The Right Hosiery to Wear at a Company Christmas Party

I am wearing a long, blue dress to my hubby's company Christmas party tonight (it is semi-formal). I am also wearing strappy, open-toed shoes. I will also give myself a pedicure and I'm going to wear sheer tan hose as hubby thinks I shouldn't go for stockings and garter belt. I simply want to be able to show off my shoes! But as always it is always a problem trying to find the right coordination of clothes and colors to match with the outfit.

For those like me who haven't attended very many upscale events I would go with an evening dress and open toe shoes, and a pair of pantyhose I feel all the pantyhose etiquette is indeed confusing, because I've read and seen lots of contradicting stuff. I mean, yeah, not only pantyhose but for example garter belt and stockings can be ok for this kind of event.

Pantyhose are acceptable, but I would suggest in favor of stockings and a garter belt…which can be very elegant, very sexy, with none of the "sexy factor" that some persons seem to associate with them.

If its a short cocktail dress, you might do better with wearing a pair of tights. But then you could go with pantyhose that don't make you look to grandma like and very many designers are pairing tights/leggings/colored pantyhose with short/mid length dresses.

Closed toe shoes would be the best for this kind of event for some, but if you are not trying to impress anyone, you could wear open toed shoe with pantyhose just not with a reinforced toe. Hanes for instance, makes a toeless pantyhose. The rule of thumb is: just be comfortable in what you do.

And as long as you get the sheer toe and heel stockings you will look absolutely perfect. You will find that stockings that need a garter belt are nearly always more sheer and sensual than any pantyhose or thigh high stockings you can find. That's since they don't need all that heavy Lycra in them to hold them up, the garter belt does that. I wear them to work much of the time, and they are very classic looking, plus powerfully eye catching if you let anyone see the tops.

Last but not least, NEVER wear shoes a lighter shade than (the bottom of) your hemline unless you are going to the mart or something. I found this out in a personal image class I attended some years ago. If you have a multicolored skirt, go with the darkest color or brown or navy or blackhosiery, whichever would go with it that you enjoy. Simply avoid any breaks in it: black shoes, suntan knee highs and black skirt is not very fashionable. Probably best would be to wear black tights. Pantyhose in unnatural colors is out in this kind of event.

If you are wearing matching red on the bottom and happen to have found matching red shoes (lucky you to find a match!) then you can go with nude. Keep the total number of colors in your clothing down to 2 at most. These are the rules of business attire at it's most stripped down that I learned.