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, i do love wearing pantyhose, and wear them as an ‘everyday’ item of clothing. unfortunately i have to wear male clothing for work, but that doesn’t stop me from wearing pantyhose beneath my pants. of course i don’t need the very best quality for that, and the brand i usually buy is Hanes Silky Shear. i think they are very nice, they are shear and have the advantage of being long wearing and less expensive than the premium fashion brands.
when i do dress up i favor stockings and garter belt over panty hose. just makes me feel more sexy – there really is something about panties, garter belt and stockings that screams HOT! and makes me feel great. and an added advantage is that when a stocking does ladder, they are less expensive than comparable panty hose. never hurts to be practical as well as beautiful!
jamie
I’m 5′.8″ what rule do we use for size? I know some size out with weight and some by how tall you are. i know panties wise i wear a XX9 but some 8’s have fit.
can a CD. wear leggings under their dress to keep their legg’s warm at nite or asleep i would like to hear your thoughts on the matter. your Frederica 52
Tights are similar to thermal underwear, because they are made of thicker warmer material than hosiery, stockings or pantyhose. Thermal underwear, you would be more inclined to wear when skiing, or engaged in outdoor activities on a cold day. Tights/leggings are not sheer like stockings or pantyhose, and look opaque (think spandex/latex, you can’t see flesh through them). They usually have got much more ‘give to them’ than ‘control top’ pantyhose. If you want to wear something to bed to keep your legs warmer, you could try your ‘drab’ sweat suit bottoms, biking shorts, your ‘femme’ tights/leggings, womens’ thermal underwear. Otherwise, buy more blankets, or a thicker duvet!
I love the feel of pantyhose, and sometimes I’ll just get the thigh highs, because it can be very warm wearing the whole thing sometimes. You can wear your panties under or on top of the pantyhose, and I also enjoy wearing tights. It’s just tough in the summer when it gets warmer, but trying to be en femme outside when it’s warm, especially if you are not ready to be dressed in public, so it becomes more difficult to wear items underneath in the heat. Only issues with pantyhose is trying not to rip them. I usually wears socks with them, and careful when I pull them up, but after a few uses they always rip. Do better brands last longer, and how many times can you wear the same pantyhose is you wahs them?
I love my pantyhose. I have to say that nude or black ones are the only ones that I buy or wear. I wear my pantyhose almost daily. I just love them
Love your comments. I too prefer pantyhose or thigh highs stay up stockings. I often wear the nude or off back hose and have recently found the toeless variety for when I want hose and sandals. Wish I had a picture to add here but do not have a current one.
I do like to wear the sun beige or sun tan variety too but I am not sure I understand your comments about wearing only the color closest to your foundation.
Lucille, please keep up the great work helping our community.
I have tried the more expensive Pantyhose & I have found that I look like a clown & they don’t suit me at all & yet when I go to Coles or Woolworths (Australian Supermarket Chains) I look like I have been out & brought an expensive one’s. I’m wondering what your take on this is as it goes against rules above
I’ve mostly have been wearing tights and stockings but I do like certain pantyhose. I prefer they be sheer to the waist if possible or, if not, I really like french cut pantyhose over the control top variety. It’s been taking some time to develop my look and the articles here have been quite helpful. Keep up the good work!