The Pantyhose Thread

[Luna Novem]

I like wearing tights, but don't think I've ever worn pantyhose... I guess I never really thought about if there's a difference? I prefer white, black or even fun colors to flesh tone, so that may be it.

When it's extra cold I like wearing those tight gym pants underneath ankle length skirts. I had a whole collection from years ago (and find them incredibly immodest on their own), so rather than toss them out I use them to keep warm under long skirts. When doing outdoors stuff like light hiking I also like to wear those kinds of pants under a knee length skirt or dress for modesty.

I am seeing a lot of people on here referring to tights and pantyhose as though they are the same. To me, there is a complete difference. Pantyhose are sheer (I often heard them called "nylons"). You can easily get a "run" in them. The "nude" colored ones are intended to look as if you aren't wearing anything. Pantyhose, no matter the color, will help virtually zero in the winter.

Tights, on the other hand (at least in my vernacular) are thicker; generally made of cotton. They will keep you much cozier in the winter, especially the "fleece-lined" ones that are pretty common nowadays. They won't tear in the same way as pantyhose; they're more the consistency of socks. I think of them as more casual than pantyhose.

 

[Rob Banks]

But if I wear the pantyhose with the knee-length dress, guys are going to be staring at my legs like "ooooh pantyhose."

When I was a kid, I was surprised to learn that "pantyhose" was not merely another word for "panties."

 

[Owlet]

In the UK and Australia the word 'pantyhose' is not used, in my experience - they are all called tights. But it is a while since I bought any, so terminology may have changed.

 

[Starlight]

I wore A&F. And no, unfortunately, I've been driving longer now than I had been walking then, haha. I know the general gist of trends, pieces, and designers that have risen and fallen since 1960, but not any specific, cultural insight that might be related to most of them pre-2014.

I didn't know that poverty-stricken, white kids were specifically gravitating towards 1950's fashion at that time. Maybe 50's inspired clothing was easy to find in thrift stores then, since a lot of 80's fashion was inspired by that era? I remember when I first shopped at Forever 21 when I was a young child, and 80's fashion was really popular then.

Yeah, there were some interesting sub-trends during that time. If you were White, you either were preppy, skater, or goth/punk (or cowboy, if applicable). There was an overlap between skater and punk where the “50’s rockabilly” existed (Gwen Stefani as a kind of style example, though I wouldn’t call her rockabilly). Pin-up and 50’s styles were definitely popular, at least in my area, and tied into the California hot-rod culture. Young guys couldn’t afford new cars but would go to the pick-n-pull and rebuild their own cars from scrap/junked cars. It was a way for the White disenfranchised youth (yes, even back in the 2000s) to have an identity when they weren’t allowed to identify with their race while every other race was encouraged to. There were Black Student Unions and MEChA at our High School but White Student Unions were explicitly forbidden, regardless of being a minority of the population. So they identified with “50’s America,” the iconic and idealized “good times” of our history.

Sorry about the segue from the main thread topic… but they all wore pantyhose! So still kind of relevant haha

(Edit: Btw- For some reason I thought you were younger than you are and I seem to have inherited my father’s “open mouth, insert foot” syndrome. My apologies, sincerely.)

 

[Ah_Tibor]

You wore what? You watched The OC? (Of course you didn’t, you were barely a child)… and wore A&F in 2010? Lol… no offense… I was hoping you might have some insight into why White kids of the late 90s/early 00s might have chosen to dress the that way that they did… why the forgotten, poverty stricken White kids were dressing like they’re from the 50’s. Fashion Magazines don’t print articles on White poverty.

Isn't that basically the plot of "Pretty in Pink"

 

[Starlight]

Isn't that basically the plot of "Pretty in Pink"

What is??

 

[Lamkins]

It’s cold, so I’m currently wearing thick leggings for pajama bottoms. After pulling them up for the 500th time I’m not missing pantyhose at all. Remember if/when the leg of your hose would somehow get twisted, you couldn’t untwist it, so you walked around with one leg losing blood circulation? They were such a pain to get on I’d just walk around like that instead of removing them and putting them back on without the twist. For those of you too young to know, we used fingernail polish to stop runs. Preferably clear but sometimes all you had was fluorescent pink.

As someone who was a teen in the eighties I’m fairly horrified by the mom jeans and big puffy sleeves I’m seeing. And acid washed jeans…..I have seen acid washed jeans in ads! I guess I need to find my Miami Sound Machine cassette tape……

 

[Ah_Tibor]

What is??

The working class kids all have vintage style because it's what's avaliable in thrift stores.

Sorry, I like that movie lol. I thought Andrew McCarthy was cute

 

[Starlight]

The working class kids all have vintage style because it's what's avaliable in thrift stores.

Sorry, I like that movie lol. I thought Andrew McCarthy was cute

I haven’t watched that movie in forever… I guess it is pretty similar. Same issue, different decade.

 

[Maddox]

Just an off shoot question for the guys that I thought of when reading the responses to this thread. Do you guys notice other women's apparel as much as you would notice stockings/pantyhose/tights?

I ask this because I have seen the comment, which is accurate, that feminine dress attire is more than just tights and heels. Certainly true. But men, do you notice ear rings, matching color combinations, purses, jewelry, hair pieces, etc.? I honest don't. I could talk to a woman for 30 minutes and if you asked me any of these details afterwards I couldn't tell you what color combination she was wearing, if she had ear rings or not, and certainly not other jewelry. I think jewelry is one thing women put so much emphasis on and a large majority of men simply don't even notice it.

But when women are wearing heels and/or tights, I notice and remember right away. And observing men turning their heads to look, I see a lot of other men taking a long look as well. And this is why I potentially see heels and tights as the height of female attire.

#1) Because men don't wear these things. Men wear jewelry, men wear color combinations. Men even carry man purses (satchels). But men don't wear heels and stockings, well unless they are cross dressing.

#2) Because as a man I notice these things and they are attractive. Where as the other things I don't even notice, even after a conversation with the woman. Should could have left all her jewelry at home and never bought a purse in her life, and I wouldn't find her one bit less attractive or even noticed after talking to her.

I don't notice things like jewelry unless it's something awful like the other guy said...big hoop earrings. I will notice if she's carrying a purse but I don't care about the style. It's more important to me that she is using her purse to carry her cell phone instead of sticking it in her back pocket which is an annoying trait I see in younger women.

Women's apparel is another thing I pay attention to, especially now that I'm older and women have dropped their standards in how they dress in public. If there is a 6 who is wearing a dress and a 7 who is wearing the typical leggings, I will notice the less attractive girl before the average girl simply because the former will stand out and look more presentable.

 

[Maddox]

Yeah, I definitely remember that! I first wore it when I was a young teenager in 2010, but I think A&F started to shift somewhere within the next two years or so. They've completely transformed their whole brand since then. I recently walked into one out of curiosity and I don't even recognize it. I recall that they had some major controversy associated with their old CEO that prompted the brand to have to reinvent themselves.

I shop there myself because their shirts fit me better than those from other stores. A good deal of their men's clothes are still preppy, but that's what I like. Their clothes remind me of what I would've worn back in the 80s as a teen, but updated for the times.

 

[It_is_my_time]

I don't notice things like jewelry unless it's something awful like the other guy said...big hoop earrings. I will notice if she's carrying a purse but I don't care about the style. It's more important to me that she is using her purse to carry her cell phone instead of sticking it in her back pocket which is an annoying trait I see in younger women.

Women's apparel is another thing I pay attention to, especially now that I'm older and women have dropped their standards in how they dress in public. If there is a 6 who is wearing a dress and a 7 who is wearing the typical leggings, I will notice the less attractive girl before the average girl simply because the former will stand out and look more presentable.

Yes, great post and thank you.

I asked because I think a lot of women put a lot of attention and work into things that men simply don't even notice. At the same time they will ignore or gloss over things that will make men see them as a 7 or 8 and marriage material v. a 4 and a slob.

I have caught myself doing this many times. Where the average woman who is sharply put together drives me wild and the very attractive girl dressed like a slob, or dressed immodestly, goes unnoticed unless someone else points her out to me.

 

[Elspeth]

Yes, great post and thank you.

I asked because I think a lot of women put a lot of attention and work into things that men simply don't even notice. At the same time they will ignore or gloss over things that will make men see them as a 7 or 8 and marriage material v. a 4 and a slob.

I have caught myself doing this many times. Where the average woman who is sharply put together drives me wild and the very attractive girl dressed like a slob, or dressed immodestly, goes unnoticed unless someone else points her out to me.

Honestly, I think most people feel this way, in general. Most men don't dress in suits anymore, despite them being really attractive for a lot of women, including myself (bonus points if it actually fits him correctly).

 

[It_is_my_time]

Honestly, I think most people feel this way, in general. Most men don't dress in suits anymore, despite them being really attractive for a lot of women, including myself (bonus points if it actually fits him correctly).

I agree, I wear one at any opportunity I can. But it is rare because they have made policies to stop people from dressing up and looking nice and become much more sloth in our demeanor. When I do wear a suit, I often get asked if I am interviewing for a job or "why are you so dressed up?". I put on a pair of slacks and a suit jacket, it isn't exactly a robe made of gold.

Anyway, when I do wear a suit the way both women and men treat me is very different and it is very nice to experience. It almost makes you like a mini-celebrity with people eyeing you and coming up to introduce themselves. As I gain more independence from having to work, I will try to wear a suit almost every day I leave my house.

 

[Maddox]

Yes, great post and thank you.

I asked because I think a lot of women put a lot of attention and work into things that men simply don't even notice.

Yeah, one of the things that women seem to put time into that I and 99.99% of men couldn't care less about are eyelashes. They're like earrings...I only notice them when they stand out in a bad way; which means she's wearing falsies. Fake eyelashes on women are about as attractive as a hairpiece on men.

 

[Pray_Everyday]

Fake eyelashes on women are about as attractive as a hairpiece on men.

Fake lashes, those demon claw-looking fake nails, sweatpants/yoga pants, and a sports bra as a shirt seems to be the uniform for at least 80% of the women age 18-30 in my area regardless of body size... Glad to hear that men don't like the false lashes at least.

 

[It_is_my_time]

Fake lashes, those demon claw-looking fake nails, sweatpants/yoga pants, and a sports bra as a shirt seems to be the uniform for at least 80% of the women age 18-30 in my area regardless of body size... Glad to hear that men don't like the false lashes at least.

When I see women dressed like that, and I do see it a lot, it throws up a serious red flag. That is up there with a full sleeve tattoo. If that is how they want the world to see them then something is very off.

As far as purses, I doubt 99% of men could tell a $20 purse from Wal-Mart v. a $500 designer purse. But if similar women are available and one has a $20 purse and the other has a $500 purse, I am going to choose the $20 purse woman every single time.

 

[Camellia]

OK. Who remembers pantyhose? When I was a teen in the 90's, ladies were still wearing it. I remember being excited to be old enough to wear it. I especially liked black because it seemed so elegant. Why has it just disappeared? Does anyone here still wear it? I want to, sometimes, but I don't like being the odd one out or drawing attention to myself. But man, I miss those days!

I have worn pantyhose all my life! Never knew they were out of fashion in America, Lol. Growing up in Argentina, I never saw a nicely dressed woman with her legs bare.

 

[Luna Novem]

When I see women dressed like that, and I do see it a lot, it throws up a serious red flag. That is up there with a full sleeve tattoo. If that is how they want the world to see them then something is very off.

As far as purses, I doubt 99% of men could tell a $20 purse from Wal-Mart v. a $500 designer purse. But if similar women are available and one has a $20 purse and the other has a $500 purse, I am going to choose the $20 purse woman every single time.

Do you mean because you appreciate the frugality element of it?

 

[It_is_my_time]

Do you mean because you appreciate the frugality element of it?

Yes certainly. But even more so, if you are spending $500 on a purse and you don't already have a million in assets your priorities are off and even more so in these very uncertain economic times. And that would not make a good partner for me. It would cause me a lot of stress and it wouldn't last long.