The Guide to Pantyhose for Work
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If you were to write someone a guide to pantyhose for work, what would you say?
Reader H wonders, and since pantyhose is one of the biggest topics we've talked about through the years, I thought I'd give it a go.
Here's H's question:
Hi! I know you write a lot about pantyhose/tights/stockings–sorry to bring it up again–but I am so confused about them. I grew up in Southern California where no one wears pantyhose, ever, and tights only as a fashion statement or on very rare cold days.
I know you're supposed to wear nude pantyhose to an interview and in very formal situations like court, but on a regular day in the office, is it okay to wear sheer or opaque black tights in the office? How about with a suit in the office? Or with a pencil skirt? Are there color rules e.g. no black tights with a black suit?
I suppose what I really need is a Dummy's Guide to Wearing Stockings.
Thanks so much for any sort of information that could help sort me out
We have talked about this a lot, but I still see a lot of confusion about it. So let's get into it — I'm curious to hear what readers say.
Hunting for sheer tights, aka pantyhose? As of 2025, readers like this affordable pair, as well as fancier options like Wolford or Oroblu — and plus-size readers swear by Berkshire. There are even sheer FLEECE tights! !
Wear nude pantyhose when:
You're interviewing, you're in a formal situation (like court), or it's a big day where you'll see lots of big wigs.
Another good time to wear nude pantyhose: when your legs don't have any color yet (from sun or fake tan) and you want them to have a more even consistency.
Also: wear them whenever you want to. (Here's our last big guide to wearing pantyhose in the summer.)
Wear bare legs when:
It is not a big day, AND you have seen a superior or mid-level do it at your office so you know it's acceptable in your office. (See our general breakdown of workwear don'ts for the summer.)
If you commute in flip-flops or other sandals, it's good to get in the habit of changing into traditional pumps or flats as soon as you get to work.
(If chafing is a concern, note that readers have loved both Jockey Slipshorts in the summer, or anti-chafing cream like Monistat or Bodyglide.)
Psst: if you're looking for body makeup, these are some of our favorites as of 2024…
Wear bare legs with body makeup when:
Honestly, when you want to! If you've got bug bites or tattoos to cover, these could be good options for big days (interviews, weddings). If you have veins or whatnot that you're sensitive about, this is another option.
Hunting for the best tights for work? As of 2025, we like Hue, DKNY, Spanx, Commando — and check out Berkshire for plus sizes. Readers love their fleece tights — and here's a great way to store tights!
Wear tights when:
it's the dead of winter and you need/want the warmth, or it's a more casual day at the office.
Yes, you can wear them with suits — however, know your office; note this is usually more of an “everyday” look, not an “I'm going to court today” look.
(The most formal look is always going to be nude-for-you pantyhose plus a skirt suit.)
Fleece-lined tights do exist. (So do translucent fleece tights that look like pantyhose!)
Do not wear dark tights when it is hot outside.
Wear sheer tights or pantyhose:
When you want to, but particularly during spring/fall where opaque tights are too dark.
Back when I started this blog, I always wore off-black hose when interviewing — and I did just fine in terms of callbacks and offers.
Still, a lot of people equate this either as a more casual look, or a nighttime, almost sexy look — so know your office.
Color rules for pantyhose for work:
I was going to say “there aren't any!” and then I realized I meant “wear black, gray, or nude-for-you.” Some general rules of thumb beyond that:
- skip white stockings unless you are under 12
- skip colorful stockings unless it is the weekend (or you can do this monochromatic look, which I still think is awesome)
- note that tights with patterns (swiss dots, ribbed knits, fishnets, lace, etc) are always going to be more casual
- we had a whole post on what tights to wear with navy skirts
Update: Here are some cute colored tights for work! If you're looking for something high quality check out Falke's opaque tights in sedate colors; if you want affordability, these $17 Amazon tights have 7700+ great ratings and tons of colors. There are even fleece tights in colors!
Ladies, would you agree with these guidelines on pantyhose for work?
This all varies widely by region and office, of course, so while commenting, please leave a general, broad note about where you're located and what type of office you work in. Thank you!
Social media picture credit: Shutterstock / ludmilafoto.
I think the problem here with the why tofjts but not hose question is that most women who complain of hose have on my ever worn hose of 5 or 10 years ago and/or super cheap ones. High end hose (or tights as they’re known in Europe are like silk on the leg and look like you’re not wearing any AT ALL). They’re also expensive as all get out but man do they feel GOOD on and really make me at least feel pulled together. I love in the South and dwapotw the heat hose is generally a requirement in a lot of professions but I just don’t mind. I buy pretty pollys and wolfords and the like and they feel so good on my skin. They even make these new hose infused with all kinds of moisturizers and don’t just “help” hide viens but the right kind can prevent more or worse ones. That gross and hot polyester feel is something from the past or drugstores.
I appreciate this article and all the comments to the affirmative. I’m a consultant and when I meet with clients I need to look very polished and professional. I see a lot of women without stockings in a skirt and needed to know that stockings/panty hose are still a viable option…even in the hot and humid climate where I live.
I wish more women would dress in a classy business professional style. If she is already pretty, she will look hot when rocking the full business professional attire. Nude or tan hose on an attractive woman with nice legs and the clickety clack sound of her heels is just a wonderful treat that i will never get bored with. Bless all those beautiful women who get all dolled up, you ladies rock!
I have a friend that wears colored tights with pep toe shoes in the winter… thoughts? She’s in a conservative industry and I think it’s odd. Especially when the tights and shoes contrast.
Hello Midwest Mom,
You had solicited thoughts about wearing tights/pantyhose with peep toe shoes during the Winter season- well I wear peep toe shoes about 1/3 the time during all seasons. I live in southern California, so it doesn’t get too cold here. I just make sure that I’m wearing with nude toe pantyhose. Yes, it is obvious that my toes reveal that I’m wearing pantyhose, but it’s obvious anyway. I think the nylon covered toes showing through my peep toe (or open strappy heels) is attractive and not odd at all. That is my opinion, and I’ve had other women telling me the same. And I still feel that I am dressed professionally because the rest of my outfit is conservative.
Cindy
Nothing unusual at all… I had a cute dress with peep toe heels all picked out for an outdoor wedding when the weather took a turn for the worse once we arrived at the town it was held in. The tea length dress was a mint color with a nude shoe, so black tights wouldn’t have cut it. After much contemplating in a drug store, I went with tan pantyhose. I received numerous complements on my outfit throughout the wedding and have since incorporated this look into my workwear.
Does anyone have an opinion regarding wearing an ankle bracelet under pantyhose in a conservative corporate office environment? I’ve seen a few of our younger staff wear them and I think they look quite cute. But is it appropriate in a professional office? What do you think?
When I wore hose, i would wear the anklet over my hose.
I wish all women wore pantyhose. I can’t get over how complete they look with hose. Just my opinion
I’m a 51 year old lawyer, practicing in federal court in Texas. Maybe it is the heat down here, but I don’t even own a pair of panty hose. To me, they scream sexual fetish. Really, the only women you see in hose down here are also wearing garters and corsets, and not much else. Funny how fashions vary from place to place.
@Helen
Seriously?! Sexual fetish?? It’s a matter of professionalism. You don’t have air conditioning down in Texas? Prior to the modern casual trend, women wore hosiery in Texas too. You can’t make a case for heat when you work in an air-conditioned office and drive in an air-conditioned car.
hey, I’m not saying it is right that iwearing panty hose is perceived as a sexual invitation. Cleavage shouldn’t be – breasts are for feeding babies. But cleavage is perceived as sexual. Where I live and practice law, so is wearing pants hose. I don’t make (or agree with) the rules. I just have to live by them.
I have a LOT of friends in Texas (male and female). This is the first time I’ve heard that wearing hose is a sexual invitation.
As I noted in previous comments, women discarding hose corresponds with the casual trend in businesses over the past 20 or so years. It’s a matter of convenience, not professionalism. There’s nothing wrong with that on one’s personal time, but on company time, we represent our company, and I believe it’s our responsibility to look the best we can in order to maximize the appeal of our corporation.
With respect to sex appeal, corporations often employ attractive sales agents and other employees who interact with the public. If that’s the reality you’re referring to, then it makes perfect sense for a company to tastefully draw on that reality in order to further its success.
Again, as I said above, even people who don’t like hose acknowledge that it makes the leg look better in an office setting. Given that, why would a conscientious employee want to detract from the company’s appearance. An appeal to convenience and comfort is selfish.
One man’s professional is another man’s sleezy. Probably the best advice is to observe professional women in your field and geographic location and get a feel for what is acceptable. There is no one standard. Panty hose are difficult to pull off here without being considered a bit “racy”, unless you are quite old. Keep your eyes open, and you’ll soon figure out if panty hose are considered a normal part of a professional woman’s outfit in the location you work.
Bill, perhaps it is a function of your age? When I asked younger lawyers, they were much more adamant that panty hose are considered kinda sleezy. A 68 year old lawyer thinks they are fine, and prefers them. So, it is probably a trend that has come slowly, this fetishizing of panty hose. But, you have to dress for the context you are in. If you are arguing in trial, you don’t want the jury obsessing about your sexily sheathed legs – you want them focused on the law and the facts.
In the context of a company trading on sex appeal, like Hooters, yeah, I get you want the hose. And, Hooters waitresses are required to wear panty hose. But, a lawyer shouldn’t be trading on sex appeal in the same way a Hooters waitress is required to.
Hi Bill,
BTW, Anonymous was me as well – I just didn’t put my name in, by mistake.
I am on my way to federal court in Amarillo right now – bare-legged. Every other woman will likely be bare legged as well. I appear in federal court in Amarillo, Lubbock, San Angelo, Abilene – always bare legged.
I would think if someone is close enough to tell I’m not wearing panty hose, they are probably way too close to my legs.
Can we agree there is no universal rule – and you should probably observe professional women in your field and geographic location to learn what is considered professional for that context? I am a little uncomfortable with the idea of a male boss requiring a female underling to wear any article of clothing because he thinks it makes her legs look “nice”.
There is also the health issue, of course. I imagine I’m not the only woman whose doctor has told her panty hose are not a good idea, except sparingly worn.
I think a problem is that lady lawyer dress codes are often dependent on what a (usually male) judge perceived as appropriate for a lady. I’ve seen a federal judge absolutely forbid women to wear pants to court. He felt women shouldn’t dress as men. Then, in a jail I visited, women had to wear pants – any skirt was considered too sexy. On days I had to appear in both places, I had to bring a change of clothes. Crazy! BYW, the judge who wanted skirts was fine with panty hose – but that was the 1980s. I” not sure when panty hose started to be considered sexually suggestive- maybe the early 2000s.
@Anonymous,
You obviously haven’t read my comments here except my most recent ones. I am responsible for the dress code in our corporation (international) and have researched this issue extensively (conducting numerous interviews), so believe me, I’ve had my “eyes open” for quite some time.
Your comment and Helen’s are firsts for me—that wearing hosiery is sleazy or akin to a sexual fetish. Yes, Duchess Catherine looks sleazy in hose, right? You perhaps missed my comment to Helen (she’s from Texas) regarding my numerous friends from Texas. I know a LOT of professional women from Texas and they always wear hose in professional settings. They almost never wear hose on their personal time, but when it comes to business, they always do—and they’re not old women either. Most of them are quite young (20s-40s).
Hi Bill,
Reporting back from federal court in Amarillo, TX. There were 11 female legal professionals: 1 federal judge’s court coordinator : no hose
2 law school students/clerks: one no hose, one wearing white hose with a navy suit.
1 United States probation officer: no hose
7 female attorneys (including me) 6 no hose 1 with hose under pants (so might have been knee high rather than pantyhose.)
so: in Amarillo federal court: 9 out of 11 do not consider hose required for professional apparel. Don’t know how many of those feel hose are undesirable for a professional appearance. 2 out of 11 do not feel hose are inappropriate in this professional setting.
Bottom line, context is everything. You can’t create a universal rule. Standards vary from setting to setting.
(the female atty with hose looked to be in her 60’s or older)
HTH,
Helen
I am an older woman, wearing pantyhose has been part of my wardrobe since I was very young. Although I personally think pantyhose adds to a woman’s appearance, that is only my opinion. But we also should be mindful of the evolution of professional attire. The company that I work for had modified their dress policy 15 years ago for both men and women. And it was due mostly to the changes in fashion and trend across the country. I know that a law office may expect a more conservative dress than a financial company, but nevertheless, professional attire is changing with the times. So Bill, centuries ago European men wore tights. It wouldn’t make sense now to require men to wear tights in order to appear professional, would it? Why not? The times are changing again, for women to wear tights/pantyhose as an option, and not a requirement to appear professional.
I see it as selfishness too when the uncomfortable card is played. Lot’s of men wish they didn’t have to wear a tie and jacket on hot days where we can wear a short dress and no hose. No this isn’t a male vs female thing, it’s a professional thing. The younger ME generation and some middle age women who act like they are still that age, seems to be sloppy or slutty in general these days. Guess what, it’s not all about you. Buck up buttercup and get over yourselves. It’s just hosiery and most men and some women find it very appealing. Especially when you are next to someone with blotchy, pasty, white legs. You are representing a firm in a competitive environment. If they are uncomfortable then find some that fit right like everything else you wear, I’ve been wearing Legg’s Sheer Energy for years just about everyday and love them. They are very comfortable, inexpensive, durable, and give off a nice presentation.
I also find it funny that women who complain about hosiery being uncomfortable never complain about wearing 4-5″ heels for hours being uncomfortable. Why spend all that time in front of the mirror doing your make up and hair and complaining about something like hosiery? Sorry but, it’s just not a valid argument to me when you are in a competitive professional business with a dress code. Nothing looks worse than a lady made up to the 9’s with bare legs versus a lady who is wearing them. It just doesn’t go together with the make up on your face and the rest of your presentation.
One last thing. I can attest that wearing pantyhose for all of these years have held the rest of my body in place. A droopy jiggly behind in a tight dress looks terrible. Gravity will win whether you like it or not. Just my opinion.
Hi Niki,
I am not talking about comfort, at all. In some professional environments, panty hose are questionable, like in federal court in the area where I practice. If it is considered an essential part of a professional wardrobe in the field and area where you work, wear them. If it is neither a plus nor a negative, you choose. If it is a potential negative, don’t wear them. It varies from place to place and profession to profession.
That’s my last word on the subject – who would have thought it a subject so freighted with emotion for some? But, clearly it is. Bill, I am sorry you felt attacked. I didn’t intend to upset you, just let you know there is no objective right answer to this question, as you appear to be laboring under that misunderstanding.
Regards,
Helen