at how that quarter size thing on the back of her leg could move that fast and invade so many places. I am not chastising you for your sunning, I’m only sharing the information that even the American Cancer Society doesn’t share well enough, skin cancer can look like nothing and it does all of its damage hidden away until the day you find out and that day could be too late. Be Blessed!
I am 52…recently went to a wedding and wore these…..
http://www.essentialapparel.com/berkshire-ultra-sheer-toeless-control-top-pantyhose-hose-without-toes.html
They are soooo shear and look fabulous with sandals. A brilliant invention! Two thumbs up!
Wow! I never thought there’d be so many comments on pantyhose! LOL Either you like them or you don’t. So cool to learn Kate Middleton wears hose!
I love all the pantyhose comments! I, too, grew up wearing L’eggs suntan hose…..they were quite the thing! Now I don’t wear nude pantyhose but I do think they look polished. I love dresses in the summer and use sunless tanner to give my pale skin some color! In the winter I wear black tights and have also worn very sheer black hose for a formal occasion. I really have nothing against nude hose other than they just aren’t considered stylish right now. Just wait… Like everything else they will probably become popular again. Perhaps thanks to Kate Middleton!
Kate Middleton has been wearing pantyhose ever since she came into the spotlight. Who looks more polished than Kate? I love pantyhose and with a nice dress, they look great. I’ve even worn them with peep toe shoes and the fashion police did not arrest me.
I am 49 and I grew up with pantyhose. For this reason, I stopped wearing dresses a long time ago. Cannot stand the feel of hose. Last summer I took the plunge and bought some skirts and a cute dress and used self tanner and felt really comfortable. For my son’s wedding in November, I wore a black formal and did opt to wear sheer black hose. I felt it looked more formal. I think the biggest thing is to wear the shade that matches one’s skin tone. I also think the better quality ones seem to fit better and feel better. With all that said, I think it is a personal choice.
The rest if my above comment didn’t show up:
Times change and so do ideas about fashion. One thing for sure: some day, people will smile at the “old-fashioned” ideas of today.
I remember Mama telling me about ladies during World War II being asked by the government to give up nylon hose to show their support for the war effort. During World War II, nylon was used to manufacture parachutes and other material for soldiers. She said how glad everyone was when they could once again wear hose! Then I remember the relative “freedom” of pantyhose after first wearing a garter belt and hose. Now talk about restricting!
I too am 40-something and grew up with pantyhose and the Legg eggs! I embrace super sheer pantyhose (definitely not the suntan kind) because I can’t stand when my thighs stick together in the summer! Anyone else have this problem
Wow, look at all those comments!! LOL — we gals have lots of thoughts on pantyhose, apparently! 😀
I wear tights in the winter, but do not wear pantyhose otherwise… did for years while working and just can’t bring myself to do it now.
Have a blessed day, Cyndi!
xo Heidi
I’m 18 and a senior in high school. I wear pantyhose as often as I can. I don’t have an issue wearing them and I think they get a bum rap about them. Yes I get teased for wearing them with my uniform so often but I don’t care. They make my legs look great and I kinda like the way they feel when I’m wearing them. I’m not over weight so they don’t bind at all. I don’t buy the cheap drug store brands so they are not down to my ankles at the end of the school day. I buy the correct skin tone that match my legs so they don’t look awkward. Obviously I don’t wear them when the weather goes higher then 70 degrees. Other then that pantyhose are great and still in fashion. You shouldn’t be ashamed for wearing them if you’re over 40. They are here to stay because nothing is sexier then slipping into a sheer black pair of off black pantyhose and you know its true ladies!
I guess I have to wear pants and/or shoes with toes. This is certainly not my choice; however, I have mild psoriasis and very pale legs that do no tan. I hate it that I feel out of style not wearing the cute sandals and springy dresses; but see no alternative. It appears that my “Easter Dress” will be “Easter pants” – or a maxi skirt that covers the top of my feet.
I really like the pantyhose that Kate wears (Katherine & William). It has a nice finished look, it is light and natural looking.
I, too, remember the L’eggs suntan pantyhose! I can’t remember the last time I wore pantyhose. I’m sure they were thigh highs or something like that. I don’t wear dresses much, so it really isn’t an issue for me. My Easter dress is a maxi dress. 🙂
With boots in the winter and definitely not any other time. Yuck!
I never wear hose, only tights with the right dresses. I am 57, I put baby powder in my shoes so the closed toe shoes do not stick…..works great!!
I grew up when people wore panty hose. I think some dresses (more formal) just look better with a sheer pantyhose than a bare leg. I also like how with pantyhose you get shapewear and a smooth leg all in one. I never wear pantyhose casual skirts or dresses.
I also grew up wearing pantyhose however I really hate them! lol I only wear them when I want to wear a skirt in the winter or late fall when its too cold to go bear legs. As soon as its nice again I go bare legs!
I grew up having to wear panty hoses when I wore a dress because my mom said I had to (she still wears them). I hated them! Now that the front of my legs and knees are saggy, baggy and wrinkly, I think I have to go back to wearing them or not wear skirts and dresses.
(I’m 43)
If I feel the need to wear sheer leg covering, I wear nude fishnet stockings from Target. It’s the same color as my legs, gives some coverage, but aren’t “pantyhose”.
Last week I was with a friend at a banquet and she had on pantyhose but I had NO idea until she said she was so annoyed with them. They were her perfect matching skin color with close toed shoes. She looked totally appropriate.
I love off-black thigh highs in the colder months. They are super sheer but give coverage that aren’t TIGHTS (which I love but aren’t dressy).
Ramblings over.
Oh, my mom wears pantyhose every single day. I think it’s generational.
Even though I am in my twenties, I do wear pantyhose with a dress in the winter, but only she nude color. I was raised by my grandmother, and if she caught me without them she would have a few words with me. She never went without them, even with slacks. I live in northern Wisconsin and it is nice to have a little something on in the winter, especially when they are white as a ghost from a lack of sun.
Meant to say seen not scene. LOL Sorry.
I grew up wearing pantyhose, but I also like the option of not wearing them.
Yet, whenever I attend a formal affair I ALWAYS wear them. Yes, I do spend the extra money for the Name Brands found in the Higher End department stores like Macy’s. They are totally worth the extra expense.
When I am wear opened to shoes or sandals I purchase TOE LESS style. These work great and your pretty pedicure can still be scene and yet your legs look smooth and classy. 🙂
Pantyhose are still in style . . just use good sense ! I think it depends on the outfit, type of skin, time of year and situation. Naturally sun-tanned legs are rarely even, and often acquire other spotty imperfections from the exposure. I sometimes use tanner, but then that’s another expose that chemical — not a good choice for frequent use. I hold firm that bare legs are not usually a professional look, but can be lovely in other cases.
Cindi ~ Thanks so much for the conversation on panty hose. I love your website and enjoy getting your emails. As a 60+ “church lady” I still wear panty hose, every Sunday. I would in the summer like to go without panty hose as I still have great looking legs and tan very easily. My problem is that my dress shoes stick to my feet. I don’t want to beachy wear sandals to church. Any suggetions?
At 46 I grew up with and still wear pantyhose. I generally dress up for work, and I also like the control top “assistance”. I buy No Nonsense hose from their website. They are inexpensive but very long-lasting. I wash mine in lingerie bags on gentle in my machine and air dry, of course. With this method, they last for months!
They have two colors that look totally natural, almost invisible. In fact, many people ask me if I’m even wearing any. One is called Bare Bisque, but I can’t remember the other one.
Just in case anyone wants to know, there are pantyhose without toes—i.e. for open toed shoes. I have vitiligo which is an autoimmune destruction of skin pigment (among other things.) My legs don’t tan. They are blotchy because some areas still have some pigment, so self tanner makes it much worse. So, it’s panty hose for me if I’m dressed up.
love the control tops and what does everyone do about that business of bare feet in your shoes ??
There are lots of us in the “panty hose” age group! I spent years in retail, and hose were an absolute requirement. Add to that church, volunteer activities…I did not feel dressed with out them. I feel much more comfortable with hose, but want to look fairly current. So no hose. It is probably my age, but I think a woman’s leg looks so pretty in black hose. I am 56. I don’t expect to look much younger, hopefully more stylish. And my daughters are with you 100%! I look forward to your email every day, thank you!
My dad used to buy my mom the Leggs Suntan “egg” every year for Christmas and put it in her stocking. I still crack up at the memory.
I agree with Susan totally…exfoliate, hydrate, and wear skirts or dresses at the knee. I keep things natural as I am avoiding, as much as feasible, putting anything on my skin with chemicals. In my quest to become “cleaner”, I have eliminated anything with fragrance , parabens, or a laundry list of ingredients. BTW, I don’t color my hair either!
oh yes! Did that too! Wow!
Do I wear panty hose? NEVER!=)
I wear tights in the winter. And that is about it. I didn’t even wear hose to my wedding. Bare legs all the way.
But, then again, what would you expect from the girl who refers to herself as the barefoot hippie?=)
I, like other commentors, grew up with strict rules about wearing pantyhose to church, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve bent “the rules”. In the winter and fall I wear tights or sheer pantyhose (if it suits the dress/occasion), but in the spring I face the chill with a heavy application of moisturizer. With the Kentucky humidity I cannot fathom how anyone could wear them in the summer!
I go with the fashion and right now it is clearly a no panty hose era. My question is what to wear with those cute little flats (closed toe flat shoes)? Do you wear socks with them – low cut footie type? I hate going without socks in those types of shoes. Also, most of them have very thin soles and aren’t too comfortable if you have to be on your feet very much throughout the day. Oh but they are so cute!!!! Any thoughts?
I can’t believe you didn’t grow up with pantyhose, considering you’re 40-something. The natural leg, anti-pantyhose trend has not been around that long. I’m 52 and I definitely grew up with pantyhose. Unless it’s summer and my legs are naturally tan and the dress is at my knee or below, then I don’t feel comfortable with bare legs, unless its a maxi. In the winter I wear tights or sheer black pantyhose. I agree that sheer and high quality is the way to go but it does feel dated, which is why I just don’t wear too many dresses! Long live trousers and jeans!
LEGGS SUNTAN!!!! Definitely my “go to” back in the day!!!!
Leggs Suntan. My gosh, I haven’t thought about those for a long time. 🙂
Interesting discussion, Cyndi. I also grew up in the “pantyhose” era attending church every single Sunday, Wed., etc. (Did I mention my dad was a Baptist pastor??) Anyway, I have older sisters-in-law that still live in pantyhose and I just don’t get it. I wear dark colored tights with some dresses in the winter time but mostly for warmth (I live in northern Wisconsin – we just had 14 inches of new snow last night! :-/ ) I do go bare legged in the summer once it warms up enough. I do wear dresses a lot (especially in the summer) but mostly for comfort. I am 57 years old. Love your website/blog, Cyndi. I appreciate your beauty with modesty. Something I learned at a very young age. My mom was beautiful, LOVED fashion, always took care of herself, but always with modesty. A little “paint on the barn” has always been a plus for me’ too!! Blessings!
Great topic today so I have to weigh in: I grew up wearing pantyhose, especially to church, as my mom would never have allowed her girls to grace the pews with bare legs! Now, I do not own any pantyhose! I find them hot and constricting…just the thought of wearing them gives me the shimmy-shakes…YIKES! I have used self-tanners in the past, but now I prefer to just keep my legs exfoliated and hydrated with body lotions and opt for the natural look…of course, I should add that all my skirts and dresses are knee length and longer because at 50 years young, those styles are comfortable for me. 🙂 Great advice, as always! Blessed Maundy Thursday to all!
I am 45 and grew up with the “pantyhose” generation. I do get that they are not “in style” anymore, but I love the control top on the hose. I can’t find a good brand of shape wear that doesn’t “roll down” or “pull up” in the thigh area! Ugh! Any suggestions for those of us who need a little tummy control while wearing dresses?
The only time I wear panty hose is in the winter with a dress when tights seem to be too much. For example, I went to a wedding in the fall and tights with my dress seemed too casual so I opted for somewhat sheer black panty hose. My legs were warm and I still felt dressed up. If it’s not nice enough for bare legs with a dress I will wear tights. Other than that I avoid panty hose at all costs. LOL. I do use self-tanner and get out in the sun to keep my legs looking nice.
Weighing in on the debate today: once I have some color on my legs (and I like the natural color from the sun, but am thankful for the suggestions for some self-tanners to try as they are expensive and I have been disappointed with some!) I am ok to go without hose. I do think that when it is still chilly in the spring, hose make sense as they give your leg a little warmer look. Also, I do believe certain dresses call for a more finished look. Thank you for helping me with my struggle for color – and avoiding the “suntan” hose….that is generational for sure! and us over 50 gals grew up on Leggs Suntan! Haha! thanks for your beauty – inside and outside – tips. Have a blessed Easter with your family!!!
I do own black and charcoal sheer pantyhose. I wear them in winter, more like an alternative to tights, or in warmer weather with professional business attire and heels. Never with anything casual or open toe shoes!
No and yes…… I am one of those girls who went to a private school and was required to wear panty hose every day…and then on Sunday it was just natural for us to wear them in the winter and in the summertime. But I am 46 and that was a style back then. Now, I do not wear them unless in the winter underneath my slacks or in my tall riding boots for warmth. I use self tanner and also love to soak up the sun. If suntanning with the sun, lay out before noon and after 2 is the safest times and this KY sun will tan you right up in a hurry! 🙂 Love this subject, perfect for this week of passover. Beautiful pix of you always Cindy.(I was looking at them on the right hand side of blog.)