Comments on: Office appropriate: bare legs or hose?

By: Binky

Binky — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:19:41 +0000

I really think skirts/dress have lost their flair since woman/girls have kept the pantyhose/tights in their drawers (that’s if they even own a pair anymore). The bare leg look has gone too far. It’s fine in the summer with sun dresses or whatever but it was a cold winter here in NYC and seeing women running around bare legged in 20 degree weather thinking that they’re chic was ridiculous. I really hope this is just a trend. And those ballet flats (which ARE cute) with no socks or hose looks so skanky but I guess that’s another topic.
Hose really do look great. Dresses without hose are like cake without icing—boring!
Pantyhose please come back!

By: Kristine

Kristine — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:07:30 +0000

I used to always wear hose with skirts to work, but tried going without for the first time this summer. It felt a little odd, but liberating too. As long as you take a little care with your legs (exfoliation, body oil or lotion, maybe a light tanning cream), then I don’t see the issue. I still wear colored or patterned hose in cool weather and for formal events, but I don’t plan to wear nude hose again anytime soon. Bare legs just seem more modern. Michelle Obama doesn’t wear hose at all, so times must be changing.

By: sugardaisy

sugardaisy — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:31:39 +0000

Bare ankles? Oh give me a break! However, I do think if you are wearing a dress or skirt to work you will look much more polished and professional wearing stockings/pantyhose. Outside of work, however, it would look silly to wear hose with, say, a sundress.
I work at customer service in the center of a mall where we are required to wear black and white. I add a little flavor to my outfits with opaque or patterned hose, or in the summer I wear sheer tan stockings. I always get lots of compliments on my attire and I know it has a lot to do with the “finished, polished” look of my hosiery. By the way, I’m far from old and frumpy, I’m 26 and I consider myself to be very stylish and definitely not conservative!

By: Beth

Beth — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 02:11:38 +0000

It obviously depends on the job. But if you are in corporate America and want to ascend upwards, then you wear pantyhose with your skirts. You just do it, even if you don’t like it. And honestly, when you wear them long enough (me, three years now), you just get used to it and don’t give it a second thought.

As for why . . . I don’t know if there is specific answer. I personally think a professional suit with bare legs looks a bit tacky. Hose are more modest, which seems to suit the corporate mentality. Most of us don’t have perfect legs, and hose clear up imperfections. I don’t know. The trade off is that you may get taken less seriously, so why risk it.

If you’re not in corporate America and you don’t have to, then don’t. Maybe the best way to look at it is to look at what the ladies a rung or two up the ladder are wearing. You probably can’t go too wrong wearing something close to what they’re wearing.

By: Office appropriate attire | youlookfab

Office appropriate attire | youlookfab — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:47:45 +0000

[...] your dress code enforces “the hose and closed-toe shoe rule”, I’m all for bare legs and pretty open-toed sandals in professional settings. In my mind [...]

By: GJ

GJ — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:57:57 +0000

Thanks so much, Kas, for saying exactly how I feel. I have been a professional women for many years now, and would certainly choose to work with a women dressed professionally vs. a woman with bare legs and feet. And, I would be very concerned about a lawyer who chooses fashion over appealing to the judge. When I go to court – I want to win my case, not fashion trends.

And, I fail to see how wearing bare feet in unwashed shoes keeps your feet and shoes from smelling. I wash my hose each time I wear them. In fact, I wash cotton socks each time I wear them in the winter. I look at some of the shoes people are wearing with bare feet, though, and they don’t look like they have been washed for weeks. Yuk.

By: diana

diana — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 20:49:58 +0000

Well, KAS, Carrie said she was wearing a suit when she got reprimanded about her ankles. We are not talking about refusing to wear suits. Hose is totally different. I dare you to wear hose every day for a month in a hot climate and see how “professional” your feet smell.

By: Dawn

Dawn — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 19:18:47 +0000

Kas,
All I can say is thank you, thank you for each and every word you wrote. Nothing cheapens a nice black dress more than bare legs, no matter what the event.

By: KAS

KAS — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 00:47:22 +0000

From a 30 somehting guy’s perspective…bare legs are ugly and unprofessional. It’s also a DOUBLE STANDARD (and HYPOCRITICAL), where guys are expected to dress well and professional in many palaces, and women can get away with wearing whatever they want.

When was the last time you saw a professional guy in a nice Brooks Brothers suit and slippers, or even wearing shoes without socks? Don’t you think that would be a little weird and tacky (not to mention potentially disgusting)? I freely and unashamedly admit, I would be the type that would have let Carrie know (respectfully, of course, but firmly) that the look was inappropriate.

And Christie, I guarentee if I am paying an attorney $250+ an hour for legal fees, I would expect them to look like I am paying them and their staff that amount. It’s not about your personal comfort, its about what is APPROPRIATE and DECENT. Additionally, I am not only offended, but amazed at the immaturity of many on this subject.

By: angie

angie — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:38:19 +0000

I’d go sheer black or patterned sheer black hose Sue.