With warmer weather around the corner I am always asked by my clientele “should I wear hosiery at work or not?” 

Sarah Hathorn: 

I tell them that my point of view is that hosiery will make you look more confident, professional and polished. If you want to climb the corporate ladder, then yes you need to be perceived as a professional. When women don’t wear hosiery in the workplace they are taken less seriously than their male counterparts. Here are five reasons why one should wear hosiery in the workplace. 

A Professional Look

When women are wearing professional business suits in the office, hosiery always completes that high level, refined look. Accessories like hosiery help tell the outfit story. When a woman is formally dressed in a power suit without hosiery, it brings her credibility down a notch. Imagine if we would see a businessman dressed in a suit, tie and dress shirt, but no socks worn with his dress shoes. Even in a more business casual look, hosiery adds a finish to the entire look and increases your credibility and expertise in the business arena. In most companies where I work throughout the United States, they tell me in private that they do wish their female employees would wear hosiery to best represent their corporate brand. Employers implement the ‘no hosiery’ rule trying to be open to new dress code policies to attract the best employees. However they hope that women will see it as an option and make the decision to wear hosiery to look more polished. 

What do your legs look like?

When I am asked this question in seminars I often turn it back around and ask the person about the condition of their legs. Younger women tend to look sexy and fashionable when they are going barelegged. Is that the impression you want to portray in the workplace? For women over 30 we ask them to really look at their legs. Hosiery is for legs what make-up is for the face. Hosiery evens out the skin tone of your legs. If your knees are starting to sag, or you have age spots, varicose veins and imperfections in your skin, you should wear hosiery. 

This will give your legs a more luminous look. If you do of your legs. If your knees are starting to sag, or you have age spots, varicose veins and imperfections in your skin, you should wear hosiery. This will give your legs a more luminous look. If you do decide to go barelegged, here are a few of my suggestions. Make sure that you exfoliate your legs daily, use a good moisturizer, and use a self-tanner meticulously so there are no streaks and the color is applied evenly. Women who look great going barelegged spend a great deal of time and effort to show off their sexy legs. 

Is Your Body Well-Toned?

There is another benefit of wearing hosiery and that is it creates a clean, smooth, slimmer line throughout your lower torso area. The foundation of a smooth undergarment allows your clothes to hang better over your silhouette. You will look pounds thinner because hosiery helps to camouflage an out-of-shape tummy, derriere and hip area by slimming your silhouette. 

Wear Sheer Hosiery For That Polished Look

The polished woman professional always looks more stylish in sheer, colored hosiery. For everyday wear I always recommend sheer nude hosiery that is the

exact color of your legs. I personally recommend the Donna Karan Nudes Collection or Hanes Absolutely Ultra Sheer. In the Donna Karan collection you can also find sheer colored hosiery without the toe part so that you can wear them with the new peep-toe style. If you were attending an evening event wearing a black suit, black sheer hosiery would complement that look and add to the evening allure. You have to be the one to decide how you want others to perceive you and if it is worth the risk of losing credibility in the workplace by not wearing hosiery. I hope you will objectively think about all of these suggestions and tips and make the best decision for your future career endeavors. Remember, in today’s environment it is all about personal branding and standing out from the crowd. A polished image is your calling card to attract more business in a down-turning economy.