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Are Pantyhose a Must for Professional Women?

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Date: 9/29/2009 12:56:07 AM
Author: Haven

Oh, my dear, sweet Kenny.

I think you are going to be asking a lot of questions if that is your purpose.
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Yeah this place is just crawling with women, very mysterious creatures.
 
In my workplace environment, I don''t see a lot of women wearing pantyhose on a daily basis. But in court, even the most casual lawyers I know wear nude hose.

For interviews, I wouldn''t even consider going bare-legged. I was always taught to wear them for formal occasions, but in the summer I find them to be irritating. So before my OCI interviews last year I asked a group of female students my age and younger whether I must wear pantyhose, and they all said yes. I wouldn''t want to stand out as the only person not wearing hose. My interviewers have never had bare legs, either.

It may be sexist, but a lot of people think that pantyhose are a must for professional dress. And if those people are interviewing you or sitting on the bench or in the jury box, it''s probably beneficial to look the part.
 
Are fishnet panty hose okay for job interviews?

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Date: 9/29/2009 1:35:21 AM
Author: TheBigT
In my workplace environment, I don''t see a lot of women wearing pantyhose on a daily basis. But in court, even the most casual lawyers I know wear nude hose.


For interviews, I wouldn''t even consider going bare-legged. I was always taught to wear them for formal occasions, but in the summer I find them to be irritating. So before my OCI interviews last year I asked a group of female students my age and younger whether I must wear pantyhose, and they all said yes. I wouldn''t want to stand out as the only person not wearing hose. My interviewers have never had bare legs, either.


It may be sexist, but a lot of people think that pantyhose are a must for professional dress. And if those people are interviewing you or sitting on the bench or in the jury box, it''s probably beneficial to look the part.
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When I went through OCI I never wore hose - it never occurred to me. I would say "oopsie!", but I got a summer job and an offer (after a summer of bare legs), so I guess it worked out okay.

I honestly can''t remember the last time I wore hose. Spanx, on the other hand...
 
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Bahaha kenny you crack me up!
 
I''m actually shocked because I was sure noone was wearing pattyhose anymore. Call me old fashioned but it sometimes feels a little indecent to not wear them. Here in San Diego, I haven''t seen anyone wear them since 2000. I say, bring them back! I know I''m probably the only one.
 
I personally will wear stockings or tights with skirts at work - I am likely old fashioned but it does looked more polished
 
Has DF changed his name to Kenny?
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Date: 9/29/2009 2:31:18 AM
Author: sillyberry

When I went through OCI I never wore hose - it never occurred to me. I would say 'oopsie!', but I got a summer job and an offer (after a summer of bare legs), so I guess it worked out okay.


I honestly can't remember the last time I wore hose. Spanx, on the other hand...
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Yeah, that's not surprising. Like I said, I just didn't want to stand out for being the sole woman not wearing pantyhose to an interview. I don't know that it makes a difference, but I tend to err on the side of conservative.

ETA: My husband has interviewed hundreds of job applicants, and says he's never noticed what they were wearing, unless it was a really bright color or they looked really messy. Still, he tends to be oblivious about these things, so I feel compelled to wear hose.

And congratulations on your job offer!
 
Date: 9/28/2009 11:22:20 PM
Author: Haven
Yes, I think they are a must for professional women. I wear knee-highs with most things, as I would never wear anything to work that would be so short that I''d actually need full pantyhose.

I think women look unpolished and definitely too casual if they don''t wear some type of stockings or pantyhose to work. We had a woman interview for a teaching position in open-toed dress shoes with no stockings, and the entire interview panel wrote that she looked ''unprofessional.''

I''m shocked to read that so many women find them uncomfortable. I feel uncomfortable when I *don''t* wear stockings of some sort with shoes, especially when they have leather insoles.

Anyone remember Truvy''s line in Steel Magnolias: ''Well, these thighs haven''t gone out of the house without Lycra on them since I was 14''? I suppose I could say the same thing.
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I''ve always felt very passionate about this issue. I''m on Haven''s and elle''s side. I''ve always thought not wearing some type of hose was totally unprofessional. Then again, my mother and grandmother were always very strict about our dress even as little girls. Women don''t expose their legs. It''s as simple as that. If you''re not wearing hose, you''re not completely dressed. Bare legs in the work place are just unsightly in my opinion. The same goes for short skirts. All of my skirt suits always had a hemline that was anywhere from right below my kneecap to longer (in varying lengths). I would never go braless to work, and I would never go to work without panyhose either. It''s just a matter of propriety, and looking completely finished and polished.

I don''t work anymore and I still have at least ten pair of ultra-sheer panyhose in my dresser. I still like getting dressed up and I couldn''t imagine putting on a nice suit with a silk blouse and not wearing pantyhose. It looks like you forgot something.
 
I''m so glad I''m not in the corporate world anymore. Yuck, I hate stuffing my legs into something so uncomfortable all day long. Plus, I hate the flesh colored hose....just reminds me of what the girls over at Hooters wear.
 
I''m a lawyer too (in Canada). At my work, I can get away without hose if I am in the office (no meetings, no court) and it is summer (read, May to August). Otherwise, I need to wear hose of some type with a skirt. I prefer hose that is more like tights - less runs and more warmth/style/comfort. Wolfords have lots of super sexy and comfortable hose.
 
It depends what part of the country you live in, and what industry. I worked as a marketing manager in law firms for years. When I worked in Boston, DC and New York, pantyhose were required. When I worked out of our LA office, NO ONE wore pantyhose - maybe the lawyers wore them to court, but not to the office.

When I lived in southern FL, I worked in financial management. Suits and pantyhose were required, but when I worked as a fundraiser at a university in the same city, we never wore pantyhose.
 
I work in a business casual environment, and plenty of women women go with bare legs, especially in the summer months. I have noticed, however, that the women in positions of power at my agency tend to dress a little more formally and tend to wear hosiery. (this is in DC, which is more formal in dress than some other parts of the country)

I wear a skirt or dress to work just about every day, and I almost never go bare-legged (maybe on a Friday in the summer when I''m wearing a long linen skirt). Part of the reason is to look more polished and professional, and the other part is comfort. I hate the feeling of wearing shoes with no hosiery/socks. Ick.

Oh, and I''m with fiery on the open toe shoes at work!
 
I vote for thigh-highs. I''m 28, and live in NYC. Yes, I think something should be on your legs beyond lotion.

Also, if you haven''t seen it:

this is a great blog for young "overachieving chicks". There it is just as divided on the issue as it is here, but some extra view points from other lawyers.

http://corporette.com/2009/04/07/reader-mail-how-to-wear-stockings/
 
I researched this topic a few weeks ago as I had an interview at a traditional/conservative investment bank. From what I gathered, YES, for interviews, if you''re wearing a skirt, you wear hose. I wore black ones because I hate neutral colored stockings. For every day, I think it depends on the culture of your workplace. If it''s a more suit and tie, very conservative, environment then I''d wear them daily. If it''s more business casual, I might not.

At a lawfirm? Hmmm...yea I''d probably wear them.
 
Date: 9/29/2009 9:55:46 AM
Author: Clio
I work in a business casual environment, and plenty of women women go with bare legs, especially in the summer months. I have noticed, however, that the women in positions of power at my agency tend to dress a little more formally and tend to wear hosiery. (this is in DC, which is more formal in dress than some other parts of the country)

I wear a skirt or dress to work just about every day, and I almost never go bare-legged (maybe on a Friday in the summer when I''m wearing a long linen skirt). Part of the reason is to look more polished and professional, and the other part is comfort. I hate the feeling of wearing shoes with no hosiery/socks. Ick.

Oh, and I''m with fiery on the open toe shoes at work!
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I''m with you on this one! I wear knee-highs with my shoes (wear pants to work) since I can''t stand the way they feel otherwise. I don''t understand how the other women in my office go without hose - every type of peds I''ve ever tried stuck up over the top of my shoe.
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Luckily, well, depending on how you look at it, I live in MI and can wear pants, dress boots and socks for 9 months out of the year. Summer gets entertaining though.

Casual Friday''s in my office often see people in jeans and scrubby T-shirts, which I find really unprofessional. There really is a wide range of dress at my office though. I rarely see panty hose though. Then again, I rarely see skirts period!
 
For a job interview, I would always and have always worn pantyhose. Luckily, though, I have always worked in casual environments where jeans are the norm once you''re hired. I do still wear casual skirts occasionally (no suits), and in the winter I wear black tights with them, just to keep my legs warm! In the summer, I''ll wear a jean skirt with no hose. I would never wear a skirt suit without hose, that just seems too casual to me.
 
Granted, my work environment tends to be business casual, but I would never wear hose - ever. If I wear a skirt, it''s either in summer, so bare legs are fine or fall/winter, and then I pair it with knee high boots (so no leg is exposed). I don''t think I even own a pair of hose.

In fact - about a year ago, I was looking for a job in retail to supplement my income. At the interview, I was told that all women at the store were required to wear skirts and hose. I politely thanked them for their time and ended the process - frankly, I''d rather drink powdered milk than have an employer require me to wear pantyhose and a skirt daily.

All of that said, I think that it is hard to look polished/formal with bare legs, and agree that if a skirt suit is proper attire for your job situation, hose are probably preferred.
 
Mayachel, I love Corporette! That is where I initially turned to get some opinions in the stocking debate, but I was still sort of unsure since people seem to have different opinions there, too.

Thigh highs seem like a good solution, but I''m both very petite both height- and weight-wise, so they always come up too high on me (so uncomfortable!) and fall down all day long because my legs are too skinny. They don''t really make pantyhose for short people, either--it is pretty much guaranteed that any brand I buy will go all the way up to my bra if I don''t roll them down, but rolling them down often makes me feel like I''m being cut in half. I try to buy non-control-top hose, but sometimes it''s reeeeally hard to find. Also, even the stretchiest of hose seem to creep down on me because my legs are too short, creating that undesirable pooling effect at the knees and ankles. No one wants to be the woman hiking up her hose/tights all day long.

Another question: are knee-high boots appropriate to wear to work if the skirt comes down to or past the level of the boots? I haven''t ever worn knee-high boots at work, but it would be nice to have the option. (I''m not talking lady-of-the-night boots--just classically-styled boots.) I would still wear stockings or tights ''cause it would be very cold/snowy if I were wearing the boots.
 
Date: 9/29/2009 3:35:18 AM
Author: heraanderson
I''m actually shocked because I was sure noone was wearing pattyhose anymore. Call me old fashioned but it sometimes feels a little indecent to not wear them. Here in San Diego, I haven''t seen anyone wear them since 2000. I say, bring them back! I know I''m probably the only one.
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We do at my office (at least the female attorneys over 30).
 
kittybean, I love knee-high boots and used to wear them whenever I wore skirts in the winter, pre-law school. I know that they would be absolutely fine at the government agency I interned at, and in the judge''s chambers where I clerked this summer. I''m not sure about a firm, though. I''d say that, if you see more senior attorneys wearing them, they could be fine on non-court days, but I don''t foresee many judges liking them in the courtroom (and some, in chambers either). Do you have a mentor at your firm who you could bounce these questions off? That''s probably the best way to get specific answers, rather than general "how is it out there" information...on the whole, though, I think tall, classic boots are fine for days when nothing of earth-shattering importance is going on.
 
Date: 9/28/2009 9:37:46 PM
Author: rainwood
kittybean -

You''re really asking two different questions. The first is whether you need to wear pantyhose in the office and the second is whether you need to wear pantyhose to court. On the office question, you should take your cue from other successful women lawyers in the office. And by that I mean women partners and women senior associates. What do they wear? You should do the same unless you don''t aspire to be either a partner or senior associate.

As for court appearances, you should err on the side of being conservative. When I was a litigator, I never even wore pants to court even though I wore them a lot in the office. The difference with court appearances is that ticking off a judge could adversely affect not just you but your client and that''s not okay. Court appearances aren''t about you, they''re about representing your client effectively. You should find out what the local practice is generally speaking and also realize that some judges may be more conservative than the local practice. It''s useful information to have, the same way you want to learn the judges'' other preferences and quirks.
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That''s why I wear skirts to court when I wear pant suits most other days. Some judges are old school, and while I disagree with them, I do not want them to potentially hold my fashion choices against my client.
 
They''re not required in my office, and only the stuffiest of old-school secretaries wears them. Were I in a more conservative office (and apparently this is more conservative than it used to be!), I would definitely wear them. For me it depends on the workplace. I hate wearing them, but if they''re the norm in the office I''m definitely not going to rock the boat.
 
KB, I have worn dressy black or dark brown knee-high boots to work with calf length skirts and tights in winter.
 
Are Pantyhose a Must for Professional Women?

Depends upon your job. If you are an executive in a major corporate office, and the women above you wear them, then you should too. Same goes for any professional job. If the women who outrank you wear them, do so yourself.

It gets hot in Texas; and we get more casual in our dress. The majority of women go without pantyhose to work. But there are exceptions such as lawyers, court clerks, parole officers to name a few.

EVERYBODY who lives in a cold climate looks like an absolute fool sporting bare legs with goosepimples, BTW. Cover up. You''re making me cold just lookin'' at ya!
 
I don''t work for a firm. I''m a public interest lawyer who appears in court several times a week. I know for sure that pantsuits are absolutely fine where I practice (the head of my office often wears them to court), so maybe I just need to invest in more of those.

As far as looking to women who outrank me . . . unfortunately, I think many may be more confused than I am. I have seen ladies wearing everything from motorcycle boots to Birkenstocks to peasant dresses with blazers on top in court.

Holly, ITA about bare legs in cold weather. It makes me cold to even think about it! I actually wear leggings or tights under my dress pants sometimes when it''s really cold and snowy so that lining on the inside doesn''t flash-freeze my legs. I am a big wimp.
 
Very interesting thread for me as I work in a very casual environment and I had no idea this was an issue.

I''m curious though, why are skirts considered more conservative than pants? The only time I''d need to dress up would be for the interview and before reading this thread I would have for sure worn pants because they wouldn''t show my legs, which to me is more conservative (than the typical knee-length suit skirt).
 
Date: 9/29/2009 2:06:54 PM
Author: HollyS
Are Pantyhose a Must for Professional Women?

Depends upon your job. If you are an executive in a major corporate office, and the women above you wear them, then you should too. Same goes for any professional job. If the women who outrank you wear them, do so yourself.

It gets hot in Texas; and we get more casual in our dress. The majority of women go without pantyhose to work. But there are exceptions such as lawyers, court clerks, parole officers to name a few.

EVERYBODY who lives in a cold climate looks like an absolute fool sporting bare legs with goosepimples, BTW. Cover up. You''re making me cold just lookin'' at ya!
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Perfectly put. If my boss wears them, I wear them.
 
Date: 9/29/2009 2:20:17 PM
Author: kittybean
I don't work for a firm. I'm a public interest lawyer who appears in court several times a week. I know for sure that pantsuits are absolutely fine where I practice (the head of my office often wears them to court), so maybe I just need to invest in more of those.


As far as looking to women who outrank me . . . unfortunately, I think many may be more confused than I am. I have seen ladies wearing everything from motorcycle boots to Birkenstocks to peasant dresses with blazers on top in court.


Holly, ITA about bare legs in cold weather. It makes me cold to even think about it! I actually wear leggings or tights under my dress pants sometimes when it's really cold and snowy so that lining on the inside doesn't flash-freeze my legs. I am a big wimp.
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Ditto - at court, I see other fellow female lawyers not in any type of suit, which I usually find unprofessional. However, I have worn dresses to court, but I usually have some type of nice jacket on top.
I don't think I've seen female lawyers wear hose anymore, and it doesn't seem to impact the Judge's perception. Even the older female attys in my firm don't wear hose. The only who did was my age, and wore them to stay warm.

Hey Kittybean, there's a male attorney in our field who appears in court with...BLACK CROCS.
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Believe me, all the plaintiff and defense attorneys talk about this, and find it completely wrong.
 
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