To wear hose...or not to wear hose...

[monakayk]

To wear hose...or not to wear hose...I have personally answered that question for myself once and for all!

I have read so many post on these threads about women who refuse to wear hose (which is their right) during a formal evening-social event because it is considered a fashion faux pas. Even to the point that some women have stated in post that they "laugh at women who wear hose" when they see them. Now those of us who would rather wear hose for various reasons are shocked and worried that some women on cruises & in social events will laugh at us for wearing hose with sandaled/toe-less heels!!!:eek:

Well, this past weekend...while going to a very dressy wedding, I wore a short cocktail dress and toe-less heels. Being in my 50's I have always worn hose when I wear a short dress and heels. Even if the shoes show my toes. So after reading all these recent post about committing a fashion faux pas of wearing hose with any type of heels...I went 'hose-less' at the wedding.

After 1st almost having my legs and feet freeze by the over cooling A/C in the church during the wedding & reception, then later on after dancing half the night away and obtaining several blisters on my 'hose-less' feet, I have come to the ultimate conclusion...that I will be one of those women who will be laughed at for wearing hose with dresses and in toe-less shoes! I NEVER want my my poor feet to endure an evening that horrible again. I will continue to wear hose on my feet and legs to protect them from the elements...so I can enjoy my evening with warm, blister-less feet!

If those women who don't have better things to do than inspect other women's feet/legs to see if they are wearing hose and want to laugh at me....then so be it. I will remain wearing hose when dressing up for an evening forever.

Does anyone else think the same way as I...or am I the only hose-wearing women left on the face of the Earth?:confused:

[Guest carlogesualdo]

You make a really good point. And anyone who would laugh at you just because you choose to wear them is a fool. A while back, I tried to wear the toe-less variety of hose. I ended up clotheslining myself between the toes, if you know what I mean. It's a good compromise, but my feet always end up sliding forward - the hose do not slide with my feet. At the end of the day, the thong doo-hickey between my toes is stretched "about as fer as she kin go..." (a quote from the musical Oklahoma). It's knee-highs for me. If I go without, everyone will smell my feet coming before they see me.:eek:

[RaeVynn]

Some of us weren't born with gorgeous legs!

 

I don't tan, and fake tan looks hideous on me, so I hide the pale, blotchy skin with a nice, subtle layer of hosiery. Dressy shoes, toe-less or not, look better with that elegant touch of hosiery.

 

Now, casual wear, with flat-out sandals, yes, I'll go without hose, but I'm wearing my spanx under there ;)

[muskiefan03]

I really don't care who does and doesn't wear them. But I wouldn't be caught dead in them. They are so uncomfortable and get runs and then look ridiculous anyway. :(

Not for me - I'll show off my sexy legs - thank you very much!! :)

[MiniMom57]

Mona -- I'm with YOU! God didn't give me legs worthy of being bare with dressy clothes, and I'm jealous of those who can "go bare". Plus, being 50+, I too was raised that stockings complete the outfit.

[Kurbanfan]

Hose:confused: Isn't that what you use to water your flowers with:p

Seriously I have not worn them in over 20 years. Not sure why anyone would make fun if others did:confused: But ok.........

[monakayk]

I really don't care who does and doesn't wear them. But I wouldn't be caught dead in them. They are so uncomfortable and get runs and then look ridiculous anyway. :(

Not for me - I'll show off my sexy legs - thank you very much!! :)

 

Muskiefan,

I respect your decision/opinion that you "wouldn't be caught dead in them", but why was it necessary to add that hose "look ridiculous"? A very rude and generalized remark to make on your part.

So I will let those who look at the photos below be the judge:

Hose (1st) or NO Hose (2nd):

 

 

 

Yep, I think I will just stick with the 'hose' look.

[hagerpeople]

Hose lover here! Pantyhose..thigh highs..stockings..love em all!! I like how they feel and look..plus the hubby loves it when I wear them.

 

Three comments:

 

1st - On our last cruise I wore a very nice pair of seamed stockings (Gio's), you would not believe how many men I caught checking out the legs..even a few women.

 

2nd - Hubby and I watch a show called "How its made", they featured pantyhose. The process was kind of interesting, but what I really found interesting is that the manufacture they visited (Hanes I believe) makes 18,000 pairs of pantyhose a day - just pantyhose, not stockings..etc. Someone has to be wearing them besides me..LOL

 

Finally...I don't understand people who say pantyhose are to hot for a cruise, if your wearing them on shore or on deck I would agree, but your inside when you wear them! and if its so hot on the inside of the ship why did I see so many women buying wraps?

[care180]

Definally, the hose looks better for formal night. I am wearing them. I don't care what the snobby women have to say. :D

[monakayk]

Hose lover here! Pantyhose..thigh highs..stockings..love em all!! I like how they feel and look..plus the hubby loves it when I wear them.

 

Three comments:

 

1st - On our last cruise I wore a very nice pair of seamed stockings (Gio's), you would not believe how many men I caught checking out the legs..even a few women.

 

2nd - Hubby and I watch a show called "How its made", they featured pantyhose. The process was kind of interesting, but what I really found interesting is that the manufacture they visited (Hanes I believe) makes 18,000 pairs of pantyhose a day - just pantyhose, not stockings..etc. Someone has to be wearing them besides me..LOL

 

Finally...I don't understand people who say pantyhose are to hot for a cruise, if your wearing them on shore or on deck I would agree, but your inside when you wear them! and if its so hot on the inside of the ship why did I see so many women buying wraps?

 

Very good points....all of them.

BTW....my daughter has been in retail and 'sexy' hose are one of her best selling items. There must be some gals out there that would be 'caught ALIVE and SEXY' wearing them. LOL.;)

[kidznp]

I think many legs look better with hose, especially with evening wear.

 

It really depends on the shoe and outfit one is wearing--I personally would not wear hose with dressy evening sandals but would not hesitate to wear them with closed toe dressy heels.

 

That being said, I do think I would notice if someone wore hose with strappy evening sandals but why in the world would I care or think anything at all about it?? If you like this look and feel comfortable with it, more power to you.:)

[travelingran]

i have not worn a pair of hose in several years. uncomfortable, hot, runs, etc. not for me.

[KLLund]

Your with/without pictures bring up my thoughts that if I am going to wear them I am going to wear a closed toe shoe. I tried but could not find a picture of a woman in an open toed shoe with hose on ..

 

If I am going to wear a long gown and open toes shoes .. no hose

 

If I am going to wear a cocktail dress and want hose .. closed toe.

 

Smart Casual .. it is kind of a call on how I am feeling .. but I always have both kinds of shoes available.

[cruising_family]

I agree with wearing hose. I am always cold and if I don't wear hose I will be miserable, as well as uncomfortable worrying how my legs look. Not as good as they used to. I inherited from my late mother her vericose veins so hose definately help.

 

I also grew up wearing hose with dresses so unless extremely casual dress I wear hose. If others don't choose to wear them, fine with me. If I was younger and sexier legs, I might go that way myself. My hubby also loves hose and thinks with the right outfit are quite sexy.;)

[simplelife]

I swore I was done with this topic, but I must reply.

IMO legs look better with hose, especially with formal wear, and shoes certainly feel better with them (no blisters!), but yes, hose do look silly with open-toe sandals.

The solution? I've stopped weating sandals with formal wear. I have a pair of patent leather slingbacks, and several pairs of closed-toe, dressy slides, mules , whatever they are called. They are beaded or made fabrics like satin or faille, and very dressy. I wear those with a very sheer , skin tone hose. My legs look and feel great. And my outfit looks classy and polished (not dowdy).

I believe every woman looks better when she feels good about herself.

[cruz chic]

This is a pet peeve of mine. I feel like I'm the only one however that wears hose with a dress. I see so many women with super white hospital legs, bites and scars etc. on their legs and it just looks nasty. If you have great legs with a nice tan please go ahead. I always feel that legs for the most part look better with hose.

[muskiefan03]

Muskiefan,

 

I respect your decision/opinion that you "wouldn't be caught dead in them", but why was it necessary to add that hose "look ridiculous"? A very rude and generalized remark to make on your part.

 

So I will let those who look at the photos below be the judge:

Hose (1st) or NO Hose (2nd):

 

 

 

Yep, I think I will just stick with the 'hose' look.

Oh no no no - I meant that the runs I always get make them look ridiculous. Not people who wear them. I'm sorry if that came accross wrong.

[madge57]

I don't like to wear hose I'm not a dress person. But when the occasion does call for a dress I get out the hose and wear them. They do make you legs look better then none at all. As for women being snobby or commenting about you not have them on don'w worry about it because once a snob always a snob!!! That comes back from being in high school with snobs that are still snobs!

[LoveThisCruisingThing]

I wear pantyhose a lot. If my dress is very long, like to the ankles or a bit above, I will forgo them. I have white legs. But there is also another reason. I have thunder thighs and the pantyhose helps to prevent them from rubbing together. Bet you didnt think of that reason. :D

[cruz chic]

I have thunder thighs and the pantyhose helps to prevent them from rubbing together. Bet you didnt think of that reason. :D

Oh I can associate with that too:D .

[Jane110]

As I've said before, hose have never gone out of style, it just became acceptable to go with bare legs.

 

Personally, I wear hosiery with dresses because I feel it's a more finished look. However, I don't wear sandals w/ dresses because I don't think hose looks well with strappy open shoes.

 

Some women, with very tight muscled legs and racehorse ankles that are tan look well with bare legs. But if a dress is very formal, to me still looks "unfinished" - though I can accept the look with a pair of dressy sandals. (thinking Renee Zelwegger at Acadamy Awards).

Sadly too many womens legs look like the photo that Monakayk posted and those women, IMHO, shouldn't be baring so much "nekkid" leg and foot. It's very unnattractive.

[Kurbanfan]

Definally, the hose looks better for formal night. I am wearing them. I don't care what the snobby women have to say. :D

 

So now you are a snob if you don't wear hose:confused:

[a123]

yes on our upcoming cruise i definnatly will have on my hose as i did on our last cruise. dressing up properly with a formal knee length does require hos. the white barelegged look to me just looks funny.

[monakayk]

I wear pantyhose a lot. If my dress is very long, like to the ankles or a bit above, I will forgo them. I have white legs. But there is also another reason. I have thunder thighs and the pantyhose helps to prevent them from rubbing together. Bet you didnt think of that reason. :D

 

Very good point indeed. ;)

 

I have a friend who has 'thigh problems' also. And she HAS to wear hose, just to be comfortable walking when wearing a dress. Also...it helps her not to perspire more in 'that' area of her thigh since there is less chafing.

 

Thanks for adding this point to the discussion. After all not all women are built alike....so why should all women have to be dictated by ONE fashion idea!

[tothemall&beyond]

Wearing hose (at any age) is not a fashion faux pas, but, as Charla Krup points out repeatedly in her book "How Not to Look Old", one of the biggest ways to look frumpy and dowdy, and a giant no-no, is to ever wear nude hose. If you feel you asolutely need hose for evening (and sometimes I do), go for sheer black, not nude. And while it's not fashion-forward to wear any hose with peeptoe shoes or sandals, it is downright ugly if the hose are reinforced toe and not sandalfoot. Same for knee highs with skirts unless the skirt is so long that the knee high's top band will not show when you sit.

 

For the thunder thighs -- I have them, too - wear a boyshort (midthigh) length panty or Spanxx. That'll take care of the thighs and the tummy, too.

 

Happy cruising. :)