Pantyhose benefit, confine fashionistas

It's true that pantyhose get you more attention from men, which can actually be a good thing. Anyway, I'm 32 (I hope that's not geriatric!) and wear pantyhose to work every day - have since I started ten years and two jobs ago. The difference is, I'm not required to wear them and I actually really like them. It's not just the attractively enhanced color, although that is so key, but also that they blend away imperfections, present a smooth texture, and overall provide a more formal, polished, finished, "dressed up", put-together look. The nice kinds of hose actually feel nice and are a pleasure to wear. By now, pantyhose are so routine to me I would never dream of going bare-legged; I'd feel half-dressed and almost rudely casual - and it's nice to have others be used to me wearing them as part of my style and "look", to have people who know me have high expectations of me.I've talked to friends and co-workers my age and younger about why they're so negative about hose and there are a number of reasons, but I think it mostly comes down to being not fully educated about them, treating them like an afterthought, and getting the rock-bottom cheap kinds.Maybe the most common complaint, like Mackenzie's, is that they're "uncomfortable", in various ways. But they don't have to be!If you get a pair that has a luxuriously smooth, pleasantly silky texture, hose won't be scratchy, or high-friction like an emery board. Because silky hose lets your legs glide past each other, they're less likely to twist, sag, or droop, because one leg won't "grip" the other leg's hose and pull it around or down when your legs touch. Hose that has enough lycra (also called elastane) in the legs, preferably above 10% in the blend, is usually silkier than low lycra or 100% nylon hose, and also has more snapback and cling to prevent sag, drift, and jumping the gap at bended joints.If you get a pair that fits you at your current, real size, hose won't leave an angry red ring at your waist, or make you feel stuffed and suffocated in sausage casing. Even though pantyhose are stretchy, they're not like sweatpants - in fact they're pretty unforgiving if you get them too small, even if they're not control top. It's amazing how easy it is to be in denial, seeing our current weight as just a temporary thing we'll get over very soon, while our supposed "real" weight is 10 pounds or more lower. I understand it's frustrating and disappointing to buy hose that's in a size up from your self-image, especially if it's a label like "large" or "queen", but a moment of (unnecessary) embarrassment with the cashier (who frankly does not care) is worth it to avoid all-day misery, and "forcing" yourself to lose weight by deliberately buying clothing that is too small just leads to the depressing frustration of few or no options each time you face the closet and dresser rather than really helping. When you lose the weight, then drop back to your old size.Hose can be comfortable even if it's warm or cold out. On warm days, you can wear ultra sheer hose, 10 denier or below. "Summer hose" with polyurethane blends can be very light and cool, while still providing a subtle, flattering enhancement. I actually prefer wearing pantyhose on hot muggy days, since they help wick away sweat, keep my thighs dry and smooth, and prevent that clammy sticky feeling I hate on my legs (well ventilated strappy shoes help too, at least for the commute). I'd skip heavy control tops on those days - stick to sheer to waist. And most pantyhose has a cotton gusset to permit "breathing", and often can serve well enough as underwear by itself. On cool days, you can wear thicker, semi-sheer hose, 30 denier or above, with maybe a layer of Spanx over them for warmth, or tights for the commute if it's really bitter.High-end pantyhose is sometimes also "fully boarded", meaning that it's shaped to fit your body from the waist down, including your feet. Those tend to fit much more comfortably than cheaper hose shaped like simple tubes.Besides comfort, other complaints are usually about runs, cost, and necessity.Some tips to prevent runs: -Again, go with quality. Cheap hose sometimes even has picks, pills, snags, and even runs right out of the package, and seems to pick them up extra easily. My Wolfords, Fogals, Falkes, and other premium brands, by contrast, last and last.-As I said, not getting them too small helps.-Treat them in a special wash, like Hosiery Mate, before putting them on.-Be fully manicured, pedicured, and shaved (or even better, waxed). Take off your jewelry.-Take your time. Yanking them on in a blind panic causes a lot of runs. Get up a few minutes earlier. You were smart to do a "dry run" the day before. -Consider using special hosiery gloves for the initial pull-on (especially if you have nails), and grippy-palmed rubber wash gloves for the final smooth-up. Shapings dot com has a good page illustrating these tips. Be good to your hose and your hose...