Good Sabbath, lovelies! How was church today? Does anyone have an evening service to yet prepare for? Cuddles to you from PeaceBang who officially began her vacation this afternoon. I was supposed to be in the Dominican Republic as of yesterday but cancelled, and I leave for Florida on Wednesday. I land in Palm Beach with a rental car and no firm plans — is anyone in the area? Want to have BBQ?
Awhile back I received this query from a Lady Religion Professor. It was a Very Serious Query. It read thus:
I have read in a number of places that hose are No Longer Done, and I have to say: whaaa? I am perplexed. Now, I wouldn’t wear suntan pantyhose under any circumstances, but I currently reside in Nebraska and it gets cold here. I don’t need to be cutting-edge, but I don’t want to be dowdy. Or, frankly, bare-legged in winter. Is there a clear set of rules about when a professional woman might skip the hose and when they are appropriate and when they are necessary? I need help.
I responded:
We love Lady Religion Profs, dear — get lots of ’em at BTFM, and lots of librarians and teachers, too! Very similar issues, different setting.
On hose:
They are definitely out in the couture world, but who the hell lives in that world?
A few things to think about:
1. A bare leg is only chic when it’s a smooth, good-looking leg, and most of us need some help in the form of self-tanner or at least pearlized moisturizer. And only, for heaven’s sake, when it’s reasonably warm out!
2. Opaque tights are very fashionable and look terrific with boots.
3. As you’ve already determined, suntan color hose are dreadful and should be taken out and shot. A nice, sheer taupe or off-black is almost always a better choice, but you have to work with your wardrobe and skin tone.
4. Avoid off-white or white like the plague. If you’re wearing winter white, I would go with a sheer taupe hose.
5. I am not a fan of pairing dark, opaque tights with lighter colored clothing, but I’m sure it can work for some gals. I mean, LUCKY magazine is always showing some gamine in a sundress topped with five layers of scarves, jackets and sweaters and tights and open-toed boots and claiming that this is a great way to update your summer frocks, but I never buy it. It’s like, “That is an organza dress and you are not fooling me. Put it away until June.”
I have noticed that some women think it’s an old fashioned idea to wear pantyhose. Modesty is an issue when you are doing business with men. I think that a bare leg when you are sitting with men in a professional setting can seem naive and too casual. I often wear sheer pantyhose. Going bare legged in certain settings is too much skin. [Dear heart, modesty in an issue when dealing with everyone, not just men. I do wish we gals could lose the mentality that men are either The Authority Whose Approval We Must Gain or The Lustful Lads Who Can’t Keep Their Mind On Their Own Business. – PB]
What about with an open-toed shoe? I hate having webbing showing on my toes, but don’t want to go without something. Is there a a leg makeup that works and doesn’t rub off onto clothes/chairs? [Just tuck your toe seam under the toe! Check the archives for extensive coverage of self-tanning options. – PB]
I am also a fan of coloured tights–I have teal, lavender, magenta, dark purple, and grey. I also have some great diamond-patterned opaques (some brown, some black–and even some black opaque diamond patterned SUPPORT tights, which do not look like support tights).
I am Director of Studies for a diocesan ministry training programme (ordained local ministers and Readers, or Lay Preachers, in the Church of England). So professional but stylish is my thing too.
If the shoe is a modest peep toe, you can get away with tucking the seam under the toe, but if it is truly an open toe shoe (you can see all of your toes), then I think you have to do without the hose.
When it comes to my legs, there are two seasons; winter & summer.
Suits, dresses, skirts,and most shoes that are worn in winter have a more polished and put together look when worn with a nice pair of panty hose. It’s worth spending a few dollars more to get hose that really look good with your outfit.
Summer clothes with legs that have some “color” (be it from sun or tanning lotion) are OK, unless it’s a formal occasion (funeral, wedding). Although my legs are in good shape, I don’t care to have the 56 yrs. of assorted veins, battle scars from mishaps fishing on the river, or bruises from hitting the corner of the coffee table, be seen in an ecclesiastical setting without the appropriate “cosmetic help”.
Pantyhose with fishnets are surprisingly warm and go well with many different looks (and cover a MULTITUDE of sins.) Black fishies are a bit much, but beige, brown, grey, or navy are all good.
This summer I was out of panty hose and we were going to a wedding and my daughter who NEVER wears socks or hose talked me into going barelegged – I did use self-tanner the night before plus she had me mix my face make up with lotion and put that on my legs. I looked fine but I will NEVER like the feeling of bare feet in a high heel.
Help me out here…I am not clear on why suntan (not sure exactly what color you mean, but I’m thinking a neutral and sheer shade, neither oddly light nor too dark for my skin tone) is verboten. Tell me more!
[No, no, no, deart heart — by “suntan” we mean the hose that go by that actual name and that look like a dark fake tan/orange (on white skin). Neutral and sheer is very good. I like to start by looking at what the manufacturer refers to as “nude” and go from there. Taupe is also a wonderful neutral with more coverage tha tI have come to prefer over off-black. – PB]
Funny you should bring this up… I sat on the jury for a murder trial last month and I desperately wished that I could take pictures for BTFM, because the second chair prosecuting attorney was tall, leggy, curvy and quite lovely, but was in violation of numerous Rules of Appropriateness.
This was not a case of dressing “too hot” but she was, if you ask me, distracting and even a bit disrespectful (I mean, someone’s life had been lost, and another someone’s life–as in, prison or not–was on the line). The most glaring transgression was the fact that she wore no pantyhose. (well, really it was the second… the first was the amazing collection of open-toed stiletto heels in various shades of patent & snakeskin)
The trial went on for a week and a half, so I got to observe her over a period of time, and what was so frustrating about it was that she was really about 80% of the way to being totally appropriate and very well dressed for her role–skirt length, suit cut and style, becoming but not distracting patterns used as accents, coordinated but not distracting jewelry, etc. She was mixing and matching pieces from her wardrobe, and had a consistent style that seemed to match her personality.
It really underscored something that I learned in my former life as a costume designer: The devil really is in the details.
Oh! thanks for the clarification. I was cringing because sometimes I do wear taupe or a sheer nude and I thought I was just going to have to deal with being 52 year old out of style person. I was thinking no suntan pantyhose meant either bare legs (not going to happen) or opaque tights (love them but dont work with everything) Yay I can wear the taupe without being embarrassed!
Thanks
If you are VERY fair skinned, a shade available here in the UK called ‘bamboo’ may also work.
I love fishnets, but more for that ‘in between’ part of the year when it’s too cool for bare and too warm for opaques. In VERY cold weather, I’ve seen some people here put black or dark brown fishies (or lacy patterns) over a deep or bright colour such as lime green, purple or teal. I haven’t personally tried it, but it’s sort of cool looking. [Bamboo sounds like fun — you can attract pandas to climb up your legs! – PB]
I know that Spanx and other high-end hose makers also have toe-less hose for just those occasions when hose are warranted but peep-toe shoes are too much to resist. Basically, the hose stops 2/3 of the way down your foot and is covered by the top of the shoe. I myself am not a regular skirt wearer, so I haven’t personally tried them, but they might be just the thing.
I like sheer-ish off black for everyday in winter, and I use the Sally Hanson spray-on pantyhose in sping/summer. It’s a spray powder, dries well and stays on until you wash it off. It also covers minor vein-y things and other imperfections!!
One weird thing I have been seeing in magazines etc is dark sweater tights with open toed shoes. Looks goofy.
attorneys and court personnel are the worst offenders of this rule. where I live, in this environment, skirts three inches above the knee with stilletos and no hose–in winter–is normative (Social workers wear sweat pants and house shoes, a different sort of fashion crime). Of course I often look like Grand-ma-ma in my sweater set and black pants, but I like to think I’ve neither objectified myself nor given up entirely.
Black tights rule; anything else is too hard for me personally to match.
Thanks for the clarification on shades; I think “nude” is what I generally buy, so no worries for me. I’ll check out the taupe, however, and I already wear off-black for a fair bit of the winter.
Well..as one who has never understood the bare legs thing and as “nude” never works with my skin tone, my preference is for coffee-colored hose most of the time.
I do wear black hose, but they are sheer one. And I wear off-white/ivory ones too, when they fit the occasion.
[Yea, well there’s that little issue of “nude” being “NUDE WHITE WOMAN.” I miss u! – PB]
I recently read in a woman’s magazine that one should never wear pantyhose because it will make you look like a middle-aged grandmother. Or some such phrase.
Well *&%^! What STUPID article writer thinks that anyone over 40 never reads a fashion article?
What if you are middle aged (or better)? Is someone assuming we don’t care how we look? Have you heard of Sophia Loren, Tina Turner…and on and on?
[I read those articles, too, and they irritate the stuffing out of me. All those absolutes for women over 40, as though we don’t know a bloody thing without some over made-up desperado columnist telling us what to do. -PB]
Yep, I was mad. I guess I still am. 🙂 Thanks PB, for the sensible advice.
Just sign me,
GRANDMOTHER WHO LIVES IN A SNOW BELT STATE
So I’m a little behind here, but I just have to say that even in summer, if I wear shoes, I wear hose. And I’m 27. The simple reality is that bare feet in regular shoes (not sandals) get blistered and chafed and all that and the direct contact of skin and shoe is not good for the shoes, either. Forget that. For warm weather, dressy sandals and bare legs are great. For colder weather, hose, tights, something are a must!
In terms of comfort, fit is key. I always find them comfortable, but I’m tiny, so that’s no surprise. One of my bestest girlfriends is a plus size gal, however, and has found hosiery with an extra panel in the back. Now she shows up to church in white tights with teal fishnets over. I swear it’s gorgeous. Three cheers for different shapes and sizes in clothing, as well as women!
My point? Just find something that fits right and it doesn’t have to be uncomfortable. And it’ll make your shoes last longer. Who doesn’t want that?! [ME! I hate the feel of the hose on the legs no matter how comfortable the fit is. But thanks for writing in! – PB]