By hosiery, I mean all forms of pantyhose. From the sheerest nudes to the thickest opaques, woolly tights, and everything in between.
Hosiery can look gorgeous with a dress, skirt or pair of shorts. Patterned, solid, neutral, flesh-toned, dark, light, textured, sparkly, matte, sheer or opaque, hosiery adds a finishing touch to your outfit. It can amp up the polish, create textural and pattern-mixed interest, elongate the leg line, visually smooth the skin on the legs, provide contouring support, keep you warm, and look professional.
With all these wonderful attributes, what’s not to love?
Well, top of the list is that hosiery can be very uncomfortable. Tight on the midsection, too short or long in the leg, scratchy, constricting, and made of unbreathable fabric. Then there’s the issue of getting it on, which is generally a time-consuming process, especially when hose has contouring and shaping design features. It’s easier and faster to put on a pair of jeans or trousers. Next is the problem with snagging the hose — and once they’re snagged it’s goodbye hose. It’s infuriating snagging a pair of hose as you’re putting them on for the first time. What a waste. Hosiery can create static cling and cause knitted dresses and skirts to creep up as you stride. And they make going to the loo a mission.
Sometimes, hosiery is thought of as dowdy and unattractive. But that’s a question of styling and finding the right hose for the outfit. The other problems, however, are less easily solved.
I adore hosiery for all the pros I mentioned. I stick to sheer solids and tonal patterns, because to my eye the visual effect is dressier and prettier, which suits my look. I don’t enjoy or wear black opaques. I find them too dark for my style, and they make my lower legs look too narrow. I also don’t wear woolly tights because they remind me of the scratchy stockings I had to wear with my school uniform back in the ‘70s.
As for the cons, I don’t find hosiery that uncomfortable. I quite like the feeling of the compression when I’m wearing a skirt or dress. Maybe that’s because I don’t wear pantyhose that often, so it’s a bit of a novelty when I do. I’ve learned to be patient and careful when I pull them on, and I don’t snag hosiery nearly as much as I used to.
I’m on the “Love” end of the “Love-Hate” continuum. How about you?
