I think the nude or a color that would simulate a slight tan, would be good;
going bare legs is great but not all of us have flawless, unmarked legs.

Look for the sheerest nude hose you can find. To me, it's like wearing foundation- invisible but inhancing.
I have very white legs and if I want anything above very casual I either wear longish skirts or nude hose. (Or pants of course) But never hose with sandals...it does get complicated!

I stopped wearing hose a few years ago because they just annoyed me to no end. I didn't really think about it until I read this, but I have not seen many women wearing hose recently! If you really hate wearing hose, there is that spray on coloring now. I guess it works kind of like airbrush foundation. It is suppose to be smudge proof and water proof. There are several brands available at one of our local supermarkets, and it comes in different colors so you can match your skin tone. I bought some to try, but I haven't tried it yet. I have a lot of allergy problems and I'm afraid my legs will end up covered in a rash.

To be honest, I rarely wear hose now, only for formal occasions. As I got closer and closer to 40 I realized that what someone else thinks about my legs (yes they are pale, so pale you can see the veins through the skin!) is not nearly as important as the fact that they are strong. I wear skirts, just grazing or just below the knee every day, and if anyone has ever noticed that my legs aren't pretty, they never said a word. You just have to watch the color of the skirt, I cannot wear pale blue, pale green, or lavender because these colors make my veins really obvious which I don't like. Enjoy your new dress, brown seems to be very in this season. I've purchased four dresses this summer, two of the are brown!

I work at a department store and the only people I ever see buying hose are likely to have retired already. There is the occasional 40+ woman but they always seem to have an older attitude about themselves.
If you're more comfortable in hose, however, get some! If you're not comfortable with your legs showing then it's not worth following the trend and going bare. They do make a cleaning solution that is supposed to strengthen your hose and all of my regular hose-wearers swear by it! Ask your department store for a pantyhose cleaner in a purple bottle-I know JC Penney sells it.

The only time I wear hose is if I HAVE to be dressed up in a dress or skirt and it's COLD outside and I'm wearing closed shoes. Otherwise I go barelegged with a pedicure and a bit of leg color. I tan easily, so an hour in the sun for two days browns me right up anyway. I'm 51 and all of me looks it, including my vein-y legs.

Mostly I wear dressy pants in cold weather.

I know I must be in the minority here, but I just turned 40 years old and I still wear pantyhose all the time including five days a week to the office. Don't get me wrong, I think the bare leg look has its place, but I think it is very tacky to not wear pantyhose when you are wearing a nice dress or skirt with heels. Pantyhose are like foundation for your legs. They give your legs a more smooth and polished look and feel. I would never get all dressed up and not wear them. I wear Hanes Silk Reflections (travel buff sandalfoot is the color and style) and they match most of my outfits just fine. Oh, and I also have been known to wear pantyhose with my strappy heeled sandals as well and they look great together. Those who say sandals with pantyhose are taboo don't know what they are talking about. You do what you feel most comfortable with, but don't feel like you have to follow the crowd. Just because it seems no one else is wearing them, doesn't mean you have to go that route too.

I must agree with nancy7. I work full time in an office as an administrative assistant and while I don't wear skirts everyday, I am never without hose. Oh, and I'm 27. I grew up with a mother who never went without hose and always insisted that her daughters wear tights whenever they wore dresses in public. That being said, as I grew older I felt naked without them. Of course today, I seem to be in the minority, especially amongst the girls around the office. I have been asked on more than one occasion how I can stand to wear hose as they are so uncomfortable. Several of the girls at work have professed their hate of hosiery to me. My answer is always this: find the right brand and size and you'll never be uncomfortable again. Sure, some hose don't feel right, but if you stop lying to yourself and get the right size, the hose will feel great. And buying the right brand is key too. While I do own several pairs of Haines Sheer Energy, the brand I buy most often are Wolfords. They are quite a bit more expensive than your average Hains or L'eggs brands, but you get what you pay for. I have 6 or 7 pairs that I've had for over 4 years that I can still wear to work as they have no runs and look as great as the day I bought them. But like I said, they can be expensive, $50. for some pairs, but they are worth the price. I buy mine on Ebay as they are usually quite a bit cheaper that way.
As as far as looks, pantyhose eliminate the pantylines on skirts/dresses if you wear them without panties. Also (and I know this is not why you asked the question in the first place), I find that around the office and when I go clubbing with friends, I get more attention from guys than do the girls with bear legs. I have a grey, above the knee skirt that I wear out to bars with sheer black hose and I always seem to be the center of attention. My friends can never figure it out. They just don't seem to understand that it's the hose.

Unfoutunately the saying "Nothing beats a great pair of Leggs" seems to have been forgotten .The the truth is (at least from a male point of view )pantyhose make a woman's legs look so much nicer than bare legs , no matter how tan your legs are .
There is nothing wrong with dressiing with a little class ,forget about what the fashion trend-setters are saying and wear hose if you think they will look nice for you.

I agree totally with lanner. It makes me happy to know that I am not the only woman left who still likes wearing pantyhose. Although I wear Hanes Silk Reflections most of the time, I too have worn Wolfords in the past. It is true, you do get what you pay for. Some pantyhose brands will last much longer than others. I just do not understand why some women think pantyhose are uncomfortable to wear. While I havn't been clubbing for quite some time, I do venture out on the weekends once in awhile and I find that what lanner says is very true. Guys notice women who wear pantyhose a lot more than they do when they go out with bare legs. I was out with a girlfriend of mine not too long ago in a little black dress that I wear with sheer black pantyhose with my black strappy sandals and although she had on a nice dress as well, she went without pantyhose and got far less noticed. Sorry for rambling on here but pantyhose do make a difference.

I work in corporate America and wear pantyhose with all my knee-length attire, knee-hi hose under pants and long skirts. I like the finished look hose give to my 40+ year-old skin. I've always worn hosiery to the office, even in my youth. When my thighs were younger and thinner, I used to wear elastic band thigh-hi hose in the summer - made me feel sexy.

So Chessy, have you worn the dress to work yet? And if so did you take Nancy's and my advice and wear pantyhose?

If you really want to wear hose, I wouldn't wear dark brown hose in the middle of summer. The browns, blacks are for fall and winter. Pick a light suntan color but be very careful not to chose a pair that are too thick. That is the very worst in the middle of summer - a very heavy pair of hose. Find the sheerest pair available to you.

For those who insist that hose are a must, I digress. I recently attended a country club-type evening wedding reception. Very few women wore hose, even those like myself who are nearing 50. The elderly (70's) were the women wearing the hose. The remainder went with a bit of suntan (either real or self-tanner) and nicely painted toes. Also, pay attention to your footwear. I have seen many a woman ruin a great dress with a bad shoe/sandal.

It isn't mandatory to wear hose for any event. I think every woman should take a good look in the mirror, assess her look/legs objectively and then decide on hose vs. no hose.

In the event you have issues that you would like help with, i.e.; tummy control or little too jiggly thighs, there are many underthings now available to cover those issues. The women I know use a brand called Spanx, and they love the control afforded by that product. I am sure there are many other products that are affordable. The "Spanx" brand may be a bit expensive. Point is, there are underpinnings at all price points for every budget.

Also, despite the feeling we all have that "all eyes are on us", they really aren't. The women who stood out at this recent reception were the women wearing hose which are definitely out of fashion during the summer, save attendance at legal proceeding, should that be your given career.

My feeling is, do what makes you feel good and look your best. I always want to make a nice appearance and wear my clothing in good taste. However, hose are no longer a barometer of whether or not your "look" is a great one. The mandatory hose days are over, thank goodness!

I don't know...I guess it really does depend on your age and how good of shape your legs are in.

I just can't imagine anyone thinking Tina Turner would look better in hose!

Hi lanner! Yes, I did wear the dress and no, I didn't wear the hose! I found a product called Neutrogena Sheer Body Tint, a mousse-type body make up that gives an instant tan. Two layers of that and it was fine! I do think there are occasions where really good quality hose is appropriate. Formal weddings is one. If I worked in an office where it was appropriate for women to wear suits, that would be another. And definitely, if I had some really obvious flaws, like large varicose veins, etc. I would wear hose rather than have my legs bare. My legs aren't perfect (little veins, little spots), but I think the make up did the trick for me. I did buy a couple pair of pantyhose (one suntan, one browner) so I'm prepared!

Well I grew up in a day when you were required to wear hose to work but now I personally think that hose with sandals looks quite tacky! Plus if you are the woman having to wear these most uncomfortable things(especially if it's hot!) you wouldn't want to wear them either! Of course if your legs are horrible then by all means you go ahead and wear them for both our sakes...HAHA!

Well add me to the pro pantyhose side. I don't wear skirts or dresses by choice but if I had to I would not be going bare legged. Just because it's fashion doesn't mean it's attractive. Jiggly, crepey and veiny legs look so much better in hose. Even if you are younger have someone similar in size to yourself model a nice dress with hose on and off. A nice pair of hose is an instant 10 lbs gone and has to be comfier than those long line panti girdles (spannx etc.) the fashion industry has managed to rename body shapers for a new generation of fashionistas.

In my part of the world - Southern California, you are hard-pressed to find women wearing hose for work or any occasion. I've also visit AZ, NV and FL a lot, and women don't wear hose much thereabouts either.

I DO have a pet peeve about feet though. If you are going to wear sandals, especially those ubiquitous flip-flops, please, please, please take the time to groom your feet, LOL!

I usually wear pants and knee hi's. My feet are so uncomfortable without hose.

Interesting topic. I'm 30. I thoroughly despise pantyhose-- uncomfortable and too hot. I always wear skirts or dresses, even when doing heavy housework or exercise. I just make sure all my skirts are a little below mid-calf. This way, I can wear knee-highs or sheer trouser socks, which are much more comfortable. I usually wear a very sheer off-black in summer, since my skin is so pale that even "nude" hose look weirdly orange.

I've never been a huge fan of the bare-legged look with dresses. My mother always used to say that no woman over 24 has any business showing the backs of her knees, hose or no hose. I honestly don't know what the backs of MY knees look like, but having seen a lot of bare legs this summer, I've got to agree.

arkansas girl, you mention hose being uncomfortable. That's one of the major complaints I hear from other women when citing a disdain for pantyhose. I'll repeat my former comment. Find the right size, and your comfort level will increase dramatically. A quality pair of hose that are the proper size will not be uncomfortable in the least. Actually, I've found that a good pair of hose actually feels good. There have been many a night that I've come home from work and changed into a t-shirt and sweatpants and kept my pantyhose on under the sweats because they feel great and are very comfortable and supportive.
And gina w, I totally agree with you. LOL. Please make sure you have nice, groomed, clean feet if you plan to show them.

I still agree totally with you, lanner, and your comments to arkansas girl. Couldn't have said it better myself. Go girl! Like you, I sometimes come home from work and change into my sweats and keep my pantyhose on because they are still so comfortable even after a long day at the office. I've said this before, but pantyhose are very comfortable if you find the right size and the right style for yourself. It's not that difficult and that's exactly what I tell all the other women I meet who say the same thing, and believe me, I meet quite a few.

It is just not HEALTHY to wear panyhose all the time. Any doctor will tell you that.

The pharmaceutical industry is making a mint selling all that fluconazole, ketoconazole, Nizoral, Diflucan, itraconazole, Sporanox, and what not, to women. I would place my health ahead of fashion.

Pantyhose was invented in the late 60's. It was a fashon fad that is over. OVER.

I asked my doctor about health problems from wearing pantyhose, she informed me that if a person was normal size and practiced good hygiene there should be no problems health wise. However if a person was rather large, sweated a lot and didnÂt bathe regularly, there could be some problem.
I also had a sincere discussion with my husband and he informs me that he and other men think women look so much better with hose. He also confided that men make jokes and laugh about how stupid a women looks with bare legs.
I donÂt feel right without hose, I donÂt care what some fashion idiot thinks, nor what some of the "new" feminist says, I am going to wear them.

I'll only wear hose if people can't tell i"m wearing it. Must match my skin tone exactly -

Otherwise it's that "barbie doll" legs syndrome - yuck.

Trublue, your "doctor" needs to get a better education. Tell her about Google. Yeast infections have nothing to do with a woman's "size". Nor does it have anything to do with bathing since you can't wash a yeast infection away. Being diabetic, or pregnant, using certain birth control methods, taking antibiotics and wearing pantyhose or other tight synthetic clothing creats the conditions right for an overgrowth of yeast.

Oh, and I see you just registered today. Welcome to the board.

I spend most of the summer outdoors in capri pants. As a result, my ankles are very freckled. My upper legs are fat and white. I need to wear pantyhose with skirts, and I always pick the lightest, sheerest color I can find, nude or beige or taupe. I can't go barelegged anymore. I'm 55.

My doctor and I "Googled yeast infections" and there was no mention of pantyhose being a cause. There are ways of wearing hose without pantyhose, if you are wearing a long skirt or pants you can use knee highs or thigh highs, either looks alot better than bare legs, which look cheap and trashy.

Keep Googleing. You'll find it on the first pages listed. Here is a link to What iVillage, the owners of this site, have to say about pantyhose:

http://health.ivillage.com/bv/bvyeastinf/0,,hco_8xrn4clp,00.html

Since you 'doctor' did all that Googleing, please show me all the links you and your 'doctor' found that indicate that a woman's, er, uhm, *size* has anything to so with it. Or sweating.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pantyhose and Yeast

Yuck!!!
I think women look like cave woman without pantyhose on when they're wearing that type of outfit.
Pantyhose are a very sexy part of that look. Why do you woman think it looks good?
Save the "no-pantyhose" look for the summer with shorts.

Bring back pantyhose!!!

Here's my two cents from a guy...
1. I think that some of the girls in here are really guys, trying to convince strong-willed women into wearing pantyhose for their own fetish for them. (How do I know? I have a fetish for them too)
2. Is pantyhose out of fashion? Maybe.
3. Is pantyhose a health hazard? Quite possible. I see how it could be a valid statement. Yeast infections are serious and hard to rid.
4. Does hosiery make legs look better? Definitely.
5. If women dressed for men, they would wear hosiery more often. (I prefer stockings on women) But they don't. They dress for other women. If they were unattractive to men, hookers wouldn't wear them. Which is trashy and gives stockings a bad rap btw.
6. (OK, more than two cents) Just do it for us men occasionally. Please. It's appreciated. Wear stockings and a garterbelt because it looks nice, and if done right is classy and frames your body...and men don't mind the lumps and bumps under your dress from the garters within reason. Most men anyway.

Either way, have fun!

Bud - it's not healthy to do ANYTHING all the time, ok? and iVillage is as biased a media outlet as FOX news - just with a different set of prejudices. I think it's great they get their say...but I'm not going to pay them any more mind than I would Starhawk.

and yes - tight panty hose with nylon panties under them will give even a healthy girl a case of the funky bits...but most of us wear breathable panties now, so it's less of a problem than it was in 1980.

now - I hate panty hose...but I love heavy, high dernier tights, and I just don't get the 'hot' issue, much less the 'uncomfortable' - usually from the same women who wear strappy sandals, 'enhancing' bras, and wax their bikini line, which I find far more uncomfortable ;)

and I have to side with the opinionated guy - if full hose are too hot for you, garter and stockings is a reasonable option - but not every outfit needs the formality of them. they look right with pencil skirts because it's been part of the 'look for oh, 60 years? yeah - since my mom was in the typing pool : )

Love both. Pantyhose are uncomfortable only if they are the cheap kind. there is night and day diffence between cheap "nylon" and the more expensice lycra blends...

...like the differnce between a burlap bag and silk.

Spend a little it's worth it. DNYK, VS, and even JCPenney have some nice sheer hose for around $15.

Here is a link that might be useful: Older article about health benefits of hosiery. Interesting to say the least.

The original post is 2 years old now and it seems pantyhose use has continued to decline... I am 46 and live in a northern state with cold winters. Even though I believe pantyhose look better than bare legs, I have compromised and now wear pantyhose in winter, and bare legs in summer. I do not feel comfortable without pantyhose, it feels rather naked. But I feel so out of style when I do wear them.

It was interesting to read than men do like the look of pantyhose better, I never thought about that and wouldn't have guessed it.

I am VERY frustrated with trying to shop for pantyhose, the stores don't stock them much anymore and they never have them in my size (I wear the small size.) Perhaps the larger and queen sizes sell better so they continue to stock them.

Growing up my Mom and Grandmom wouldn't let me out of the house for church or most other outings without hose. Friends would tease me a lttle about always being too "dressed up" and I guess that's more of the M/GM influence of a lady always wearing dresses or skirts. I think I rebelled alot in college because I don't think I ever wore a dress until graduation! (yes I wore pantyhose ) Starting off in the job market I wore hose for years and it wasn't until the last few years that I started to go without for a more casual look. I've always found my shoes, especially heels fit better with hose and still prefer to wear hose for a more professional look. When I was married last year my dressmaker suggested a brocade corset and stockings which were really too much of an indulgence ($$$). I did find torselette (goddess 7101)as an alternative and I wore it to work for a few months leading up to the ceremony. I REALLY loved the stockings vs pantyhose, so much so that I've found I prefer them for even daytime wear with my business suits and most summer dressier looks. I'm a no-hose gal in the evenings and weekends though!

Lori (34)

First, let me say that I am a male who loves to wear pantyhose. I am not ashamed of it. I wear all different colors regardless if I'm wearing shorts, jeans, khaki, or dress pants. I shave my legs so I get the full affect. I don't go a day without them. With that being said, you women are cry babies when it comes to hose. I wear them everyday and don't find them to annoying. I usually wear silkies or hanes silk reflections. I get my CORRECT size ladies. You do that and you won't have a problem with them. I know this seems funny coming from a man. I assure you I'm not gay. So ladies if you like a man in pantyhose reply to this.

Mark, this isn't a dating service, if you are looking for a lady who likes a man in pantyhose this isn't the place to do it.

If barelegged is so great, gals, why do all the Las Vegas showgirls wear hose?

What I admire about the younger women is that they don't care that their legs have flaws, they go barelegged regardless. I, on the other hand, don't feel comfortable doing that. Sally Hansen (the nail polish people) make an amazing leg cover-up that I wear in lieu of pantyhose and I am 53 years old. It sprays on like a self-tanner but it gives dense coverage. Because I don't wear dresses/skirts every day one spray can lasts quite a while. It takes soap and water to get it off but that's ok because it looks more natural than pantyhose and it comes in various shades of "tan". I highly recommend it!

I am in my late 60's and am invited to a formal wedding. My legs are not those of a 20 year old anymore so I will definitely wear nylons. It freaks me out when women have bear legs in the winter with open toe shoes and you know they are freezing to death. I say enough-and consider your age and where you are going......My next problem is I don't know what type dress to wear at all.

I SAY...BRING BACK THE 80S..LOL...WHY CANT U WOMEN UNDERSTAND..THAT US GUYS HATE THE BARE LEGGED..CAVE WOMAN LOOK...PANTYHOSE MAKES U WOMEN LOOK SO CLASSY AND ELEGANT..AND DONT FORGET...SO SEXY...SILKY LEGS IS WHAT US GUYS LIKE ON A WOMEN...I THINK WOMEN GOT LAZY AND JUST THREW ON A SKIRT..BARE LEGGED..EWWW...ANYWAYS...NO WONDER DIVORCE RATES WENT UP SINCE THE 90S...U WOMEN QUIT WEARING PANTYHOSE...WAKE UP WOMEN..US GUYS LIKE U TO WEAR NYLONS..OR PANTYHOSE

PLEASE STOP SHOUTING AT US ABOUT PANTYHOSE! IT IS ANNOYING!!

LOL..YEA RIGHT..WHO CARES MICHELLE

Pretty much everyone on here cares, all capital letters indicates shouting. Please use internet etiquette, and don't come across as a creepy, shouting. online lurker.

I confess to being completely baffled by this question. From my perspective, it's no contest. As Donna Karan once wrote about women and the statement they make to the world thru their fashion: "It all starts with the legs."

When a woman with pretty legs puts on nylons, she transforms herself from an ordinary member of a rather dull species (homo sapiens) into an exotic creature from another planet. That's all it takes, and sorry girls, but nothing does it like nylons. Nothing captures light and sinuous shape like a leg in nylons. Thanks heavens, some young women are starting to figure this out. In contrast to those who are, a starlet in bare legs - especially in a period movie - looks positively ridiculous, and we see it all the time. As Matt Damon said in a movie recently (to a gal in sheer black nylons) "When you wear those, I'm completely defenseless."

Why is it that European women understand this implicitly, yet American women seem so clueless? European women wouldn't be caught dead walking down the Champs Elysee in bare legs. If I see two women walking down the street, one with bare legs, one wearing nylons, there is NO question which one I'm watching. It's a statement about herself, her sexuality that render her one of those exotic creatures.

It's that exotic quality - not nylons per se - that is so powerfully attractive, and nothing conveys that exoticism more definitively than a woman's legs in stockings.

I remember the days when women always wore pantyhose, even under their Levis,r sometimes with shorts,casual, or professional, didn't matter,sorry, but bare legs look horrible on a woman, nothing is sexier than a woman in nice suntan pantyhose, I have even been someplace where they has a legs contest, it was always one wearing pantyhose that won overwhelmingly, does that sound chauvinistic? maybe some may feel that way, but there are things a woman finds darn sexy on a man as well.

I realize that this is an old post, but I just had to add my two cents. I wear tights in the Winter and come Summer, I forgo the tights and nylons and instead use Dermablend on my legs. I don't have perfect legs - not blessed in that category - but with this product, all you need is a light layer and it covers bruises and veins. Your legs look natural. I sometimes add a light layer and then a little bit of bronzer for color. I even brought this product with me on our trip last year to Italy. I wore dresses every single day, a total of 10 dresses, and used this product every day. Try it. It works wonders. I purchased Dermablend for Legs at Ulta.

So sorry to hear about your legs . I wear nude pantyhose. They make me feel sexy ... lol . I can't imagine going without pantyhose especially when wearing a dress or skirt .

It takes getting used to. I sometimes wear nude pantyhose too. I have less than perfect legs and they add a nice sheer quality with some color. I just wear what feels comfortable to me. Should we all do this? :-)

I love that this debate is still going on! i haaaaate the idea of being bare-legged in a professional setting (I'm a therapist) but also feel matronly in hose. I am desperate to find the unicorn pair of nude hose that are comfy and sheer enough to not make me have that weird 2-D sort of look hose can bring, but cover my many leg/skin imperfections and the stray hair.

P.s. I felt officially old the other day when I went to a funeral and almost all of my husband’s chic cousins were bare-legged and I noticed I was slightly scandalized! I had my nearly-black hose on and usually feel fine in them, but that day felt dowdy.