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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For me, it all depends. Summertime is for short skirts and perfect bare legs. Winter is for warmer clothes. For a party, I like a nice dress or skirt, black or nude pantyhose, and simple pumps. As with some of the other girls, my legs do get nice comments, and sheer hose can feel sexy.
Thanks,
Alana
Well girls, for openers, I don’t usually wear pantyhose, I prefer stockings whether with a garter belt, girdle or self supporting. I usually wear the black shear or the nude, but I also wear white on occasion to go with my outfit i.e. my black dress with white polkadots and white hose and in varying deniers. I have a couple pair of tights and want to experiment with some colors. Tights are great for winter wear too. When it’s really hot outside, I sometimes do not wear hose at all as it really gets so hot. I see many GG’s that are the same way. So, there’s several other things I take into consideration when choosing hosiery color. Hope I’ve been some help to someone. Have a great day!
Hugs,
Kelli
occasional – transvesti
Love the rules. I’ve got to treat myself to some new designer hose 🙂
I’ve got to disagree on one part of the suntan rule. I’ve got a darker skin tone (hispanic), so the suntan hose match my legs better than any nude/beige tone I’ve tried. Plus, the darker shade slims the leg a little better 🙂
Hi Brenda! If the suntan matches your actual skin tone, go for it! What I DON’T recommend is pale women wearing suntan hose. Nude hose should blend into your overall skin tone. You get the idea. 🙂
hi Lucille and gurls,
I am a total hosiery freak. They have always been my favorite part of dressing and they are what I first experimented with as a very young child. To me they are a nothing less than a gossamer spun by the goddesses. I have always preferred the nude and skin color tones. I think darks can make my legs look too skinny. I like gartered stockings and thigh highs too but I generally wear pantyhose every day. Enough about me though so here are some thoughts on them.
First, it is important to consider why and where one is wearing them. Ex:, as a teen I loved to go the to mall as a male with shorts and and pantyhose and I never once got caught. Probably because I knew enough to buy the flat knit hose made of 100% nylon. Tough to find nowadays. The alternative is hose with spandex in them but the more spandex, the more they shine so they don’t work for stealth wearers. The exception is wearing them under pants when it does not make much difference.
I dress every day and my usual attire is skin tight fem jeans, fem top, fem flats, sneaks or boots, a face, jewelry and fragrance with a full set of lingerie beneath. I used to cover my hose with socks but about a year ago I stopped and now wear whatever I want basically. I am in Boston and it is cold now so hose is comfy under my jeans and pantyhose help keep me “tucked” inside my panties. Oooops, I started writing about me again. The point I was making is just that you would be surprised about just how much you can get away with “ankle-wise”.
Here is a great tip that will save you money. I just found last year that the hose dept in stores now sells little packs of what are generally called toe covers or foot cushions. Picture what is basically like the first third of a hosiery foot at the toe end. Sometimes with little foam cushions on the bottom. I was always poking my toes through my hose even though I had carefully smoothed toenails. Since I started wearing the toe covers, no more poked toes!!
Another tip on money for hosiery is also about the poked toe holes. I got many more wearings out of my hosiery my repairing the toe holes. There is only one way to do it that works and that lasts. It is called Tear Mender and it is just pure liquid latex in a squeeze bottle. Super handy stuff for any textile repair or hemming etc but fantastic and stretching the life for a fave pair of hosiery.
As for the no hose with open toes rule. I don’t buy it. First off, they now sell hose that are toeless just for wearing with your peep toes. Secondly, I read lots of womens mags and in them now I see a comeback of the look of hose with open toes on the pages that show what the stars and starlets were wearing.
I have no trouble buying them in the store but Ebay has some really unusual hose like the official hose the girls wear at Hooters. Not my cup of tea though I know lots of the gurls love them as shiny as they can get them.
For the longest wear be use to rinse them out and hang to dry often.
Also go to a dollar store and often you will find the 3.00 drugstore hose for a buck and while you are there get a pair of thin cheap tight fitting gloves in either cotton or rubber and always put them on before you put on your hose to prevent snags from your hands or fingernails. And you might get real lucky in a Salvation Army or Goodwill etc and find some vintage hosiery, maybe even the 100% nylon flat knit ones I mentioned above.
Another thing I do btw, is collect hosiery packages. Not really a tip but maybe others will come forward to say they share that hobby with me.
My last tip is to be aware of your shoes’ interior. Meaning, some shoes are hostile to hose so don’t put a foot with your best hosiery into a shoe without checking them with a foot wearing old snagged hose first. This applies to both men’s and women’s shoes.
All for now but I hope some of my sisters find some value in what I wrote. Ciao ! Mimi Lamour
and
These are both great places to get super sheer & Sexy hose.The prices are pretty good. They work for me! Also…I have wore (at times) hose and open toe heels…check out my photos. Had no complaints when I did! Have a Sexy weekend~ ; )
I don’t wear hose very much at all. I prefer thigh highs over pantyhose but wear both. Pantyhose only when it’s cold. Black and very sheer nude is what I have so I guess I’ve gotten one thing right on my own. But I’ve always picked up the cheapest I could find. I think I’ll take your advice and treat myself to an expensive pair and see what difference is like. You haven’t steered me wrong yet. – Julie
Hello friends, I prefer the Maya, and shave my legs completely, it really makes very feminine look.
love
RUBYtv