Skirting in cold weather

[AMM]

Another data point to the "skirts in the cold" thread.

This morning, despite the cold, I felt this urge to wear my 25" red skirt (see pics & looks.) So I put on some blue tights (Lane Bryant opaque) and knee socks and a few petticoats under the skirt, and a sweater and a jacket and walked into town to the post office. (This is my usual "see how I feel going out dressed this way" walk.)

It was nippy, but I didn't feel particularly cold except on my face. I even took my hat off sometimes. I wasn't sure how cold it was, I thought maybe in the 20's (that's -5 or so C.)

When I got into NYC, 4 hours later, I noticed a thermometer reading 18 F, so it must have been more like 10 or 15 F back at home. It didn't seem that cold, perhaps because it wasn't windy.

The only downside to what I was wearing was that the tights chafe a little at the top of the legs (in a sensitive place.) I can imagine that if I had to wear them all day in a job that required a lot of walking, I would not be a happy camper.

[sapphire]

Just make sure you don't get control top panyhose. You might also trying one size larger than what you were wearing.

[Mipi]

Yes, the size really does matter

[tooslowprius]

I have been wearing hose or tight's for quite sometime now. I have come to find out that if you by them according to the size on the package they are going to be way too small! I mean lets face it most of what we are wearing are sized for women! I have found if you go to the next size up they will fit u much better! With that being said, as you can see for the most part I don't wear skirts with out hose for the most part, even in the summer unless it is really warm! I have heard so many complant's from women about hose as far as comfort and the how hot they are. So I wonder if maybe they arn't wearing hose that are too small or what? I have never felt uncomfortable in a pair of hose that fit's right!

[AMM]

Just make sure you don't get control top panyhose.

These don't say "control top."

But I thought that "control top" meant it was very tight around the stomach. Does it also affect the shape further down?

You might also trying one size larger than what you were wearing.

I bought 4X, which is supposedly for up to 6' (185 cm) and up to 300 lbs (130 kg). 5X only goes up to 5' 9" (175 cm); you have to go up to 8X (around 500 lbs) to get something taller.

Hosiery sizing tends not to uniformly increase in size as you go up in size number. And I've already discovered that their customer service people don't know anything about the products.

[crfriend]

But I thought that "control top" meant it was very tight around the stomach. Does it also affect the shape further down?

It seems to affect everything from the waistband down to the interface with the legs. At least that's the way I've seen the design executed.

An interesting side-efffect of wearing control-top garments is that I find I eat less because of the compression than I do when not wearing that style. This is not necessarily a good thing, however, as I'm already near the lower bounds of a healthy weight for my height.

Hosiery sizing tends not to uniformly increase in size as you go up in size number. And I've already discovered that their customer service people don't know anything about the products.

A couple of related problems are that many men are 6'+ and very few women are; compund that with the inherently different shapes, one winds up in a morass fairly quickly. I've found that one can extrapolate beyond the edge of the size charts with some accuracy if one doesn't try to take it too far; at 6'4" I'm at the extreme edge of where extrapolation is possible, much less reliable. With luck, once manufacturers get it through their noggins that men are buying their products they'll (1) widen the scope of the size charts and (2) start producing garments that are slightly longer for the taller frames of men.

[Inertia]

Just to let you know, these sorts of difficulties aren't just for men! I am not so large: 5'1", 135 pounds. Yet I find that in many cases, tights supposedly made for my height and weight are actually made for skinny 14-year-old boys who don't have thighs or a behind. I usually buy one size larger than I'm supposed to fit, in order to get a comfortable product; but beware any tights bearing the Wonderbra label: the largest size available still expects me to have incredibly skinny legs, and the crotch was down halfway to my knees. How you chaps manage to find tights and hose that actually fits you is beyond me -- but more power to you! It's no wonder I prefer stockings and garter, in warmer weather.

Cheers,

Jill

[rick401r]

I buy "queen" size tights even though I only weigh 185lb. That's the only way I can get them long enough (I'm 6' 2") and loose enough at the waist so they won't bind.