Stupid Fashion Question!

[rikibeth]

Are pantyhose still de rigueur in a business (not "business casual") environment?

Yeah, I know, I could avoid this whole issue by wearing pantsuits. And I do know that today, even for a job interview, a properly formal pantsuit is just as acceptable as a skirt suit.

But my pencil skirt happens to fit me better than any of my dressy office pants. So I need to know.

I wouldn't have known that the rules had changed if I hadn't read something at The Pursuit of Harpyness on the subject.

So... I'm supposed to wear tights in the winter and go bare-legged in the summer? And if I don't, I'm dowdy and behind the times?

Or is this one of those rules that only apply in Manhattan, and I should stick with the damn pantyhose?

For the record, I don't enjoy wearing them, but I think bare legs would have been too chilly for March, and tights would have been too informal for a job interview. I wore sheer black hose.

Please discuss!

Comments

[gentlyepigrams]

If I were wearing a skirt, I'd wear dark (not nude) hose. But I'm old and even Austin is a conservative enough part of the country (Texas) that if I were wearing a skirt, I'd want the hose. But I'd be wearing trousers if I were interviewing for most tech jobs, so it wouldn't be an issue.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

I'm almost as old as you are. And I'm interviewing for admin-type jobs. Also, I like skirts.

I think Connecticut is pretty conservative.

[mama-hogswatch.livejournal.com]

Good lord...

If this chick considered DC unfashionable, I can only wonder what she'd think of where *I* live.

Darlin' you're interviewing at a BANK. BANKS are conservative. You won't lose out on the job for being a little conservative. Just wear unobtrusive ones.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

Yeah, no kidding. Sheer black is about as unobtrusive as it gets, right?

[batwrangler.livejournal.com]

I think the dark hose were the way to go in this case.

[quinby.livejournal.com]

As far as I know, hose are still what most people wear. I don't know about -fashionable- per se, but if you're working in a more conservative environment, you can never go wrong with hose.

When I was at the Park Service, I was told that I had to wear hose. No other option.

As far as I know, in most places, people aren't going to think less of you for wearing hose, and are more likely to have an issue if you don't.

[mama-hogswatch.livejournal.com]

This.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

As far as I know, in most places, people aren't going to think less of you for wearing hose, and are more likely to have an issue if you don't.

This. This is what I was getting at. If fashions have changed enough that I can skip them on hot days in summer, excellent, but I'm glad that they're not Hopelessly Out and marking me as a fuddy-duddy.

[marydell.livejournal.com]

Here in Chicago people still wear pantyhose quite a lot, and I would be startled if someone had bare legs with a skirt in an interview. My company is mostly business casual, but people to dress up more than that for interviews (we're a financial company but not, mercifully, a bank).

I also often see our female managing directors wearing dark suits with nude or tan hose and pumps, pretty much the same as they would have worn 10 years ago, but more interesting tailoring and textures nowadays.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

I figure once I'm hired is plenty of time to break out the more interesting clothes, like the jacket in this userpic -- never the skirt! But the jacket looks really good with a more conservative business skirt or a pair of dress slacks.

Is it weird that I like conservative business wear more than business casual? In the words of a friend's daughter (who was complaining about a school dress code), "Khaki puts bars on your soul."

[florahart]

I would fail so hard at working anywhere where anything along this line was expected. One of the reasons I remain in the job I have is that most days (so, days I don't have a meeting with the dean or something), as long as I'm not wearing, like, torn sweatpants or a t-shirt with an offensive slogan on it, it's okay. I don't own any heels or any pantyhose.

[florahart]

(also, it would seriously never occur to me to notice whether someone was wearing pantyhose. The person for whom I was on an interview committee yesterday wore a skirt...I think? But I have absolutely no idea whether she was wearing pantyhose. I spent 15 minutes walking across campus with her, and sat next to her in hour-plus meetings on either side of that)

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

The only time it's safe to be fashion-forward in an interview situation is if the position is with an artsy or avant-garde company. Anywhere else, your best bet is to wear something relatively conservative -- make your "I'm not just another brick in the wall" statement with a bright-colored blouse or an unusual necklace.

If you really want to know what's being worn in the business world, go downtown and people-watch during lunch hour. Fashion blogs aren't worth the electrons they waste.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

Dichroic glass earrings, actually. *g*

And it's not primarily a fashion blog, that's the thing! It's a decidedly feminist one and spends a certain amount of time debunking the cultural beauty expectations, as well as other topics.

If I went downtown, I'd have to PARK. Bleah.

[alchemine.livejournal.com]

I never ever wear pantyhose to work (today it was hot, so I went with a casual black summer dress and bare legs), but I would wear them if I were interviewing for a new job, just to be on the safe side. However, I would be sure I was interviewing at a place where they weren't part of the dress code, because wearing pantyhose every day is my idea of torture!

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

If I lived somewhere with YOUR weather, those might be my standards, too! Here, they're a very logical choice for spring or fall, because it's just too chilly for bare legs, even if you won't freeze in a skirt the way you might in winter.

[matociquala.livejournal.com]

I think bare legs in an office would be both uncomfortable and icky, personally.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

Not to mention the pumps sticking to the bottoms of your feet!

[themaskmaker.livejournal.com]

The only thing I'd say different than what has already been said is that, where I live (Colorado), you wear nude hose in the day time, never dark.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

Around here, I think it's okay to wear sheer black hose in the daytime if you're wearing a dark outfit and it doesn't clash with your shoes. I wear nude hose only when I feel like I absolutely have to, because my natural skin tone is actually much closer to IVORY hose, which you can't hardly get any more, and I suspect are seriously out of fashion.

[deakat]

Many thanks for hosting this discussion! I temporarily lost my mind last week and bought my first pair of high heels in over two decades, and now I need to figure out how to wear them.

I couldn't help myself; they were calling to me from across the store.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

Pictures! I don't really enjoy wearing high heels for extended periods -- one of the tacit agreements I have with my boyfriend is that, if I'm wearing heels, he can spring for taxis -- but I do appreciate cute shoes. Hell, the ones I wore today were an impulse buy at Payless a couple of years ago -- grey herringbone tweed peep-toes with black leather accent detailing. I was glad to have them for the interview.

[thisside.livejournal.com]

I think hose is definitely the default if you don't know - always best to be too conservative.

However, I think tights are just as professional looking, and work as well.

[asciikitty.livejournal.com]

Oh hose, definitely, and I think I'm on the younger end of this conversation. But a skirt suit with bare legs in New England in March? The interviewer will assume you're dangerously insane.

(I have purchased hose on my way to an interview and changed into them in my car in the snow because the previous pair ran, rather than go bare-legged, because I figured it would be more professional. It got me the job, so I guess I was right.)

[delerium69.livejournal.com]

Definitely go with hose for the interview. Although I personally where tights, not pantyhose, which are far too uncomfortable for me. I can't imagine anyone having an issue with the difference as long as they're a plain color. (You know - no skulls or stripes, definitely *not* the Amanda Palmer or Abby from NCIS look!

I had a boss in Baltimore who was trying to make the females wear hose in the summer and everyone pretty much laughed in her face.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I kind of figured the black thigh-highs with "Bitch" silkscreened all over them in white weren't office attire. :-)

[theloriest.livejournal.com]

I refuse to wear pantyhose. I generally feel that the cost (for a pair that isn't going to run on the first wear) and uncomfortableness to them are not worth it. I work in a professional office, and I normally go bare legged (with bicycle shorts underneath), though if I have to I will wear plain tights.

For sandals or heels, if I am going bare legged I've got several pairs of mini socks that just go over the toes, with a clear strap that wraps around the back of the heel. Perfect.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

I demand a link to these mini socks! I forget whether I have any slingbacks lurking in my closet, and I might actually need the toeless hose instead for peep-toes, but mini socks sound very clever and useful.

Hose, definitely, and here's why...

[kebbykate.livejournal.com]

I know it's a day or two later, but of course I must weigh in:

1) Always dress one level of formality above what you'd expect for daily attire on the job. The worst that happens is you show up overdressed, but at least look like you were trying to make a good impression. (I've sat on panels and had candidates wearing cargoes and t-shirts--for full-time entry-level library jobs.)

2) Hose are definitely the more conservative/formal choice.

3) Land of Steady Habits.

Re: Hose, definitely, and here's why...

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

I was definitely winning Best Dressed Applicant in the initial group that showed up. Couldn't see who came in after me.

I am glad to know that nobody locally thinks that Hose Are Out and Hopelessly Dowdy. Formal, yes, dowdy, no. I was more than okay with being formal, but if suddenly they'd become dowdy, that worried me.