What could be more feminine than a pair of silky smooth pantyhose?
While many women opt for the bare-legged look these days, pantyhose (and tights) give a much more polished appearance.
The secret is to choose hosiery that makes you look sexy and stylish – not like you stepped out of a time warp from the 80s.
Follow these 5 transgender / crossdresser / femboy pantyhose style rules and I guarantee you can’t go wrong!
A Quick Note About Pantyhose vs. Tights vs. Stockings
Before we jump into the rules, let’s quickly discuss terms:
- Pantyhose – This is a term used in the U.S. to describe sheer hosiery with a denier (a measure of thickness in tights) of 8 to 30.
- Tights – Tights are thicker than pantyhose, with a denier of 40 to 100. (That said, most other English-speaking countries use the term “tights” for all hosiery, from sheer to thick.)
- Stockings – Stockings differ from tights in that they only extend to the upper thighs. They stay up with elastic or are secured with a garter belt.
Rule #1: Only Wear Nude Or Black Pantyhose
For the most sophisticated look, I recommend sticking to the basics and only wearing nude or black pantyhose. (Colored tights are a different story. See Rule #5.)
If you wear black hose, make sure that they’re jet black – not gray-black or brown-black.
Rule #2: Go For Sheer Nude Hose That Matches Your Skin Tone
The #1 rule for nude hose is to match your skin tone as closely as possible.
High-end hose brands (like Donna Karan and Calvin Klein) offer lots of nude shades to choose from, so you should be able to find a perfect match.
The #2 rule for nude hose is to buy the sheerest hosiery you can find. Nude pantyhose should be like the foundation you wear on your face: invisible, but enhancing.
Rule #3: Buy The Best Quality Pantyhose You Can Afford
Most trans women, crossdressers, and femboys have great legs, so it pays to show them off with nice pantyhose. There’s a big difference between drug store brands and department store brands.
My favorite high quality hosiery brands include:
- Wolford
- Spanx
- Donna Karan
- Calvin Klein
- Nordstrom
Rule #4: Coordinate Your Pantyhose With Your Shoes
If you wear black pantyhose, wear black shoes for the most streamlined look.
Nude hose gives you the most options: You can pair them with any color of shoes. For the most leg-lengthening look, try wearing nude hose with nude shoes.
Just remember: NO pantyhose with sandals or open toed shoes! (A small peep toe is fine.)
Rule #5: Try Tights
Semi-sheer and opaque tights are a great alternative to transgender / crossdresser pantyhose – especially when it’s cold out.
Tights are less formal, but they tend to look more modern and youthful than pantyhose.
The pantyhose rules DON’T apply to tights, so experiment with different colors, styles, and textures. Funky tights can totally make an outfit!
Let’s continue the conversation…
Do you love to wear pantyhose, tights, and/or stockings? If so, what are your favorite styles and brands?
Please share your comments below!
Love,
Lucille
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I can tell you this I love to see the look on people’s face’s when I’m at work and they look at my ankles to try and figure out if I’m wearing tights or pantyhose. I drive a lift truck (forklift) and so my feet are higher then normal. Only once has anybody said anything and that was to let me know that she knew that i had on tights and that the color matched my shirt. Well i know that right now i can’t go out fully dressed or even think about passing but I would rather wear pantyhose at home and under just about EVERYTHING!!! I just don’t like the feel of cotton. (PLUS I CAN’T STAND MY BODY HAIR)
BE SHEER AND
SHAVE WELL
TIMOTHY
Your post says it all for me. I shave my legs and wear pantyhose, tights or thigh-highs daily. I just prefer the feel.
Hi girls
I wear pantyhose every chance I get, they hold me together, I am lost with out them. And yes I wear my graany panties under them. Do any of you girls know where to buy plus sized Hooter style panty hose. I love the sheer shine look they have. Keep dressing girls!!!
Try mytights.com. They have a large selection.
Lucille,
I totally agree here, the hose must blend properly with the skin tone and what we are wearing. If your legs have the shape and proper tome, then very sheerr is good, but for others who are not that lucky it is out of place.
I like a good pair of tights and have a number in different colors. they are warm and look great with my boots.
I love pantyhose and feel not completely dressed until I have them on. I love the soft silky feeling kind like Hanes Silk Reflections and Leggs Silken Mist. I love to wear nude, barely there, little color, and barely black color styles because I love to show my smooth shaven legs.
I also love thigh highs and stockings for those special times, but pantyhose is a girl’s everyday necessity.
I am a 43 year old Transgendered girl and have been a huge proponent of hosiery since I was about age 12, so, about as long as any genetic woman my own age. I’ve tried as many brands and styles as possible that I could afford. I go out en femme regularly and consider myself VERY lucky that I pass quite well in public because I try to “blend” in, and have been addressed as “Ma’am” at arm’s length numerous times. I have been complimented on my legs as well, and would like to share my opinions and experience.
I agree that pantyhose can be too hot to wear in the summer if it’s too humid out, and only wear them in summer when the weather is cool enough, and then only in a sheer nude color. I like living in a northern climate because that means from early fall till well into springtime, I wear pantyhose or tights pretty much whenever I go out regardless if I’m in slacks, jeans, or skirt or dress. They really DO complete an outfit, in my opinion, and I find them to be comfortable, energizing, and help me feel “ultra feminine”.
I would agree against wearing hosiery with open toe shoes, but have seen hosiery worn (and worn hose myself) with Peep Toe shoes, as long as your toenails are painted. I wear Jet black or nude hosiery most often, and wear black tights most often when it’s cold. Opaque Tights DO offer more options with colors and the liberties you can take with them and your outfits.
With low denier sheer pantyhose, however, I do take “some” exception to Lucille’s advice on sticking only with nude or jet black pantyhose. While I would agree that this is the best advice (and what I usually stick with myself), I also see no problem in wearing sheer pantyhose in various shades between nude and black, such as “beige”, “taupe”, “coffee”, “navy blue”, etc… but will QUALIFY that opinion by saying, PROVIDED that it is done in good taste, with the right outfit and shoes that go with that color. For instance, if the dominant color in your outfit is brown, then try a brown shade of pantyhose (notice I said “try”). If it looks good, go for it! But I say, do so in good taste, please. Otherwise, go with brown opaque tights instead for the same brown outfit.
You DO get what you pay for in higher priced brands. I also agree with earlier postings here about putting your hose or tights in the freezer a few hours before putting them on. I’ve done this for quite awhile now and it does work! Also, get yourself a pair of simple white cotton gloves, or, surgical/latex gloves and put them on your hands before putting on your hose (and taking them off too!). Keep your legs shaved smooth if you can, and use lots of moisturizer for softer skin, and, keep those toenails groomed. Since I started doing all those things, I rarely have runs anymore!
Another trick I use (in colder weather), is I put on the most “Nude-est” Ultra Ultra Sheer-est” pair of nude pantyhose on my legs first whenever I wear black pantyhose or black tights. Despite the ultra sheer nude color, the nude pair evens out my skin tone and adds a little cover foundation for any bruises, etc. It also gives my legs a smoother, sleeker, feminine look when combined with the black pair over the top. For this reason I steer clear of control top hose, because, No.1, I don’t need to wear control top, and No.2, two pairs provides plenty of “control”.
Brand-wise, wear the best you can afford and feels the most comfortable to you. Hope some insight from someone who passes and blends in publicly can help other girls out. Thanks!
I love to wear hosiery but I prefer the thigh highs. I think the right shade of hose adds a degree of sophistication and a hint of sexiness especially in an outfit that shows some leg.
I only like my jet black thigh high stockings. They look great in 6″ platforms that I love. Way too sexy!!
I wear pantyhose daily in the from fall through spring. There’s nothing that makes you feel more feminine than sliding sheer hose over closely shaved legs. For the life of me I can’t understand why women have moved away from wearing pantyhose / nylons when they dress up. From my perspective, wearing a skirt or dress without them makes for a very “unfinished” look.