April 1, 2012

To Wear Nylons or No Nylons? That Is The Question.

Should I wear nylons or should I wear bare legs? I hear this question from ladies quite often. I know what they want to hear. They want me to tell them to wear what is comfortable. And of course, you can wear what is comfortable if that is what you want to be......comfortable. But if you want to look fashionably fabulous, you must suffer! Just a little suffering. I promise. Nylons look dated. Especially when you can see them. Some ladies think that no one will notice that their legs are a different color than the rest of their body, but actually it's one of the first things I do notice. 

I am going to lay it all on the line right now. Nylons look ugly when worn with open toed shoes or sandals like in the photo below:
It just looks unnatural and really very tacky. DO NOT LET YOURSELF DO THIS! Why would you go out of your way to have your toenails painted and wear cute shoes, and then to put nylons on?!! This is madness!! 

I had a client ask me once, "How does one wear those high heels without nylons without getting a blister?" My answer is simply, you don't! A blister is bound to happen. That is why we ALWAYS want to carry a change of shoes with us. We wear the heels until we can't bare it anymore and then we change into our comfies. This is a much better look than the nylon.

I have a confession to make. I have worn nylons. I have even worn nylons with a peep toe pump! And I had a bad feeling all day. Don't laugh! This probably has happened to you too. Right? It was probably a little too cold outside to wear bare legs but you were desperate to wear the new spring looks you were seeing in fashion magazines. I know I am right there with you. However, instead of nylons when it is just a little too cold for bare legs I have come up with a solution. Nude color fishnet stockings are totally acceptable with a peep toe. Yes, I said with a PEEP TOE. No hose is acceptable with a sandal. I just want to make that clear. But a nude fishnet stocking totally works if you must wear a skirt and are not ready to bare those legs yet. No, they are not really warm. They are probably provide as much warmth as a nylon, but they look  fashion forward and current. See the photos below for my favorite nude fishnet stockings:
In the photo on the left I am wearing a whiter shade of fishnets and on the right I am wearing a more nude shade of fishnets with a little different pattern. They are hard to see in the picture. As you can see, I am not wearing them with a peep toe in the photos, however I totally would. As long as the toes are painted and well groomed. Just make sure that your toe seam is invisible. Below are my favorite nude fishnet tights by Hue:
Now I am going to fill you in on a little secret. I hate my legs! And it's not the shape of my legs that bothers me. It's the fact that they are pale and as I get older I see a few more veins showing through my already transparent skin. Now, here is another secret. When I do wear bare legs I just rub a little of this Airbrush Legs by Sally Hansen on them and all my little imperfections disappear! It's not a self tanner so it never looks orange. It just covers up the imperfections and gives a light glow. If it wasn't for this stuff I probably wouldn't bare my legs all summer. You can find this little miracle at Walgreens in three different shades. I wear it in light glow.


I have just one more tip for you about hose. If you MUST wear hose then make sure they are invisible. They should be the same color as your skin. For those times where hose is absolutely necessary I have chosen Victoria's Secret thigh highs in light nude. They match my pale skin tone perfectly and you can't even tell I have them on. Unless you look really close. And from my experience the ones with the lace are not only pretty, but they stay up better than the ones without the lace. They are so much more comfortable than wearing the whole hose with the built in panty, especially in the summer months.
I hope this article helps you with making some decisions this spring and summer when putting on your pretty skirts and dresses. If none of these leg covering choices are an option for you, then you could choose a loose and flowy palazzo pant this summer. Always so chic. Tan or no tan. Flaws or completely flawless.
{Pleated Palazzo Pants from ASOS}
ONE LAST TIP: Hosiery that is colored or uniquely patterned is always totally acceptable. Not ever with sandals, but completely acceptable with a peep toe. And opaque tights always look chic for cooler months.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great advice! I absolutely HATE wearing Nylons, and you are so right, it is a terribly dated look. Bare legs and bare feet in high heels look so much better.

I used to think I was just ahead of my time as a teenager in the early 1990s I never cared for the tights that were trendy back then either, and I felt like an outcast for never wearing pantyhose with my high heels at my first real job as a secretary back in 1994.

Back then all the girls in the office wore hose it seemed, except maybe in the summer, it seemed like I was the only girl in the office who literally never once wore socks or pantyhose to work; at least until around maybe 2000 or so. Then it seemed like around then that other people started to skip the nylons with heels more often, and then boom, in just a few years, I hardly saw any nylons at all around the office.

Great advice, and although I just found your blog, I love it! Becky


Laura Michaud said...

You are a lady who is ahead of her time! I love it!! I have always hated how pale my legs are so I am true believer in Sally Hansen's airbrush tan. I just can't bring myself to wear nude hose!!

I am so happy that you found my blog! Thanks for reading!

Fashionably Yours,
Laura