Are skirts and tights now old fashioned?

[coxesorangepippin]

Went in to the office today, wore a belted pencil skirt with tights.

Noticed that I was pretty much the only one wearing tights, are they now outdated?

In my office, this type of dress would be worn with black opaque tights in winter, bare legs when warm enough in summer. Shoes would be plainish dark flats like brogues or ballet flats etc (with tights, or bare feet, or ankle socks/sock-let things whatever it varies), boots in winter or sandals in summer (or a lot of people wear trainers tbh even though it's actually against the dress code).

Also people IRL do wear skin coloured tights, my sister in laws do, with open toe sandals…

I guess it depends to what extent you feel the cold.

Offices I have worked in are usually about 19/20 degree c, when sitting down most of the day, that is too cold for bare legs for me

I'm a lawyer and I agree with this.

I occasionally wear a pencil skirt now but it will be with ankle boots rather than court shoes. Trousers seem popular. And a lot of places have gone totally dress down (except for formal meetings and court). I got a shock when I moved from somewhere with a fairly conservative dress code to my current place which is completely dress down and on my first day met a colleague in shorts and deck shoes.

I pretty much only own opaque thick tights which i pair with dresses when its cold. I am not slowly switching to tunics with jeggings or leggings which are more comfortable.

my workplace is casual as I work in tech.

I tend to wear skirts as regularly as other people wear jeans. Mostly textures / fabrics (tweed, linen, silk or combinations thereof) that sit away from the body. Margaret Howell, Sofie D’Hoore, Maison Margiela type of thing, new or pre-owned. (I’m realising I haven’t worn a beloved Rick Owens pencil skirt for years.)

Departing corporate life means I don’t think I’ve worn sheer tights for about 15 years. (And I can generally avoid thick winter tights on all but the coldest days.) But if I see a way of making them feel natural and stylish again I’ll willingly give it a go.

Lately I’ve been pairing skirts with knee high boots - which I really like. In Summer I’ll probably switch to fisherman’s sandals or mules or dainty gold strappy flats - all with bare legs.

But my favourite look is probably something like this …

Oh dear, I think I need to start collecting my pension judging by some of these comments. I’m 37 and I wear nude sheer holdups in the summer to work, because bare legs feels wrong except on the hottest days. And opaque tights in winter. And I have knee high pop socks in nude and black for wearing with trousers (as I wear smart shoes like leather slingbacks or loafers). I’m otherwise pretty fashionable, but surely with underwear and hosiery it’s about comfort and what works best?

<shuffles off to the care home>

I’m afraid I’m over 60 - so you’ll find me there, in my revolutionary lack of hosiery, @WouldURatherWinkieOrFinger !

Skirts, dresses and tights are fine. Skirts disguise a multitude of shapes but trousers/jeans only look OK if you are stick-of-celery shaped.

Just look around any public space and there are some frightful sights: women who haven't summoned the nerve to ask a trusted friend or faithful partner "does my bum look too big?"

They already know the answer......just buy a bigger size, luv, just buy a bigger size.

I don’t wear skirts to disguise anything. I wear them because I like them as artefacts and as clothing.

Slightly off topic, but who is hoping they get number 45?!

Photo is blurred for some reason but it says...Buy her a collection of tights in pastel colours 🤣

I wear thick tights, thermal for the colder months. The only time I wear sheer tights is to formal events where I'm self conscious about my non tanned legs, for work I just wear sandals or socks and trainers in summer. Just me

I’ve embraced the whole “sheer tights are old fashioned” vibe, and now wear only seamed hold ups in Summer. Generally with ballet flats or low heeled Mary-Janes, because I don’t like wearing shoes without tights. Opaque tights in Winter.

I'm not the epitome of style and fashion, so don't follow any of my advice, but I have never worn tights. Can't stand the way they feel. Trousers and boots in winter, so legs are warm anyway, and skirts and sandals in summer. No need for tights.

Bare feet in proper shoes or (shudder) trainers is GROSS! Bare feet in sandals only, purlease.
I have lots of pencil skirts, most with a bit of stretch. That just below the knee straight skirt with flats look is vey mid 90s as I remember.
I like ankle boots with a shorter pencil skirt, or knee boots with a below the knee one ( so there’s no actual leg showing). Sheer or coloured tights are essential in spring and I couldn’t care less about fashion. Style is not fashion.

But what do you do in the long period between boots and sandals weather?

@Unopenedpackofmenssocks

Slim leg 7/8 Trousers, socks and loafers
Wrap Dresses, opaque tights and ankle boots
Wrap Dresses, opaque tights and loafers
Midi dress and trainers
Wide leg trousers and trainers

All work outfits I've worn in the last 10 days to the office and not a pencil skirt or sheer tight in sight...

Is it fashionable in terms of current trends? No.

But who cares? Its your style and thats what works for you. I always wear black tights boots and dresses until it gets really hot!

Yes, but if you are in the UK it’s still (unseasonably) cold. I am also still wearing my opaque tights.

What sock with the midi dress and trainers- visible or invisible?

(Though trainers are not really any good for my office unless we can be 100% sure no client meetings that day).

@Unopenedpackofmenssocks - LOVE your username. Very witty!

I grew up in Africa and then lived for a long time in the Middle East, so I suspect my definition of too hot for boots and yours may differ. My feet feel the cold first, so I genuinely wear boots for most of the year. When it's hot enough for sandals, the boots get a break. I realise this won't work for everyone!

It's odd really, that something so useful has gone out of fashion.

I don't think I've worn sheer tights for around 15 years. I wear opaques a lot in the winter, but it's rare that in the summer I am warm enough for bare legs so tend to wear trousers a lot more during those months. (I also wear the dreaded leggings with a dress! But feel more comfortable with that as it's more of a casual thing).

When I left City life the price of Wolford tights suddenly seemed just unfeasible. So I wore those I had until they died. Then tried M&S. They just couldn’t compare, so I stopped wearing them altogether. For years tights have seemed like something from another era - and I’ve ignored style photos that showed models wearing them.

Very, very occasionally I feel a slight yearning for the brightly coloured tights I wore in the 80s, or the fancy lacy or sheer dotty tights Agent Provocateur sold in the 90s / 00s. I ignore those too - and concentrate on obsessing over men’s silk socks to wear with heeled Mary Jane shoes.

I think sheers have been out of style for ages - maybe 15, even 20 years? - but actually that they're coming back! This winter the young 'uns were all about those fleece leggings that look like sheer tights, and I've seen a lot of sheer tights both on instagram and in real life on the students where I work. I thought it looked really odd to begin with it seemed like such an 'old' look, but I'm coming round to it now, and opaques have started to look a bit frumpy to me...

Slightly dull tights story.....
I used to work for a retailer where the female uniform was skirts only and you had to wear tights.
We sold tights in the store and staff got extra staff discount on top of our regular discount.
Then they changed it so women could wear trousers. Most staff switched to that and the sales of tights for the retailer literally went down by 90% pretty much overnight 😂
That was about 30 years ago.
(tmi but about 30 years ago was about the last time I got thrush.....🤔 coincidence???)