PS @RobinF I have no luck with gels or talcum powder so I used to suffer through summer with slipshorts under my dresses but Bandalettes have been a game changer for me - now I can wear any underwear without worrying about chub rub, lol!

I bought mine according to my thigh measurements & they stay up well - the silicone strip doesn't dig in or cause discomfort (on both the lacy & plain versions) plus I can even get away with wearing just one (not a pair) if it's particularly hot. I hike in mine without issue!

@Stagiaire Fash - thanks for asking the question! I really resonated with people who wear pants at work because skirts were the dress code for so long. I've been there for sure.

I see you sisters with visible purple veins. I think mine are from years of running but I wouldn't change that.

And yes, ever since the fortieth birthday party where we dressed up and no one else did, I've been wary of splashing out too much at an event.

Loved everyone's answers.

That's an interesting question! I often struggle with when to wear my dresses...
I very rarely wear them to work - to the point that, last time I sported one, several colleagues asked if I had some formal meeting to attend.
I enjoy wearing a dress when I go out, to the restaurant or any kind of event. It makes me feel extra-polished!

I found a dress formula that I'm really drawn to. Article by young woman who moved to England and found the U.S. daily wardrobe she brought with her didn't fit in. So she switched to what people around her wore.
She commented about the British uniform of a printed dress beneath a camel coat. Seems to me the dress could be a semi sheer. Here's her example pic. Maybe not the best representation but I liked the inspiration.

Definitely a seasonal thing for me. I'll wear dresses and skirts anywhere and to do anything -- hiking, biking, paddling, gardening, etc -- if it's warm enough for bare legs (for me that's ~75°F). If it's chilly, I'd much rather have my legs covered. Tights and hosiery just aren't as comfortable as pants, and besides, I destroy them.

I have a couple of short, fitted dresses that I like to wear casually over Athleta leggings in cool weather, but in true winter, I need an outer layer on top of my leggings to be warm enough. Also, recess duty taught me that skirts and snowpants do not go together! So Dec/Jan/Feb/Mar, I don't reach for dresses or skirts at all, outside of rare special events.

I wear dresses and skirts year around and for most occasions. In the warmer months, you will rarely find me in a pair of pants unless they are convertible and I'm on a hiking trail, kayaking or biking.

Sorry to post and run. Got into the groove on a work-ish thing & responding to ideas as they came up was too much. (Between ADD & mental deterioration from aging, I really try not to switch gears once I’m in overdrive on something) Looks like y’all had a great conversation in my absence!

Interesting about all the people who don’t like to wear tights at home, and so don’t wear dresses/skirts in the winter. For me the way it’s more likely to go is that I pull on long Johns or leggings to keep warm at home, then am loathe to take them off, even if I have to go out, so I might put a skirt or dress over them or, if they’re the kind I can’t wear out & about, I’ll pop the thing over first, then switch out the lower layer. Sounds like modesty, but is just a losing the shock of cold on my body.

Good luck with your project!
I hear you on the shock of cold. I've been known to do the Flashdance thing of changing clothes under my clothes. Hubby wants to know why I am doing that. To keep my body temperature! Hubby worked outside at an airport for decades - in shorts.

My mother used to say of me as a baby that even the air hurt me.

LaPed, we might be talking about entirely different levels of “cold”. Mine is easily managed with 2 pr tights.

Nuance, funny, because I picture you in my mind wearing smashing pants suits or other outfits with really cool pants.

Vildly, you, easily damaged? What? I love the way your mind works, the connections you make. But I guess that’s far from the topic of physical cold. Thanks for the good wishes for the project. This part is done for now, I’m supposed to be switching onto other things, because I won’t hear back until December.

ETA, just realized this whole comment is me being “off” in some say. Sigh. Such is life with me.

I wear dresses all year round, at home and out. In winter, like you, I like wearing leggings and just pulling a comfortable dress over. I have a Boden sweatshirt dresses that I just about live in winter.

Right now it is autumn in Australia, and especially since I am stuck at home isolating, am really missing a more light weight, but still long sleeve stretchy dress to wear at home.

I don't usually wear dresses (I find them hard to fit), but I wear skirts all year round. Easiest in the summer, with bare legs, but in the winter I wear longer ones that cover the tops of my boots so I don't have to wear tights, which I despise.