Top 10 reasons to wear sandals with tights

So its nearly New Year.  Already the fashionistas are rubbishing wearing tights with your strappy sandals.  Take this little example from azcentral

"If your dress is a little short, wear black opaque tights. There are several nylon styles available, but we recommend pairing a fun cocktail dress with simple black tights. On that note, do not wear open-toe shoes with tights. If you need to wear tights, wear them with a closed-toe pump."

He has no problem with tights and sandals

This is nothing new.  Here is another irrational tirade against tights with strappy (peep toe or other sandals) from Laura Compton in 2003

And what's wrong with my outfit?

"Sightem: Petite woman traversing San Francisco Centre wearing ribbed leggings and thick, nude hose with her white sandals.

Another: Elderly woman in the Mission in a leisure suit, wearing dark hose with her comfortable sandals.

And one more: Mother and daughter at a concert, wearing identical Dr. Scholl's-like slides with hose and short cocktail dresses.

But the thought of all those feet, trapped, chafing and sweating away in non-breathable nylon -- why, for the love of God, why?

The sight of ugly feet splayed in unattractive footwear used to undo me. Gradually, I have come to terms with the whitest-of-the-white-footed men and their Birkenstocks, and I no longer cringe at the terrible toes routinely exposed in Tevas or shoddy flip-flops."

Compare and contrast

What is there to agree with here?  Feet are no more trapped in tights than your tits are in your bra.  You wear a bra to improve the look of your tits and tights to improve the look for your legs.  Tights done chat, as long as they are not too cheap, they give a smooth silky feel and stop your sandals from rubbing.  "Sweating away" maybe in the Golden Gate city but not in chilly Brighton, England.  In any case I have a theory - evidence free it must be admitted - that tights absorb the water and radiate out the heat - don't think about that one too much.  Still a little bit of odor absorbed in your nylons may be quite sexy.  It'll give men a sniff of all those body chemicals their brains use to assess you as mating prospect.

I can't believe that Ms Compton can live with terrible toes or lily white feet, when she can't stand a shapely foot with its toes covered by a layer of nylon opaque enough to show off the toes shape while hiding their detail, or feet covered in tan nylon barely different from sun kissed bare legs or feet covered in black nylon neatly matching the wearer's little black dress.

So here are my top ten reasons for wearing tights with strapy sandals:

Matching

1. Tights improve the look of your feet - they show their shape hiding any blemishes.  Of course you could have a pedicure every time you where sandals - but who can be arsed to do that?

2. Tights allow you to co-ordinate your legs with the rest of your outfit.  Even if nylon covered feet are tacky it may be worth having your feet in tights to make sure your legs are coordinated.

3. When you wear a skirt tights help your foot and toes match the color of  your legs. This uniformity of look is a key to looking coordinated. This is why toeless hose are c**p.

4. Tights allow you to co-ordinate the colour of your feet with the colour of your sandals.

Katie Holmes

5. Celebs now wear tights with sandals to name just three: Katie Holmes, Clemence Poesy,  and Milla Jovovich.

6. Good tights draw attention to your shoes.  And you want them noticed.

7.  Guys like feet in sandals and tights.  As proof here is a little clip about a guys letter to a Fox News anchor.  At the very least her wearing of pantyhose with her shoes did not stop him becoming obsessed with her feet.

8.  Tights make shoes more comfortable.  You don't want to take off the designer sandals after 5 minutes - you need the time to show them off.

9. The "no tights with open shoes" rule is being broken

10.  Fashion rules are made to be broken.

Are there any rules.  Well fashion pages disagree, and like I say fashion rules are made to be broken.  But for what they are worth, here are some ideas:

To start with Fashion Saved my Life (yes really)

Chunky is good, but not just chunky

"When you wear tights, match. If you pair black fishnets or black printed tights with open-toed heels, make sure you’re wearing black sandals, or at least very dark (purple or gray) sandals. You’re already playing a lot with texture and design, so keep the colors understated...

"Go mini. ......., a pencil skirt, printed tights and open-toed sandals will overwhelm you. Wear super short mini skirts and dresses to show off your legs and make the look seem more streamlined.

"Wear tall, chunky heels. To keep your textured tights under control, you’ll need a stocky, substantial pair of heels. Strappy sandals that are too delicate will just make you look like an old lady. An old bag lady."

I can't disagree with the importance of showing off your legs.  But do strappy sandals make you look like an "old bag lady".  Watch this click, I think you will agree that she isn't an old bag lady. 

eHow does think you can hear tights with strappy sandals, this is their advice:

"Purchase pantyhose that are an exact match for your skin color. The closer they are to your skin tone, the less likely it will be that people will notice them. Make sure that the pantyhose are as sheer as possible.  

"Wear pantyhose that have sheer toes. Do not wear pantyhose with strappy sandals if they have a reinforced, darker toe. It will be obvious that you are wearing pantyhose."

No, no, no!  You may want your tights to match the rest of outfit to get that all important co-ordinated look.  Think carefully about reinforced toes.  But they can work.  If the toe colour matches your shoes they will not stand out and just look like a part of your shoe.  Unless someone studies your feet very carefully.  And if someone looks at them that closely he probably has a thing about reinforced toe tights.  Also sheer toes can go into holes - you don't want your big toe poking out!  As you can see (above) semi reinforced toes are hardly visible

Matching tights and shoes or not?

The Tights Stocking and Hoisery Blog thinks you should only wear tights with peep toes and not with sandals.  Here is their advice

"First of all, if you plan to wear open-toed shoes with opaque tights, make sure that the two colors are complementary. The color of your shoe should not be vastly different from the color of your tights. For example, don't wear pink tights with a black open-toed shoe. Instead, wear black tights with your black open-toed shoes. If you have camel or taupe shoes, wear cream or tan colored tights. The same rule applies for brown, or chocolate brown, as well as any other color of shoe.

"You should also remember that the toe seam on your tights should be hidden if you plan to wear them with open-toed shoes. Many women make the mistake of putting their tights on backward so that the toe seam falls across the top of the toes instead of at the bottom. If the toe seam on your tights is visible when you look down at your feet, you probably have them on backward. Aside from being incorrect, this look is very unflattering in an open-toed shoe. However, you should keep in mind that some hosiery manufacturers design their hosiery with the toe seam across the top of the toe because many women find it more comfortable."

Nice peep toes

And here is About.com:

"For a winning combination, you just need pair what makes you comfortable with a healthy dose of confidence -- and maybe save the hose with reinforced toes for close-toed shoes."

That's it be confidence in tights and sandals and you'll look cool and sexy.

But let's give the last word to a good xian woman.