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As a young woman in the -70's and '80's. I wore them, we all wore them. But, we dressed up more then. This was the era where we wore those skirt/blazer combos to the office. Wearing no pantyhose would have looked very unprofessional. Now, I can't remember the last time I wore a dress since the 1990's. Very rarely.
I liked them. They made my legs smooth, silky, and sexy. Never found them to be uncomfortable. I wore nude, black, white, and even colored and patterned pantyhose. Loved when they came out with the ones with the panties built in - no more panty lines.
Young women with slender, tan, pretty legs obviously don't really need them. But I see some women bare legged - that shouldn't be. Also, I think the bare feet "dirty up" the shoes a lot quicker.
Same here. Obviously, we had bare legs with shorts, but dresses/skirts always looked more professional/pulled together with hose--at least with closed toe shoes.
I remember what a big deal it was when the "built-in" panty thing came out. The first ones were called Underalls. I think that was in the late 70s. Now people don't wear panty hose OR panties .
I saw another thread about pantyhose, but I'm not trying to get opinions on good or bad re pantyhose. I am just curious whatever happened to such a wardrobe staple? It seemed to happen so quick!
Then you weren't paying attention. Pantyhose are certainly still around, and worn by a lot of women. But they have definitely declined in popularity, for the same reason that dress codes at work have generally become much more relaxed. Heck, today, you see people walking around in public, in their pajamas and bedroom slippers (which I personally abhor). It was much less acceptable or "appropriate" to be bare-legged at work, or at social functions (other than beachy casual affairs of course). Today, it's really quite the norm. No one blinks at a varicose vein, or less-than-perfect legs, and honestly I am all for that. I have not worn pantyhose in many many years, and I always hated them, when I was heavy. But in my thin years, I loved them. Quite honestly, I think it has to do with comfort more than anything else. The average woman's size today is far larger than 25 or 50 years ago. And frankly, wearing pantyhose or even thigh highs is like putting a sausage in a casing, if you are fat. It's not comfortable, and it AIN'T pretty. But for certain functions, you cannot beat the look. And they definitely provide some warmth, in cooler weather.
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Originally Posted by Sand&Salt
And for those who work in offices, aren't the fashionable heels you wear uncomfortable on bare feet?
Nothing has changed with pantyhose, some wear them, some do not, the way it has always been.
Yup. A little less popular, but certainly still worn.
Quote:
Originally Posted by patches403
It's because women have switched to tights/leggings/spanx instead.
Ugh. I find tights and spanx to be even less comfortable. And unfortunately, many large women wearing the leggings are wearing them as pants, and they REALLY should not be.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RbccL
**One exception: Love those black thigh-highs with a skirt, heels or boots-- what's sexier than that?
I never found thigh-highs to be comfortable enough to wear. And if your legs are anything but thin, they are NOT sexy.
Pantyhose aren't popular because the young crowd will tan and go bare legged. However, its a shame that everyone follows the trend since sheer, good-quality pantyhose are much more flattering than a lot of women's legs. Once you get past the younger years, most women have veins or cellulite that makes their legs woefully unattractive. Sometimes in meetings I can't help but notice this and think it's too bad pantyhose are considered "out".
Pantyhose aren't popular because the young crowd will tan and go bare legged. However, its a shame that everyone follows the trend since sheer, good-quality pantyhose are much more flattering than a lot of women's legs. Once you get past the younger years, most women have veins or cellulite that makes their legs woefully unattractive. Sometimes in meetings I can't help but notice this and think it's too bad pantyhose are considered "out".
They aren't. No one looks at your pantyhose clad legs and thinks "OMG that is so "out!". Seriously. If you like them, then wear them!
In the summer I go bare legged in dresses/skirts or I wear tights. Tights are not much heavier than pantyhose.
I never understand how pantyhose got so popular - I always thought they were horribly uncomfortable and I never had a pair last more than 2 wearings without getting a run.
Eh...cheap pantyhose or a size too small, probably. Also, have to keep nails well trimmed and not constantly be tugging on your hose or pulling them up - again a matter of getting the correct size. Mine lasted for weeks, wearing every day.
The decline of pantyhose probably relates to several factors:
-overall lessening of strict business attire dress codes at a great many formerly business attire-only work environments, giving way to more widespread business casual or even more relaxed vibes. No having to wear skirted suits always means that hosiery is less necessary, as a staple.
-shifts in fashion that have embraced opaque and semi opaque tights in lieu of sheer hosiery. This touches on both trendiness and durability. I have pairs of black tights that are close to a decade old and still in rotation. Sheer nylon hosiery, on the other hand, is one or two wearings, at best, before runs and snags occur.
-increased social acceptability of non-suntanned limbs, as tanning falls out of favor. My fairskinned mom, in the 80s, wouldn't have put on a skirt with bare legs, because Coppertone bronze tans were in favor, and her "fishbelly" legs were deemed unsightly. Suntan-tint hose were a staple. Now, there's less of an imperative to care about white legs.
You can still buy and wear sheer hose if you choose to. It's just no longer considered a fashion imperative.
If you think pantyhose are bad, try stockings & garter belt, which came before pantyhose...and no, they weren't sexy, just uncomfortable!
Yes, I remember the the garter and hose. But, what abt the 'girdle'...I remember watching my mother getting dressed and attaching the stockings to those.
Now, we have the updated version of a girdle...and it's called 'Spanx'....some differences, but same concept.
I wore panty hose for years and hated them. I couldn't get the crotch area to be where it was supposed to - often found the crotch to be riding closer to my knees. Nasty uncomfortable. Plus there was the issue of runs and "elephant ankles" - wrinkles.
Now I simply don't wear dresses. If I ever do need to wear a dress again (why?), I will wear thigh highs. I do go bare legged when I wear shorts, but bare legged in a dress doesn't seem right (I don't know why!). Thigh highs are tolerable for me.
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Quite honestly, I think it has to do with comfort more than anything else. The average woman's size today is far larger than 25 or 50 years ago. And frankly, wearing pantyhose or even thigh highs is like putting a sausage in a casing, if you are fat. It's not comfortable, and it AIN'T pretty. 
But for certain functions, you cannot beat the look. And they definitely provide some warmth, in cooler weather.
