Pantyhose, did Canada and US lose its charm?

[Ravenstein]

I notice ladies in China and Europe seems to have been able to retain their love for pantyhose. Here in Canada, and from the looks of it in videos and what people say, the US as well, ladies don't really wear pantyhose anymore. Wtf?

When did they stop? What happened?

And from what I can count when I go downtown in Canada, I notice a disproportionate number of barefeet in flats, not that there is anything wrong with it (I like it) but there's barely anyone in wedges, heels, sandals, etc... with pantyhose. In fact most of the pantyhose wearers here I see are international students or immigrants from like China, Russia, or Ukraine.

[hiker]

I can really only speak for the US, but hosiery of any kind seemed to become scarce quite some time ago. I'd say it's been about 15-20 years since women decided to ditch hosiery and move toward the bare leg look.

However, the pendulum seems to be swinging back the other way in recent years. More and more I am noticing quite a few women wearing tights during the fall and winter months, and sheerer hosiery also seems to be making a resurgence as well. More and more celebrities are wearing them, which usually means this effect will trickle down to all the other women.

Fashion has proven to be very cyclical. I'm sure tights/hosiery will again become very popular in the coming years.

[paradigm88]

I think part of the issue is that American culture has a strong preference for "practical" clothing, and that preference influences not just everyday attire but occasion attire (say, work or date attire, something more "formal") as well.

For instance, my girlfriend wears dresses most of the year except when there's a really good reason (wind) not to. In the warmer months, she goes barefoot with flip-flops, because she hates wearing shoes and her bare feet are ready for the pool, the beach, or just walking around her apartment. (Alas, her current job doesn't allow flip-flops, where she could wear them to work at her last job.) When it's colder, she opts for the hosiery. As a teacher, she wears tights more often; they're more durable than sheer nylons, so they last her longer, especially since she doesn't wear shoes much outside of work and shopping. Sheer suntan nylons are an occasional indulgence, more for date nights than for working in the classroom. They're really the only color of pantyhose (as opposed to tights) that she owns.

We have a couple friends who wear dresses often, at least in the summer. One alternates between the extremes of bare legs and black tights. She's a devoted barefooter, and she seems to ruin tights regularly; I can't imagine how little she'd get out of a pair of nylons. Others opt for footless tights or leggings, paired with bare feet and flats. But most of our female friends don't wear dresses often. Some don't feel comfortable in a dress, some don't find it practical (working as a nurse, for instance). And plenty of women seem to consider workplace attire for the workplace only. My roommate's girlfriend works at a bank office, and I've never seen her come over in what I assume is her work attire, unless she wears jeans and sneakers to work. Another friend of mine used to strut around her office in skirt suits and tall heels, only to change into pajamas as soon as she got home.

I was in Montreal with my girlfriend this past summer. One thing we notice is that in a city like Montreal, the standards are a bit higher; even everyday wear looks more put-together and fashionable. I wouldn't feel that fashion-forward in a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. But we also noticed the number of women wearing ballet flats where American women would opt for flip-flops or sneakers, as all-occasion casual shoes. You don't see that here as often, it seems.

I just wonder if in, say, China or Russia, there's a higher social premium on dressing to impress, where we've strongly embraced the notion of casual attire here. I'm pretty sure my girlfriend wouldn't wear tights if it didn't turn me on. And I'm also pretty sure that no one at her workplace would object to that.

[Tomi]

I don't know what is the situation in US or Canada but in Central Europe (and in some places in Eastern Europe I know) the things considering pantyhose are geting better. About 2-5 yrs ago there was a winter-barefoot- stream (let's call it stupid hollywood fashion influence). Some girls started to go out in winter in pumps/barefoot or flats/barefoot combination, which was unknown till that time. Before that women always wore woolen or opaque nylons with pumps or boots. In the last 2 years I see this trend disappearing again. I cannot recall when was the last time I saw in winter anybody beeing barefeet in shoes. Summers aren't really better in the last few years, but it is mainly because of the summers are a lot more hot than before. It would be really a miracle seeing women wearing nylons when temperatures are reaching 37 C or more. WIth this kind of summers I don't think we can enjoy again the sights we had in 80's or 90's. However flip-flops are not common in the Central European region. It is rather considered a beach wear here. Instead I can see various sandals, wedges, sneakers on the streets.