sheer dread or delight?
Friday, May 11, 2007
It's Friday again and fashion questions have been piling up. As you can see, Ruth Furtado, a wonderful and talented graphic artist who helps me with all kinds of graphics, was patient enough to tweak my new Friday logo a million different ways. This is what we finally came up with (at least so far). I'd love to hear any comments or feedback you have on the new graphic.
And now, on to the questions for today:
Is there a hard and fast rule on panty hose in Los Angeles? None of the stars ever seem to wear them no matter how cold it is.
mj: I would go as far as to say that pantyhose in Los Angeles is a fashion-don't. The sunny weather and availability of self-tanner makes pantyhose obsolete. And you are right about the celebs--I attend at least one red carpet event every week and have yet to see pantyhose (the nude kind) on any starlet.
That said, certain conservative offices require pantyhose with dresses and skirts. If you work in a very corporate environment, for example, legal, accounting, etc. and need to wear the dreaded pantyhose, there are still ways to keep your look updated and chic.
To avoid the tacky 70s rendition of pantyhose, chose a noticeably darker or lighter color than your skintone, i.e., cream, very pale pastels, dark brown, and dark black. If you're wearing an expensive Armani suit, do not try and save money on pantyhose! The more expensive brands like Wolford and La Perla have a beautiful sexy sheen and can make or break your look. Maybe it's just a personal preference, but I'm not big on large patterned hose. Small patterns are much less likely to clash with your outfits and they look more expensive.
Just to be clear, the cardinal sin of pantyhose is to wear them with open-toe shoes--and yes, even hose with peep-toe shoes is a huge fashion faux-pas.
If you work in a less conservative atmosphere, you can avoid the complicated nuances of sheer hosiery completely with opaque colored tights.
I should also mention that shiny black tights are going to be a must-have for fall; they were seen on every major runway and this is a trend that will definitely translate to real life.
Are fishnets, nude, not black (duh) appropriate for the corporate world? Also, is it true that fishnets are "in", conversely, are they ever really "out"?
mj: I know some guys think they're hot, but I also know some guys who think only ladies of the night should wear them, so you're pushing the envelope if you decide to wear them in a conservative environment. I think they can pass in the corporate world as long as you chose a very small net, in a soft netural color like nude--unlike pantyhose, nude fishnets are hip. Keep in mind that any stocking that has a medium to large pattern, whether it's fishnet or other, is going to be distracting and inappropriate in a corporate environment. Personally, I've never liked fishnets, they always feel like they're falling down plus they leave little rectangles on your butt if you sit down in them too long. However, Spanx genius, Sara Blakely, has come out with a control top fishnet that not only shapes you under your tightest skirts, but also avoids the grid-on-the-bum syndrome. You can order them in nude, black, and chocolate here. Other good sites for stockings are www.stockingirl.com and www.bareneccesities.com.
Pantyhose/Fishnet Tips:
1) Cardinal Sin: never wear hose or fishnets with open toe sandals, not even your cutest peep-toes!
2) Pale bare legs can be beautiful, just keep them moisturized. For a special occasion try a lotion or cream that has a little sparkle in it. So much more comfortable than wearing hose!
3) You will always look fine in pantyhose if you wear a color noticeably lighter or darker than your skintone.
4) Fishnets can pass in the office as long as they are very small mesh and very pale or nude. Try and avoid seams if you are (hopefully) going for an upscale look.
Have a great weekend! I am working on incentives to motiviate you to share your most pressing fashion questions here at Trust Your Style, so please send any and all Fashion Questions to me at mjm@maryjomatsumoto.com
Labels: barenecceesities.com, Sara Blakely, Spanx, stockingirl.com
posted by Mary Jo at TrustYourStyle at
Friday, May 11, 2007
I'm Mary Jo, a handbag designer living in sunny California. TrustYourStyle is where I share inspiration and connect with other style lovers. Did I mention I celebrate 
14 Comments:
Mary Jo, what has this world come to with this bare leg trend. I am am a straight male in his 20's that lives in a major metro area. While I may be able to agree from the point women make of comfort being a factor, I don't think that a bare leg is at all more attractive than a leg with a high quality hose on it. Let alone the unfinished look it gives when a bare foot is inside a $500+ pair of shoes. To me and it just gives the appearance of laziness and rebellion. Although the fashions may not have been the best looking back at the 80's and early 90's, the look of a woman dressed in a nice skirt or dress with hose, looked much more appealing than the bare leg look in todays world. It's not only women. I am appaled at the dress codes being used even in banking centers. Men without ties, bare legs with skirts. Come on ladies, and men, let put on the hose and neck ties and start looking respectable and professional again. Regards.
Thank you, I appreciate your courtesy since so many of the comments on this post were so rude I couldn't publish them! I understand what you're saying about a bare foot inside an expensive pair of shoes and agree, except when it comes to open-toed shoes, otherwise known as sandals. I saw the most horrifying fashion don't of the decade at Oxford last year--nude pantyhose worn with open-toe shoes, the seams at the toes showing and buckling all over the front of the shoe--worn by a presenter in February! (Oxford is freezing in Feb!) Moral of the story: if it's that cold, please spring for a pair of closed-toe shoes. I agree with you about people not dressing professionally, but I also think that fashion needs to be taken into consideration. Fashion reflects the mood of the times. In general, we are a more health conscious society now and skin is "in". I still feel that bare legs can look fine if it's done in the right way. I also love a great pair of tights (as long as they're not tacky semi-sheer nude) so please don't think I'm a pantyhose basher!
Thanks again for your comment.
I'm sorry but you're wrong about colored tights... they even look childish on teenagers. Sheer, flesh colored hose look classy and professional. They give legs a softer appearance, and hide blemishes to give a feminine look of perfection. I agree that they aren't fashionable with open toed shoes, but trust me, men won't mind at all.
Sheer hose is the only way to go. I'm a 29/m and I can tell you there is a night and day difference bewteen a woman wearing hose and bare legs by far. Hose makes them look sexier, classier and more upscale just with one piece of clothing. Yes i'm sure the bare legs are more comfortable for woman but come on...........
Mary Jo, I'm an older guy who is from Southern California, and I have seen the no-hose trend come to this area. There was a time when women here wore hose when they were dressed up. Now the Oscars, a black-tie affair, will feature women with bare legs. I am not going to argue fashion with those in the entertainment industry, but what bothers me is seeing the bare leg look in the corporate business world. In my opinion, women who are executives, lawyers, politicians, and even sales/marketing people, who wear as part of their corporate uniform a serious skirt suit with pumps, is underdressed and somewhat unprofessional looking with bare legs. It is akin to the male corporate executive in his expensive suit without a tie.
I absolutely adore the look of high-shine opaque tights (like the catwalk photo), but I'm having trouble locating a pair! Any ideas for websites/brand recommendations?
Thanks! xo
I have to say that I think you're way 'behind the curve' on this one.
Over here in England, we went through a 'barren patch' about 2-3 years ago. However, the situation has now reversed and what we would call tights (which you call pantyhose (your 'tights' we'd call leggings)) are absolutely the latest 'in' trend. Sales are massively up over here and there is renewed interest, especially from the young, many of whom are discovering the benefits of improved leg appearance for the first time. The fasionable magazines here are full of pictures of celebrities wearing them. (See, for example, http://www.tightsplease.co.uk/index.php?page[webcat]=30&view=press which includes (amongst many others) Sarah Jessica Parker in tights ... AND wearing sandals! Notice also, the top 10 sellers at http://www.mytights.com/mytights/findit/topten.html As you can see, sheer 10D are amongst those, as well as some lovely funky fashion prints and coloured pairs too.)
Strictly speaking, they're not really a fashion trend - here they're considered more a 'timeless classic' which happened to take a dip over a few years and people have now realised how inelegant the bare leg look is and reverted to the norm. (The picture at the head of your column demonstrates this very ably - it looks like a line-up for the 'knobbly knees' contest at a 1950s holiday camp! Very unappealing.)
I was at a preview show today in Liverpool (currently midway through its official European Capital of Culture year). It was the show of final year university students in various media subjects demonstrating their final-year project show reels and it was packed with about 150 of the 'trendy young things' (mainly early- to mid-20s) who will be in demand as trendsetters over the next few years.
I'd say about 80% of them were wearing dresses or skirts (a number in the timeless classic 'little black dress'). I was struck by the fact that not a single one of them sported the bare leg look. Every single one was wearing tights (pantyhose). Many wore black or barely black; some wore tan/natural. Most had gloss or sheen finish. All looked absolutely gorgeous. Many were wearing with open-toed shoes too, and nobody collapsed from the shock or shame! ;-)
So, as you can see, you could do with catching up over there and rediscovering the timeless elegance of the hosed leg - I'm sure it will return for you too, so there's a chance that you'll soon look even more 'out of touch' with these negative opinions, some of which are, quite frankly, a bit silly!
PS: In response to the previous poster about where to obtain, although they're UK sites (not sure where you're based), I've used www.mytights.com, www.tightsplease.co.uk and tightsandmore.com
Thanks for your comments, although if you read any of the posts I've written, you'd know I'm a fashion editor AND I personally wear tights all the time + I give lots of examples of women wearing tights and the latest styles + links about where you can buy them. The hoopla seems to be from the pantyhose fetishists who prefer to see women in "nude" stockings. Fabulous for some, but not if you're following fashion. That's all.
Hi Mary Jo. Thanks for your fast reply to my reply! :-)
There may be some terminology confusion going on. When I said that they were all wearing tights, I meant it in the UK sense of the word (i.e. a mixture of what you would term pantyhose as well as your version of tights). I assume the reference to your wearing tights would mean the heavier opaque versions (i.e. the US terminology).
The link I gave for the top ten sales at mytights.com shows that the two best sellers from this major supplier over here are 10D, which I assume to be equivalent to what you're calling 'nude'. (10D is virtually invisible when in a colour that matches the leg.) That's why I think you may be a bit adrift with your radar.
Interesting debate. It just goes to show the truth of the fact that the trouble with 'fashion' is that what's 'in' this year is 'out' next year and what goes around comes around, every few years. My feeling, therefore,is that we should just go with the timeless elegant look or with what we like wearing (for ourselves and those around us) and not take any notice of what people who happen to be 'celebrities' (or the pundits!) are wearing/not wearing .... but that would put you and a lot of designers/suppliers out of a job, so I don't necessarily expect you to agree with that as you'd naturally have a vested interest! Basically, if it's not an extreme garment and looks good on you, whether it's mildly "in" fashion or "out" of fashion, it still looks good on you.
Very shortly after I'd hit 'send' on that last reply, the latest e-bulletin from mytights.com dropped into my inbox, complete with its "Sex & The City" style guide which includes a section on Miranda, thus:
"Miranda epitomises the ambitious working mum lifestyle. Always looking sharp in tailored dresses and simple accessories, with an ultra pale complexion Aristoc’s Ultra Sheer 5D Tights are perfect for everyday wear creating a flawless bare leg look."
Obviously, they sell the Aristoc range but it does illustrate the fact that actually having bare legs is not necessarily the best way to achieve a 'flawless' leg look. Personally, I'm happier with slightly heavier denier as they don't run so easily and I think they still look good but I have been known to indulge in ultra-sheers during the summer months for best appearance.
(Sorry about this being a separate post - if the bulletin had arrived before I sent the last one, I'd have included it there!)
Hello! I'm writing because I've been searching up and down the internet for information on opaque tights but I still haven't found an answer.
Do opaque nude tights exist? Okay, before you cringe and send me away, I need to know because I have a tattoo on my leg and I've recently thought about joining the military.
I've used hose to hide my tattoo before but I won't be able to wear opaque black hose in uniform. I'm not entirely sure I would be treated professionally if I wore sheer nude hose and my tattoo showed through.
I'm trying not to rely on a finite supply of make-up (since it might not always be available) or costly, painful removal because my tattoo means a lot to me.
I'm no fashion expert, so I'm hoping you'll be able to help me find an answer.
Hi, I totally understand your dilemma and know from all my years in ballet that nude and/or flesh-toned tights definitely exist. I checked the danskin.com and they have something called "light-toast" that might work--the microfiber hipster tight sounds like it might be the most comfortable and if it's opaque, will give you the most coverage. Capezio also makes a nude color tight. Amazon.com also offers a women's opaque nylon tights in nude. If you're not adverse to ordering tights from the UK or Europe, and possibly paying a bit more for the exchange rate, I have seen them many times when I've been traveling and also just saw that there are some for sale on the UK ebay. Hope that helps!
Pantyhose covered legs are the only way to go. Bare legs are sooo boring. And if any ladies out there can help me I need some well worn, unwashed nylons (pantyhose, stocking or thigh hi's). pantyhoser123@yahoo.com
Sorry, I am a man and I beg my women to wear nylons and in particular black and in particular with open toe shoes. It's immensely sexy to see pretty toes wrapped together in a see through fashion. Also, given that sure, for a very clean sharp look exposed stockinged feet are not the purist way, I feel that a woman putting in public hosed toes is sharing almost something intimate (in fact most won't do that). And I love that. And I also enjoy seeing men staring at them, it's a game. Also nylon legs look so shiny and soft and silky and when the woman removes the shoe, there's the anticipation to see the foot wrapped, toes together in a soft curve, the scent. I in fact even love reinforced toes the most. And as for the color black, well nothing more than that is linked to elegance and sensuality and the little darker shade lines that it creates on the legs or feet, those little wrinkles on the the soles,well, how boring a world without would be. Femininity, that 's what stockings are, any type. Another layer before you are there.
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