Do You Wear Nylons? - YouLookFab Forum

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Dressing

Do You Wear Nylons?

Anonymous

I have to post this. I was just reading an article about some fashion *rules* on WNTW. I used to like that show, but then I found them to be so.................
Anyway, They HATE hosiery/nylons on that show. Now, I TOTALLY understand the whole sweaty, waistband rolling down, constricting, uncomfortable, run the first time you wear them, blasted things!!!! I GET THAT. But sometimes we have to suffer to look good...don't tell me you don't suffer in a lot of other ways for fashion! Now I can get away without wearing them when I have a longer skirt or dress on, and I would only wear them for church or dressy occasions anyway. But this whole nude leg thing really irritates me. Why is it a *rule* to have bare legs? I have a few gnat bites on my legs (thank you, Mississippi). My calves aren't all that toned (what, am I the only one?) I am very pale skinned (like Nicole Kidman) unless I use self-tanner, which I sometimes do. I am beginning to develop varicose veins on the sides of my knees (thank you, 5 pregnancies). So tell me, WHY does the world want to see these things??? Honestly, if you saw them you would TELL me to go home and put on a pair of nylons, for crying out loud!!!!! I have some dignity, after all! I get so grossed out by women whose cellulite is being flashed all over town, just plain ugly legs, razor burn... most women's legs aren't in perfect shape (if your honest you'll admit it!!!) So why are stylists so insistent that we bare it all? I can't stand wearing a fancy outfit and having these bare, blemished legs ruining the whole look. It's such an unfinished and immature look to me, like those female interns who thought it was perfectly acceptable to wear flip flops to the White House! Of course Stacy London can get away with it with her toothpick sculpted legs, so she thinks we all need to get on board. Who's on my side anyway?

Dressing

25 replies

Latest reply was from Maya

Cilleena

Veteran

I'm with you SC! My legs are white, white and I have broken veins from having 4 babies and genetics. By the end of the summer, I don't mind bare legs so much and I hate the feel of hosiery. But at the transition from winter to spring, yes give me some hose please. Sounds like nude microfishnets are acceptable though.

HeleenH

Veteran

No way. I wear tights, socks or bare feet. My nylons are reserved for occasions like weddings and other official activities.

amyreh

(website)

Veteran

It's funny, I am 28 years old and definitely not a nylon wearer, but it has taken me years to get my Mom to stop wearing them! I think that she thought her legs looked a whole lot worse than they really did, she has age spots and such, but overall, I thought the nylons didn't make much of a difference, and really limited footwear choices. If you are going to wear nude nylons, I think they should never be worn with any kind of a sandal. I don't think Stacy and Clinton would object to a nice opaque tight, a nude fishnet, or a sheer black stocking for a more formal event if done correctly however. I think it is really the basic nude or "suntan" stockings they are hating on, as there are more modern forms of hosiery available.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Plain nude colored nylons just look old fashioned to me. Try a nude micro fishnet instead.

MsMary

Veteran

I felt like you for years, but I finally realized that fashion has passed the nude/suntan nylon look by, and any benefit I was getting from having my flaws smoothed out/covered up was more than outweighed by the fact that wearing those nylons was making me look older and frumpy.

These days I wear bare legs with self-tanner, or tights, or my favorite -- nude colored fishnets.

Girl X

(website)

Veteran

I never wear them, but I never thought there was a 'rule' against wearing them. I've seen them on other people - even with casual outfits - and it can look gorgeous. If you want to wear them - then wear them!

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

It is only the nude or suntan sheer hose that are out of style right now. Sheers in colors, opaque tights, patterned tights or nude fishnets or micro-mesh are all excellent alternatives. I wore nude Hue micromesh today with a skirt. I find the Hue ones to be my favorites and they are fairly easy to find.

anna

I hear you, and I have been wondering what to do for work. Bare legs are not acceptable at my workplace. What to do in the summer if I want to wear a dress ? In winter it would work with tights. Are colored hose acceptable ? Must they be opaque ?

Anonymous

I don't wear fishnets of any kind or color...I'm not going to get into the why's on that. I do wear tights and patterned black hose in winter, not so much the summer, and NEVER colored. I just can't see the problem with wearing nude (nude for me is oatmeal, I AM THAT FAIR SKINNED!) nylons. You can't see them, they look like my skin (minus the veins, bumps, bruises....) I would never think of wearing them with open toed shoes or sandals, and I go bare legged with casual clothing. It's the more dressed up days that I'm talking about.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I am just between generations of nylon wearers and non wearers I think, at 40. I actually HAD to wear them working a second job at Carrow's restaurant in the early 90's as part of our uniform. Horrible. Running around on your feet and bending down all the time for various job duties was bad enough - add itchy nylons and polyester green shorts to the equation - ugh! Since my job in the conservative world of insurance in the late 80's, I have only worn them of my own volition with a select few occasion dresses that needed the extra control. But then I found shaper shorts that do the same without the leg covering and that was it for the nylons! I still have one pair just in case along with one pair of black tights. Period. And I haven't worn either in 10 years.

Beth

Veteran

I don't wear them either. I prefer nude micronets or nothing at all. This time of year is tricky though, so if I'm not wearing the micronets, I'm wearing pants until I get a little color on my legs.

In the five trillion pics of Kate Middleton out there, I've often seen her with what looks like nude hose on. They look much better than nude hose usually do...either she's wearing the perfect color or the UK makes better nude hose than the US does.

Mamapicklejuice

Veteran

Honestly, I think any nylons with sandals (even patterned nylons) look a bit 'mature.' I much prefer nylons with pumps/heels and sandals with bare legs.

I'm no longer a fan of plain nude hose - it does look dated to me. There are so many interesting patterns available these days!

qfbrenda

Veteran

Wear them if you want to. The fashion police won't be arresting you any time soon. But they are out of style just like the tall hair of the 80s, or whatever other thing of fashion/style you want to pick that used to be considered acceptable and now is frowned upon by many. [shrugging]

And no, I don't wear nude hose. I'm betting your legs aren't as bad as you think. I'm about as pale as you and have some veins too, and figure that's just the way it is. I'm not worried about what others might think of my calves. I've seen worse ones walking around.

Before the weather gets hot, I would wear boots sans hose with skirts or dresses. They cover up a lot of the leg.

nicoleb

(website)

Veteran

I'm with chewyspaghetti -- i won't wear nylons ever but i do love nude fishnets

Diana

Veteran

I personally don't wear them because I think they're dreadfully uncomfortable in the summer and, in the winter, I prefer black or colored tights, but if it makes you more comfortable, why not? I don't think there is anything wrong aesthetically with nude nylons per se, as long as they are not worn with open toe shoes. I do think it looks ridiculous when women choose "suntan" colored nylons when the rest of their skin is several shades lighter - if you want to wear nude hose, make sure it's really nude colored!

Queen Mum

Veteran

I havent' worn hose in over 10 years.
Personally, I find them a dated look, but that is just me.

Barbara

Veteran

Heck no. Not unless I attend a wedding, graduation or funeral.

I do wear opaque tights in the fall and winter, though.

crazyone

Veteran

shabbychick, why can't you wear something like this? (not necessarily this pair, but this is the idea)

http://www.coccolareboutique.c.....38;cat_id=

This is a more modern look than plain nude tights.

Kristine

Veteran

I think the nicer quality nylons look fine (more silky and translucent as opposed to grainy or opaque). I'm not entirely comfortable with bare legs at work unless my skirt is knee length or below. But I wear nude fishnets, they're very comfortable and have a nice texture. I also have a pair of nude colored nylons with a pattern, unfortunately they ran the first time I wore them. I think there are modern versions, but I also don't think there's anything wrong with wearing regular nylons if that's your preference!

Jenna S.

I'm in a bit of a quandary over this one. I'm 21 years old, but I've worked in professional office spaces since I was a 17-year-old intern. I don't wear nylons (I usually call them nude hose/tights) in most situations. However, I do sometimes employ them in professional settings when I'm wearing a skirt that hits at my knee or a little shorter (though I try not to go too much shorter). I am very fair, but I try to wear hose that are on the fairly sheer side and not darker than my skintone so they look natural.

Generally, the rule is that if I'm not sure whether or not I should wear them, I will. I find it's best to err on the side of professionalism, and a lot of the women I've worked with are sticklers for hose (and when I was a teen, it wasn't considered rude for them to comment that they appreciated that I wore them, even though a lot of younger people don't). If I don't wear them, I sometimes just let my legs go, flaws and all. I sometimes put a little concealer on my legs in select shadowy spots for professional settings where I don't wear hose (I'm klutzy and heal poorly, so I scar easily), but I really don't think people are spending too much time dissecting what my shins look like, to be honest.

Oh, and I will never wear hose if I'm working in a very hot setting, wearing open-toed shoes, or just attending a formal (not professional) event, like a wedding.

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

I just posted this question last week and the answer was a resounding NO!
I guess it's time to update my winter dress style.

Steph

Veteran

I don't have a problem when someone wears nude hose that match her skin (as opposed to someone who is very pale and wearing suntan hose, which looks obviously fake). Some people are more comfortable in hose, and others aren't, so I say to each her own. Personally, I avoid nude hose if I can, but there are professional situations where I have to wear them (going to court as an attorney, for example, or in a law firm interview).

I do encourage everyone to love the parts of their body that might not seem as perfect as others. I see a lot of people hating their pale skin, but I am of the opinion that no one should ever feel embarrassed of, or a need to apologize for, her skin color. Same with the veins and marks and everything else! But if you don't want to show them, it's fine not to as well.

londonkiwi (now back in NZ)

Veteran

Angie did a blog about this last year - http://youlookfab.com/2010/05/.....ay-or-nay/

To be honest I think that for day to day wear most people look better without them. This is because they are so hard to do right. However, if needs must I think that this is one area where splashing some extra cash on a very sheer pair that matches you skin tone is worthwhile - which is I am sure what Kate Middleton does.

Anonymous

Yes, mine are certainly the sheerest of sheer, and never scratchy! It's so interesting to get everyone's take....

Maya

Veteran

I don't like nude hose because it never just "disappears" to my eye. I can always see the finish and it just looks dowdy to me, not to mention it's really hard to find a perfect match for your skin tone. If it does genuinely disappear, that's fine. How can it be a fashion don't if you can't even tell it's there? But I don't think it's that hard to tell.

Nude micro fishnets are nice in theory, but I can't find any that work with my skin tone. From far away, they just look like regular nude nylons and just make my skin look ashen and dull. I stick to wearing opaques, decorative hose, or nothing at all.