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Hi Sisters,
I have been pondering the demise of pantyhose both in a general and a personal manner. On the public front, it seems that younger women don't wear them at all anymore and much prefer the bare leg look. Even older women hardly wear them unless absolutely necessary for some type of formal affair. On a personal level, as an older woman who is not as limber as I once was, I find them harder and harder to put on. Stockings are so much easier for us oldies but goldies.
@maureen76 bare feet in leather shoes doesn't make sense to me. All that dead skin rubbing off your feet and being ground into the leather. Disgusting seems like. What an odor it must be.
@danikiss22 Hi Dani---I'm not advocating for bare feet and you do have a good point about the potential of bad smells --- I am guessing that the hose less one must deodorize shoes and feet on regular basis
I disagree. I saw LOTS of women wearing pantyhose/tights on a recent trip to the UK. Black in particular. Other trips to the Northeast and PNW would support that. Obviously pantyhose will be more popular in cooler climates.
/LK
@lizk My office for a number of years was in London. You are correct, black pantyhose and tights were the norm for both young and mature women. In rush hour at the train station hundreds of women wearing tights/pantyhose. They look great on legs - period! Hopefully in America, the trend toward women wearing black leggings all day and other "drab" tops will end. In my limited opinion, women are dressing "down" more and more everyday.
I think many women in the US dress down because they are so busy. I get that. I do it myself. But leggings are pretty versatile. You can dress them up or down. With a skirt, heeled booties and nice top they look great. In general, I think cosmopolitan cities like London, New York and San Francisco have a higher percentage of women that dress nicely and will regularly wear tights.
Yes, Liz. The notion of the demise of pantyhose is a local one based on personal observations. That's why I post the sector's projected numbers.
Pantyhose and stockings aren't going anywhere. In fact, their market is projected to grow 3-5% annually over the next decade. Sounds pretty healthy to me.
Somebody is buying all of these pantyhose. Maybe every crossdresser.
Somebody is buying all of these pantyhose. Maybe every crossdresser.
Absolutely Harriette! Hosiery manufacturers and retailers have known for years that crossdressers and trans women are a significant market, and that market is growing.
/LK
@maureen76 Pantyhose is alive and quite well with me. I love how they make my legs look and how they even out the color. I also love black pantyhose as a fashion accent especially one with little dots. Long live Pantyhose!!
@maureen76 I love pantyhose. I've been wearing them since I was 4. In fact, I became a crossdresser to wear pantyhose and show off my legs in them. If not for pantyhose, there would be no Patty.
@pattyphose who can argue with this "If not for pantyhose, there would be no Patty."-----Patty, I am not celebrating --- I love pantyhose also--just bemoaning the fact
@maureen76 I understand. When I was young and I would go into stores, the pantyhose would be right by the main entrance. I so enjoyed browsing and buying so much great pantyhose. It was exciting doing that as a 13 year old boy and a few years later as a 17 year old girl.
It was so intense, thrilling and exciting being a girl, wearing pantyhose, showing my legs and buying pantyhose.
@pattyphose Yes, Patty----those were the glory days---mini skirts and panty hose ---and the boys drooling---LOL
@maureen76 I remember those days very well. The girls showing their legs in nylons, heels and short dresses or skirts. I so wanted what they had and wanted to do what they were doing. They had such power over me. I was so mesmerized.
So, when I got to do what they were doing, I was so thrilled and excited and wanted to do more and more as I built up my nerve.
When I was 18, I got my own place and bought a lot of really sexy and amazing femme clothing items. Pantyhose, stockings, garter belts lingerie, stiletto heels, short sexy dresses and everything I could think of that a sexy 18 year old girl would have.
I would look in the mirror and be amazed and mesmerized at the girl looking back. I was who I wanted to be. I would often not waste that dressing time by not going out. Much of the time it involved just walking from my apartment to the car and driving around a little. If I had a bit more time, I would drive to stores, go in, walk around and often buy a few things, mostly pantyhose. It was such a super thrill to be a young sexy girl and be out doing girl things. I was living many long time fantasies.
Then I went to a Halloween Party at college. I wor one my sexiest outfits where I thought I looked amazing. When I got there, my classmates didn't recognize me. When I told them who I was they had looks of shock and disbelief. As I walked around, I saw eyes following me. Girls were looking and talking amongst themselves. Guys began introducing themselves to me, telling me how pretty and sexy I was and what great legs I had. They knew me. I was one of their classmates. They also seemed shocked, and a few seemed embarrassed. I had girl power. It was an amazing experience. To tope it off, that night I won "sexiest costume" and "best legs".
I had lived an amazing dream and fantasy and got to do it again many more times in my college years
@maureen76 Hi Maureen76....I could not agree with you more about the "work it takes" to put on pantyhose, especially at our age. I was never a big fan of them in my 40+ years of crossdressing, anyways...even when I was much younger, I always preferred stockings...and evolved into "thigh highs", which is my preference, now. Sadly, time has not been good to this old gurl, and when dressing, my legs must be completely covered...my favorites which match 'everything", are my lace top opaque black...easy on, easy off, and they help with the illusion I try to create...thanks for starting this topic...."happy dressing" to ALL...!!!
@maureen76 A pair of pantyhose were the first bit of female clothing I ever tried, so they will always have a special place in my heart. I also noticed how hard they were to find while I was shopping this weekend and am sorry to hear it wasn't just the store I was in. Hopefully the trend will come around again!
@maureen76 in the netherlands there also have been a decline, not to the point that it isnt a hot item anymore but i think the users have gone down. Dont worry. Fashion (i love everything fashion even the statistics behind them) always goes in waves. Something is immensely popular, then it goes down till its almost gone and then it gets hot again when people start to use it as an unique look. Take corsets for example. 16th century till now its constantly popular, till almost extinct and then popular again. Then its a posh item, 40 years later is a rebellious peace of clothing. Pantys will be around, but in 10 years it may be considered a unique look!
@crazycynthia The last time that I checked, pantyhose sales in Europe were still very healthy.
The pantyhose and tights market is expected to grow globally at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 3.5% from 2024 to 2032. The US is the major market, of course, and China is way up there, too.
The stockings market, including pantyhose, is even more healthy. The Stockings Market CAGR (growth rate) is expected to be around 5.2% during the forecast period (2024 - 2032).
Employed women and new materials fuel the market.
@crazycynthia Hi Cynthia ---that certainly is taking the long view of the issue but it is true---"all that is old is new again"----pantyhose will come back
Hello Maureen ,
I Love pantyhose and it was the first Female garment I ever wore as a child.
I live in the Netherlands , and there are still Women who wear pantyhose ,
specially black ones , as I also see young students wearing black pantyhose ,
and I see them more and more on some Fashion sites online as well ,
so perhaps the pantyhose is making a come back.
@maureen76 I know what you mean! I think there has been a decline but then it is rather where we live. I live in a town in Derbyshire and see few legs in tights or pantyhose, if we are talking thinner sheer versions as in USA.
My real first love of female clothing is pantyhose and I adore wearing them with every outfit when I dress up as Sarah. I find pantyhose are getting more and more expensive, so thank god I am careful with mine. I feel they are delicate and need special care so I understand why women might go off them. Of course get better quality and they last longer. Putting them on is a special skill we develop, a most sensual and thrilling ritual I love. This extends to putting Sarah on for me. I can dress as fast as my wife I note, if not faster. Not told her that. But I cringle when she rushes putting her pantyhose on when she is in a rush as she obviously messes it up by being in a rush. I think of all the clothing, a lot of trans or crossdressers really get how special pantyhose are and we might get how important they are. Oddly pantyhose were developed for ladies but they end up being saved by gals like us?
I think CDs kind of help keep them alive as legwear.
I feel they are delicate and need special care so I understand why women might go off them. Of course get better quality and they last longer.
Check out the Sheertex brand. They are like the Energizer batteries of pantyhose.
@harriette The owner said this year that she was frustrated as a number of women have complained that they are marketed towards males as well! Of course women can be as resistant and up set a men can be by guys who like wearing what is considered women's clothes by them. If anything I think a percentage of women are going off feminine clothing because of crossdressing?
@sarahmichellelustre I'd love to see the source for this. I have seen one or two Sheertex products worn by male models on their web site, but I haven't seen any comments disapproving of it.
@harriette I think I saw the short film clip by the owner on Instagram or somewhere. The complaining minority, they are always there. So what!
Yet to try Sheertex sheer type, only got the textured ones. I must admit I don't like them, too stretchy for me. They are quite pricey I think. I love that they are marketed at men as well of course.
@sarahmichellelustre I wear them every time that I go abroad, if I can.
I have one pair that just won't run and these are patterned, too. Wore them at least 150 times! That would be pennies per day. The problem is that Sheertex stopped making thigh-highs. 🤨
@maureen76 Pantyhose and garter belts are a staple in my wardrobe! To me, Pantyhose, Garters, are just Pearl necklace classy and timeless.
@maureen76 In warmer weather I usually go the bare legs route. Now getting to the colder part of the year wearing a heavier pair of pantihose or tights alows me to wear dresses till the temperature gets a little under freezing.
Cassie
Maureen, from what I am seeing where I live, pantyhose have been replaced by tights and leggings. There is a company up here in Canada, called 'Sheertex', that specializes in hosiery that WILL NEVER RUN! They market a huge range of legwear, from pantyhose style sheer tights, to thigh high stockings with seams or without seams, or with polka dots. Patterned tights, colored tights, and a lengthy range of sizes.
There's a good review of Sheertex on a website called 'The Stripe'. You should be able to find it fairly easily; I can't post a direct link as those aren't allowed in the CDH forums.
Check them out.
Hugs,
Ms. Lauren M
@reallylauren Hi Lauren---Good points---yes, instead of dresses and stockings, most young women wear leggings-- of course --- easier to wear and can still show off their shape. I will check out Sheertex----Hugs Maureen
@reallylauren Sheertex is my favourite brand of stockings. However...
They stopped making their thigh-highs. I bought up as many as I could afford at the time, recently, so they may all be gone by now.
Their hose can run, but their customer service is amazing, at least as good as Logitech's. Whenever I had a problem, they resolved it immediately. Having said that, it is really, really reliable hose. I know that I have worn one pair of stockings well over 100 times, soon to be 150 times. I wear them in public any time that I have pants on, since they help my big feet fit my shoes. These things are amazing. The patterned ones can set up stress points, so some of these may not last as long as plain ones. The elastic tops are getting a bit stretched now, but they still stay up reliably.
I have one skin coloured pair and a red pair of pantyhose, but I haven't worn them yet.
These things are expensive, but they constantly run good sales. Wait for one.
CDH would be smart to get them to advertise here. 😇
Surely it's all driven by fashion? If it suddenly became fashionable again to wear tights then they would be appearing in shops.
In fact, over the past few years - since that time when it seemed that almost every woman in the world was going bare-legged - we have seen several fads for 'fashion' tights; mock suspender or stocking tights with the sheer/ opaque combination, various styles of lace and fishnets as well as sheer polka dot and so on. Granted, there is not the massive range and variety available that there used to be - department stores now have a discreet hosiery corner as opposed to the huge amount of floor space that their tights and stockings used to occupy - but tights are still marching on. If you look at specialist online retailers, they have quite a very varied selection.
Personally, I'll never give up on tights. Stockings are OK, but nothing compares to the feeling of wearing a good quality pair of glossy, sheer-to-waist tights. And lets face it, it's incredibly difficult to get away with stockings under a very short skirt.
@caroline2k I love Snag Tights for the variety of styles, colours and their sizing is brilliant. Samburu do fabulous colours and also fit really well.
Anna xx
@annaredhead A little late replying - sorry 😳 but I have heard a lot of girls sing the praises of Snag, although I haven't tried them myself.
I hadn't even heard of Samburu, and I thought I was quite 'with it' when it came to tights! 😂
@caroline2k Snag are amazing. There's a size for everyone, loads of colours, derniers and patterns and they last well. I think they're online only.
Samburu - lots of colours in 50 dernier. Sheers in "normal" tights colours. They fit very well on long legs. I buy mine in a shop in Totnes
@annaredhead I checked out Samburu 's web site and, apparently, they have some thigh-highs that stay up without using silicone strips to keep them up. Since the descriptions don't say, what do they use, if not silicone?
@harriette I've only got their tights (about 8 pairs) so I've no idea but I assume it must work. I rarely wear hold-ups, if I do wear stockings I much prefer them with a suspender belt.
Anna xx
@annaredhead Totnes! As much as I love Totnes (and as much as I love tights!) it's a bit of a commute from Newcastle 🤭
I shall however investigate in a more convenient location 😁
@caroline2k Caroline-how would you define the differences between "glossy sheer to the waist tights" and pantyhose? When I think of tights I usually think of a thicker material than nylon and often with some cotton thread involved. When I think of pantyhose I thin of the thinnest sheer nylon possible
Ah yes, I forget sometimes that I am swimming in a multi-cultural sea. I'm English Maureen, so they are all tights! 🙂
For "glossy sheer to the waist tights", read "glossy sheer to the waist pantyhose". These I would rate at those up to and including 20 denier, although some 40 denier tights (such as Wolford Neon) are straddling the fence between sheer and opaque by dint of their design. So we can call those semi-sheer or semi-opaque.
Thicker tights, we generally refer to as 'opaque' (because you can't see through them) and these are generally made of nylon or similar yarns and can be from 40 denier upwards. Tights made from other materials such as wool, cotton, lace, fishnet etc. are generally referred to by what material from which they are made.
Hope that helps! 🙂
@caroline2k Hi Caroline---thanks for the clarification for your "across the pond" cousins---that makes sense ---- just like knickers = panties and all the other unique differences in the "common language that separates us"---LOL---Hugs, Maureen
@caroline2k Hi Caroline. Just joined.
I agree completely with you: it’ll just take a few tricks from the marketers/PR people… a few well placed pics of celebs in tights and the fashion will kick off again: though there’s not the ubiquity of tights that we all once saw, I don’t believe we’ve seen the end of such a splendid item of clothes.
For me, they were the start of my cross dressing many moons ago (back in the 70’s when as a curious 6 year old, I was compelled to try some of my mother’s tights). They remain central to my dressing today - shaved legs, nail varnish, pretty knickers underneath and ideally 10 denier black tights absolutely make me feel like a million dollars!
And worry not - I buy enough tights to sustain the industry single handed!
x
@lucypope Hi Lucy and welcome 🙂
I discovered the Joy Of Tights at a similar age to yourself. Even now, I get a buzz every time I put on a pair. Putting on your tights in the morning... well, it makes it worth getting up! 🙂
A sad world without pantyhose. Marginally though on a regular basis for me, I could not do with my cycling tights now, love the tight fit everywhere. But then I so love pantyhose and seeing them on others. Isn't it awful how so many women are not wearing them now! When I do see them they are usually the opaque black which is boring. I can tolerate them when with a skirt and tall boots though because I love to see that look. I saw a woman last weekend and she looked very nice in tan boots with 50D tights and a short skirt.
Hi Sarah---I am not cheering on the decline of pantyhose and am sad as well---much of my youth was spent in them and in worship of the women who wore them so beautifully
Pantyhose are alive and well in my home.
In fact I have a pair on right now. Summertime in shorts or a skort with bare legs is fine though I do prefer a touch of foundation in certain spots to make my legs look their best. Once the weather turns colder it's pantyhose all the time unless I'm feeling a bit wicked and don my garter belt and stockings or lace top thi-hi's.
I'm not a fan of bare feet in shoes. They stick to my feet and sometimes cause blisters and overall I just don't care for the feeling. Unless of course I'm wearing sandals then I think bare legs are necessary. I'm not a fan of stockings in sandals. That's an "old lady" look to me and I refuse to get old.
Women have pushed for "freedom" and drifted away from wearing hosiery unless the outfit or venue calls for it. That's fine, more for me.
@cherylt yes---less women buying pantyhose and more available should mean cheaper price==law of supply and demand
Maureen the sad part about the demise of pantyhose from what it used to be, is that now even a lot of crossdressers are forgoing them. If anyone needs their pantyhose it’s the crossers! Sure -some of us can pull off a bare leg look but how much better they’d be with pantyhose to smooth out the imperfections. I realize girls, you’re just trying to look like the real girls - I get it. Still, your best look is in pantyhose.
That said, tights and leggings are definitely a close second.
GP
@gracepal I go bare-legged in drab mode most of the time, I get the odd glance which means someone has noticed that I have smooth legs. Hosiery is an essential part of going en-femme for me - even on a hot day, I have 5 dernier tights on.
Anna xx
@gracepal Good point Grace---most of us girld don't have the legs necessary to pull off the bare look
@maureen76 A lot of GGs don't have great legs, either.
Last night, I sat near a couple of young women in a crowd. This one, while fairly fit looking, wore a low-cut dress and she had relatively thick legs one of which had a small seahorse tattoo. Maybe the upper half was meant as a distraction from her lower half.
She would have benefited from wearing something on her untanned legs, but who am I to tell a woman that I don't know how to dress?
I love the title of this post. Which house are you in, like something out of Harry Potter or some other suit of royalty.
The House of Pantyhose has been banished to the dark forest, replaced with the House of Leggings. The new house serves a similar purpose, leg coverings for style, comfort, modesty, personal care. Easier to get in, durable, harder to get out.
@lea-jhene Hi Lea----Thanks, I actually borrowed the title from an Edgar Allen Poe book called "Fall of the House of Usher"----He was a 19th Century writer/poet who dealt in the macabre/horror genre and was most famous for his poem "The Raven"
I made the rounds at JC Penneys in Indy a few days ago. The hosiery display at the mall was pitifully small. I remember when the display included a row of artificial legs and rack after rack of pretty packages that included every size, color, and style. Based on discussions with my SO, the demise of pantyhose is mainly due to peer pressure and laziness. If, by some miracle, she wears a dress, she follows the herd and goes bare-legged because she doesn't want to stand out by sporting pretty legs. She'd much rather be like one of the other sheep and show off every flaw and spider vein she has. Today, it's too much trouble for GG to dress like women, so by dressing like men, they don't need pantyhose.
Such is the day and age we live in.
Lisa Ann
@lisadouglas Ironic, isn’t it? Crossdressers keeping female traditions alive. It’s totally true though. Spotting an attractive female in a pair of pantyhose is like finding a unicorn. It just doesn’t happen anymore unless you’re at the airport and a flight attendant happens to walk by.
GP
@lisadouglas Yes Lisa, If GG's won't dress like women because of laziness or the herd mentality ---then it is quite up to us girls to pick up the baton and keep the joy of pantyhose alive!
@maureen76 At our latest Christmas parade I watched a number of young women wearing something on their legs, probably pantyhose, but I didn't do a fashion survey.
Some of them wore shorts, some wore miniskirts. Keeping warm in Canada can be done in a number of ways. Pantyhose might not be one of them. 🥶
Somebody still wears pantyhose because they are still widely available.
Maureen,I am in total agreement with you,if GG S wont dress like women,its up to us to do so and I accept .I will dress as femininely as I am able as often as I can.
I’m a Hanes Alive support hose wearer now for over 40 years. I’ll stop only when I can’t pull them on any more. On a side note, I have noticed on the many Christmas movie channels, ie: Hallmark, Great American Family, Ion, many of the women are wearing hosiery. Nudes, colors, it’s what makes watching those cookie cutter shows bearable, that their legs are not bare!! Hose lover til I die!
I'll be wearing wearing pantyhose, leggings, tights, stockings, and whatever new comes out. Absolutely love wearing them, they make me feel not only femme but energized. Agree with Tina, a "hose lover till I die!"
It is a different world. The culture is completely different. Men and women both. No hosiery. No dresses. No suit coats, no neckties. No shiny shoes. No deodorant. You name it.
We girls here find sources for nylons everywhere. there are many sites and stores. Target, Penneys, everywhere. They have them for sale for a reason. Who is the customer?
Who in the world is buying them? I bet if I made an effort I could go all week, checking, and I would not see a single female in nylons. It would be interesting to come across industry research and find out who are the customers.
Dani
I will have to say your topic sure kicked up quite a response. Dotty’s personal opinion is if you are going to dress like a lady you should look like a lady. True GGs who were and still are no matter their age are ladies and dress like a lady always wear pantyhose. There is nothing more lady like than to have the polished look of gorgeous legs and feet no matter if you are wearing a skirt , dress or even slacks that only shows a little bit . It shows that you or they care about their personal appearance no matter how much work it might be to look that way.
Oh I love pantyhose, tights and stockings so much!
My starting point as a little 4 year old girl and my starting point for every outfit I wear.
Love 10-15 denier sheer tights and stockings and can’t find the words to express the thrill of seeing my shaved legs in them; knickers under the gusset; red nails peaking through the lovely darker reinforced toes!
Be assured: I buy enough hosiery to keep the hosiery industry running! 🥰
