STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

shops2much · Nine West

Bare legs in the winter?

dc · Dooney & Bourke

I never wear hose or tights - I hate them (live in DC, btw). That said, it depends how much you're going to be outdoors. I tend to get into a car in a parking garage, drive to work and into a garage there, and then up to my office and I never actually go outside during the work day. So it doesn't look at all silly once one is indoors. I am this way when gonig out at night, too. Taxi to bar, 10 feet to the front door, and I am indoors. If it is a cold day and I anticipate having to walk around outside, I wear pants. Never will I give in to hose and tights. At least until I get varicose veins or something.

It does help to use self-tanner year-round if you can. Not tons - just a touch to give you glow and avoid the pasty look. I keep forgetting this.

But if you'll be outdoors a bit (walking to and from work or whatever), you might want to be sure your coat is on the longer side, or even consider nude fishnets (with the right outfit).

shops2much · Nine West

Thanks--I'll just be doing the standard car-to-door-walking tomorrow, accumulating no more than maybe four minutes total outdoors tomorrow. My skin is naturally a bit tan so I'm not worried about pasty-leg syndrome. :)

Glad to see I'm not the only one who hates the things and doesn't like to wear them in the dead of winter...

subwolley · Kate Spade

I think it looks ridiculous to show bare legs in the winter. It's just as bad as girls running around wearing tank tops. I saw a girl last week wearing a jean skirt, a tank top, and a sweater, and it was about 40 degrees outside. I would wear jeans or a longer skirt with boots or something.

dc · Dooney & Bourke

quote:
Originally posted by: subwolley
"I think it looks ridiculous to show bare legs in the winter. It's just as bad as girls running around wearing tank tops. I saw a girl last week wearing a jean skirt, a tank top, and a sweater, and it was about 40 degrees outside. I would wear jeans or a longer skirt with boots or something. "

Well, point taken, but I still say it depends if you're indoors or out, even with tops. I mean, I wore a halter top out friday night with jeans (not outside, obviously - I had a coat and scarf over it), but the people in the bar who looked funny and out of place were the girls all swaddled up in sweaters in the warm bar. It's all about context, and possibly skirt length (mine tend to hit right below the knee). I see nothing wrong, for example, with wearing a wrap dress, pumps, and no hose to my office when I am never setting foot outdoors. And I certainly never wear hose or tights with boots. I have nice legs, I am never going outside, why not? (Not to argue... I think the girl you saw might have looked a little silly, depending on the context, but I do think it can be done). I feel the same way about open-toed shoes (which I might wear out at night, not to the office).

-- Edited by dc at 00:21, 2005-01-31

subwolley · Kate Spade

That totally looks fine if you are wearing the coat as part of the outfit over a halter top, but I see girls that are wearing no clothes in the winter and some coat just to keep them warm. That looks ridicoulous. It's like they're wearing their summer clothes under some big coat. haha. Anyway, I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm just saying it has to be done right.

bliss · Dooney & Bourke

To me it's always something I look twice at, to me it is weird to see someone without hose in the winter. But then again I am a person that scoffs at people wearing sweatshirts with shorts and flip flops in cold weather. I think it is much easier to pull off if you have nice legs and you're going out at night. I frown on it in business environments because the places I have worked have all been super conservative and no-hose is a no-no. With all of that being said do what you're comfortable in and what is appropriate for the environment you're in, if you're uncomfortable in hose that will stand out more so than you going without them.

poptart · Coach

I agree that it is all about the environment and your attitude plays a part, too. If you look cold or uncomfortable, other people will notice. For example, today I am wearing a skirt with no hose (I refuse to wear them and would never accept a job that required them) and peep-toed pumps, and there is 6 inches of snow on the ground, and I'm pretty sure I look ridiculous because I was hopping over puddles of slush. But I stayed at my bf's house last night and there was no way I was trekking all the way home this a.m. to get a completely different outfit. So I'm just resigned to looking silly. (Thank God my bf provided door-to-door service to work!)

But I think as long as there is no snow on the ground and as long as your outfit is otherwise winter-appropriate, you are fine to go bare-legged in winter.