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Dresses and Skirts

Anonymous

I have expressed my dislike of both on the Forum, but if I am being honest, it is an underlying question that vexes me.

I grew up always wearing hose or nude tights with dresses/skirts. At some point, women started wearing dresses/skirts with bare legs. This never looked right to me in a professional setting. The juxtaposition is jarring to me. I cannot do it. I just can't.

I don't mind wearing hose at all. I find them quite comfortable, but they are so expensive!!!!! I save them for important meetings. And I don't see what I gain by wearing a dress for coolness and then adding hose. It all seems so confusing and contradictory to me.

Thoughts would be appreciated.

Dressing

46 replies

Latest reply was from

Joyce B

Veteran

Wearing a dress with or without hose is fine by me but I agree that in a professional setting it looks best with hose. I recently went to a meeting where one of the speakers who made one of the best presentations was looking fab in a Chanel type dress but she was not wearing hose. I thought the lack of hose took away polish from her outfit, particularly for a presenter coming from a major institution and at a high level meeting. Maybe that is just me, but I thought hose were a needed complement to the outfit for that situation. I would also love to hear what others think about that.

Kathie

Veteran

I wear skirts and dresses frequently, much more than pants. In the winter, I usually wear them with black tights, and occasionally nude-for-me stockings, depending on the occasion. In the summer, it’s bare legs for me, but I also live on the East coast, so I’m dressing for 80+ and humidity.

Toban

Veteran

Skirts and dresses are abundant in my offices (science not corporate) but no hose to be seen. I am quite comfortable with this no-hose look on me and on others. It is very cooling. I do wear Jockey slipshorts under them. Opaque and semi-opaque tights for cooler weather are very common. No solutions other than to adjust your eye to tolerate no hose?

Joyce B

Veteran

For different settings I usually prefer wearing my dresses and skirts with nude color fishnets. They have a soft look and are much more comfortable than pantyhose for sure. Maybe you would enjoy your dresses and skirts with nude fishnets as well?

lyn67

Veteran

My environment is casual enough for wearing skirts and dresses sans hose all spring/summer-I am never cold as I drive my car literally to the doors. For fall/winter wear them with black sheers/opaques-my colder season dresses have neutral dark colors and prints for this reason.

Liz

Veteran

If you want to try to cross this personal barrier, I think the trick would be to pick the right place on the formality/casual spectrum for the dress or skirt. A dress is not inherently "dressed up." Some are as casual or more casual than the t-shirts and sneakers you love to wear. So, if you want to try a dress with bare legs, choose a dress like that, not a formal sheath dress or pencil skirt that one would wear to give a presentation at work. Wear the dress on the weekends, or on the kind of workday when you'd wear a t-shirt and sneakers.

Liesbeth

Veteran

In my ‘circles’ nude hose are a definite no (studied humanities, then a job in a creative industry). Only those ‘invisble’ tanning hose that make your legs look more tan, have I ever seen on anyone under 50. But those are even more fragile and so very bad cost per wear, I just go for bare like most women. I even got a skimpy remark once when an acquintance noticed my wearing nude nylon socks under trousers (with shoes that were otherwise uncomfortable. So it may be different in different countries and contexts, but all in all I think the times they are a-changing.
(Black or colored hose are still completely accepted though)

Liesbeth

Veteran

Sorry, my thoughts were probably not helpful. If I were you I’d stick with trousers in a professional setting or skirts with black hose in the colder months. If you don’t like to spend on nude hose and don’t like to not wear them, then stick with smart trousers, they can be a great signature look.

Anonymous

I think you all summed it for me well. My eye certainly has not adjusted to the juxtaposition between professional polish and bare legs. I have no qualms about others doing it, if they are comfortable, I personally cannot make peace with it. So I continue to buy and wear hose. Wearing great trousers is my solution.

Bijou

Veteran

In hot weather I wear dresses with sandals and no hose. However, if I wear a closed in shoe, I tend to wear hose. I buy sheer hosiery and find it not warm, especially in an office environment where it is air conditioned. As for the cost... I see it as just part of the cost of going to work, similar to paying for parking. I feel great in my dresses, so a bit of money on hosiery is fine with me.

Sara L.

Veteran

Women wear lots of dresses and skirts here, but I can't remember the last time I saw someone wear hose. It's definitely not the norm. Tights are common in the winter though.

jussie

Veteran

Hmm my thoughts here are that wearing a polished, fairly dressy professional outfit does still call for stockings. However so many workplaces have a less formal dress code now so therefore naked legs is quite acceptable in many places. So what I’m saying is if your outfits are very polished and structured I think nude or sheer black hose is still the way to go at work. For casual summer wear definitely not though. However as someone mentioned black or colored opaque hose is on trend for casual during autumn/winter.

citygirldc

(website)

Veteran

I have stopped wearing hose in the summer months. Frankly, I feel very constricted and always tend to get a run that same day I wear them. However, I do wear tights in the winter time.

JAileen

Veteran

I always wore stockings with dresses and skirts. Even when I lived in Houston. Now that I don’t have a job, I like wearing dresses in summer without stockings. In winter, I probably would.

I used to wear Hanes Silk Reflections control top. I would buy them when they went on sale. I had several pairs still in their packages and I tried them on recently, and the elastic failed. It was the worst feeling as they rolled down.

LaPed

Veteran

I'm fine with bare legs under a skirt/dress in any setting where it would be acceptable for men to wear shorts.

Anonymous

I genuinely don't mind wearing hose in the summer (black tights in the winter). I think I mind the expense. I tried cheaper brands, but they usually ran after one wearing. The ones from Nordstrom seem to stand up to multiple wearings (which is good).

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I think (for me) it depends on how the legs look without hose. If you have great legs and skin, then I think you can pull off the "no hose" look.

Anonymous

WOW. I think LaP summed it up perfectly. I didn't even realize that I thought that way, but I DO. That is exactly why I find this subject so disconcerting. I see so many women dressing casually in business settings. In contrast, the men are still wearing suits and ties. It is a disconnect in my brain.

Anonymous

I thought I was on team skirt, just because they are easier to fit, but, as you say, the ease of dresses can’t be beat. I even like belted dresses: I can choose where the belt goes.

You recently advised me to keep a size larger in a dress than I normally would have chosen. That was great advise, as the shoulder and décolletage area hangs much better on me than a smaller size. This was counter-intuitive, as I always try to dress my small bust.

The reason i bring this up is because it really pays to try on a few sizes.

I like dresses so much i am considering moving to them for winter as well. Hello tall boots!

Katerina

Veteran

Sterling, I totally understand how you feel. When I wear skirts it is almost always wintertime when I can add tall boots, opaque tights etc. I don´t like wearing skirts with bare legs. My legs are very pale and I don´t like sunbathing - so they usually stay very pale during the summer too. Plus they are not my favourite feature, IYKWIM. I don´t really manage to use self-tanning products successfully either, my attempts end up all wrong. I like to use very thin sheer hose sometimes, but when I can choose, I always choose trousers...
Now, I bought three summer dresses to wear this year - only wore one of them so far (with hose and with trousers :-)). So I will see how it all goes

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I also agree with LaP - it does feel out of place to have a women looking overly casual next to a man in a suit in a business setting. I don't think dressing casually in an office where most people are not dressing casually is ever a great idea for upward mobility.

Toban

Veteran

I agree with texstyle and LaP about matching the environment, especially for upward mobility. That said, almost all places I see men in suits, I will also see men dressed in business casual and no one looks twice at them. So the juxtaposition is not only between men and women but within genders. I work within an scientific environment that expects us to dress for the day that we have scheduled. So most days are internal meetings where the casual side is acceptable. When outside visitors come, the key meeting people (ie hosts and visitors, but not all attendees) take it up one notch to business casual, and when one is giving a formal talk, both male and female speakers will likely be the most corporate (but plainly) dressed of the group and attendees will be everywhere along the continuum. We end up interpreting it at our discretion and being very open to others defining it for themselves. If anything, the more formal we get, the more crisp but less attention-getting the better as we are supposed to make impressions by our ideas and accomplishments and not ever by our clothing. For meetings (beyond my work group) and speaking events my own internal guidance has a minimum expectation of shoulders covered, with arm covering toppers for events where I want to convey authority. This long-winded description really is to say that even at my very most formal, I don’t use hose unless my shoes are uncomfortable without it. I don’t know if it’s culture, environment or age? I find our differences fascinating.

Ultimately, as individuals we have to find our comfort levels. And if you are uncomfortable without hose and thus wear trousers that’s fine. I am so appreciative of the flexibility of clothing in our work places now.

Colette

Veteran

I wear panty hose with skirts and dresses when the weather and occasion dictate. I simply do not understand bare legs in freezing temperatures. But, the expense is real. I used to have a line item in my budget just for panty hose when I worked in an office with a corporate dress code.

AndiB

Veteran

I sort of love hose (I'm over 50, and in my early professional years, mid 80's to 90's, we were all still wearing them.) I don't really wear them very much, except, as has been noted, when I really want a polished look. I will say, and I only think of this as I read Angie's blog from today about skirts and dresses, the advent of longer midi dresses, especially for work, has opened up a whole new world of not worrying about bare legs in office environment.

I too have picked up several new dresses this season, and without fail they are longer, so I'm good with no hose as my legs are quite covered. Skirts? I've always worn pencil skirts as part of my business look, but i now realize I love them in the winter with tights and boots and don't wear them much in the summer because it IS too much leg. I am an executive director of a non profit, and while my in office wardrobe can skew biz casual, when I am out at meetings, I dress very professionally. Now dresses, more skirts before. And I see now it is about the hose! thanks for helping me make this connection.

AndiB

Veteran

Here in finds below are some of the dresses I've picked up this year. the boden blue and white - an Angie pick! - is such a great dress. substantial jersey, doesn't cling but fits. The solid blue dress is similar to another Boden dress which is no longer available, but the one I have has same longer flared skirt, but blousey long sleeves. I love that too, though most of these have very low cut v necklines. I don't really like to wear a cami under the v of a dress - seems too 80's to me, haha!

Another is this Michael Kors I got to wear for my daughter's college graduation. https://www.michaelkors.com/pr.....Explode=tr No find available on the MK site

All long enough to wear without hose!

Kassidy Jersey Dress

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Vanessa Jersey Dress

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AndiB

Veteran

oh, and I really love the Boden (first find below) but fear the neckline will be too low. I adored the second striped one from Angie's blog the other day, ordered it (and being from Nordies arrived, like, immediately! right?) Just didn't fit right. and REALLY long, even with heels. so back it goes. we'll see about the Boden.

So I didn't weigh in on the blog today, but I too am really loving the dresses and am feeling kind of tired of skirts. it might be the hose thing tho!

Lily Jersey Dress

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3

Charles Henry Knot Front Maxi Dress

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Peri

Veteran

No solutions, just that I completely agree with you and have always had the same questions. In addition, shoes...the kind of shoes worn with a polished, professional type dress are (well, uncomfortable enough anyway) awful without hose, and I've never found footies that stand up to a day of wear. Not to mention the grossness of putting bare feet in shoes all day over time. Some people may cringe at the supposed (artificial) datedness of hose, but I cringe at the awfulness of bare feet shoved into pumps. Why are women expected to do all these ridiculous things?

hgr

Very interesting topic. I work in a casual environment. I used to wear hosiery every day with skirts and dresses ( I can't believe how much money I spent way back just on hosiery!!!). I now wear pants, skirts and dresses on the job. I only wear hosiery/opaque stockings in the winter. I work in a building without a/c. and wearing hosiery in this environment is very challenging. I also have very visible varicose veins on both sides of my knees and as a result I wear midi length skirts/dresses. I think bare legs are fine if you look "presentable", but we all (including myself) have different opinions on what looks good and what does not look good. I have never worked in a corporate environment but I would imagine that the dress code is stricter than mine. I think your feelings are very normal.

kkards

Veteran

hmmmm...Sterling, i agree re price of nylons....back in the day, when they were required i was buying at least 2 pairs a month, and of course the drugstore brands never fit...i was soooo excited when dress codes moved to nylons not requried....
i want to add that i dont see going bare legged in a professional setting any differently then going bare armed...
@ peri....i think its a really personal thing...i find that bare feet in pumps is really comfortable and allows my feet to breath...but i will also say, that 90% of my shoes are leather with leather lining, and i do think that it makes a difference...

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