In the know 'Would you wear no tights in a corporate environment to work'

01:08:00



Would you wear no tights in a corporate environment to work or 

wear nude tights or opaque with a dress and heels ?




I think I would not go bare as you would need to have brown legs and it feels not right your advice ladies.

On rare days when it's genuinely warm I go bare legged (though never wear anything above the knee). My legs are milkbottle white and I don't care.

You don't need to have brown legs, white ones will do - but hairless, blotch-free and no varicose veins on show. That's my opinion anyway.

I'd wear tights unless it was the height of summer and warm, but then that's because I'm cold most of the time.

Bare legs for work always looks slack to me, sorry.

If I had great legs and it was hot. 

Sadly, I don't have great legs.

Only when my tights laddered at work and I had no spare pair.

Bare legs. Comfort comes first and tights are sweaty in summer

In summer I wear smart dresses with bare legs and smart peep toes. I think it looks ok. I can't wear open toed shoes with tights I'm afraid, it just feels wrong. J think it depends how relaxed your office is. I don't wear suits to work.

I have now started wearing opaques though.

Gorgeous marks tights, called bare legs natural tan. I would wear them. Unless I had just returned from holiday and had a nice natural tan.

Agree with previous poster that legs MUST be hair free, blotch fee and well moisturised if you are going without. I would slap on moisturising oil on mine as added a nice light sheen if you have a tan.

If I wore a dress for work I'd never have bare legs - and I work in a very casual environment.

Stockings surely?! What would Mr Grey think of you?

My skirts come down to my ankles so tights don't seem necessary. If I wore shorter skirts I probably would wear nude tights at least.

Bare legs are vair unprofessional and slatternly

Even if you have the best, brown most gorgeous legs bare legs - not acceptable

I don't always wear tights for work in summer. I don't have blotch free legs.

Do I live in a different Universe from everyone else?

It seems most of you would wear stockings or tights?I have to admit I would not go bare legged no matter how good my legs were, but thats just my personal preference.

When do you wear Opaque then?

Depends on the length of the dress too. If it is mid calf or ankle length then no need for tights. If it is shorter, then tights or tanned legs. Milk bottle white legs do not look great.

OP did you get lost on the way to 'style and beauty'?

I suppose it would depend on the work environment and the individual person. I probably wouldn't but never say never.

<helpful>

I can never get tights to match my skin tone so I will sometimes go without tights to the office, rather than suffer weird-coloured legs. (Although i usually wear suits) My legs are fairly nice and I've naturally swarthy skin, don't know if that makes much of a difference tbh

Eh?! Bare legs are unprofessional?! Ahead of 10 days of hell, thank you for reminding me that working in media is fecking great.

The reason its in aibu as I forgot to mention I went to a interview once in a suit, with no tights.

I got the job that was advised by my new boss it was very unprofessional to go bare legged and frowned upon.



I don't know what I'd do, but what I'd like to know is, how can other people tell? Or is it just how you feel?

When I'm wearing nude tights you can't see I've got them on, that's why they're called nude.

Sorry should of gone to style and beauty but knew I would get a quick response here as Im starting my new job tomorrow.

I work for a Govt department. 

Sometimes I wear tights, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I don't even bother shaving my (pasty-white) legs.

Guess what? Nobody gives a shiny shit!

Bare legs are not permitted in the Royal Enclosure at Ascot

Although, you know, massive hats are not encouraged in the office so not a direct comparison

Nicely put catgirl.

I think we should bring in a fashion for ridiculous hats at work, it'd brighten up my day no end.

Starting a new job I would definitely not go bare-legged. You need to suss out what is the done thing before going bare-legged. Good luck on your first day!

Doesn't it depend on the feel of the workplace? I work - recently acquired job in a very professional workplace, and see lots of different outfits, all smart, and individual but range from bare legs, to opaque tights to footless leggings. And everyone looks great. Did 'wear' bare legs myself for a while, but agree they have to be hairless, moisturised, and I personally slap on a coat of instant tan to take off the glare if not just back from hols.

However, can't wait for the weather to change now so opaques and shoes/boots are the norm!

I like your thinking LRD

I never wear tights in the summer, and I work in a fairly formal environment. I'm just about ready to dig the tights out again and feel quite sad about it. Feels like the end of summer.

Ninth wave, I think you will find that some people do give a shiny shit.

Doesn't mean you should stop doing what your doing, but be realistic... We live in a country where bare hairy legs are not exactly welcomed. Likely that some people will notice, and may have even commented amongst themselves.

Only if I had lovely tanned fit legs ala Kate Middleton. But I don't and so I wouldn't inflict my milkbottles on anyone so tights it is.

Thanks Sleeze im nervous but at least I wont go bare-legged.

I will wear nude or opaque so I will go with that.

I've never thought bare legs were too informal!

I only wear tights in the winter!

No, I don't go bare legged to work, prefer nude tights in summer and opaque in winter. Only on those three days a year when it's genuinely scorching and all normal rules are gone would I go without, and then it's in favour of linen trousers and sandals.

What do you do about shoes if sometimes you wear tights, sometimes not?

I work in a formal corporate environment (suits) and I would always wear tights. Anything else doesn't look finished / polished.

I never did tights. Admittedly I had better legs then, but you wouldn't get me in tights even now my legs aren't as nice. I would either go milk bottle white legs on show, veins and all, or wear trousers.

bbface I'm sure they also comment about my two-tone hair and weird vintage clothes. Not remotely bothered

I go bare legged. It has never crossed my mind that anyone would comment. It's a professional environment. In fact I was just thinking tonight that I can perhaps go another week like that before digging out the tights. 

Good luck tomorrow.

people may notice and may have even commented amongst themselves

Heaven forbid!

I never go bare legged to work. Tights or stockings always.

M and S nude tights, cooling sheer, 7 denier. Problem solved.

Now this is something I have never considered. I'm going into a profession where, from what I have seen so far, the colour of our tights is dictated. Nice and lovely grey.

Thanks Autumnalis,I never guessed I would create this much interest in asking if you would go bare-legged.

I don't even own any tights!
Horrid, nasty scritchy things.
Long skirts, or leggings and short skirts, or stripey/woolly extra long socks in the winter.

People care about this stuff?
<fails again at being female>
<wanders off to make tea and eat jammie dodgers>
Meh.

I would have thought you would need to wear tights with skirt suits in a formal business environment. I don't think you would look properly dressed without them. If you are wearing a trouser suit you could probably get away with wearing bare legs and shoes or smart sandals.
If it's a "smart casual" type of office then bare legs would be acceptable. 
The thing is to look at what other people are wearing. If in doubt err on the formal side, you can always relax a bit later if you are the only one in a starched suit and everyone else is wearing jeans!

I wear trousers to work and have done for years. Avoids the problem of tights/bare legs - and also showing off ankles/feet: boots all the way.

Only if you've got great legs. I have, so I do

If it is very hot I won't wear tights. I work in a ver formal workplace and don't have amazing legs (although I always shave them but don't moisturise ever often). If people really care more about my legs than the job I do then they can hire a model instead.

I go without tights because I have very sensitive skin so rights plus heat five me horrible rashes. Professional environment, no comments. If your boss to be has said that it isn'r acceptable then it doesn't matter whether Yabu. You wear tights.

A lady always wears tights. I have lovely peep toe from M&S for the summer.

That must make 'intimate congress' tricky, lonecat.

where have some of you worked not heard of having to wear tights for years thankfully

yes i often did and still do went go tightless and went to conferences/meetings too without wearing tights very professional enviroment. only place i have ever known you had to wear tights was working on a shop floor. and probably working in courts too

but only if the outfit looked right i woudl go without tights and in summer adn my legs are always naturally tanned

I am glad I am not a "lady" and that the IT geek types I work with judge me on the work I do and not what I happen to be wearing.

I work at the worlds number one law firm (so extremely corporate) and loads of girls go bare legged. Don't see an issue with it at all.

Sorry, no tights looks unprofessional, no matter how well-groomed or tanned the legs are. What would you think if your male colleagues wore no socks under their suits?

Would not even dream of not wearing tights. Work in a relatively senior position in a professional firm. Cannot even imagine coming to a client meeting with bare legs.

I work in a formal environment and would never go to work bare-legged. It just isn't the "done thing" - where I work anyway.

On the extremely rare days where it's really too warm for tights I would tend to wear trousers. 

It's the same with all the women who work in my workplace. 

To be honest, I don't think it looks "right" to wear a business suit or tailored clothing without tights.

How would you notice sui, though?

Unless they habitually take their socks up and bang their feet on the conference room table, I can't imagine bothering to stare at someone's feet that much. 

I think I am unusually un-pervy over my colleagues' legs!

how could i wear my lovely open toe shoes if i was wearing tights unless fishnet tights of course

i am really surprised so many still wear tights in summer

I am very pleased to be reunited with black opaques again

the only perk to the end of summer

My dad thinks short sleeved shirts are fine for work.

My DH thinks not, must be long sleeved.

I am 1000% sure that neither's viewpoint would vary depending on whether or not the wearer had tanned, blotch-free forearms.

hold ups

summer issues solved

open toe shoes ...

I always wear tights in the summer. The office is air conditioned, so it's always cool.

FGS, an aside - but you can get open toed tights, like fingerless gloves.

Bare legs for work is always wrong. Nude, non-shimmer tights.

Open toed shoes are also a no no.
22:03:37

yes i know

but i didn't think anyone under 60 wears them

Bare legs until it gets cold, then opaques. People at work often comment that I dress very formally by the standards of our industry because I rarely wear jeans to work, and never Tshirts with logos on or flip flops, floral dresses etc. If I came in in courts and tights on a hot day everyone would piss themselves laughing, point it out to anyone who stopped by our workspace, and I'd lose all authority due to the general hilarity. 'Look at becstar, she's been watching Mad Men again!' I work in media in London.

It's been so cold in scotland over summer my blaque opaques were worn alot then as well.

<thankful for lack of work dress code>

Ah, see, maybe I don't give a shit - if people judged me on the fact that my legs were bare rather than on the quality of my work, then that is their unprofessionalism showing.

I've never been one to care about what people think about me aesthetically though!

I work in a relatively formal, but not full on ironed-cotton-shirt-and-skirt-suit for women environment. I reckon that bare legged is fine with an A-line, below the knee dress in proper summer, but is never ok with a pencil skirt or skirt suit.

I'm sure the OP sunkissedlegs is having a BALL reading all these discussions on tights and legs.


First post surely?

WHHAAAAATTT????????

Bloody hell. 
I haven't owned a pair of tights for years
Dreadful things 
Admittedly I usually wear trousers, but who'd have guessed they could cause this much controversy!!


Can I join in this informative discussion on leg-wear? Since there seems to be...you know...some people here who have a thing about it all?

I'm so glad I'm self employed now. 

I used to hate wearing a suit and tights.

I wear tights (black opaques or fishnets depending on footwear) because I can't be arsed to shave my legs, & also my legs are currently white, veiny, & fleabitten. Yum!

Never occurs to me that anyone other than me ought to notice my legwear or care about it though. I'd think they were mildly weird if they did, but that'll definitely be me failing at being female. Again. I'm crap at it.

Can't bear nude tights. I just think 80s & not in a good way/ice skater/Hooters. But that just stops me buying them, not noticing if other people wear them...

I'm not very confident about my legs so I'd always wear tights. Probably not nude ones because I think they look weird (I'm naturally olive-toned and just find traditional nude tights look a bit pale on me). I have some opaque and sheer black tights that I'd wear.

It is too hot here, I never wear tights. I do have brown legs though. For starting a new job, I would go with the tights for the first day. Good luck!!

I only wear tights in the winter with closed shoes. Otherwise my feet SMELL and socks look weird with a skirt suit.

In warmer weather if I have sandals or open toed shoes on then I don't wear there.

I can't imagine anyone I work with gives the slightest damn about my legs. I know I don't pay attention to theirs.

Yes, always nude or black sheer tights unless it's the hottest day of the year and I'm wearing ankle length linen.

As a young un I was gently pulled up by a partner for wearing nude pop socks with black trousers and shoes -'should be black all the way down'.

It's a kind of stamina test in our office, who will give in and wear tights first!!!
No way are bare legs frowned upon or classed as unprofessional and we all take pride in our appearance.

Confused as to the point of wearing nude tights if nobody can tell you are wearing them why not save yourself the sweaty crotch and Go Bare?!

I'd wear tights always I think. The only time I might consider not doing so is if it was scorching and I had a long skirt on.

I work for a large City firm and part of our orientation on joining as trainees years ago was a day with some sort of image consultant who told us how it was and was not acceptable to dress for work. What she said was what I thought anyway, but I was surprised that some people were surprised. E.g. Bare legs are not acceptable; shoes should be polished, no peeptoes, no slingbacks; skirts should be no shorter than knee length; if you are a man, brown shoes with a suit are a no; the more flesh you have on show, the less seriously you will be taken; and (my favourite) "dress for the job you want, not the job you have".

Trainees today still get this training. Nevertheless I have been amazed sometimes to see what trainees and interns will turn up in. Some memorable ones include: a crop top under a suit; a visible tramp stamp and thong (with trousers); a floaty blouse through which black lacy bra was fully visible (no camisole).

None of these people got full time jobs.

I have on occasion gone bare-legged in court when it has been very hot. But then again I was heavily pregnant at the time and also wearing no jacket, flipflops and a "Yes? Do you have a problem with this?" expression that no-one seemed inclined to take issue with.....

Disclaimer: it was the magistrates' court, not the Crown Court which would probably be a step too far, even at 8 1/2 months pregnant!

I don't go bare-legged in court, but others do without any obvious repercussions. I think fishnets/patterned tights look more unprofessional than well-maintained, smooth legs on a hot day.

Only in the height of summer with something knee length or longer. And I'd make sure they were hair free and moisturised!

Worked for many years in a professioanl office and no tights in summer is fine as are smart sandals with a heel. Conversely none of us would have worn trousers unless we wanted to be mistaken for support staff.

When I started work as a graduate trainee (90s) there were all sorts of spoken and unspoken rules about what did and didn't look professional. I thought they were oppresive and sexist - wearing trousers on a cold winters day was seen as a no no as would have being bare legged on a boiling hot day. The marvellous thing about more women being in leadership positions is that the tone has softened and more feminine rather than what men think is appropriate. So on hot summer days, I wear a shift dress, sling back courts with heels and <gasp> no tights. There is another woman who does that though, but doesn't shave her legs!

I work in a corporate environment but it's not super formal as my role isn't customer facing. Bare legs are ok but I tend to wear flesh coloured fishnets in summer (you can get them from Accessorize). They are cooler than tights and look perfectly fine with a suit or dress.

I've been acting suspiciously and staring at random women's legs in order to do a straw poll. Of my sample of skirt-suited women on a warm but not hot day in EC2, there was a roughly even 3 way split between black opaques, nude sheer and bare legs. And some truly shocking fake tans .

Dylis

I've been the same all day. Every single working person I have seen today (apart from me defiantly wearing a tan coloured skirt with bare legs), has been wearing trousers! 

The absolute worse thing is that looking at everyone in trousers made me feel cold, and I had to nip to Waitrose and buy a pair of tights. Mumsnet strikes again.

I go bare-legged all summer - I make sure my legs are smooth and I moisturise them but quite happy to go without tights.


wear nude tights or opaque with a dress and heels.

I think I would not go bare as you would need to have brown legs and it feels not right your advice ladies.

I work in a corporate environment. I wear tigths when it's cool/cold outside, on a hot day my pasty white legs which are full of toddler-induced bruises are bare. It has not hindered my career so far.

I've never understood how you apply fake tan in order to stop it looking all raggedly and crap round the ankle line, and I can now announce that no other woman in Central London knows how to do it either.

Ok so I went to work with opaque tights, looked around and only saw a few women with no tights but they were in back office.

One lady was wearing no tights but management made no comment,she was hairless,sunkissed brwon legs and looks like a model.

I am sticking with tights, I have olive skin and my legs could light up a office and thats not a good look, and don't get me started on fake tan, maybe thats another thread.

Sorry spelling mistake there, I meant brown legs.

This is not my first thread ,I'm very surprised at the response's I have had, and thank you all for your input whether you wear tights,go bare-legged ,or wear opaque tights or fake it.

Glad you had a good day!

I'm disabled and physically can't manoeuvre myself into tights.
I would be beyond pissed off if I was told by someone at work that I had to wear tights to work there. And humiliated if I had to try to explain why I couldn't.
Fortunately, in my office, no one gives a rats ass what we wear.

Thanks DoctrineofSnatch I am so tired, and I have another three days yet.

Bloody ridiculous. As long as you are not flashing acres of inappropriate thigh and legs are well cared-for then what is the problem? Tights are horrible sweaty things. I'd rather wear leggings or footless tights and boots in the winter, at least I can have cotton socks on. In the summer it has to be sandals, but never with flaky feet or skanky chipped varnish. The key is to look as if you care enough about yourself to look after your body, but not to flash it about in a work environment. 
It's the same with cleavage. Mine is fabulous, but I won't be wearing a low-cut top to deal with my clients.

Good lord!
I never knew this rule! 
I dress formally for work and don't wear tights between April and the end of September (my own etiquette - although think it should be in debretts, personally ) All skirts hit the knee (middle bit).

Then again, I do have quite nice legs that are quite swarthy also (one thing I wouldn't change about myself!). Always annoyed by Kate Middleton's granny shiny nude tights in the summer.

I still think it looks slack as I said up thread, particularly in a corporate environment. I do spend some time visiting organisations in the public sector and the standard of dress is very variable. I think a lot of Per Una is bought by women in local government admin jobs . Somebody is going to give me what for now.

If your legs are attractive to behold - hairless, spot and blotch free, no varicose veins or scars and no fat/cellulite - you can go barelegged to work.

winkle2: "I work at the worlds number one law firm (so extremely corporate) and loads of girls go bare legged."

I wonder what you consider the worlds number one law firm. I work/have worked in a number of law firms on both sides of the Atlantic who like to think of themselves as the 'worlds number one law firm'. I agree that loads of women go bare legged and it is not commented on.

I wear tights only because I prefer a polished look, but that is for myself.

I work at CC

Totally inappropriate in a corporate environment to go bare legged unless you are very young, gorgeous, tanned and waxed, and even then I would automatically presume you were the secretary not the boss.
In Paris, for sure, tights = the secretary, (beautiful) bare legs = the professional.

Personally, I don't like bare legs in a work environment. But sometimes tights just look too frumpy and hot.

Actually, I'm a fan of trousers in the work place. I always feel much less constricted and happier to dive about the place IYSWIM.

Yes, wordfactory - have had various [professional!] jobs where frequently crawling around under the desk (to fiddle with computer cables etc) comes with the territory. Trousers are so much more practical.

Trousers with high heeled sandals and a great pedicure are also parisienne professional workwear. Trousers with flats = secretary.

Bilbo trousers are much more practical for bombing around town, jumping in and out of taxis, running up stairs...

They're also much more adapatble than a dress of skirt. You could pop on some flats for a journey and then slip on some heels for a metting. The advocates room in every court is full of women swapping ballerinas for courts.

I think that in Paris, if a professional woman doesn't show a bit of glamorous flesh at work, she is communicating that she is insecure in her own attractiveness. And being secure in your own attractiveness is a key component of status in France. Hence high-status professional women must communicate that.

Interesting bonsoir.

Complete opposite here. Trying too hard to portray oneself as sexy or desirable is seen as somehting for the underlings.


In fact I am old enough to remember when women were finally allowed to wear trousers in court...and they did. Wholesale over night .

I had a meeting the other day with the CEO of an investment management firm. She has a Harvard MBA and has held senior jobs in finance companies for over 20 years. She is probably in her 50s, has very glam shoulder-length blonde hair and some serious jewellery. She also had bare legs. 

I think nude tights are the least chic thing you can wear. Horrid things.

Ah, but it is nothing to do with trying hard to project oneself as desirable, wordfactory. It is about being totally secure in your own attractiveness - they aren't trying hard! It is completely natural to them - the great security borne of years and years of making the best of yourself.

Oh come on Bonsoir you and I both know that the women in Paris are some of the most insecure on God's green earth.

They are uttterly conformist and keep the shrinks very busy .

Top professional women in Paris are absolutely not insecure, wordfactory. The ones who are insecure are the ones who don't tick all the boxes, of which there an awful lot. There are a lot of very attractive professional women here and they are very secure. Of course, they do not share Anglo-Saxon angst about leaving their four children with nannies for days at a time or letting them linger in low-quality schools, which helps them on their professional path!

I have no idea what you are going on about; i am a professional (in a male dominated industry-maybe that makes a difference); attractiveness/ ones awareness of ones own attractiveness/ security in just how attractive you are doesnt even figure

being good at your job and knowing what the hell you are talking about is what matters. Christ, I doubt people even notice what i have on my legs and feet

I worked as a nurse, and bare legs were not allowed in any of the trusts I worked for. It was black or tanned tights only.
I found it was actually cooler to wear the trousers and tunic in the summer than the tights and dress.



I once worked in a place where the manager (who was a twat anyway) issued a 'dress code' stating- "tights or preferably stockings are to be worn at all times. Bare legs only if tanned." 

I sent a copy to Unison. Needless to say it disappeared pretty quickly!

HAHAHA at preferably stockings! How did they think that one was going to fly?

He was such a preening dick. It was an e-mail as well, so he couldn't even deny he sent it.

He also had a standard 'no more then 3mm long' for facial hair (we used to call it the [surname] standard] which is hilarious and when we had corporate events we had to wear a sodding SASH! When I say we, I mean "the girls," the "men" got to wear what they wanted. 

It still makes me seethe now, and I've been gone a year!

And breathe...

That place truly was a nest of vipers, but they were all a bit thick.

Eh? So "designer stubble" ok, beard not ok?

Our office was so hot in the summer I had bare legs (no tan - sue me) and flip flops (nice ones!) and no one died or thought me unprofessional. 

I usually do wear tights, but in the heat a sweaty gusset is not pleasant.

Opaques in the winter
Nude tights in the spring/autumn
Bare legs when it is really, really hot (so about 2 weeks per year)

I work in a professional, fairly conservative environment (City law)

I'm a teacher, I would never go bare legged but alse never wear nude tights. I usually go for the most brightly coloured ones I can find. My faves atm are black opaque with silver sparkly stars all over them.

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