Fifty Shades of Pantyhose

Carla Sarkozy in Wolford Sheers

I wrote an article for the New York Times about the return of pantyhose, and how a new generation of women are discovering that a pair of stockings can be sexy, slimming and fashionable. I'm a big fan of the ones Pretty Polly makes with faux garters. Va-va-voom and comfortable, too. Ladies, trust me. There's a reason why every sex shop in town carries garter belts.

Here's a clip from the piece:


Not long ago, few fashionable women could stand wearing pantyhose. In the 1990s, as office dress codes became more casual and the power suit became passé, many women abandoned hose entirely; a certain class of Manhattan socialite became known for venturing out even on freezing nights with bare legs.

Later they began to rely instead on products like Spanx for body contouring, and self-tanning lotions to conceal blemishes. “For many women, not wearing hose was part of a bigger rebellion against dressing up, and a celebration of their freedom,” said Laurie Ann Goldman, chief executive of Spanx.

But in a season when the fashion spotlight is on the leg, hosiery is finding a new generation of fans who don’t view stockings as a necessary evil mandated by office dress codes and social mores, but as a bona fide style choice with long-forgotten cosmetic powers.

You can read the whole thing HERE.