The Great Debate……pantyhose

Now that the cold weather has settled in, I think that its time that we have “the talk”. The great debate regarding pantyhose spreads wide across my group of friends and everyone else willing to comment on the internet. After attending a Holiday event this weekend, I wanted to bring the topic up first thing on this lovely Monday morning. Before I dive in here, I wanted to make note that when doing some research for this post, the first thing that popped up on google was, “The Woes of Pantyhose and Other Fashion Diasters”….true story….try it!

I made the executive decision to not wear pantyhose with a  beautiful red dress to the event I attended this weekend. This is how I rationalized my decision…

1) I dont own “pantyhose”, I own opaque or patterned tights. I had no intentions of shopping for pantyhose to wear to one event.
2) Any pair of pantyhose named “suntan” should only be found in the locker of a Hooters waitress.
3) If I have to go to the bathroom and “adjust” my pantyhose, and I walk into two ladies named Ethel and Flo doing the same thing, I would never forgive myself
4) No event in Chicago is held outdoors in the winter time
5) Control top pantyhose have no validity….we have Spanx!

Now, this was my rationalization for a Holiday event; pantyhose are just not applicable with a cocktail dress, however opaque tights can be. There may be some extenuating circumstances such as those who have a medical condition where panty hose provide assistance, otherwise the answer should be no! More often than not, your outfit is going to look better without them! Exfoliate, self-tanner, lotion….done!

Say you were planning to attend an interview in a colder climate, the respectable thing would be to “mind the gap” with some pantyhose or opaque tights. In the event that you are in dire need for nude pantyhose, be sure to purchase a high end pair by Donna Karen or Calvin Klein; if they come in an egg, run away! When looking for the best color match, try to compare the colors to your make-up foundation; you wouldn’t purchase a darker foundation for your face would you? I own one pair of nude sheer pantyhose that are patterned to make them appear more trendy. If and when I do wear these, its normally with boots so as to “fill the gap” from wear my boot ends and wear my skirt/dress starts.

Opaque tights are in their own separate category. I have a drawer dedicated to opaque tights in my closet…..black, purple, grey, brown, patterned, etc. Since winter stretches from November to May in Chicago, I prefer to wear tights of a thicker nature, not sheer. If you are going to wear hose you might as well be blunt about it……..when in doubt, go opaque. Opaque tights are one of the items that will take your summer/fall look straight to winter. Hue is the ultimate brand of tights out there. The quality is great and the price point is event greater! Try a Nordstrom Rack or Filene’s Basement; I usually hit the jack-pot with their large selections.

My argument more or less for today is that there is a time and place for everything…..even (cough) pantyhose.

Again readers, this is all personal preference. Let me hear your opinions!