Month: April 2010

Pantyhose – To Wear or Not To Wear?

ActSensuous

Robin Maryland, president of ActSensuous

     Ladies … hate pantyhose?  Refuse to wear them?  Here’s your chance to state for the record why.  Please take our poll at the bottom of this post.

     Last year, I wrote the post Why Bears don’t wear Pantyhose,  in which I rebuked the few lame excuses women typically give for not wearing pantyhose today.   

     The headline was my way of poking fun at myself for mistakenly using the wrong word in that post’s attached poll: Today’s Bear Legs Culture, as obviously, I meant “bare.”  (By the way, the No. 1 answer by far was “Can’t die a horrible death soon enough,” but then, I am sure it was mostly men who voted.)  

     Still, I can’t fathom why so many women are against pantyhose.  I suspect the biggest reason is just that this “bare legs” trend created in Hollywood gives them an excuse not to wear pantyhose.  They’re jumping on the bandwagon.  Oh, I’m sure there are those who are much more militant about it, but I think if pantyhose weren’t considered “not in vogue” today, women would be wearing, as they always have.  

     I was going to write a sequel to Why Bears don’t wear Pantyhose, but I decided that rather than guessing their reasons, I want to hear what they really are from real, live women today. ( Then, armed with their legitimate reasons, I’ll write Why Bears don’t wear Pantyhose II, and completely tear apart their ridiculous excuses.)  

     So here it is – The ultimate pantyhose poll.  It gives any woman who wants to participate, the opportunity to vote on why she would choose to wear or to not wear pantyhose.  I’ve offered the possible reasons, but there’s also a place to write in other answers, and I would encourage women to do that if my choices don’t reflect their true and accurate reasons.  

     Please Note: For this to work, it must be handled with the utmost integrity, so puh-leeeeeease . . .  ladies only.  Guys, please do not cast a vote.  (Feel free to comment on this post, just please don’t vote on the poll.)  The idea here is to gather real usable data.  Hard evidence.  I want to know the real reasons why women shun the wearing of pantyhose today.   

     Don’t you?

Credit ‘wear’ Credit is Due II — Going Ga-Ga over the Lady

ActSensuous

Known for some outlandish costumes, Lady Gaga is a true pantyhose ambassador on and off the stage.

     After just my second ever blog post (June 2009), Calling out Professional Entertainers, in which I blamed Sarah Jessica Parker (yuk) for creating the “bare legs culture” with her TV series, “Sex and the City,” I’ve been dilligent in criticizing celebrities who buy into this awful trend.  

     Then, in August 2009, I wrote the post, Credit ‘wear’ Credit is Due, giving props to some special celebs who are classy and professional enough to wear pantyhose.  I praised the likes of Olivia Munn (co-host of Attack of the Show) and model/actress Milla Jovovich. 

     Obviously, there are many celebs who deserve such praise.  I particularly appreciate and like very much Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock and Linda Fiorentino.  And, even though I don’t see these two pantyhose goddesses much anymore, I’ll always love Kim Basinger and Geena Davis.  Then, there’s Parker Posey, once known as Miss Pantyhose.  These actors have the class and elegance to always wear pantyhose on the set.  I know you have your favorites, too.  (You gotta write in and tell us who.)

     But today’s post is devoted to one Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, also  known as Lady Gaga.   You know the story:  She has exploded on the dance music scene with four No. 1 hits off her debut album, “The Fame,” has won Best New Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards, has written songs for Britney Spears, the Pussycat Dolls and others, and has become one of Barbara Walters’ “10 Most Fascinating People of 2009.”  And she’s just 23 years old. 

      From what I’ve read and heard in interviews with her, Lady Gaga is more than just a flashy new entertainment phenom.  Already, she is a dance, music, entertainment, fashion icon.  She is wise beyond her years, probably an old soul in a young body.  

     You might not like her music, her dancing, her fashion designs, her lifestyle, or her outspoken ways, but you gotta admit she is a force, and a successful one at that.   I do like her sound, her look, and her style.  What I really like is her sense of values.  First, she is devoted to her mother, father and sister.  Second, she is committed to dressing up all the time, and she is a devoted wearer of pantyhose – not just on stage, but everywhere she’s seen.  

     Consider this quote from Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls during an interview last month with Elle Magazine: 

     “She (Lady Gaga) is incredible … We’ll be at the airport and she’ll have full fishnets … on even then. I’ll be there with my hair tied up, old sweatpants and top that doesn’t even match, and she’s there in fishnets and not much else.”   

     Said Lady Gaga:  

     “When I meet celebrities and they’re in casual clothes, I’m always like: ‘Whaaat?’ I don’t mean to be judgmental, but it would do them better to be who they really are, all the time. This is really who I am all the time. When I get out of a car and there are 30 fans waiting for me, I know I’m dressed the way I should be. There’s a reason they have that emotional reaction.   I think you should look nice all the time.”

      Lady Gaga has even publicly promised we won’t see her wearing pants.  Her commitment to look good for her fans and to always present herself with class and style whenever she’s in public, to me, is very admirable.  And she’s only 23. 

      I remember when the “bare legs” movement was just gathering steam in the mid-1990s, some show biz industry columnist wrote something to the effect that it would take a young entertainer, “maybe like a Britney Spears,” who would wear pantyhose on a regular basis to set an example for young women, who otherwise might never even consider wearing pantyhose. 

     I never forgot that statement, pretty much figured it would never happen, and now, truly appreciate Lady Gaga’s sense of glamour and style for creating some much-needed press about pantyhose.  

“I’m just trying to change the world one sequin at a time,” she told Elle Magazine last month.

 I don’t know about you, but I’m ga-ga over Lady Gaga.

Should I wear Pantyhose to a Job Interview?

ActSensuous

    

Seriously, how could anyone get any work done with Asakawa dressed this way for the office?

     It is said that millions of people struggle with the question of what to wear to a job interview.  

     Having worked in an executive search and recruitment business for nearly 20 years, I’ve coached hundreds of women  (and men, although not about wearing pantyhose) on this subject, but just to be fair, I researched the subject on the Internet today to learn what is being taught right now. 

     Happily, Ive found that the advice of career experts is exactly the same as it’s been forever.  Yes, women should wear pantyhose to a job interview.  

     Look, if you’re going to interview for a job at Wendy’s, you don’t need to wear a corporate grey skirted suit, with high heels and sheer nude pantyhose.  Unless the opportunity there is for a regional manager or higher level position.

      So let’s say you’re interviewing for an office position in corporate America, and the company adheres to a business-casual dress code.  What then?  Still, you wear a suit, heels and pantyhose.  Why?  Because you’re on duty. 

     It doesn’t matter what the company’s dress code is, or if you’re just lucky enough to be interviewing on casual Friday.  You are the one who needs to make a good impression.  You should always dress the way a senior manager would, or should, because it shows good character, a good attitude and demonstrates that you are serious about wanting to work at that company. 

     You will never not get a job offer because you dressed better than you needed to during the interview.  But not dressing according to accepted standards of business attire could cost you an opportunity.

     In his book, When Job-Hunting: Dress for Success, Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., of Quintessential Careers, writes:

“The standard job interviewing attire for women is a conservative dark navy or gray skirted wool blend suit.  Job experts and employers seem split on the notion of pants suits, so a skirted suit is a safer choice.  Makeup should be minimal, with lipstick and nail polish conservative tones.  Pantyhose should be flawless (no runs) and conservative in color.”

     Yes, but he’s a man, you say?  OK, well, according to Kim Zoller at Image Dynamics, 55 percent of another person’s perception of you is based on how you look.  Her Dressing for Success suggestions:

  • Solid color, conservative suit
  • Coordinated blouse
  • Moderate shoes
  • Limited jewelry
  • Neat, professional hairstyle
  • Tan or light hosiery

     OK, think that’s just old school?  

     How about what CollegeGrad.com has to say:
  • Always wear a suit with a jacket; no dresses
  • Shoes with conservative heels
  • Conservative hosiery at or near skin color (and no runs!)

     It’s not rocket surgery (a cross between rocket science and heart surgery) here, people.  Just because Hollywood created the bare legs phenomenon to which women all over the world now subscribe, it doesn’t change the fact that in the real world, there still are standards of right and wrong, good and bad, acceptable and unacceptable. 

     And in the workplace, especially during a job interview, pantyhose should always be worn.

What drives our Pantyhose Fetish?

ActSensuous

Hard to believe so many women don’t know or don’t care about the power they possess in pantyhose.

Sooner or later, I had to write this post.   I had tried several times before, but during my research to find scientific facts, I grew  increasingly discouraged because there are so many conflicting reports, every subject is debatable, and most of the material focuses on the weird or disturbing aspects of behavior.

I wanted to learn where pantyhose rank on a list of the most prevalent fetishes, but I couldn’t find credible material that could be documented.  I did find one thing I expected – that the foot fetish is still No. 1, apparently, the most common.  Suffice it to say that pantyhose are high up there somewhere.

And, thankfully, pantyhose and foot fetishes seem to go hand-in-hand, or make that foot-in-hand, or foot-in-mouth, often appearing simultaneously (“dogs and cats living together …”).

According to a Wikipedia report about a pantyhose fetish, the allure has to do with the following:

  • Pantyhose remove the appearance of blemishes, making  the legs “perfect.”
  • The reflectiveness of the material, coupled with the way they appear less transparent at the edges, often gives legs more contrast and definition, as though lit by dramatic lighting.  This accentuates the curves of the legs, making them less “flat.”
  • They often have a silky texture, which is pleasing to both the wearer and her partner.
  • They do not actually hide what they cover.
  • The slipperiness and smoothness of sheer pantyhose makes women’s shoes slip off more easily.  This vulnerability often is sexually attractive and can result in women engaging in shoe dangling or shoe play, which also is appealing to shoe and foot fetishists.

Obviously, there’s more to a pantyhose fetish than this, but this is a good start.   Ultimately, I decided to just write about what I know.  To me, pantyhose always have been about three things: The way they look, the way they feel to the touch, and the very concept of them in the first place.  Maybe it’s just that they are designed to enhance the beauty of everything they cover.

AE-4 To me, there’s a profound dichotomy about pantyhose, which I find very exciting: Pantyhose possess enormous power, yet, by design, they are extremely delicate and feminine, causing an irresistible vulnerability for the wearer.

Once on, any item of clothing a person wears sort of disappears.  You stop feeling it on your body.  And even though you can touch the pantyhose on yourself, it isn’t the same as feeling them on someone else.

Want your lover to feel what you feel when you caress her legs in pantyhose?  All it takes is to move that delicate nylon fabric over her skin.    The sensation is incredible for both parties.

Now I ask you, readers:  What do you think drives our pantyhose fetish?