For ten years or more nude-for-you hosiery has been thought of as old-fashioned, dowdy and unattractive when worn with dresses and skirts. If you didn’t want to wear black or non-neutral hose, you were encouraged to sport bare legs for a more hip and fashionable look.
I don’t agree. I think nude-for-you hosiery looks fab when you need a little more warmth. It’s also the finishing touch that can make an outfit look more chic, dressy, polished and professional. And there are the added advantages of more coverage and legs that look more even. With light and non-neutral outfits in particular, dark hosiery can look off, especially when you have mid-toned and light hair. Black hosiery can also look overly Winter-y in the Spring, even when temperatures are far from hot. Nude-for-you hosiery is THE way to fake bare legs in cooler weather.
It does take a little more effort to find the right pair. While just about any pair of sheer black hose will do the trick, this is not the case for nude hose. I’ve found that the sheerest pairs (very thin and delicate in texture and weight) with very subtle sheen are best because they look the most natural and “naked”. They also need to be a fairly good match to your skin tone. A perfect match is not essential, but a close one is good. I tend to go slightly darker than the skin on my legs, which works well.
I used to think that nude hosiery looked best with dressy skirt and dress outfits, but was proved wrong when visiting Japan in the Spring a few years ago. There wasn’t a bare leg in sight because nude hosiery was worn with ANY outfit. From the dressiest classic and ladylike looks, to the hippest, skimpiest and most fashion-forward outfits.
I wear nude hosiery when I think my dressy skirt or frock outfit looks best with bare legs, but it’s too cold to sport it that way. I don’t go so far as to wear nude hosiery with casual dresses and skirts. Do you wear nude hosiery, or do you think it looks dowdy?
