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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Hi Lucille, well she had a feeling I would be dressed as a woman. It was so nice I have not seen her in awhile but she loved my new look.We chatted in the lobby for a bit then made a later lunch date . the Marykay makeup is awesome love the lipgloss feels like silk. then went shopping for a couple hrs.Once you get the the nervousness out of yourself . you get to the point where as long as you feel good and positive and look good and take care of yourself as a woman it all comes together and you go out and enjoy yourself as a person who is a woman.be strong confident and you will not have problems it took me a long time. what helped in my life also was I took ballet lesson late in life for 12 years I loved it I even got offered a position in a company but did not pay as well as what I am doing so did not take it.I was introduced to feminine clothing at a very young age by my sisters and after that through life just kept on trying different things now I shop for womens clothes more then mens LOL.Love your site Lucille keep up the great things you do feel free to contact me email anytime . Love Mandy
Am actually a male who love pantyhose and I waer them under my jeans to work every. How lucky u ladies could wear them and it’s part of yr wardrobe!! How jealous!!
It also helps to shave your legs & paint your toenails!
I agree with you Jaqui, what a waste of stocking or p/hose, if your toe nails aren’t painted.
But definitely shave the legs, not only looks better- but the hose slides up the legs better!.
I agree totally. Not ballsy enough to wesr them to work, but often while out on short trips. I chuckle when i think how much i look forward to spending the evening in Leggs Sheer Vitality queen size jet blk control top sheer toe while women all over cannot wait to get out of theirs! So lucky to be able to wear them daily! Discovered them out of curiosity growing up in house full of women. Instant love it was! Sometimes wear heels in house & only wear VS highleg brief panties! I love the tightness of the CT panty in hose! Pantyhose rock!
Wow, couldn’t agree more! Sheer Vitality rock! Jet black control top! I love the tightness of the panty and I also only wear VS high leg briefs! Also tried them after living with women. They are so lucky to be able to wear them all the time. They can’t wait to remove them, I can’t wait to put them on! I often shop in them and I shave
and paint my toenails.
Hi Lucille, I will be picking up MaryKay makeup I ordered from a friend . I will be wearing a striped skirt black belted top Grey sweater tights that are so smooth she does not know I will be wearing the skirt and tights will be surprised but like it.Cannot wait till friday when I pickup makeup I ordered. I am sure to get some looks in the lobby at the newspaper she works at.
I love the way nylons make me look and feel. Nothing completes my outfit better than nylons. They make me look more chic, elegant, and classy. I have noticed when I wear them with a skirt or a dress I get SO much more attention from men. My boyfriend tells me how men love the feminine look and elegance of nylons. I am so glad pantyhose are back in style. Bare legs with skirts and dresses look tacky.
I dislike wearing slacks, but I detest wearing hosiery. No matter how expensive, I always get a run in them within one wearing in spite of all the tricks that are supposed to prevent that. So they’re a colossal waste of money. Secondly, although I’m average sized, I am very curvy & have very bad skin tone that is impervious to exercise (even a plastic surgeon said he couldn’t do anything for it). So hose simply doesn’t fit well, especially thigh highs, which have the effect of cutting my thighs in two. Garter belts are a complete pain in the—. There has to be a better alternative.
I am very fussy about pantyhose. I only like a certain look and feel. Sears had the best firm support pantyhose for the money. They were very soft and silky with the right amount of squeeze to them. They recently changed suppliers and the new firm support hose are terrible. They feel like sandpaper. They are not silky or smooth at all. I complained and as usual it fell on deaf ears. Can any one tell me where I can order silky smooth support pantyhose that are not more than 6-8 dollars? The Sears hose were 6.00
I’ve looked online and it seems that good support with a nice shine to them are going for 20.00 or more and that is just to much.
Thanks
Silk reflection Hanes ultra sheer leg
I have tried many different brands and types and the winner is L’eggs Sheer Vitality, replaced by Sheer Energy light leg support. The sheerest and sexiest I have found in 30 years of wearing them
How about those 5 toe pantyhose? any comments on those with high heel open toe dress sandals for the mother of the bride ? I would get them in sheer nude.
It only makes common sense to wear support pantyhose in the winter. I wear them skiing, biking, when on my feet all day, and just when I want to look my best. Jet black is preferable. Garters and thigh highs are just too unshapely and out of date. Those men who like the warmth instead of thermals that are itchy and non porous are uncomfy. I think nothing of guys who prefer comfort to bulkyness.