Pantyhose for all

Here  at Joy of Tights we are always looking for reports of a tights renaisance.

Speaking for myself, that's not because I love tights, I have a love/hate relationship with tights, or more accurately a love/hate/hate/love/hate/hate/hate relationship.  "Joy of Tights" its ironic see, oh never mind.  Its a bit like atheists.  If the gods didn't exist what would atheists do?  No one to rage against.  More to the point if athesits didn't exist what would the gods do?  No one to roast in hell.  Its like that with tights, I have to encourage you to wear them so I rage against their oppression of womankind.

A joy to wear or oppression of womankind, I just can't make up my mind

Tights in church.  Conversion from god and tights needed?

Well the latest argument for the resurrection of pantyhose is Hamilton Spectator no less.

First line of argument.  The models at Hedi Slimane's spring/summer 2015 runway show last fall: they were wearing, gasp, pantyhose!

Not only pantyhose, but she's wearing them with open toed shoes and shorts too!

Second line of argument.  Celebs are wearing hose.  Cases in point: Rhianna, Taylor Swift and the Duchess of Cambridge.  Queue celebs in sheer tights pics:

Rihanna, nice shoes

Taylor Swift, sheers with funking "stripes" and boots

Royal stocking feet: Duchess of Cambridge

Just to show you don't need to be real royal to go stocking foot, here are Rhianna's tootsies in tights

Third (and main) line of argument, lots of fashionistas saying tights are hot.  (That's right the ones that told us pantyhose were the work of Satan - not that I have anything against he works od Satan personally.)

First up Toronto stylist Susie Sheffman:

"For more than 15 years, we told people to wear bare legs, but that feels wrong now. The new look is polished, but edgy.  That tension is what shocks the eye, and it is how major shifts in fashion come about. What was the most 'out' becomes the most hot"

And apparently, what is new again is sheer black pantyhose.  "Black opaque hose sometimes turned up, but that looks too heavy now".  (Actually quite a lot of black opaque turned up, and who is to say that they look too heavy, especially when modelled by stars line Nicole Kidman and Elle MacPherson - see my previous posst).

New in thing?  Beatiful in (sheer) black

But are opaques really out?

Especially when Taylor Swift, one of the leaders of the pantyhose revolution, is wearing them?

What is more we are in a classic trend loop, wherein the young people new to pantyhose are wearing the same thing as the professional women who never gave them up.

Bright young thing in pantyhose

Architypical Business woman in hose-  Marisa Meyer of Yahoo

Now we come to Nicholas Mellamphy, vice-president and buying director at The Room, who is excited about the sheer possibilities.

"It is about juxtaposition: lady meets rock chick: The lady is a tramp. Slimane took the YSL design studio to Los Angeles, and this has a Paris-via-L. A. vibe to it," (No, I don't understand him either)

Rock chick, Jeanette Biedermann, but is it rock chic?

Next up we hane Mosha Lundstrom Halbert,  editorial director for Footwear News, an industry publication in New York, who says she is a self-professed "complete hosiery fiend."  According to Ms Halbert:

" ....legwear is a major accessory. It is an inexpensive way to change up your look. I loved the granny chic (sheer nude) at Gucci resort. And I loved the extreme (oversized black fishnet) hose at Proenza Schouler.  The market is moving past sheers and fishnets even to some exciting textures. It all feels very Paris in the '70s disco chic to me. My sock drawer is now overflowing."

Granny chic?

Fishnets - but not oversized

Disco, but chic?

There  does seem to be a lot of chic in these discussions of pantyhose.

Rough texture

Finally there is  Kim Black, vice-president of marketing and sales for Gildan Canada, which produces Secret and Silks and Jockey.

"The pantyhose industry took a big hit when everyone said it was cool to wear bare legs.  It is a fun time in the business again now.  "This is a delicate product. But the yarns we use, and the stretch technology and new knitting machines, are fantastic. We have increased durability.  The key component is fit: better fit means longer lasting. So you really should know your size." 

Even with the increased durabitily the run, hole and ladder have not been absolished.  Nevertheless according to Ms Black

"Customization is next," says Black. "Consumers are getting really creative with deliberate holes."

Custom holes?

 So are sheer tights now being warn by younger....

and older alike .....

Answer my latest pole and tell me what you think