Do women still wear pantyhose? In short, yes, but not as often as they used to.
If you are wondering about this question, most likely you were raised in that era in which it was believed just about indecent to go out without pantyhose. If you were wearing a skirt, and no hose, you were some kind of bumpkin or ignoramus. Now, after decades of not having to wear them, you’re wondering if you might put some on once and again, for a special occasion. Will you be the only one doing so? No. Women do still wear pantyhose.
Just not as often.
A Personal Pantyhose Remembering
I can well remember at the age of three being forced to wear white tights, the child’s version of pantyhose. How they constricted and twisted on my legs! They pinched and if you had to go to the bathroom, getting them back on again never went well. I hated them. But my mother said “you can’t wear a dress without tights.” It was a fact of life. No tights, no dress. And by the way, I had to wear a dress. She said so.
“We are decent women here,” seemed to be my mother’s attitude, “even if you’re only three years old.” Therefore, the dress, the pantyhose. Or else.
When I went to high school, I wore pantyhose because by then I felt “you had to.” Or be called a slob. Women in those days didn’t just wear pantyhose, they tried to wear the right length of skirt.
As you may remember, back then, every year the expected skirt length would change. The idea being you were supposed to buy new skirts every year. We went from below knee to middle calf to mini skirts. Anyway, when I was 25 and women started not wearing pantyhose, I thought I might just be able to stand putting on a dress for no reason. Wearing them around the house, etc.
Decades passed.
We Gen X women enjoyed a new freedom not granted to our mother’s generation – we went out with no pantyhose all the time! Older women were unable to lose their pantyhose compulsion, however, and we didn’t know why. Because of them, perhaps, pantyhose never completely went away. Everyone from my generation, I think, had a pair in their drawer. In case we had to go to meet a husband’s boss or go to a very fancy restaurant or a job interview … and if we didn’t have them, we knew where to get them. At the supermarket, drug store, or at the mall shops.
Later on, as we grew older, we eyed pantyhose with more interest. After all, they smoothed and covered all kinds of marks and veins. To take a quote off Facebook:
“How on earth could women of a certain age, go out in public with white legs along with blue veins. I’m saying church or wedding etc.”
You see how it has become. This might be why our mothers and grandmothers, decades ago, were so reluctant to give them up! They had already experienced Flawed Legs Syndrome. Sometimes, it seemed, your legs needed … help. And there is no help for smooth shapely legs like pantyhose.
There is no question: pantyhose are a polished, sophisticated look.
Perhaps the surprise isn’t that they came back but that they ever went completely out. I credit the 80’s and 90’s decline of pantyhose to many women feeling like I did – pantyhose were just too uncomfortable – and also, the expense and nuisance factor of getting runs in the pantyhose, necessitating a trip to the drug store.
But despite their discomforts, pantyhose were destined for a comeback
In 2018 Meagan Markle was photographed wearing pantyhose and suddenly – they were cooler than they’d been in years. If Meagan, the rebel of the Royals, wore them, than maybe … we should give them a second look. Or in the case of our daughters, who had been born during the Pantyhose Rebellion and thus had never worn them as children … a first look.
Since that time, more and more hose have been selling, according to market reports. With global growth projected at 6.5%, brands like Spanx, Wolford AG, and HanesBrands might be planning on making more money and more pantyhose than ever. Although it’s hard to be completely sure. The “hose” market also includes leggings. And you know how many of those are walking around.
Where in the World are They Wearing Pantyhose Now?
I find myself wondering if the growth in worldwide hose sales reflects growth in incomes over the developing world. But where ever they are …
Pantyhose have their place.
If you doubt that, you might refer to another returning trend that everyone knows about. Remember the much touted demise of the girdle? Well – it’s actually come back. Spanx, according to my mother, who wore a girdle in youth and knows one when she sees one, are basically girdles in modern form.
Well, King Solomon reportedly claimed over 2000 years ago that “there’s nothing new under the sun.” Although pantyhose and girdles are innovative, since the nylon material they are made of was patented in 1938. The year my father was born. Let’s be real, though: before that there were other apparatuses that served similar functions. Corsets, of course, to name just one from your favorite Victorian literature.
In summary, the answer to the question, do women still wear pantyhose, is yes. And my prediction is, they will keep wearing them until a better material is found for making your legs look evenly colored and shaped. And that may be a long long time.
So … if you feel a need to reach for the L’Eggs Egg, you’re not alone. Just check around the next time you’re at a wedding and I bet you’ll see.
Do Women Still Wear Pantyhose? Anthony’s Since 1895 — A little background on the question.
