Like scores of American women, Michelle Obama detests pantyhose. “I stopped wearing pantyhose a long time ago because it was painful,” she said on The View last June. “Put ‘em on, rip ‘em—it’s inconvenient.” As any woman knows, Michelle has a point. Wearing pantyhose is like being stuffed—thighs, butt, and belly—into a casing. Whether they’re 99-cent L’Eggs or $99 Fogels, they are good for one use, guaranteed to snag and run, rendering even the most uptight, Brooks Brothers skirt-suited attorney an Elmer Batters fetish model. This seems to be yet another way in which Michelle has raided Jackie O’s closet and tweaked it in the name of comfort and convenience. Jackie O might have gone sleeveless—as the press never failed to remind us—but her legs were nearly always sheathed.
So is this just more proof that Michelle Obama is “[a]n authentically empowered real woman who looks and feels like a modern woman in the 21st century,” as Oprah told Vogue’s André Leon Talley? Well, what the Obama-struck fail to acknowledge is that there is nothing casual—or natural—about a bare leg in 2009. Not in today’s medicalized beauty culture. Whereas pantyhose are lambasted as being constrictive and a colossal waste of money, going bare means a woman must consider waxing, exfoliation, firming creams, anti-cellulite and stretch-mark treatments, regular pedicures, and salon spray tans or self-tanners—yes, even for women of color. According to Mikki Taylor, beauty director and cover editor of Essence, self-tanners for black women are used “to combat sallowness and promote glow,” she explained over the phone. It used to be that a woman had to visit a spa to find these products. Today, however, even Duane Reade drugstores, ubiquitous in New York City, foists them upon us. Indeed, they’ve become as common as aspirin and toilet paper. And, it would appear, just as necessary.
For more aggressive treatment there is always the option of cosmetic surgery, where you may undergo laser skin-resurfacing (to smooth out texture and blotches), and liposuction for thighs, knees, and—yes—ankles. When varicose veins and spider veins surface—more visible on white women—there is sclerotherapy ($300 to $800 per treatment) as well as invasive endovenous ablations ($2,500 per treatment). Black women scar more easily than white women, and for that there are more, and specialized, lasers. Not to mention the new “baggy” knee surgery, popularized by Demi Moore, which Vogue wrote about in last August’s “Age(Less)” issue. The demise of pantyhose corresponds to a nearly 500 percent increase in plastic surgery and a soaring growth in over-the-counter “cosmeceuticals,” many of which are misbranded drugs suckering women with their science-ese and Rx packaging as the FDA turns a blind eye. In 2007, sales of cosmeceuticals reached $16 billion; they are expected to reach $21 billion by 2012, according to Packaged Facts reports.
Emma Gilbey Keller's Your Comeback: a Blog on Life Changes
An introduction to Double X's new blog, Your Comeback.
Comments
This Is So Stupid
By: redvelvet | Fri, 05/29/2009 - 13:40
I went through all the drama of registering so I could say what a dumb article this is. Let's say the author wants to praise pantyhose. Well, bless her heart for even caring. But why, oh why, does she have to chide Michelle Obama in order to do it. "Michelle, Put on Some Panythose"???? I think that pinning this stupid discussion to Michelle Obama is a desperate attempt to make something this empty seem relevant or important.
Double X, I'm done. I think Emily B is very smart. I also like Dahlia L, but I will read them only on the real Slate page. This stuff over here is craptastic.
No thanks
By: latebird | Sun, 05/24/2009 - 16:18
No thanks. You will be forced to look at my bare white legs. Or you could, you know, look away.
Men are taking to pantyhose at same time women are abandoning it
By: Steve_N | Thu, 05/21/2009 - 02:02
Whewww! Nothing like a discussion on pantyhose to get the women steamed up. Might as well write a piece on how childbirth doesn't REALLY hurt all that bad. (just kidding... really!)
I don't know why the topic of pantyhose evokes such deep seated emotion from so many women. I can speak from direct experience here. As a man who's been wearing them for years, they're 'not only not all that bad', I find them to be comfortable enough to wear just about every day. I wear the support variety because of venous insufficiency and chronic leg achiness.
I also know that men are taking up wearing sheer and opaque legwear almost as fast as some women are abandoning it (supposedly) for the bare leg look. I work for ActivSkin, the first company to sell hosiery made especially FOR men, and our sales have increased steadily over a period of 10 years, to the point they were the best ever for 2008. For those who are skeptical of the reality of this trend, check out my blog at www.nylongene.com (The Nylon Gene).
Guess I hope that all of you ladies won't begrudge us guys the right to wear legwear, since you won't.
This article is just
By: betenoire | Wed, 05/20/2009 - 17:30
This article is just horrifying on so many different levels.
And, um, why is it filed under Arts exactly?
sexy legs
By: canary | Sun, 05/17/2009 - 00:38
For four years, Ferber pled her case with various Saddleback staffers. But “every door that would seem to open would slam shut,” she told me. Eventually, she left Orange County, but hears from former church fellows that her ex-husband is now an official worship leader. (Saddleback confirms him only as a member of the music ministry. During our discussion, Holladay did not speak specifically about Bradley but said generally that domestic violence would “obviously” be grounds for dismissal for a Saddleback ministry member.) Though neither Holladay nor Baker would get into details, Holladay gently dismissed Ferber’s story. “People begin to feel things after what happened,” he says.“I don’t think I can sit here and call her a liar. I don’t know what she’s been through and is going through. As a criminal court, our goal is healing. It might make her feel good to see her story in a newspaper who named a prostitute ana orbezo pinan sister of drug dealer alfredo orbezo people from peru . It might make her feel bad—depending on how you report it. It doesn’t sound untrue to me, but you’re obviously hearing one side of the story, and it sounds like someone’s added a layer of hurt. We don’t want to go down roads that would hurt this person more.”
Brenda Branson, co-author of Violence Among Us—Ministry
This article is so stupid and
By: damigiana | Sat, 05/16/2009 - 04:54
This article is so stupid and inane it's pathetic. If it were my name under it, I'd file for name change.
So this so-called journalist doesn't even know that
1) some women have so little leg hair they do not need to shave it;
2) some women have so much body hair that they have to shave it even when wearing pantyhose;
3) some women go barelegged even when their skin isn't tanned;
4) whether you need a pedicure depends on your shoes and your feet, not on pantyhose.
This of course, if one just forgets how boring articles on "I know what X should wear better than X does", both in case X=Ms Obama and in general.
I will NEVER EVER click on the double X site again.
dear god, really? REALLY?
By: walla003 | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 23:16
dear god, really? REALLY? This is inane. Can we please stop talking about Michelle Obama's clothes? As far as all the aforementioned items that you "must consider", many of us successfully navigate our professional/social/family lives without any of the above.
just for clarification
By: little t | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 22:38
No black woman who is not both a slave to youth centric beauty and confused about who she is uses self tanner. That's probably the most ridiculous waste of my time I can think of. I thought feminist beauty was about being happy and confident with the body you have, not covering it up or getting cosmetic surgery when you can no longer pass for 18. As far as pantyhose, I'll only wear them if my job requires it and I wont be happy about it.
Seriously ...
By: KMPaz | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 17:48
Was this just to see if people were reading the new mag? What a silly way to test ratings when you have data tracking, but creative I guess. Only problem is it's turning people away from the rest of the content!
I finally get it!
By: KatyC | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 17:18
I was baffled by this article's appearance on Slate until I read the comments - nearly all of which are so perfect that they make the article worthwhile. Your devious plot is to put up drivel so that your readers will write the good stuff in response and you won't have to pay anyone to create content for you! Clever!
you are hurting women with this drivel
By: subro | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 16:23
Who CARES about this stuff? Don't slap up something about pantyhose just to fill space on this blog. There are plenty of real gender and sex issues to deal with, and there are better ways to put your money to use than paying people to inflate this meaningless observation into a several-hundred-word-post. Jesus.
I'm a professional female in a major metropolitan area and I consider myself to be fairly fashion conscious, but I don't perform any of the supposedly necessary beautifying techniques you list above just to be able to go bare-legged in a skirt. No tanning, no waxing, no exfoliating. And guess what: I AM STILL ALIVE. IT DOESN'T MATTER.
Besides, sheer stockings don't hide anything. And I didn't see you mention tights, which are the opaque things that people wear for fashion purposes.
I can't believe you writers at Slate, whom I admire so much, have sunk to the depths of The View and beyond, talking about Michelle and her pantyhose. Go back to graduate school.
pantyhose etc
By: Dana H | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 15:05
You said it CarolF! I look good but FOR MY AGE - why imitate the youngsters??!got caught up in something else. Sorry everyone I didn't mean to post twice
Those who object to this article on the basis that it's fluff are missing the point - it IS political. (And X factor has always written about fluffy stuff in the middle of politics - we are not one-dimensional beings.)
It's backwards - now we're EXPECTED to go bare - aargh
By: Dana H | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 14:57
You've got it backwards - I really resent that "fashion" (and some women) now tells all of us that we're not up-to-date or cool (or liberated from men's expectations) if we DO wear hose. It may be fashionable to be bare, but a woman with bare legs & feet in a Minnesota winter (or spring) just looks like a fashion victim to me. I love the feel of stockings but hate pantyhose. So thigh-highs are great- they stay up now & are very comfortable. Try 'em - you might like them!
double X is a joke
By: specialtramp | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 14:48
I had been seeing links to articles on double X at Slate; each one looked dumber than the next, bloggers reacting to bloggers pretending there are 'controversies' than demand a reaction.
But the title of this article was so irresistibly stupid that I just had to click. Surely, it must be a satirical article lampooning the blogosphere's retarded obsession with Michelle Obama's body.
But no. It was an article about pantyhouse. Defending pantyhouse.
This is just too idiotic for words. Hey, Washington Post, stop embarrassing yourselves and shut this site down. I don't care how many women 'writers' you add to the unemployment rolls - the folks here at double X are too inane to deserve paychecks. I'm starting to wonder if the entire thing is an elaborate prank by some frat boys to prove than women don't deserve to be professional writers and journalists.
Seriously people, PANTYHOSE???
Not casual? Or natural?
By: gogamecocks | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 14:38
I take such issue with this line: "there is nothing casual—or natural—about a bare leg in 2009."
Really? Maybe it's because I've always lived in Texas or the South, and I'm sure it's especially because I live at the beach, but what on earth is more casual and natural than bare legs?
I had to wear hose every day when I worked at J.C. Penney's in high school and developed an extreme aversion to them. They tear or run without warning. They're a pain to clean. They get baggy and saggy if you manage to wear them often enough without tearing. I've tried all kinds - knee-highs, thigh-highs, control-top, sheer-top, bla bla bla! They're not pleasant to wear!
That said, I had little hesitation about donning a pair with my Halloween costume - I was wonder woman, it was Oct. 31, I would have been cold otherwise. And yes, I did notice that they made my legs look a little better than they do on their own.
But it's 2009 and if I want to let these legs run free, I'm going to do it!
Please accept my sincere
By: SuzanneClaire | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 14:16
Please accept my sincere apologies for offending your delicate sensibilities by not covering up my fish-belly-white, bug-bitten, and oftentimes (gasp!) un-waxed legs. Had I known I was to be judged not on my character and achievements, but on my decision to wear pantyhose, I certainly would have taken this obviously crucial choice more seriously.
Say It Ain't So, DoubleX!
By: jodifaye | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 13:16
I can't believe this piece. Taking Michelle Obama (an extremely smart, very accomplished, funny, beautiful woman) to task for not wearing pantyhose? I guess we should all stuff our legs into nylons unless they're airbrush perfect.
::yawn::
By: KMPaz | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 12:35
I thought this blog was supposed to be about smart issues, for an intelligent woman. I can't believe someone actually took the time to think about this topic and write this story -- what was the point? It's bad enough we're obsessed with Michelle Obama's fashion, but this is just dumb. This really taints this blog's mission and makes me uninterested in the rest of the stories.
This is ridiculous
By: orDover | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 12:28
I'm a long-time Slate reader, and I've been a fan of this blog, but this article is vapid and ridiculous. What a false dichotomy! Women must either wear pantyhose or have cosmetic surgery to fix the minor flaws in her legs. What about simply having a healthy body image and understanding that nobody is perfect, that we all have bug bites and scars and flaws? Even Lindsay Lohan. Shouldn't Michelle Obama be more concerned with projecting this natural healthy attitude of the self rather than fretting over "saggy knees"? I hope women who feel forced to buy "cosmeceuticals" to touch up their legs or to stuff themselves into itchy pantyhose see Michelle running around au naturel and realize that they too can stop obsessing over their minor flaws and just BE COMFORTABLE.
It's article like these that make me never want to shave again. Society and its ridiculously high standards for female beauty be damned!
Ugh. Please.
By: takedowntilly | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 12:26
Sorry, but I don't even own a pair of panty hose. Way to celebrate modern women Double X. They're uncomfortable, restricting and do awful things to my stomach/waist/wherever they decide to sit around my midsection. They roll down, fall down, get stretched out around the knees, tear and are hideous. And if you have to use the bathroom? Have fun trying to get them back on again. They're terrible! Have you ever read GoFugYourself.com? The Fug Girls make fun of panty hose all the time. Especially the shiny ones.
by this logic
By: amandajb | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 12:17
we should all be stuffing our bras because the only other way to have bigger boobs is to get implants. Heaven forbid a woman be proud of what she's got (or what she's made of herself)!
My favorite line: "there is nothing casual—or natural—about a bare leg in 2009." Just come out and say what you're thinking, "ladies, cover your d@mn legs 'cause they're gross!"
I haven't been following all that close, but by my count this is at least strike 2 for xx. (shaming mother's for using a child's picture on FB was strike 1)
Simone de Beauvoir you guys ain't.
By: rp | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 19:46
"going bare means a woman must consider waxing, exfoliation, firming creams, anti-cellulite and stretch-mark treatments, regular pedicures, and salon spray tans or self-tanners"
----Or not.
Terrible and Ridiculous Article
By: working mama | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 11:19
This almost sounds like something written in the 50s. For the love of god, get over it. I know many professional woman - attorneys, partners at firms, senior government officials - who DO NOT WEAR PANTYHOSE in the summer. They look professional. Their legs are not perfect but who cares? In the winter - for comfort they either wear stockings or pants. Whatever planet you live on where taking off pantyhose means cosmetic surgery is certainly not a planet I want to live on. Please, please, please stop this mysogynist content. I really expected so much more of this webpage.
hats
By: t_violet | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 11:09
Insisting Michelle Obama wear pantyhose strikes me as just as inane as insisting Barack wear hats. Pantyhose is on the way out and the justifications for wearing hosery that this article provides are thin and specious.
How Disappointing!
By: Curious Reader | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 10:57
I feel like this article would be more appropriate for some mag like Cosmo. It's another one of those pieces that lets women know they simply aren't okay as they are. Clearly, we must shave, tan, paint or surgically enhance in order to be acceptable and attractive. And if you can't muster the wherewithall to do those things, at least cover up your ugly legs with pantyhose. Perhaps we should go back to whalebone corsets. Those sold well for many years, too.
What a depressing piece of fluff. I'm guessing Michele Obama takes herself seriously as a person. Unfortunately, this article reduces her to a pair of legs. Sad.
netiquette
By: eom | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 10:22
Do you know what NSFW and NWS stand for? You should look it up, and learn to use it. I mean, I don't find your link personally objectionable, but if this site is a blog site, you should learn the conventions.
What?? Who's twisting
By: PepeSilvia | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 10:13
What?? Who's twisting anybody's arm and forcing them to do the whole self-tanner/cellulite cream/exfoliating/vein zapper/pedicure business? I like to think I'm a stylish enough young female, and I do none of these things. I never wear pantyhose because it's uncomfortable and it's ripped to shreds by the end of the day, and no one has ever looked aghast at my glowing white little hoseless turkey legs. Do I care if someone sees a day's worth of stubble on my legs? Or a bug bite? No. I could not care less. Who the hell is staring that closely at somebody's legs to begin with? If men don't have to worry about preening every square inch of their flesh before leaving the house (or squeezing their flesh into glorified sausage casing), neither should we. Good god, don't we have better things to worry about?
pantyhose
By: 5goldfinch0 | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 09:34
Good grief. I thought the standard at doublex would be high, given the involvement of Slate, Bazelon and Lithwick. Thanks but no thanks,ladies.
disgusted
By: htb | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 09:09
I can't believe this is worth writing about.
This is ridiculous. I won't be reading anymore.
Plain legs
By: Lainie | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 09:07
Amen, Octobio! I am nearly 50, overweight, and very pale, and I don't wear pantyhose. I shave, but I do not wax, exfoliate or tan. If people can't handle the look of my legs, they can look at my face.
Huh?
By: Namax | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 08:53
I have a hard time taking this article seriously. It's one of the silliest reads I've come across that it must be a joke. Or maybe its trying to be ironic and clever and I'm just too obtuse to get it or something.
Anyway, Michelle Obama can wear or not wear whatever she wants. Who cares, she probably has better things to do with her time than worry how her legs will look to the general public.
Thanks DoubleX for another non-article. So far I've not been impressed with the offerings so far. Oh wait, scratch that..that dolphin gang-bang story was pretty good.
I'm glad I'm not the only one
By: CarolF | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 08:52
I'm glad I'm not the only one who is less than ecstatic about the "no pantyhose" fashion dicta. Once again, "style" is defined by reference to a look that only works on young, fit, beautiful people. I'm over 50 and tired of being told that the way to look good at my age is to look, well, younger. I think it diminishes women in general that no matter where we are in life or what we've accomplished, we should all aspire to an ideal image based on a 21-year old model.
Ridiculous and Poorly Written
By: Brownie1970 | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 08:21
Like many other readers, I don't understand the point of this article. Who, except celebrities and models, spends so much money on beautifying their legs? And who cares whether Michelle Obama wears panty hose? Aren't there more important topics to attend to in this world? This article is all over the place and isn't cohesive at all. Finally, in an article on panty hose you'd think "panty hose" would be written correctly as two words. Many--if not most--people write it as one word, but check any dictionary and you'll find that it's actually two separate words.
Are you joking?
By: Shining82 | Fri, 05/15/2009 - 07:15
I love Slate, so I was excited to see this new offshoot. This article is the first one I have read, and I have to tell you I won't be back. What a stupid thing to write about. Michelle Obama is an amazing woman. Her fashion sense, as great as it may be, is completely irrelevant. Furthermore, how dare you pick on her for something so minor and stupid? Way to further encourage gender stereotypes.
I think legs look nicer in
By: GingerB | Thu, 05/14/2009 - 22:40
I think legs look nicer in stockings.
Maybe it's because I spend a lot of my spare time in spandex bike shorts and the feel of silky stockings with a slight cling is second nature.
How many non-stocking wearing gals go without mascara?
I vote for hosiery
By: Lily_of_the_Valley | Thu, 05/14/2009 - 21:45
Out of respect for quality footwear, men and women need to wear some type of hosiery. Bare feet inside your shoes shortens shoe life & makes your feet & your shoes stink.
I was raised in a lower middle class home. My father was in charge of purchasing & caring for our footwear. We changed our shoes when we came home from school or work. Our dress shoes had shoe trees inserted in them between wearings, allowing the shoes to air out & maintain their shape. We were all taught how to care for leather shoes and how to polish them. Dad learned his shoe care regimen in the military.
IMO, hosiery is less about the appearance of legs & feet & more about making good shoes last and providing proper foot support. As we age, our arches tend to flatten. Flat, arthritic feet make you walk funny and they hurt like hell.
Support the hosiery industry. Be kind to your feet and they will provide a good understanding for years to come.
Bare Up to There
By: Mizz.Givens | Thu, 05/14/2009 - 21:33
I never - never! - wear pantyhose or tights or anything else under my skirts, even in December. I don't care if people find my bare legs shocking. I dress for comfort. My toes are painted and my legs are shaved, so get over it. And oh, that we all looked as good as Michele Obama. She's beautiful and doesn't need any of the litany of beauty products your article mentions.
tanner vs. hose
By: Bskers | Thu, 05/14/2009 - 21:25
If the only options really were pantyhose or self tanner, self tanner wins, no contest. One bottle costs the same as a pair of hose, it takes just few minutes to put on, and does give your legs a nice glow. Though I would also opt for unleashing my winter white legs over wearing pantyhose any day.
This article is all over the
By: Briel | Thu, 05/14/2009 - 21:20
This article is all over the place, like it was written by 5 different people all at once. I'm really hoping the quality of these articles increase with time. C'mon, Slate.
And in your closing argument you note that runway models in Paris are wearing pantyhose so Michelle Obama should too. I'm guessing the absurdity of that statement is lost on you, but... God.
Why, on this supposedly
By: bagofcorn | Thu, 05/14/2009 - 19:56
Why, on this supposedly feminist website, does the argument show up that basically women "need" to undergo all this treatment to their legs if they don't wear hose? Why is Double X promoting that women should keep worrying about cellulite and veins rather than saying that women can be natural and still beautiful? A man would never have to worry about these things! If a woman becomes president, we will still be writing articles like this even though such a petty issue would never be written about a male president. Why are we just promoting the belief of our culture that a woman's value is predominatly in her beauty??
PANTYHOSE
By: tweety | Thu, 05/14/2009 - 17:41
STUPID STUPID
I refuse to wear pantyhose unless it is cold outside.
I live in the south.
If someone wants to get close enough to see my veins, freckles, scars go for it.
I have always hated pantyhose.
phft
By: prismtrail56 | Thu, 05/14/2009 - 15:00
Don't see a point to this article.
If a woman wants to wear nylons, it's fine. If she doesn't, it's fine. If she has skin issues, that's her business.
Poor Michelle
By: mac | Thu, 05/14/2009 - 14:46
No one ever asked Laura Bush about her pantyhose or lack thereof. I suppose she wasn't hip enough to go on the View and make announcements about it (and I'm a huge MObama fan). I don't think hose/tights are a big enough deal to warrant this piece. And a) you can see someone's hairy legs through sheer pantyhose, b) it's not that hard to shave one's legs, and c) no one looks at MObama's legs because everyone is too dazzled by her guns.
Fake legs?
By: MollyStrz | Thu, 05/14/2009 - 14:17
This article strikes me as silly and a mildly ridiculous, and not a little bit of a shill for the pantyhose industry. And who are these women who are getting "baggy" knee surgery?
To me, a 30-year-old professional woman, the idea of pantyhose seems a bygone era, relegated to old ladies, and yes, it's true, many government employees. (And living in DC, I can confirm this.) I don't see it as a "polished" look, I see pantyhose actually as a ridiculous look, an obvious cover up that is trying not to be obvious. Because no matter what color nylons you wear, it is never the same color as your skin. It is almost distracting to see a woman's skin two different colors as you look at her face and hands to her nylon-clad legs. And in my experience, you can't skip a shave or a wax with nylons if you have anything other than very light, very fine leg hair.
If MObama wants her right to bare legs as well as her arms, so be it. She looks stylish and in-fashion - covering her legs with nylon would do exactly the opposite.
this is such a throwback
By: lucystrawberry | Thu, 05/14/2009 - 13:10
Yeah, on what planet are you living on where when you take your pantyhose off, self tanners and cellulite creams and waxing have to follow? You are setting up a false choice. There is an alternate option. I think women could get away with a simple shave and a little lotion in almost every single situation. And if you dont want to shave...who cares?
Liberating
By: asymmetries | Thu, 05/14/2009 - 13:08
Making a decision about whether or not you wan to wear pantyhose for yourself is just as liberating as you think it is.
This is silly.
terrible article
By: liesl | Thu, 05/14/2009 - 12:21
cmon, double x! this is silly. you must have better things to write about. impress us!
let's hear it for bare!
By: Starling | Thu, 05/14/2009 - 10:58
I manage to go without pantyhose as often as possible without any change whatsoever in my leg care routine. Those who are blinded by my glowing white shins can get over it. Not wearing pantyhose is a major comfort issue anywhere where heat and humidity combine to make skintight synthetic clothing a horror. Quick guide: winter = Hillary (pant suit); summer = Michelle (sleeveless dress without stockings.) And if your job involved walking around New York all day in every kind of weather while trying to maintain a professional appearance, you'd go bare, too.
Sadly, I do stocking-up for visits to government offices, and that usually involves a Starbucks bathroom and the spare pair in my purse.
Do what you want
By: haleymaple | Thu, 05/14/2009 - 10:13
I wear pantyhose only in the most formal work settings and fun, stylish tights when I want. I certainly see no need in 2009 for any woman to be obligated to cover her legs with pantyhose based on a generalization that legs are that unsightly. Professional women should look professional but that does not necessitate pantyhose, stockings or tights.
Michelle Obama should do what she wants. I have never thought she looked anything less than polished and put together.
plain legs
By: octobia | Thu, 05/14/2009 - 09:05
It actually conceivable to many of us to just wear our legs -- covered by cloth or not -- without shaving, waxing, tanning, buffing or any other f-ing thing. I sit, I rise, I walk, I climb -- and the reality of my middle-aged, overweight legs is that they work. Bless their hairy, untanned little selves.