Office appropriate: bare legs or hose?
November 19th, 2007I get asked this question regularly, but it is a difficult one to answer because it depends on your profession and industry. It’s perfectly acceptable to sport bare legs in the fashion, arts and advertising world. It might be less appropriate to do so if you’re a lawyer, business consultant, accountant or bank manager. Throw in the uniqueness of a country’s culture and we’ll struggle to find an answer that is considered universally acceptable.
In general though, I believe that modesty is the best policy in a professional setting. In particular, ultra-fashionable sweater dresses and shifts that stop somewhere between the top of the knee and lower thigh require hose and tights irrespective of the industry. These dresses ride up when you sit down and it’s inappropriate to show large areas of your bare thigh at the office.
Remember that you can make exciting hose choices in traditional settings. You needn’t stick to boring bare beige. A mock skin colored micro fish net stocking is an updated and safe way to go. The fishnet pattern is backed by ultra fine, subtle, normal hose. The texture adds an interesting dimension to your outfit while the skin tone keeps the look demure.
How do you feel about wearing hose to the office in your profession and industry?
November 19th, 2007 at 8:34 am
In general, I agree that it’s unprofessional to show a lot of bare leg. However, I really dislike wearing or seeing hose in the summer with little sandals. It looks odd to me even with sheer sandal toe hose. I go to work in bare legs with summer dresses and skirts and sandals. But I stick to modest-length skirts when doing so–no bare thighs for me!
November 19th, 2007 at 8:50 am
I never know what to do when it comes to hose! I work at a law firm, but we are quite casual here. Even the attorneys dress casually, unless they need to be in court, or are seeing clients. For example, today I am wearing a denim skirt and black sweater. I changed my hose 3 times and still didn’t know which ones looked best. Sheer, black sheer, or black opaque. (I ended up with the black opaque, but only because I was tired of changing my hose.) I even asked my husband and 11 year old daughter which hose looked best–they were no help!
Its cold in the fall/winter where I live, but in the summer I will go bare legged. I never wear anything shorter than the top of my knee though.
When it comes to patterned hose…I never know what kind of shoes to wear. Can I wear a tall boot with a patterened hose? Can I wear an open toed mule with sandal toed hose?
November 19th, 2007 at 9:11 am
You can wear patterned hose with knee high boots and a denim or plain skirt Nicole. Patterned hose will even work with a patterned or check skirt, but it has to all work on some level. Patterned hose can be one colour or multicoloured. If you wear patterned hose that is one colour - it’s like wearing plain hose with a bit of interest. Multi coloured hose needs to stay with plain skirts, tops or dresses. It’s all about wearing one statement item at a time. I hope this helps!
November 19th, 2007 at 9:14 am
No mules and hose (shoes that are open at the back that you slide into). Open toed strappy sandals and peep toes pumps are fine to sport with the right look hose and dress….this is a very fashionable statement at the moment.
November 19th, 2007 at 11:57 am
There is a judge here in town who is older, and she gets really upset when the lady-lawyers don’t wear hose. This I think is ridiculous. I hate to wear hose. They always look old-fashioned and ridiculous on me. When it’s cold out, I’ll wear plain black tights with my skirts or dresses, but when it is 60 or above, I go bare. Judge be-damned. Of course, patterned hose or fishnets just wouldn’t work in the courtroom anyway.
November 19th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Well, I use the Sally Hanson make-up application for legs and it gives my legs great coverage that it actually looks like I am wearing hose. But I tend to not use hose if I am going to a wedding but in a corporate setting you want to wear them. Just make sure that they aren’t the cheap drug-store kind with that weird shine. There are some that are pretty comfortable that are not constricting your circulation.
On a recent show of Oprah a stylist mentioned that you don’t always want a nude leg all the time especially during chilly weather. Also, the woman Cathie Black (she wrote Basic Black) said that your stockings should always match your shoe. I wear fishnet with a nice skirt set and to my astonishment it looks pretty conservative.
November 19th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
I found hose at SteinMart that have no toes, just a band that slips around the big toe to keep the hose from sliding upward. You can wear peep toe shoes or strappy sandals with hose and still have bare toes showing.
November 20th, 2007 at 2:31 am
here in JA its pretty much the same as you outlined, re industries. those fishnets you speak of are new to me tho, im used to loud black or white fishnets
im not in any industry where i need to wear hose but they sound investigatable
November 20th, 2007 at 4:00 am
I worked at a bank about 5 years ago with a very strict dress code. I once wore a very nice pants suit and heels without hose - the wrong person caught a glimpse of my ankle and I was reprimanded! Always make sure you consult your company dress code if you have any questions.
November 20th, 2007 at 8:49 am
I have to add that my husband really detests fishnet stockings. In his eyes, they are completely immodest, although done in a color other than black might not be so bad. He would say they are completely inappropriate for any setting other than the bedroom.
Just thought I’d throw that out there, because we women aren’t as tuned in to those associations as the men (we work with?) are.
November 20th, 2007 at 9:24 am
You raise an interesting point Rebecca.
There is inappropriate fishnet and there is stylish fishnet. You need to check out the micro mock skin toned kind that I am talking about if you haven’t already done so. I’ve only seen it at Nordstrom. I am an extremely modest dresser and take this aspect of my style particularly seriously. You can barely see that they are fishnets at all……there’s just a hint of a texture with a backing. Promise!
November 20th, 2007 at 10:39 am
To the person who posted about showing her ankle without hose, I was offended when I read that. For the same reason that I am offended with the idea that I need to wear “stockings” under my skirts and dresses. I dress conservatively when I go to Court. But I don’t understand the point of panty hose except in winter when one’s legs might get cold. I find them ugly and frumpy, and expensive if you consider how easily they rip. I am pretty pale, so “nude” hose look odd on me, and “white” hose make me look like I’m a 75 year old librarian.
We aren’t in Victorian times. What’s wrong with a freaking ankle? We’re not talking about butt cheeks hanging out of a skirt, here. It’s an ankle. Give me a break.
December 3rd, 2007 at 9:16 am
We’re casual here in sunny Arizona and bare legs seem to be accepted across most industries. I also have noticed that there are generational differences in the way that people view this topic - young people tend to go bare-legged, older people tend to think that bare legs are inappropriate…
January 9th, 2008 at 12:05 am
I have skinny legs and wonder what is best to wear to a cocktail party at a home with a black pencil skirt and a blue satin blouse. I have open toed patent leather pumps. Should I go bare legged, sheer black hose or opaque tights?
January 9th, 2008 at 8:38 am
I’d go sheer black or patterned sheer black hose Sue.
March 1st, 2008 at 5:47 pm
From a 30 somehting guy’s perspective…bare legs are ugly and unprofessional. It’s also a DOUBLE STANDARD (and HYPOCRITICAL), where guys are expected to dress well and professional in many palaces, and women can get away with wearing whatever they want.
When was the last time you saw a professional guy in a nice Brooks Brothers suit and slippers, or even wearing shoes without socks? Don’t you think that would be a little weird and tacky (not to mention potentially disgusting)? I freely and unashamedly admit, I would be the type that would have let Carrie know (respectfully, of course, but firmly) that the look was inappropriate.
And Christie, I guarentee if I am paying an attorney $250+ an hour for legal fees, I would expect them to look like I am paying them and their staff that amount. It’s not about your personal comfort, its about what is APPROPRIATE and DECENT. Additionally, I am not only offended, but amazed at the immaturity of many on this subject.
March 8th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Kas,
All I can say is thank you, thank you for each and every word you wrote. Nothing cheapens a nice black dress more than bare legs, no matter what the event.
March 13th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Well, KAS, Carrie said she was wearing a suit when she got reprimanded about her ankles. We are not talking about refusing to wear suits. Hose is totally different. I dare you to wear hose every day for a month in a hot climate and see how “professional” your feet smell.
June 26th, 2008 at 9:57 am
Thanks so much, Kas, for saying exactly how I feel. I have been a professional women for many years now, and would certainly choose to work with a women dressed professionally vs. a woman with bare legs and feet. And, I would be very concerned about a lawyer who chooses fashion over appealing to the judge. When I go to court - I want to win my case, not fashion trends.
And, I fail to see how wearing bare feet in unwashed shoes keeps your feet and shoes from smelling. I wash my hose each time I wear them. In fact, I wash cotton socks each time I wear them in the winter. I look at some of the shoes people are wearing with bare feet, though, and they don’t look like they have been washed for weeks. Yuk.