With holiday parties and cold weather on the horizon, there’s a question on many women’s minds… “What do I wear on my legs to keep warm when I’m wearing my oh so chic holiday party dress?”

“To wear pantyhose or not to wear pantyhose” has been an age-old question ever since I started my business as a Denver image consultant back in 2004.

You’ve got your fab frock, but the weather is forecasted at the high of 20 degrees the nigh of your bash. Well, relax…I’m here to help you sort it all out. You can look chic and stay warm.

First off, my opinion is that if you’re going to all the trouble of getting a new dress, finding the perfect accessories and getting your nails done, you might as well finish your look, a.k.a. knock ‘em dead, by wearing some type of legwear.

(I’m only talking about in the winter. Legwear for other seasons is a whole other post.)

Getting your leg coverings right is tricky, though. By no means am I suggesting you reach for the suntan pantyhose that for some odd reason have survived the years in the back of your dresser drawer. Instead opt for stylish hosiery/tights.

How to get hosiery right for the holiday season: 

Flesh colored tights/nylons don’t have to look frumpy! Aim for nude hosiery that’s a good match to your skin tone…seriously, no “suntan”! Unless you’ve just been in the tropics, your legs haven’t seen the sun in a few months now.

I especially like semi-opaque leg colored tights that have just a touch of gloss to them…very Princess Kate, very chic!

You may have to invest a little more into these sheers in order to fight the frump factor, but they’ll be more comfortable and last longer than a cheaper pair.

Nude is your best choice for light and bright colored party dresses. I’ve seen bright blue and bright pink tights, but they’re just a little too ‘80’s for my taste.

Nude micro-fishnet tights: Micro-fishnet tights are ones with…you got it…very tiny holes. From a distance of just a few feet, they appear almost invisible. This is another excellent choice to wear with saturated colored dresses. For a retro mood, look for ones with a seam up the back.

Burgundy tights: Burgundy is a huge color this fall and luckily there are plenty of choices of wine colored tights to create a monochromatic look.

If your holiday dress is solid burgundy, you might choose a patterned matching tight for an interesting look. With a burgundy-patterned dress, try for a slightly sheer matching tight. And should you want to further your match, burgundy shoes would be fab. Otherwise, black patent shoes are wise.

Fishnet tights: Fishnet tights have made a big comeback into the fashion arena for fall/winter ‘2017. Both in nude and black, the modern versions have a large, loose web.

Styled correctly, today’s fishnet tights won’t veer anywhere near Pretty Woman territory. Since they are so bold, I recommend wearing this style with knee length or longer hems. (However, I’d steer clear of this style in the boardroom or courtroom…just a little iffy in these professional situations.)

Making a fashion forward statement, pair the fishnets with solid colors or follow the rules for pattern mixing for an even bolder statement.

And if you’re worried you won’t get your money’s worth out of said fishnets, they look great peeking out of the hemline of your staple, black pants.

Patterned tights: Almost everyone has a little black dress (lbd,) right? Black patterned/textured tights are the perfect way to update your lbd without dropping a lot of cash.

I wear opaque black tights all winter long; and I’m not a huge fan of sheer black tights with a solid colored dress, so patterned tights provide the perfect solution.

Really, your choices in tights are virtually unlimited! You’ll find lacy tights, polka dot tights, chevron patterned, striped and more. Think about your personal style and what you want to project. Then match your tights, and you’re party ready!

We’ve mostly been talking about hosiery to wear with holiday dresses, but many (most) of the tights can be worn for daytime, too. Hopefully now that you’re armed with your great tights, you’ll never have to ask whether you should wear hosiery in the winter again!

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