I've read discussions around here that indicate there might be a generational divide between those of us who suffered but endured for 50 years, and our relative newcomers. I saw a post on FB earlier claiming that Raquel Welch auditioned for the Maryann character on Gilligan's Island, and the first reply to the photo attached was, "She's wearing panty hose"
When I was growing up, respectable women not wearing slacks wore panty hose. Hell, L'eggs and their packing and marketing probably made some people a fortune. Hane's was a huge brand. Panty hose were as mainstream as anything you could imagine. My professionally employed wife (married 1986) wore panty hose with her skirts every day, and as a dancer, she had pretty good gams. (Not that kind of dancer, perverts.)
I remember clearly the first professional woman I saw wearing a skirt and no hose, and I remember thinking, "What the fuck?" She was albino white, kind of bow legged, and her legs were not particularly attractive. I've since gotten used to it, but it's significant that I remember the moment
I'm just interested in the opinions and comments of others in this bubble, even though I expect the usual suspect's dismissive trolling. There was a change in our culture, and I'm just curious. [Reply]
Originally Posted by notorious:
They were big in the 80s, after that I don’t think I ever saw them.
Didn’t they come in an egg?
Those were the L'eggs brand. Freestanding circular display. I think Hane's was the market leader before that media onslaught, but I'll defer to out resident marketing folks on that one. [Reply]
I do see women in cooler/colder months wearing them, or if it’s a formal event- but nowhere near as common as it used to be . I also believe they’re more widely worn in Europe and Asia. When I lived in Germany and Italy for six years, young women nearly always wore them; they typically dress nicer than American women overall. I recently have traveled to Korea for work, and when I think about it, more women wear them than do not. The U.S.? Women are typically fat sows who dress down. [Reply]
I'm 41. My mom wore them when I was a kid, but I've never seen anyone of my generation or younger wearing them unless maybe for a costume or something. I assumed they were spawned from the conflict between a desire to wear shorter dresses and skirts and a conservative view of exposed skin. As people got more comfortable with women having their legs exposed, this weird, unnecessary garment just went away. Just a theory. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ChiliConCarnage:
I don't know why they went away but I haven't seen them in forever. I kind of think hooker when I think of panty hose
And 30 years ago, you were considered a hooker for not wearing them. [Reply]
