Taking a poll: do you wear nude hose? - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Dressing

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Taking a poll: do you wear nude hose?

Anonymous

Alright everyone - tell me about how you wear hosiery/tights in the cooler weather months. I'm from the school of nude-hose-is-death-by-frump , taught to me by years of fashion magazine dictum . I have not worn a pair of sheer hose in a decade, probably. But - I'm beginning to think that black/navy/grey opagues (my winter default) can be dark and tired looking too.

What do you wear, and what are your thoughts? Is it an age -influenced thing?

Dressing

63 replies

Latest reply was from JennyK (NC)

Anonymous

I wear skirts rarely and I also believed that fashion rule but princess Kate seems to have changed it. If I wear black skirt I wear black hose but I have grey and navy skirts and I have been playing with coloured tights or nude very fine very good quality hose....and the late 20 something's are too, in my office so I figure it's back in lol

columbine(erin)

Veteran

It depends on the context, for me. At church people do wear it and I do occasionally. I wear it for formal occasions with a knee knee length skirt as well.

catgirl

Veteran

No. I wear tights in winter - it's just too cold.

Joy

Veteran

I wear nude sheer stockings in cool weather for warmth. I look for a color close to my skin tone, sheer and no shininess. I am old and also like them to even out my ski color a bit.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I think I still own a pair but haven't worn them in a while. I don't have formal events very often and I live in a relatively warm climate so they're not needed for warmth.

Elizabeth P

Veteran

I hadn't for years and years, but started to again last year, influenced by ylf. I wanted to wear booties with dresses and skirts, before the temperatures were ready for bare legs. It was more in the spring than winter. I've started wearing more patterned hose in the winter to break up all the heaviness caused by black skirts, hose and boots. My uniform :).

Will be interesting to see what others do, thanks for asking!

Thistle

Veteran

If I am going to brave a skirt in winter, it is with fleece lined tights and shearling lined boots.

In late spring, when I am aching to wear skirts and dresses but it is still not quite warm enough, I will wear nude hose.

bj1111

Veteran

looking for a pair right now. am off to nordies to check out the range of nudes in hanes. i'm looking for an opalescent pale ivory that looks definitely like hose to make it intentional rather than a nude that closely matches my skin tone.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

If I'm actually going to be outdoors for any length of time in winter, nude hose (even layered, as Angie suggests) just won't cut it for me. I need tights.

But if I' m mainly going to be indoors almost the entire time, or it is a mild day, I will wear nude hose. So, like Thistle, I'm more inclined to do it in the early spring -- when I'm craving "light" in general and feel weighed down by opaque darks.

I'll also wear nude hose mid-winter for formal occasions when sheer black or charcoal hose wouldn't look right.

I like patterned hose, too, but they don't always like short-legged me. So I wear those with caution. Coloured hose look a bit clown like on me, alas. Especially with contrasting booties. So typically I default to navy, black, grey, or taupe opaque or near-opaque hose, with booties or boots to match.

If I lived in a more temperate but still not warm climate, like Vancouver's, I would probably wear nude hose a lot more often.

Leaping Lizards

My main non-pants legwear in the dead of winter is leggings (Uniqlo's are just too comfortable!) but I do wear tights/stockings in opaque black/navy/burgundy/grey or semi-sheer black. Sometimes I'll even wear opaque or semi-sheer black tights/stockings with muted color (navy, taupe, burgundy) over-the-knee or knee socks over the top. I don't think I've ever owned nude stockings... well, not since ballet class!

I'd encourage you to give semi-sheer black a try. They're becoming very popular among people my age (late 20s) but look great on all ages.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I'm averse to hose or tights in general. They cut me right in the middle of my high shelf hip, or worse, have to be hiked up to my ribcage. I prefer leggings if I need leg coverings.
The first time I was aware hose were no longer 'in' was moving to FL in 2003 and finding none anywhere no matter how hard I looked.

jackiec

Veteran

You won't see me in a lot of skirts/dresses, but it does happen. I used to be black tights/black sheer only, but over the past couple of years I've morphed to uber nude or nude fishnets. I feel like it's my sexy secret that you really can't tell unless you're up close to me. Ha!

Sal

Veteran

This winter once..but I tend to wear skirts and dresses more in spring and summer and go without.

If they are quality hose I am happy to wear them and think they look good. I also wear black opaque and black patterned tights.

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

I do - in really nude color for me so they pretty much look like bare legs. I prefer them to opaque tights most of the time actually.

rabbit

Veteran

I pretty much wear it all -- very sheer nude hose (with booties), bare legs, tights in patterns, blacks, grays, navies, eggplant, burgundy, brown, leggings, fleece lined, etc. I haven't had much luck with nude hose not immediately getting a run or snag though so I prefer tights or bare legs.

dashielle (Ann)

(website)

Veteran

Not for many many many years! I wear opaque tights and black semi-opaques for dress up. Love sweater tights and even skinny jeans under dresses in Winter, but always go bare in Summer.

Elle

Veteran

Never! Nude hose make me feel frumpy. But for some reason, black tights (sheer & not so) or gray uniqlo leggings feel stylish. Go figure.

Susie

Veteran

For many years, my thoughts on hose mirrored yours and I only wore tights in the winter and bare legs in summer. But in the past year, I've added micro fishnets in black and nude. Just today while planning some outfits, I tried the nude pair with a dress and really preferred the look to bare legs.

Deborah

Veteran

I note you asked me this in your previous post so coming here to respond:)

The truth is I don't wear nude hose very much. I actually googled stylish outfits with nude hose to give you some fab examples but there were some naughty pics amongst those of Kate Middleton looking stunning and it has taken me all morning to cleanse my mind... I may never google anything again lol.

Like you, as I get older I have associations with nude hose BUT there are outfits that just call for nude hose and I will submit. I like a hose that is so light that my legs look bare, and I don't mind hint of shimmer!! And as Angie always says you can always layer a couple of pairs for warmth. I think the tone of nude is really important. I am, like you, a bit of a black opaques and booties girl if wearing a skirt or dress in winter. I think the key to that look (the opaques) is perhaps to lighten up near your face, and keep it streamlined and not too busy on top. I often use my silver jewellery to do that. I tend to think about it in terms of 'balancing' the outfit. I think your outfit was just not quite 'balanced' if that makes sense. I also like there to not be too much difference in the black of the booties and the black of the tights. It may have been the camera but I think you could have gone for a darker heavier opaque tight with those boots.

The blogger Inge featured a while back Bureau of Chic http://www.bureauofchic.com/ wears a lot of opaque tights and ankle boots and as a blonde does it really well. You might find some inspiration from her. She's a 'young un' but we "mature" ladies can always learn something new.

Echo

Veteran

Unless it is unbearably hot and I will be wearing a casual dress, I prefer to wear hosiery of some sort; my legs just look better with something on them. Truly nude hose (nude for the wearer, of course) are virtually invisible unless a person is too close for comfort anyway, and they make my legs look far nicer than they actually are.

In the winter, I still favour black tights, despite it seeming that people are getting tired of them. But nothing makes my legs look better than opaque black tights! For a fancier occasion, I sometimes wear sheer black, but I don't really favour them overall.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

I didn't for years because here were "nude" ones that were chalky & "suntan" that were orange - yikes!!
Angie mentioned “Oroblu” at Nordstrom & bought some in black & nude (they are fishnets but subtle ones) I love them.

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

Ever since this post by Angie, I've been wearing nude hose and not feeling bad about it. I wore them to the YLF cocktail party at Dashielle's recently. I wear them in spring or fall, when I'm feeling that opaque tights are looking too dark or heavy. Like Joy, I appreciate having my skin tone evened out a bit. My preference is to wear nude fishnets, because I think they are more subtle than nude hose. But hose are warmer. I would have worn nude fishnets to the cocktail party, but both pairs of mine were awaiting hand-laundering.
I

Commando 'Very Fine' Fishnet Tights

View Info

Top Pick

3

Oroblu 'Tricot' Fishnet Tights

View Info

Top Pick

5

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

I've been wearing nude and black micro fishnets for a few years now. I think the ones I get are Hue. I wore opaques and heavy black patterned tights but now I see pics of those patterned tights and wonder what I was thinking.

I don't spend much time outside in winter and have a few long coats that cover tall boots so the weather isn't a huge impact. Besides, when it is -40 a pair of opaque tights - even the ones lined in fleece - isn't going to keep me from freezing.

AJ

Veteran

In the winter, I prefer leggings. I really don't find hose or tights comfortable. My dominant season is summer so I go bare legged for most of the year. For the holidays, I prefer black sheer/opaque hosiery.

DonnaF

Veteran

I am of an age when nude hose was a requirement in a professional office. And then they weren't, so I wore black tights (which I've sported since I was a kid) or pants, as I run cold plus bare legs make me feel self-conscious due to old hose habit.

I've OWNED a pair or two or more of hose all along mind you. And have discovered that if you have hose long enough, the elastic at the top gets sticky and deteriorates. Yuck! So this winter, I plan to actually wear nude hose some, in addition to my opaques. No tourniquets (control tops), thank you. I would rather jiggle and look like a sausage than feel like one. I've also decided I want to try nude knee highs rather than opaques or socks, and with the extra room some of my footwear may feel better by the end of the day when my feet have swollen some.

If they're not control top, I don't find hose grossly uncomfortable unless I put them on twisty which usually happens to one leg or the other. I just find their fragility and tendency to go on twisty very annoying. Somehow my navy ones always found the velcro on a tote or something of the sort that I owned. Never the black or charcoal hose; just the navy ones.

As to the frump factor? Well, I AM 61. When it gets too cold for bare legs, I guess I'll put the darn things on and decide how I feel about wearing them outside the house.

Jeanie

Veteran

I remember being relieved when people stopped wearing hose and happily went hose-free for a while. Hose-free is great in the summer but when the weather starts to cool, I want to cover my legs. When it's really cold nothing but tights will do. However, in the fall and spring there are some days I will opt to wear nude hose or nude fishnets. I do not wear control tops as they are way to torturous!

Niki Lea

Veteran

I prefer bare legs to nude hose, but when the cool weather sets in I wear black or grey opaque tights probably two or three times a week. I have such terrible luck with thin hose! They are forever snagging and running on me. Otherwise I'd wear them more often.

Dee

Veteran

I'll wear opaque or semi-sheer black tights when the occasion calls for it (ie, I can't get away with leggings), but not nude hose for many years. I might be open to something like nude fishnets though?

Diana

Veteran

Only with formal or semi formal wear when it's really too cold for bare legs.

I kind of hate hose and tights in general as I find then uncomfortable. Which is too bad bc I really like winter skirt and dress outfits. I will more often wear leggings or sometimes footless tights (with boots and socks, it matters not a whit if the tights have no feet, and they're more comfy that way.). These days the tights are almost always grey or black. I don't find classic nude hose to be warm enough for everyday winter wear anyway. I try to get away with bare legs as much as possible. Thicker opaques are sometimes ok.

12 3