The Dress Code Debate: Pantyhose and Flip-Flops

Law Practice Management

The Dress Code Debate: Pantyhose and Flip-Flops

Posted Jun 5, 2008, 05:46 am CDT
By Debra Cassens Weiss

Worried about discussing dress codes with the employees who work for you? The Association of Corporate Counsel has an option in the form of a free phone message entitled: Flip-Flops at Work? Not for Everyone.

The message will help educate employees about dress code guidelines, according to the Fulton County Daily Report. The publication links to an online version of the call.

The script advises employees to avoid revealing, scruffy or tight-fitting clothing or attire that would be worn to the gym or beach. It also includes a hypothetical example of an employee who went to work wearing a Blue Oyster Cult T-shirt, flip-flops and torn jeans. The listener is asked to indicate how many policy violations he engaged in.

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) considers the great debate over whether women need to wear pantyhose to work. The newspaper writes that bare legs are common even on conservative Wall Street and at business events.

Jim Holt, president of Mid American Credit Union, changed his hose-are-required policy just last week. He explained his decision to the newspaper this way: "I didn't want to be so old-fashioned that people would be like, 'Do you require corsets, too?' ”

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Posted by texan99 - 3 months, 2 days, 22 hours, 51 minutes ago

Ambitious people will always figure out how to dress in order best to advance their careers, rules or no rules. But pantyhose! That’s pretty medieval.

Anyway, I work from home, and happen to be wearing flipflops at the moment.
Posted by MSG - 3 months, 2 days, 22 hours, 17 minutes ago

Thank God they dropped the pantyhose requirement! I am convinced that a man who hates women invented those things!
Posted by GAW - 3 months, 2 days, 17 hours, 14 minutes ago

It’s more wrong than you think; the pants, shirts, ties, jackets and closed shoes us men wear in the summertime risk our coronary and reproductive health—and we’re so brainwashed that it’s “male” that we don’t seem to know something is wrong with it. Plus it raises the air conditioning bills. Did women invent these clothes for us?
Posted by lab - 3 months, 2 days, 15 hours, 40 minutes ago

Dress codes, no matter how old-fashioned they seem, are only effective if they are evenly enforced. Too bad when a past precedent of non-enforcement is set and the rules resume a position of reenforcement. The result is uneven enforcement. However, staff have every right to take their cues from management, especially female supervisors whose tattoos are obvious and female supervisors who wear no hosiery. Can’t enforce against the staff when supervisors dress inappropriately.
Posted by anonymous - 3 months, 2 days, 14 hours, 27 minutes ago

GAW - all I can tell you pal is to go commando in the summer!
Posted by Bill - 3 months, 2 days, 14 hours, 19 minutes ago

Unfair!

Men are required to wear shirt and tie, dress shoes, dark socks, dress pants and jackets or a full suit (which isn’t the most comfortable thing to wear in the summer heat) and women complain about wearing PANTYHOSE! Give it a rest already.

BTW, I haven’t seen more unsightly fashion trend in my life! This bare-leg look is just awful. Most women’s legs look as though they’ve been thrashed with a weed wacker. Yet, it’s considered professional. Puleaze!

Just like women wouldn’t want to see ALL men going shirtless, we don’t want to see ALL women’s bare legs either, thank-you-very-much.
Posted by Todd - 3 months, 2 days, 8 hours, 3 minutes ago

well said Bill
Posted by Andy - 3 months, 2 days, 7 hours, 21 minutes ago

In the sixties, women were going bonkers to own a pair or two of pantyhose; there were even riots to snag a pair. Scanning through yearbooks of that era, you could easily make a bet - and win - that no woman who wore a skirt would be found bare-legged.

And now it seems women want to forget all about pantyhose. We’ve gotten so liberal-minded and almost anything goes nowadays.

How about men’s “liberation” rights? Recently because of the warmer weather, my closed shoes have begun to emit a foul stench. And yes, I must wear socks with them. However, because open-toe shoes are considered exclusively casual, we cannot wear them to work.

Who do we complain to to get this changed?
Posted by A Yung - 3 months, 2 days, 20 minutes ago

Dress code generally is good. Perserves sanctity of workplace. Ties for men make them look and sound smarter. Women in pantyhose covers hairy legs. Now, like men, if woman can’t wear skirt, because of large rear end, she can always wear a pant-suit like VP in training Hillary, and jacket can cover caboose. I say dress code helps us look better. Keep it. Don’t let men come to work with tee shirt and flip flops, we don’t like looking at their beer guts. Women also should not wear sleeveless shirts unless underarms are shaved. Too many women don’t know that hairy armpits smell BAD, and perfume makes it worse. Put this in the rule book also.
Posted by Lynn - 3 months, 1 day, 22 hours, 10 minutes ago

Maybe this is a generational thing. I am rapidly approaching 50 and I think, for women attorneys in a non-casual office, wearing a skirt or dress without pantyhose or stockings does not look professional. I’m no fan of pantyhose; most days I wear pants (but with socks or knee-high hose). If your office is “business casual” the rules may be different. My office has “casual Fridays”. Right now I’m wearing sandals with bare feet and on other Fridays I’ve worn skirts or dresses without pantyhose. I think it’s mostly a matter of using common sense and knowing the dress standard for your particular office and the area in general where your office is located.
Posted by Too Hot for Hose - 3 months, 1 day, 21 hours, 30 minutes ago

I think this is a generational thing. Those of us under 40 can’t see why we would need to be really hot and uncomfortable just to cover up the area between the knee and the ankle. If men wore hose, this wouldn’t be an issue. And I think you can still dress very professionally without hosiery- just wear a jacket, heels, and a knee length skirt or dress trousers. The casual look is from all of the bare shoulders, open toed shoes, backless shoes, and sportswear, not lack of hosiery.
Posted by Retired Attorney - 3 months, 1 day, 21 hours, 19 minutes ago

I would agree that there is some gender inequity in dress codes. Men, if you are concerned about this, rise up, burn the ties that bind you (they may burn even better than bras did—less toxic smoke, perhaps). The chief judge of the district in which I used to practice would issue, when it got hot enough, a memorandum letting men know it was OK not to wear a jacket for court appearances (matters in front of a jury excepted). We women laughed at this because by that time of the year we were in linen shifts and sandals.
Posted by Michael Moore - 3 months, 1 day, 20 hours, 25 minutes ago

A businesses brand is best protrayed by its people including how they dress and act. Like or not customers judge on appearance. In a perfect world, we would only look at content; but until then, employers need to become the fashion police and develop policies on flip flops, spandex, body peircings, body art, etc.
Posted by somebody - 3 months, 1 day, 19 hours, 28 minutes ago

I’m over 40. I remember the days when business attire was required at every job. If I had a $1 for every pair of pantyhose I put my thumb through on the first day, I’d be rich. If you’ve never stood on train car on a 90 degree day to commute to your job encased in non-breathing nylon from the waist down, you should not be allowed to comment on bare legs. Gentlemen, feel free to buy yourself and pair of queen size, try them out under your trousers and report back.
Posted by Bill - 3 months, 1 day, 16 hours, 29 minutes ago

I have no problem with women going bare-legged. On some women, it’s the only thing that brightens up my day working at a biglaw firm.
Posted by Criminal Defense Attorney - 3 months, 1 day, 16 hours, 21 minutes ago

I am a young female attorney who is in court most days. I would not be caught dead in Court with a skirt on without pantyhouse. Our profession is steeped in tradition, standards and a level of respectability that calls all of us to present ourselves with an air of dignity. Clothes along with speech and poise reflect not only on the individual, but on the profession as a whole. And I strive everyday to not only represent myself well but my profession.
Posted by lawyergirl - 3 months, 1 day, 16 hours, 19 minutes ago

I think pantyhose are like ties, formality-wise. Since men don’t wear ties for “business casual,” I don’t wear hose. But to court or a deposition I would.
Posted by Miss Emily Post - 3 months, 1 day, 16 hours, 15 minutes ago

Neither women nor men should wear open toed sandals or shoes if they do not have nice looking feet. There is nothing worse than ugly feet that have bunions, calluses, fungus, hangnails, yellowish skin, or dead, flaky heels. Please use a pumice stone before entering the office!
Posted by MEJ - 3 months, 1 day, 16 hours, 6 minutes ago

If you are a male of any age bracket practicing law and you wear flip-flops for ANY business related function, you need to grow up and put some big boy shoes on.
Posted by are you kidding? - 3 months, 1 day, 16 hours, 2 minutes ago

Can any of the bright attorneys out there figure out where women can buy pants suits and avoid this waste of an article?
Posted by An Older Grad - 3 months, 1 day, 15 hours, 58 minutes ago

Men do wear pantyhose: football players routinely wear them for cold fall games to keep warm. (Witness to their effectiveness at that purpose.)

Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal reports that only 6% of American men now wear a tie to work every day. The trend is passing, in fact.

We must keep in mind that women’s dress evolved more quickly than men’s, in part, simply because the workplace slows this trend, and men are the traditional breadwinners, and so have a longer-established practice of wearing the puritanism-inspired dress of Western European culture. Think about it: the progressive layering of clothing in formal wear is all about first, covering your body, lest you incite another to lust, and then progressively covering any openings or shapeliness in closer layers - jacket hangs straight, draws attention from crotch (the codpiece went away LONG ago), ties and scarves cover the buttons on the shirt, socks ensure the ankles are covered, etc. The result - and goal - is relative uniformity, saving just enough exposure to ensure identity (the lack of which so frightens us that wearing of masks in a public way is illegal in most venues).

Practices are changing faster in smaller offices, where personal relationships allow us to learn more quickly who our colleagues are, their merits, and their values. In a larger, more impersonal context (including the courtroom, or contact with new clients), we will likely continue to rely on “hiding the person” in “professional” attire to prevent distraction. (And women are fully at liberty to exploit this if they wish.)

That being said, wise choices in clothing and shoes can mitigate or eliminate the “discomforts” associated with formal clothing: rotate your shoes and socks, choose your suits seasonally, etc.

Personally, I enjoy dressing up; perhaps it’s a result of having grown up poor, and reinforcing that I’ve “made it,” or perhaps it’s just that, as a less-than-archetypal physical specimen, it allows me to look just as good as the chiseled gym body of the fellow twenty years my junior standing beside me in court.

It’s all trade-offs, and we’re all free to set our priorities. Just be sure you do so on good information, and accept the consequences, whatever they be.
Posted by UGlifete - 3 months, 1 day, 15 hours, 53 minutes ago

RE: #17
To your list, please include females who have big toes jutting off to an angle leaving a nasty looking joint.
Posted by Paris Hilton - 3 months, 1 day, 15 hours, 43 minutes ago

That’s hot.
Posted by LadyAttorney - 3 months, 1 day, 15 hours, 36 minutes ago

Bill, you’ve obviously never spent a 10 hour day in a pair of pantyhose. But, I must agree with # 19. I would never wear a skirt to court or even a less formal event such as a deposition, and reserve skirts for casual days when I don’t have any scheduled appointments.

Similarly, I am free to wear sandals, t-shirts, or jeans on official casual days (Fridays), and do so UNLESS I have an appointment or event with people from outside of my own office.

And ladies, if you don’t want to be entertainment for co-workers like Bill, a pants suit will solve this problem as well.

BTW, if it is too hot, get a pair of loose fitting suit pants with wide ankles. I am sure you have seen the type, where the leg does not taper down towards the ankle. They allow a lot more room to breathe. I haven’t seen these on men, but if you can get away with it go for it. Be a pioneer!

However… all these problems could be solved if we quit putting so much irrational importance on clothing. All of this is just a matter of perception and nothing more.
Posted by +40 attorney - 3 months, 1 day, 15 hours, 14 minutes ago

Flip flops are beach wear. If you’re not on the beach, they should not be on your feet. While hosiery is a must, pantyhose are not. Try stockings (aka thigh-highs) —only you and your husband will know you’re wearing them. (And he’ll love them!!)
Posted by donna - 3 months, 1 day, 15 hours, 7 minutes ago

Bill & Todd,
I would ask that you wear a pair of pantyhose for one day, before you complain about dress pants, socks and shoes. Let’s see how you like them.
Posted by Bemoaning the Loss of Dignity - 3 months, 1 day, 15 hours, 3 minutes ago

The bottom line is that women with class wear panthose or stockings when dressed professionally or formally and they never wear flipflops with such attire. The same goes for men who wear ties in the same circumstances.
Posted by LawGirl - 3 months, 1 day, 15 hours ago

I agree with #16 that pantyhose are roughly equivalent to ties, and are required on the same occasions. But that’s based on tradition. Personally, I think dress codes are silly. As long as you aren’t wearing anything inappropriately revealing or political (in tshirts), I don’t see the big deal. And thats for both genders- Men, if you want to revolt against suits/ties, I’ll support you. Lawyers get respect because of their education, talent, and expertise, not because of their uptight dress code.
Posted by Miami Law Lady - 3 months, 1 day, 14 hours, 32 minutes ago

Another point is that dress codes are very regional. Here in Miami, I have rarely seen a female attorney, young or old, in pantyhose. Further, I have seen female attnys in open-toed shoes in court, and I have seen female attnys wearing tank tops to the office. This would never pass muster in a northeast firm. So, what’s acceptable also has to do with where you are practicing, and even the culture and environment in your individual law firm.
Posted by Moderate - 3 months, 1 day, 14 hours, 21 minutes ago

The goal should be to dress so that your appearance is not the focus of your interactions.

Additionally, it seems that the trend toward casual is worse for women than for men as women’s options encourage a vision of youthfulness or playfulness which say to many business peope: irresponsible. I, personally, will err on the side of conservativism so that my work and not my attire speak for me. I am not willing to allow my personal opinions on dress code or comfort (regardless of weather) alter my career path.
Posted by human rights attorney - 3 months, 1 day, 13 hours, 36 minutes ago

To # 15, Criminal Defense Attorney: We all need to get off our high horses a bit. It’s comments like that that make people hate lawyers and make them think we;re not human. The “dignity” of the profession requires we think about our inter-personal behavior more than our footwear.
Posted by Joseph Lite - 3 months, 1 day, 13 hours, 28 minutes ago

Ties are a health hazard. It’s good to look nice, but suits, hose, uncomfortable shoes, etc. are not about looking nice--they are about looking fashionable. Lawyers are some of the last holdouts in the war against such pointless overdressing. We need to let it go. When I am a judge making the rules, no ties in my courtroom.
Posted by Bob - 3 months, 1 day, 13 hours, 28 minutes ago

Saw guy on the EL here in Chicago just yesterday wearing a suit (minus tie) and flip flops. Now that’s a style we all want to emulate.
Posted by Sue - 3 months, 1 day, 13 hours, 6 minutes ago

I am a 31 year old woman. Pantyhose are not medieval. Bare legs are no doubt unprofessional. Bare legs are only acceptable with shorts and sundresses--not quite what you’d call professional attire. I would be wary of an attorney who thinks bare legs are acceptable in the legal profession. My impression would be that she is sloppy, lacks good judgment, and also lacks attention to detail (whether or not it’s a deserved impression). That said, it’s generally true men are held to a higher standard of professional dress than women are, but women don’t help themselves by dressing down.
Posted by Comfortably clothed - 3 months, 1 day, 12 hours, 3 minutes ago

I am SOOOO glad I practice in California! I’m sitting here right now wearing slacks, a polo shirt and sandals (with pretty and nicely pedicured feet, thank you very much those of you with foot fetishes).

Moments ago, one of the biggest rain-making partners in our firm strolled past my office wearing a Hawaiian shirt, jeans and flip-flops - YES, FLIP-FLOPS. Scandalous! What’s more, he was coming from a meeting with clients (in one of our conference rooms) and the clients were wearing - gasp! - biker shorts and shirts.
Posted by Jack - 3 months, 1 day, 11 hours, 37 minutes ago

"Wary” of a lawyer who doesn’t wear pantyhose, which to you confirms they lack “good judgment” and lack “attention to detail”?

Thank you for confirming your book-by-its-cover “impression” is worth little. I’d much prefer to work with a substantive (if bare-legged) lawyer than with someone who reaches knee-jerk conclusions on ridiculous “evidence.” Hopefully you’re buried deep in some dark office reviewing discovery; you’re the *last* person I’d want in court, meeting with clients, interviewing witnesses, or talking to jurors.
Posted by Female JD - 3 months, 1 day, 11 hours, 36 minutes ago

I think ALL men (especially BIll) should be required to wear pantyhose for 30 days while they put in their billable hours (football is NOT an equal comparison), and then re-visit that darn policy.

I’d gladly take a daily tie over pantyhose. At least you can keep a tie for months or years, while pantyhose is ALWAYS snagging, ripping, or laddering… no matter if you spend $5 or $50 on a pair. The discomfort doesn’t come from having on my legs, it comes from having my lower torso constricted in that crap for 9++ hours everyday. And if I wear thigh-highs, they always have to be adjusted or they are squeezing into your thigh. And no, I’m not wearing a stupid garter belt on top of all of this, just to go to work.

YOU try sitting there, at a desk all day, with that stuff squeezing you up and holding heat in your southern regions. And I’m a size 6 so my weight isn’t an issue. It certainly is no party when you’re on your period either. God help you if you ever get a little gassy. Sorry if that’s TMI, but maybe that paints a better picture for the men who think they “know”. Besides, I think the right to a little more ventilation on our lower parts should be equal to males and females.

I HATE shiny bald spots, but I don’t tell men to wear toupees or barristers wigs. I don’t like 5 o’clock shadows, but I don’t ask men to shave in the evening. But hey, if I’m at least giving the same care to my legs that you men give to your face (shave, moisturize, keep presentable) I should be able to expose them, free of the archaic trappings of pantyhose.
Posted by Southern Law Woman - 3 months, 1 day, 11 hours, 29 minutes ago

I think 99% of this debate is regional / community based, and there’s no “right” answer. Look at your mentors / leaders and decide what’s acceptable, based on your local norms. For instance, I’m in the South. Wearing a pants suit is considered by many in this region less formal for a female lawyer than a skirt suit. However, the hose requirement generally depends upon time of year. When it’s 99 degrees outside, like today, you’ll be forgiven for skipping the hosiery before the skirt. Men, there’s always seersucker… which is completely acceptable here, but might get you laughed out of a courtroom in the Northeast. Don’t forget your white shoes!
Posted by JG - 3 months, 1 day, 9 hours, 57 minutes ago

I am mystified. How can heels and other shoes be comfortable without some sort of sock or pantyhose inbetween the shoe and your foot?
Posted by Andrew Flusche - 3 months, 1 day, 9 hours, 56 minutes ago

Here’s another reason I’m glad to be a home office lawyer. :)

My attire for most days is shorts and a T-shirt. I spruce up for my occasional meetings, but that’s it. I don’t think the cat cares if I’m wearing shorts or a suit.
Posted by GAW - 3 months, 1 day, 9 hours, 36 minutes ago

To those women who wish men wore pantyhose; been there, done that. Because of an orthopedic problem, I have to wear support hose. Further, I’ve had to wear them regularly under a suit and tie. Although you’ll be upset to hear this, the tie iss actually more uncomfortable than the support hose, probably because it constricts ventilation at the neck.

I personally think that we should entirely change what we think of as “formal wear.” In the courtroom, everybody with business before the court would wear an all-covering white robe. Formality would involve keeping the robe as clean as possible. Between neck and shoes no adornments of any kind would be allowed. It would have the side effect of preventing anybody from using clothes to compete for attention, and making it easier to clothe indigent defendants.
Posted by beyond my years? - 3 months, 1 day, 9 hours, 21 minutes ago

For all those calling this hose debate a “generational thing”, let me assure, there are those of use twenty-somethings who would not be caught dead in an office in a skirt or dress with no hose. It’s just unprofessional. Regardless of whether others choose not to wear hose, they are appropriate for an office environment. The thought of sitting in my office the same way I sit around my house is disturbing. Hose are not comfortable, but they aren’t so awful that I would forgo wearing them. And it’s not about what your legs look like, as some of the gentlemen seem to suggest. Hose are appropriate because no one wants your bare legs all over the place.
Posted by R.P. - 3 months, 1 day, 8 hours, 6 minutes ago

yes, and a sheer piece of nylon covering the space between your knees and ankles resolves the problem of your “bare legs all over the place” and ups your level of professionalism ten-fold. the silliness. what is this, the 1940’s? They are legs, for goodness sakes, not breasts and buttocks. Whatever happened to the content of my character being judged, and not the skin of my legs?
Posted by ajs - 3 months, 1 day, 7 hours, 21 minutes ago

I gave up on pantyhose and went back to stockings and garter belts. They are much more comfortable and easier. I will NEVER do bare legs. It’s unattractive, and unattractive equals unprofessional.
Posted by Kim - 3 months, 1 day, 4 hours, 55 minutes ago

Women look much more polished and classy in proper business attire - and unfortunately today’s business casual dress codes and increasing tolerance for sloppy dress in court have destroyed the concept of professionalism. A professional woman should not be walking out the door without pantyhose.
Posted by Kelly Johnson - 3 months, 1 day, 4 hours, 39 minutes ago

I’m so sick of reading these articles. Set you standard and inform you employees. If your employees don’t meet the standard let them know. If they continue not to meet the standard, fire them. How hard is this? If your dress standards make people decide not to work for you then either change your standards or accept fewer employees. I really don’t understand what the problem is.

BTW, I’m all for hose in the winter. Bare legs in the winter just seem trashy and unwise. In the summer, hose are hot and sticky since they are no longer made from natural fibers (like in the 60’s). But then again I usually wear pants anyway. So I guess this debate doesn’t really apply that much.
Posted by Kenya Bates - 3 months, 1 day, 4 hours, 26 minutes ago

#38, just so you know, often pantyhose can make high heels more uncomfortable. When you wear heels, your feet tend to slide forward anyway. If you also have on stockings there is little to no friction. Therefore your feet can slide freely in the shoe. This is often a bad thing because it make it hard to walk in them. If you have shoes that are not closed toe, a stoking just looks ugly. Its meant to be worn with a bare foot.
Posted by Johneal - 3 months, 19 hours, 15 minutes ago

Pantyhose are an unfair tax on professional women. They cost $4-$5 a pair for the cheapest pair and don’t last more than a month at most if you wear them regularly. Whereas a man can buy a nice tie for $40 and keep it for a decade. Not to mention - they are see -through. If there is a more overt holdover of Victorian prudishness than making me wear see-through coverings on my legs because its too unlady like for them to be bare - I can’t think of one.
Posted by Lesley - 3 months, 17 hours, 21 minutes ago

I very rarely see women in court without pantyhose, but it happens on occasion. It m strike me as surprising, because it’s rare, but I don’t particularly care either, it doesn’t change my opinion of people, since often I already know them having practiced in a pretty small town where you don’t encounter new attorneys very often. Additionally, I’m not sure what is wrong with women wearing pant suits. Maybe it’s because I live somewhere that gets very cold in the winter, and pantyhose wouldn’t even come close to the ability of pants to keep one’s legs cold. And it’s not like anyone views Tights as professional even though they do a much better job at keeping one’s legs warm (especially woven/knitted cotton ones), and AREN’T see through.

With that said, being a solo, if I don’t have to be in court, I will wear jeans to work and sandals barefooted, if it’s nice out. I usually don’t wear jeans if I’m meeting with someone, unless they’re a client I already know who is unlikely to care.

Also, I can probably count on one hand the number of women I’ve ever seen not wear a jacket to court. I don’t know about anyone else, but I always wear a jacket to court even though I’m not male.
Posted by Kristy - 3 months, 13 hours, 23 minutes ago

The idea that women need to wear pantyhose in order to appear professional is absurd. Whether or not a woman should wear pantyhose depends on local custom. I am a law clerk in a mid-sized Southern city. I see attorneys dressed in courtroom attire almost daily. Almost none of the women attorneys (myself included) wear pantyhose. I think its fine as long as the skirt is knee-length and there are no unsightly veins or anything else distracting. I am a conservative dresser and never wear sleevless shirts or dresses without a jacket or sweater while indoors. I just think stockings are silly and feel lucky to be in a community where they are not the norm.
Posted by Jessica - 2 months, 4 weeks, 1 day, 18 hours, 22 minutes ago

I have to agree with #15 for the most part. I agree that lawyers should present themselves as professionals and dress the part whenever they are interacting with clients or the court. Depending on which part of the country you live in this of course may mean different things. I live in the South, and do not have to wear hose all the time. Whenever I get dressed I simply think about whether my clients will be distracted by what I am wearing, to the detriment of them listening to how I can help them.
Posted by Pantyhose - 2 months, 4 weeks, 1 day, 9 hours, 23 minutes ago

Why do so many women complain about pantyhose? They’re really not that uncomfortable. If yours are uncomfortable, perhaps yours are too small. I’m a young female attorney and I don’t happen to wear pantyhose in warm weather, unless I’m going to court, but not because they’re uncomfortable, just because I find them unnecessary. My legs look fine without them, and other women in my firm go without them, so I figure I can too. The only reason I wear them to court is because I think it’s respectful to the judge (not to mention the fact that a lot of the old Southern judges in my area might frown upon a young lady with bare legs, but I don’t mind wearing pantyhose if it means keeping on the judge’s good side). I wouldn’t like it if my firm required them, but that’s only because I don’t like being told what to wear. So please stop complaining that they’re some sort of medieval torture device. If your firm required you to wear 3 1/2” stilletos every day, then you might have complaint. They’re a thin layer of stretchy fabric. That’s all. Move on, ladies.
Posted by Lisa - 2 months, 4 weeks, 1 day, 8 hours, 49 minutes ago

What I found particularly disgusting is that, in the same organization, Mr. Holt’s dress policy for men made wearing ties optional.

Ties are optional for men....optional.
Pantyhose are required for women....required.

What a jackass!
Posted by Kaitlyn - 2 months, 4 weeks, 1 day, 3 hours, 3 minutes ago

When pantyhose are made with natural fibers, again, and actually fit my body...I’ll consider wearing them. I live in California where it is frequently 110 degrees. I think pantyhose can be considered a health hazard at this point. At least your ties, gentelman, are adjustable to your neck, rather than someones preconceived idea on where your legs should end. So why should I be punished with constricting, ill fitting, expenisve, and overly hot garments? Am I going to be paid more for this expensive dress code requirement? How many ties do you have to toss in a month? I personally have to go through about 1 pair of hose a week. And I have to work harder, usually for less pay than my counter parts.
Posted by Pess - 2 months, 4 weeks, 21 hours, 8 minutes ago

I fulfill the pantyhose requirement at my firm by wearing a stocking cap pulled over my face to look like a bank robber. My boss loves it!
Posted by Rob - 2 months, 4 weeks, 19 hours, 59 minutes ago

I love this discussion. Especially the more vitriolic responses like #51. Clearly, a raw nerve among females has been touched by this!
Posted by Anthony - 2 months, 3 weeks, 6 days, 3 hours, 48 minutes ago

My partner (a woman) can and frequently does wear slacks, blazer and the female equivelent to my wing tips. Her socks are thinner and more breathable than my own (yes, I have worn them). Her blouse is also thinner and more comfortable than my own shirts. She wears a bra because she needs one (I don’t), but then again I wear an undershirt to cover a hairy chest (she doesn’t need to). We could pass for twins. And very professional. Maybe an option for all of the women who don’t like the panty hose. And BTW, I agree the price of panty hose is ridiculous and I have paid the bills ($165 for 12 pair every 4 to 6 weeks) but then again my the cost to dryclean a 2 pc mens suit is double the cost to dryclean a womens 2 pc. (my partner is my wife if you were wondering)
Posted by DeeDee - 2 months, 3 weeks, 6 days, 3 hours, 48 minutes ago

I wear fishnet pantyhose. They look quite stylish and I don’t feel as constricted as with regular nylons.
Posted by L - 2 months, 3 weeks, 6 days, 2 hours, 43 minutes ago

Wearing pantyhose with a dress or skirt makes the outfit look better in a professional atmosphere. Many women do not realize that their legs with veins etc are not appealing and actually takes away from their beautiful outfits.

Besides, wearing pantyhose for work will not going to kill you. They use to complain about wearing bras once, now it is the in thing example: Victoria’s Secret.

If you do not want to look like a lady at work, then wear a pant suit. That way you can ditch the pantyhose and wear knee highs = grandma stockings!!!!!
Posted by CAF - 2 months, 3 weeks, 5 days, 7 hours, 46 minutes ago

I can see both sides of the argument here. I’ve seen many bare-legged women going to work with hairy/ashy/bruised/etc. legs, and I agree that it’s not professional and looks tacky.

HOWEVER, as a woman (a Black woman, in fact), I know how much of a pain stockings are. They snag if you look at them the wrong way and they’re expensive. Plus, it’s next to impossible to find stockings to match my skin tone. You’re pretty much S.O.L. if your skin is not “beige”, “bisque” or “suntan.”

I see a lot of men griping about having to wear ties, undershirts, etc. but I must ask them: have YOU ever put on a pair of stockings? I dare you to try a pair for a day and experience the discomfort/ bodily restraint. See if you feel the same way about them afterwards. I almost guarantee you won’t.
Posted by law_grl - 2 months, 3 weeks, 5 days, 4 hours, 34 minutes ago

Women should only wear skirt or dress suits with pantyhose in court. And no open-toed shoes in court. Ever. End of story. I’m young and politically liberal, but I wouldn’t be caught dead in a courtroom wearing anything else.
Posted by Manly man. - 2 months, 3 weeks, 5 days, 4 hours, 31 minutes ago

I like to wear pantyhose and a tie at the same time. So there.
Posted by JH - 2 months, 3 weeks, 5 days, 2 hours, 32 minutes ago

Hey Bill, when weraing a tie gives you a yeast infection, then you can complain
Posted by k - 2 months, 3 weeks, 4 days, 22 hours, 48 minutes ago

thigh highs!
try ‘em
infinitely better than pantyhose
Posted by Stupid Conventions - 2 months, 3 weeks, 4 days, 5 hours, 30 minutes ago

What I look like has nothing to do with how my brain works. If I’m comfortable, I do better work. To hell with suits and ties. The point is the argument not the wrapper it comes in.

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