Sigh . . . A woman can’t buy enough pantyhose, it seems. They just don’t last. It doesn’t matter how much you spend on them, they will develop a run, sometimes within moments after you put them on. Sure, once in a while I have some that hold up for four or five wearings. But that’s pretty rare. I need a rich benefactor just to keep me in pantyhose — and it’s the time of the season when I wear them every working day.
You’d think, though, that pantyhose manufacturers would find a way to make them last longer . . . no, wait, silly me. The higher the turnover, the greater the profits, yes?
Another (not-deep-at-all) thought about pantyhose: I can wear “nude” or “natural” pantyhose every day to the office, and nobody would think twice about it. But heaven forbid if I wore the same dress every day. Pantyhose are in a class by themselves . . . beyond clothes . . . smiles . . .
Time to get ready for work now . . .
Good morning, world.
Hugs
Jillian
Jillian Page 
Okay, you probably weren’t expecting a response from a man on this one, but here I am. I was in a high school musical over thirty years ago, and the boys were supposed to wear black tights for one scene. But they ran out of tights before they got to me, so a woman in the costume department had me wear black pantyhose instead! You can imagine the teasing I got–from both the boys AND the girls! Anyway there was only one pair of pantyhose, and, of course, I had no experience with putting them on. The second time I put them on, I noticed a run on one leg. Things only got worse as the week went on, until finally the costume lady had to use a black marker to fill in the gaps on my legs!
Perhaps things would have gotten better in time, but the show was only performed for one week. It was my only experience with wearing them, and I just want to say, I can appreciate what you women go through dealing with them!
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LOL. Well, one of the keys to wearing pantyhose is to make sure your legs are shaved and smooth.
Cheers
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My legs weren’t as hairy as they are now, but maybe even that little bit was a factor.
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Well, then! That’s a problem that’s never gotten any better with time. Fashions come and fashions go, but at this time of year one can generally get away with black tights (if one’s workplace dress-code will allow it). Tights, being made of rather heavier material, do tend to last a bit longer.
Also, watch out for rough skin on your heels — that’s a big killer right there.
(apologies as usual for anonymity, but the woodwork’s a nice place to be)
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Jillian:
The world’s best pantyhose is made by Wolford, quite expensive but worth the money because they last and last. Here you go:
http://www.wolford.com/
Ask Santa for some at Christmas!
Kaye
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Yup, keep meaning to buy some but, oh, the price 😦 Granted, they are probably worth every penny.
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I remember very little that any of my school teachers ever said but one monday morning we were subjected to a stern warning to boys that they should be aware their if they were to marry a large proportion of their income would be spent on stockings, this was a pre tights era…
I don’t think he meant that they were for him…
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I hate pantyhose but thigh-high stockings aren’t any better. It almost seems that if I look at them the wrong way they develop a run. I did find some really good quality knee-high stockings that seem to last and, as I wear long skirts anyway, I’ll stick with them. I haven’t had a run in them yet.
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Dear Jillian,
Concerning pantyhose durability, here is a few suggestions for a better survival success :
1) Buy the right size. Pulling the fabric tight against the skin is a sure way of getting runs. You should be “laying” your pantyhose on, not stretching them up. Try on size up if you get a lot of runs. As long as they are not too large (bagging at the ankles or knees), the larger the longer they’ll last. Balarinas always go one size up when selecting tights.
2) Take care when putting them on. You should pull them slowly with both hands, squeezing the fabric between thumb and index finger and releasing the fabric between your fingers with a uniform tension. If you need to pull the legs up because of sagging, do so with the palm of your hands, one hand on each side of the leg. Lightly wetting your hands beforehand helps a lot.
3) Double covered lycra. If used, they make pantyhose that last and last, and look like new in the process, wearings after wearings. You’ll have to do a little research to find the brands and styles that use it as it is generally not labelled as such. A lot of “support” style pantyhose use the double covered lycra but you can find it in sheerer styles also.
4) Shoes. Wear only hose friendly shoes. The insides should be silky smooth. If not, wear cover up socks (footies).
I’ve been wearing pantyhose for over 45 years so I developped a certain “expertise”. With my favorite styles, I can have sometimes over 50 wearings with the same pair. I take great care of them, washing them by hand and line hangning them to dry. When my pantyhosed legs are exposed, I am careful not to rub my legs on any rough surface. And beware of hook and loop fasteners. They eat nylon faster than you can say “velcro”.
By the way, I’m male. I wear pantyhose because I like the comfort, the look and the support my aging legs demands. I’ve been wearing openly with shorts (cargo style) and with activewear while exercising (running, bicycling, at the gym) for over 5 years now, almost daily. I wear both mantyhose (pantyhose made specifically for men) and pantyhose targetted to women (because they seem to fit my lean body better than mantyhose).
Love your blog,
Dan
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Thank you, Dan! Very helpful advice for everyone who wears pantyhose.
Welcome here.
Cheers
Jillian
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