What to wear question - stockings/nylons/tights?

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Having long lived in a society where ladies wore skirts that went down to the ankles, and what we wore underneath was noone's buisness, least of all a man's.

I now find myself confronted with a vast array of choices in the stocking department. If one is wearing, for example, a nice summer dress that exposes one's legs all the way up to the knees - how daring! - what does one put on one's legs?

Does one wear pantyhose, or tights? The difference seems to be opacity. Is there also a difference in comfort on a warm day? Does one wear skin tones, greys, or blacks? Does one wear patterned, or plain? Does one's choice of shoes have a bearing on one's selection? Does one need full stockings, or can one go with thigh highs? Is one expected to shave one's legs? Or can one "get by" by wearing a darker, more opaque pair of pantyhose? And if one is wearing dress pants and shoes, does one need to wear nylons instead of socks?

According to the latest trends....(and I personally don't like this, but it's what everyone is doing) you do not wear stockings or panty hose with open toe shoes. So that's one easy rule.

I wear colored tights depending on the outfit. If I have black on may wear black stockings. Sometimes with patterns, but not so much. That's more for the young and trendy. Sometimes with pastel colors I wear white or off white panty hose, but I'm not sure that's still in style. Other than that I wear stockings that best match my skin color. Nude usually since I'm really white. If you are darker skinned, wear the darker brownish ones.

As far as full panty hose, or thigh high....whatever is most comfortable for you. Thigh high on a warm day may be cooler, but I always got the control top to hold my stomach in and smooth me out.

With dress pants, I wear trouser socks or Knee High Panty hose depending on my shoe. If it's a pump I wear knee high panty hose, if it's open toe, nothing (only to follow the trend) For loafer type shoes, (not pumps or sandals) I wear the trouser socks. I choose the same color as my shoes.

As far as leg shaving. If you can't see it, who cares, right?

I am not a woman but I like a lady in stocking with a guarder belt but thats my own thing.

I know absolutely nothing about fashion, though I wish you the very best of luck, as I am a t shirt and jeans guy.

I don't wear any of them but then I will only wear denium shorts. If I must wear socks (becuase my mother insisted on it because it was supposedly too cold back in Ohio or bare feet would make my shoes stink) they have to have animal patterns or something to do with my special intrests. I would never wear plan socks or something with stripes. Socks always bothered my feet because they made them sweat too much and the seam felt like it was cutting off circulation but my mum said seamless socks were too expensive or that I needed to learn to weart reguar ones. If for some reason I can't wear my shoes with the Gir laces, I wear sandles. People who think I dress weird can go take a hike.

Let me say, it depends where you live.
I will tell you, here in DC in 90 degree heat, there is not many women wearing stockings. Usually women don't wear stockings, as daring as you think this is...it really is not. This of course means regular hair removal (shaving, waxing, epilator, etc).
I will say, I like tights. But those I reserve for spring, winter and fall.

This all gets down to personal prefrence though. If you are wondering I never found pantyhose comfortable compared to tights. It is not just how opaque they are, it is also the fabric quality and blend. Pantyhose tends to be a bit more uncomfortable to me.

As one stated before, if you do wear stockings, please do not wear open toe shoes.

not a woman but personally i think women look more stunning in stockings and garters

The only thing I know is that stockings don't go with open toed shoes. Also, in the summer heat, it's more comfortable not to wear stockings.

I think stockings are classy and complete a look. I hate seeing women at the office with work clothing on (skirt/dresses) and no stockings. It looks incomplete, and the legs don't look as nice. The pantyhose or stockings smooth the legs and make them look very nice. Pasty skin or stubble is really not very nice to look at and not very polished.

I always wore hose with my dresses and skirts, as well as high heels. It just looks great IMHO.

edit- for me, hose are fine when it is hot too. I use thigh highs and I was in the office anyway. Summer weight stockings or silk hose are very nice in the summer.

Thank-you for advice.

I see tights in my future. (But NOT with open toed shoes.)

Is there a difference between a trouser sock and ankle high pantyhose? Or is it just a difference in labelling?

Out of curiousity, why is it that women feel compelled to remove the hair from their legs - in fact talk about it as an "ofcourse?"

Last summer, as a bit of a social experiment, I did not once shave my legs, (and wore shorts,) only once did someone mention "hey, that girl dosen't shave her legs!" as I rode past on my bicycle. Perhaps others noticed, but no one else felt compelled to comment.
I have gathered elsewhere that leg shaving dominates amongst females in North America, but that it is not as common in other parts of the world. It seems strange to me. There seems to be no purpose. It seems to be one of those things we are expected to do because "everyone else is doing it."

This is an area in my life where I've encountered a lot of resistance from others. I love the look of stockings but I absolutely can't stand how they feel against my skin, especially when cheap nylon rubs together. It feels like a shock across my teeth when it happens.

The quality of the materials has improved over time as well as my personal ability to tolerate things better than when I was a child, but I'm that idiot you see running around sockless and stockingless, even in the winter.

Don't even get me started about shoes! LOL!