Pantyhose = OMG

Suz

(the future) MRS. GERE
I found that I have been dressing way too casual at work, almost crossing the line. If given a choice I am definitely a jeans and Tshirt girl but in my current job I can only do that on Fridays. I wear slacks or khakis most days.

So I thought I'd class up my act and bought a couple of dresses. And in the winter dresses mean either tights or leggings (if you are young and I am NOT)... or panyhose. And so I wore a really nice dress to work and I wore pantyhose and pumps. I looked very professional for about half an hour....and then I could feel those dang pantyhose creeping down....and down....and down....so I was constantly yanking them up and up and up. Even sitting at my desk they would slide ever-so-sneakily down. OMG!

I figured I had on a defective pair of pantyhose so I went to the store at lunch and bought another and they did the same thing. OMG! By the time I got home I ran in the door and tore off those annoying things and threw them away.

So I ask you............are there any confortable pantyhose? I went to Penney's and bought a few pairs of those as I used to wear them when I was younger but if there are brands that are guaranteed to stay UP and be COMFORTABLE then I might be tempted to wear that cute dress again.

HELP!

Suz
 

tiredmommy

Well-Known Member
I dunno... I do just about everything I can to avoid pantyhose. I prefer tights with a cute pair of boots in winter.
 

slsh

member since 1999
I don't think I've worn pantyhose since Boo was born. My pantyhose of choice was L'eggs, Sheer Energy. I don't think they even make them anymore, but those were the *best*!!!

Good to see you, Suz!!!
 
S

Signorina

Guest
I wear pantyhose occasionally, though I prefer tights in the winter bc it's cold here and tights last longer!

Sometimes, pantyhose fall or creep down because they're a tad small or short, IME control top doesn't fall. My go to brand is Hanes, and I've never had an issue w them falling. I also wear the Burlington coat factory brand sometimes. I like the Hanes opaque pantyhose too instead of tights when I want a darker look. I buy then at kohls or tj maxx.

In the early 90s, I worked in a retail store that required skirts/dresses w hose; and I used to wear Jaclyn Smith hose from K Mart. I bought them on my way to work in a pinch- kmart was the only place open early Sunday morning- and liked them & they were economical!
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
I dress pretty formally for work (skirt suits, skirt-and-blazer, blazer-and-dress) and wear pantyhose most of the time.

In order to avoid the dreaded downward creep, I buy pantyhose that are a size larger than the size I wear. Sometimes 2 sizes up if they are a very fine weave, like 15 denier. This means that I can pull them all the way up without having to stretch them and risk getting a ladder in them, and there's enough extra length that they don't slip down.

I am short and VERY short-waisted, so there's usually a lot of extra "waistband" left over at the top. I have been known to pull them all the way up and tuck the waistband under the band of my bra to prevent the pantyhose from rolling down.

This works pretty well with all the brands I've tried, control top or not.
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
Have you tried "support" or "controlled top" pantyhose, Suz? I don't wear them often since my life is almost totally blue collar but I haven't had an issue with them sliding. on the other hand when I do get "dressed" I don't have any issues.

Hmmm....I wonder if they still make garter belts and hose. If so that would solve the problem. :) DDD
 

helpangel

Active Member
yes they still sell garter belts & hose usually at places like Victoria Secret - problem I've had is they usually have so much lace & fancy trim that the belt won't lay flat under clothes; I haven't had luck with thigh high hose (have elastic thigh) without belt (that I took seem ripper to remove all that lacey stuff for strippers)

Usually I buy up all the queen size Legg's that I see on clearance rack even though by the size chart I would wear a B, I was comforted to hear that I'm not the only one who has tucked wasteline into bra to get the smooth look when dealing with excess pantyhose fabric. My problem when wear B isn't sliding but the tummy area rolls, so even though size for chart I'm short and pudgy so the proportions with queen size fit a lot better.

I've noticed when doing advocacy or bookkeeper work, going to court etc. people generally treat me nicer when I show some leg. Same deal when going to grocery store if I'm wearing makeup people treat me nicer, still wonder if its them or my confidence level that makes the difference?

Nancy

PS this next part has nothing to do with pantyhose, I'm bored and love to tell a good story...

The only job I don't dress up for is involving TNR cats - jeans or sweats most appropriate clothes and the smell of a bunch of perfume & makeup will make the job a lot harder...

I once showed up on a big TNR project looking pretty much like a hobo, others had been there more then an hour all they had caught were 3 kittens. Got some strange looks at my appearance but they were glad someone to watch traps while they took break. They were looking at me like I was a nut spraying the liquid catnip on myself and around trapping area. They came back around 20 minutes later to find 18 cats loaded in my van ready for transport, next rescue they were all lining up for catnip spray LOL.
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
Yes, you can still get garters and stockings. If you go to a more staid, old-fashioned (read "matronly") store you can get the kind without all the lace and fiddly bits. I find plain ones at The Bay (Hudson's Bay Company) -- I don't know what the U.S. equivalent is.

I've never had trouble with stay-up stockings either. For those, I do by the "stripper-style" ones with the very large lace band at the top. There are rows of silicone to hold the stocking to your skin, and the lace band has extra rows which gives more grip. As with panty hose, I buy one or two sizes larger than I need so that I can pull them up higher. Again, I've been known to tuck the tops of the stay-ups under the leg elastic of my underwear to keep everything neat and in place.

Helpangel, your comment about showing some leg made me giggle. I work in IT and am often surrounded by teeming hordes of nerdy men, who need to take direction from (petite, non-technical, demure-looking) me. One of the guys on my team once confessed that everyone does what I tell them because my skirt-suits and high heels make me look just enough like a dominatrix that they're scared of me.

Tee hee.

Trinity
 

Lothlorien

Active Member
I haven't worn hose in years. I hate them. When I did, I would put another pair of underwear on over them to keep them from drooping.

Sent using ConductDisorders mobile app
 

Childofmine

one day at a time
I can't believe this thread popped up when I have a "legs" dilemma for tomorrow night. We are going to an event. I bought a new cocktail dress (black with ivory threads), short, and I bought red shoes for a pop of color.

What am I going to wear on my legs? I think black hose/tights will look weird with the red shoes.

All thoughts welcome on this! Thx...
 

dstc_99

Well-Known Member
Nude hose COM

As for the first issue I learned a trick a long time ago and that was to wear my undies over the pantyhose. That keeps them from sliding down.
 

Childofmine

one day at a time
Yes I guess it's nude. Also somebody said (elsewhere) champagne with a red seam! : ) That would be awesome but problem can't find them locally and I need them by tomorrow night! Thx
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
COM, I would suggest sheer black panty hose with a black seam if you can find them. Something like a 15 denier. That way, you get the best of both worlds: tone-on-tone with the cocktail dress (for the longer, leaner look as those dratted fashion magazines say), and enough of your natural skin tone shows through that you don't have that weird black-legs-with-bright-shoes effect.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
Pantyhose are the work of Satan. I will not wear them! I don't even own a pair. I will go bare legged. Of course, I rarely wear dresses, so it's not a huge deal.

I agree with sheer jet black hose though for the look.
 

Suz

(the future) MRS. GERE
Thanks for your replies and suggestions. When I bought the new stuff at Penneys, I did go a size up even though the chart said I didn't need to.

Sue, the ones that almost ended at my knees were L'eggs. No idea when I bought them but the waist was loose and I didn't stand a chance. The second pair I got at lunch that day were also L'eggs and they didn't fare any better than the first pair. Learned my lesson there.

Signorina, one of my colleagues at work suggested the Burlington brand, too. We have a store close by so I'll give it a shot. Thanks.

Trinity, this really made me chuckle:
"...have been known to pull them all the way up and tuck the waistband under the band of my bra to prevent the pantyhose from rolling down."

I wonder if that's how Spanx were invented??? Very clever.

D3 et al, garter belts and stockings remind me of college- loved the memories that suggestion evoked! (blush!)

I think the suggestion of putting on another pair of undies over the pantyhose is genius. Thanks, Loth. If the Penneys brand creeps, I'll try that. Not sure I could do the no undies under, only over thing.

I'm heartened to know that I'm not the only one who hates the damn things.

COM, I'm not a good person to ask because I'm an old fart but I would probably have the same concern that you do that the black hose next to red shoes might be too much of a contrast. I would opt for nude hose.

This is a fun thread. I'm glad I asked. Thanks everyone!

Suz
 

Nancy

Well-Known Member
ROFL Suz, I'm glad I'm not the ony one. I hadn't worn panty hose in so long that the first time I had to for some reason I thought something was terribly wrong when they crept so far down it reminded me of the guys wearing their pants low. It was very uncomfortabe and made for many trips into the ladies room. I did the same thing figuring they were defective but found every brand and every size just as faulty. That's when I realized it was my body that changed, not the pantyhose and I hated it even more.

I bought a pair of stockings that went up to the thigh and were held in place with a sort of sticky eleastic band. They worked as long as your dress is longer than your knee and you don't cross your legs where it may show. It felt a little strage but not nearly as bad as the falling pantyhose.
 
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