What do I wear? (Electric Boogaloo)

[Tesla]

Very nice. I work at home three days a week and am very very casual in the office, so take my opinion with a grain of salt, but I say no pantyhose. Especially if it's going to be 80F. Maybe a nice pair of flats?

 

[myhoneyhoney]

Oh my gosh, someone invite me to tea, or brunch, or wedding... something... I want this dress! http://m.whitehouseblackmarket.com/...36538?color=&catId=cat8739282&fromSearch=true

 

[MacMadame]

If it were anywhere but California, I'd say wear pantyhose to be safe. But it's California so you can probably get away with not wearing them.

 

[Aceon6]

It's rare to see sheer pantyhose, even in Boston in the winter. If it's cold, we see tights or textured hose. I guess it depends on the interviewer. Anyone under 50 is from the naked leg school, over 50 seem to to favor hose. I'm the exception. I'm over, but don't like them unless they're very close to the persons skin tone. That's hard to do.

 

[snoopy]

I'm under 50 and can't imagine going on an interview for a professional job with naked legs. But then I hate seeing armpits at work too and everyone does that these days.

 

[myhoneyhoney]

I think pantyhose depends on the weather, that particular office culture, and length of skirt. If it's a warm day and your skirt hits at least the knees, then no pantyhose. You are in So. Cal. after all. If it was an attorney's office/bank etc then I'd wear one, at least for the interview.

 

[skatesindreams]

Wearing pantyhose makes me feel professional; and fully dressed.

 

[Rob]

None of the under 50s wear hose here at work. Some of the over 50s go barelegged too. It is either bare legs or tights depending on the look. I cannot believe how many almost 40s wear a very short, tight (even stretchy) skirt with bare legs and heels. It is distracting when they sit down. Up goes the skirt. I have actually seen underwear (thank goodness they were wearing it) in the office. Some of the men get visibly nervous about talking to them. And this is a conservative Fortune 50 company. Problem for me is that I am allergic to lycra, spandex, elastic, latex. I have been told I should ditch my slacks/blouse/color-coordinated jacket or tunic for skirt suits (matching) and heels if I want a promotion to VP. I need longer skirts if I can't wear hose. Not sure what to do with the shoes - too many ankle surgeries prevent me from wearing more than about 1-1 1/4 inch heels.

Totally true. DCis as conservative as it gets and the only women still wearing skirt suits are members of congress and those working for very old fashioned law or lobbying firms.

And government contractor executives. So on that note, does anyone know of any hour-glass brands of matching suits? I wear a 18W to 20W hip and bust size with about a 16 regular waist size. I ordered $3,000 worth of clothes and not one suit fit -- not even to the extent that I could get something tailored. I'm 13 inches less in the waist than the hips. I have big arms. What fit in the hips was sausage tight in the arms and falling off my waist. Dresses? Like a burlap sack. Plus size seems to mean tomato-shaped and short in length - I guess most tomato shapes have skinny legs and arms that they don't mind showing. I don't!

 

[Aceon6]

@Rob My SIL has similar issues and resorted to having a couple of suits made. She found a seamstress near an Air Force base who is used to tailoring uniforms for women. IIRC, she got a couple of suits, two extra skirts that could go with either jacket, and a blazer. The price was about the same as getting Theory stuff off the rack. I know that's not cheap, but it was worth it to her.

 

[Rob]

Thanks it would be worth it to me too, but finding that tailor is a challenge. I had a couple of suits tailored a few years ago and they came out with rumpled seams and unwearable.

 

[PRlady]

I'm under 50 and can't imagine going on an interview for a professional job with naked legs. But then I hate seeing armpits at work too and everyone does that these days.

I'm substantially over 50 and never wear nude pantyhose. It sends a very old-fashioned message, at least here. Tights in winter, very lacy or fishnet tights in spring and fall and bare legs (with lots of Jergens BB cream to even out color and look nice) in summer. In California I would never wear pantyhose, not to an interview with the Governor of California!

And government contractor executives. So on that note, does anyone know of any hour-glass brands of matching suits? I wear a 18W to 20W hip and bust size with about a 16 regular waist size. I ordered $3,000 worth of clothes and not one suit fit -- not even to the extent that I could get something tailored. I'm 13 inches less in the waist than the hips. I have big arms. What fit in the hips was sausage tight in the arms and falling off my waist. Dresses? Like a burlap sack. Plus size seems to mean tomato-shaped and short in length - I guess most tomato shapes have skinny legs and arms that they don't mind showing. I don't!

I have exactly the opposite problem, size 8 bust and hips and size 10 waist (if not more). Menopause killed my hourglass figure, sob. When I had one, I found that Jones New York and Elie Tahari suits were good for not gapping in my then-much-smaller-waist. Now, I find Theory works well for a more straight-up-and-down figure but I only own one suit, the rest of the time it is dress and blazer.

Sunday I'm moderating a panel at a big conference. Granted, it is lefty granola types but I still have to look professional. I'm wearing a black dress with knife pleats and modest sleeves and mid-height heels. and black tights. Never pantyhose.

 

[Aceon6]

I'm substantially over 50 and never wear nude pantyhose. It sends a very old-fashioned message, at least here. Tights in winter, very lacy or fishnet tights in spring and fall and bare legs (with lots of Jergens BB cream to even out color and look nice) in summer. In California I would never wear pantyhose, not to an interview with the Governor of California!

In thinking about it, the only women we see with the nude hose are ones who have been out of the workplace for a while. I've worn nude hose exactly once in the last 15 years and that was for a wedding this past November.

 

[PRlady]

In thinking about it, the only women we see with the nude hose are ones who have been out of the workplace for a while. I've worn nude hose exactly once in the last 15 years and that was for a wedding this past November.

Yes. I wore silvery, so sheer-they-were-invisible hose to a wedding October before last. And that's it.

(And just like socks with sandals on guys, when I see women wearing hose with reinforced toes in open-toe shoes I just )

 

[Rob]

Jones New York and Tahari were my go to brands at size 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14. In plus sizes, Tahari waist is 9 inches smaller than the hips; Jones NY is better at 10 inches, but all the skirts in plus are knee length or above on me. I wear longer skirts on the beach! No one wants to see my bare legs -- I am whiter than white and have fat knees and huge calves (too much time in pointe shoes and no matter how out of shape I am, I never lost the muscular calves). There is not a pair of knee high boots in the world that would fit these calves -- I have had to cut slits in Wellies to get them on since I was 15. Lacy tights make me look like I have leprosy with the white poking through. Not to mention the allergy thing -- I'd have welts and rash all over me. And here, you'd get sent home for fishnets.
Only option is the longer skirt, which no longer exists.

Our CEO wears hose (she's 61 or so). According to Forbes, she's the 21st most powerful woman on earth so she can wear what she wants. She does not wear open toed shoes.

 

[snoopy]

When I see dresses on women with bare legs, I think of my mother running around in her housecoat.

Living in Cleveland though, I hardly ever see anyone's legs!

 

[oleada]

Hoses are not done by anyone under 50 in my office (hospital in NYC). Even my manager who is in her 60s goes bare legged in the summer. In the winter, it is tights or leggings.

In my opinion, they are old fashioned and not flattering as they rarely match someone's skin tone.

 

[Aceon6]

In my opinion, they are old fashioned and not flattering as they rarely match someone's skin tone.

We had one candidate arrive in a matched navy skirt suit, white shirt, those gawd awful orangey tan Leggs, and black pumps with thick heels. Afterward, those of us of a certain age were wondering it she matched her outfit to the gal in The Preppy Handbook. At the opposite end, we had a candidate in flip flops. They were nice flip flops, but still not appropriate for the workplace.

 

[vesperholly]

So on that note, does anyone know of any hour-glass brands of matching suits? I wear a 18W to 20W hip and bust size with about a 16 regular waist size.

Try Dress Barn. They have a lot of the same styles on both the regular and plus sides of the store. You might be able to get plus bottoms and a regular jacket.

 

[Anita18]

I ended up pulling out some pantyhose, just in case. (I figured blisters wouldn't be nice either!) I think the last time I wore them was as bridesmaid to a friend's wedding in 2009...and said friend is from SUPER old money in Kansas City. Glad they didn't have any runs.

I saw a mishmosh of wardrobes at the organization. No jeans, but not strictly suits either. So I think if I get the job, I will eschew the pantyhose and not feel too bad about wearing flats. But I didn't stick out one way or another, so mission accomplished.

 

[mag]

@Anita18
Glad you fit in and I love the dresses!

 

[KCC]

All this talk about hose is why I generally stick with pants. I hate the feel of bare feet in most shoes, so with pants, I always wear thin socks.

 

[clairecloutier]

All this talk about hose is why I generally stick with pants. I hate the feel of bare feet in most shoes, so with pants, I always wear thin socks.

I'm the same way. I couldn't wear pumps or other heels with bare feet. Ouuuccchhh.

I guess I'm old fashioned, but I don't always like the look of bare legs. I think it's fine to do bare legs with a summery dress and sandals, but bare legs with an above-knee pencil skirt and pumps only works if you have great legs. A lot of people don't, me included. My skin is really fair, so I'd have to be constantly using self-tanner if I wanted to wear bare legs with dressy clothes.

 

[Rob]

All this talk about hose is why I generally stick with pants. I hate the feel of bare feet in most shoes, so with pants, I always wear thin socks.

Exactly!!!! And I get blisters in closed shoes with no socks. And this is really gross, but I am very sensitive to smells, and I can smell people's stinky shoes when they wear closed pumps with bare feet. I can smell feet in the conference room. I pointed it out to a couple of colleagues who are good friends so they smelled their shoes and freaked out they smelled so bad. A lot of women have no idea that they smell so bad. They immediately ran out to the drug store and got some kind of foot spray that helped. Another reason I hate bare legs with business shoes.

 

[Aceon6]

Exactly!!!! And I get blisters in closed shoes with no socks. And this is really gross, but I am very sensitive to smells, and I can smell people's stinky shoes when they wear closed pumps with bare feet. I can smell feet in the conference room. I pointed it out to a couple of colleagues who are good friends so they smelled their shoes and freaked out they smelled so bad. A lot of women have no idea that they smell so bad. They immediately ran out to the drug store and got some kind of foot spray that helped. Another reason I hate bare legs with business shoes.

I guess most of the women here use the shoe liners, so I haven't noticed that as an issue. Either that or I've gone nose blind to the office smells.

 

[snoopy]

What shoe liners do you use? I checked Amazon and they got mixed reviews.

I never noticed other people's smelly shoes but I buy 2-3 pair of summer work shoes - that I wear without hose. By the end of the summer they get tossed because I can certainly smell them even if no one else can.

Maybe it is less of a factor for women who have dozens of shoes they switch in and out.

 

[Anita18]

What shoe liners do you use? I checked Amazon and they got mixed reviews.

I never noticed other people's smelly shoes but I buy 2-3 pair of summer work shoes - that I wear without hose. By the end of the summer they get tossed because I can certainly smell them even if no one else can.

Maybe it is less of a factor for women who have dozens of shoes they switch in and out.

My old roommate loved the shoe liners/low socks you can get at Walmart. It was the last time I had stepped into a Walmart.

I also think it depends on how often you wear the shoes. If I've been barefooting it in a pair, I have to air it out for a day afterwards.

 

[MacMadame]

I think some people's feet sweat more than others. My daughter went through a period where, if she kicked her shoes off in my car, I couldn't breathe. All her shoes smelled and she had tons. Now her shoes don't smell particularly and I haven't noticed her feet in my car so they probably don't smell any more either.

 

[quartz]

My feet smell more now as I am getting older. See? Another sign aging sucks.

 

[Aceon6]

What shoe liners do you use? I checked Amazon and they got mixed reviews. .

For shoes with open toes or sandals, I use these Dr Scholls. For pumps, I wear the thinnest and lightest peds I can find. My feet stick to the shoes if I don't.

 

[vesperholly]

Hm I might try those Dr Scholls liners - are they odor fighting? Doesn't really say on the Amazon site. I can't get those little ped socks to stay on my heels no matter what, so I have to go barefoot and some of my flats aren't exactly fresh smelling.