A Grizzly goes to London

Robin Maryland, president, ActSensuous

Readers of this blog have come to know and appreciate my column, Credit ‘wear’ Credit is Due, in which I heap loads of praise on some worthy celebrities for their devotion to wearing pantyhose.

And we’ve had some great ones, haven’t we?  Ann Curry, Fran Drescher, The T-Mobile Girl (Carly Foulkes), Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Kate Middleton, and Carrie Ann Inaba (for doing a complete 180 and finally wearing pantyhose on every episode of the game show “1 vs. 100,” which she hosted recently.)

Minus that headline, I’ve also glorified some other devoted pantyhose wearers, such as Anne Hathaway, Julianna Margulies, Milla Jovovich, Meredith Vieira, Katy Perry, Parker Posey, Linda Fiorentino, Kim Basinger, Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock.  And there are many, many more who deserve such recognition.

Then, a couple of months ago, I introduced a whole different column.  This one shines the spotlight on those celebs who completely miss the boat, just don’t get it, lack the finest sense of true femininity, and always miss opportunites to show some real professionalism, elegance or class.

So, for only the second time, I am handing out the coveted (NOT) ActSensuous Grizzly Award.

And this time, the hardware goes to one Stacy London.

Fashion consultant Stacy London always wears beautiful dresses and high heels, but unfortunately, she's a devoted and vocal follower of the "bear" legs culture.

That’s right, the co-host of  TV’s “What Not to Wear,” a reality makeover show, in which London and her wonder boy sidekick, Clinton Kelly, use their superior brains and good taste (yes, I’m being sarcastic here) to completely trash the wardrobe of their guests and reinvent them in their own fashionwise images.

And, as many normal people have written in comments to online postings by or about these two “fashion experts,” they often do it in a completely arrogant and insulting manner.

A perfect "Beauty and the Beast" scenario as the professional and classy Meredith Vieira, left, who always wears pantyhose, interviews fashion expert Stacy London, who never wears pantyhose. Does London not see how much better Vieira's legs look than hers?

As readers of this blog know, I despise so-called “fashion experts” who make universal rules and tell everyone what they can and cannot wear, as if their likes or dislikes about fashion trends are somehow more appropriate and obviously more sound than what anyone else on the planet thinks.  It’s “fashion experts” like these two who’ve come up with the “rule” that one can never wear pantyhose with open-toe high heel dress shoes — a rule that, incidentally, is almost never followed by anyone with half a brain, and one that is standing up less and less to scrutiny everywhere.

So Stacy London, possibly the queen of all “fashion experts,” gets the second Grizzly Award (after Sarah Jessica Parker for obvious reasons)?  But it’s not just because she’s a “fashion expert.”  Rather, it’s because she’s on record as stating that she likes bare legs for all seasons.  That, and she’s using her credentials and influence to further her own agenda — a personal dislike and distaste for pantyhose as a fashion accessory.

Here’s are a couple of excerpts from a 2008 segment of TODAY.com where London is a style contributor, answering readers’ questions about fashion:

Q: I was watching “What Not to Wear” when you appeared horrified by the idea of wearing hose. I know it’s not really the style now to wear nylons, but I have terrible spider veins on my white legs. What do I do now that skirts are knee-length and those veins are so obvious? Any advice?

A: First of all, the only hose I really hate are the semi-sheer ones in suntan or black. They look dated and remind me of a time when women would walk to work in their suits, those hose, white sweat socks and white leather aerobic sneakers. Blech. Might as well throw in a whole can of hairspray, too. Too ’80s!  Stay away from anything that has a mid-range denier number that indicates the sheerness of the hose (10 is very sheer, 30 is semi-sheer and 50 is opaque).

I recommend a good self-tanner for the pale-leg situation, but also realize that won’t help with spider veins. Look for opaque tights and try them in a subtle color, like a burgundy or deep purple, when wearing a neutral-color knee-length skirt or suit. They will hide your legs and add a visual punch to your outfits!

Q: You indicated that pantyhose were no longer proper attire. You stated that in summer, go with bare legs and in winter, wear tights.  I enjoy wearing pantyhose and want to know if I am old-fashioned if I wear them?

A:  I did not mean to indicate in my last segment that pantyhose are no longer appropriate attire. My feeling is that those that are considered day sheer or mid-denier don’t look modern, but a bit dated.  The denier number on hose shows you how sheer the stocking will be. The lower the number, the more sheer they are.

For example, a denier of 10 will be supersheer. These are great for evening, especially with a little shine or a back seam, as they look natural and simply enhance the legs for evening. A denier of 30, is what I have most trouble with; it’s neither here nor there. It’s not sheer. It’s not opaque. You know? It’s like a relationship: Either you’re in or you’re out. This wishy-washy sheerness dates an outfit to the ’70s or ’80s, when this style was most popular. But when you get to a denier of 50 or above, and the stocking is clearly opaque, I think this becomes a more modern and relevant look. A shiny tight like this can be used for day or evening.

OK, first, the country’s leading fashion expert comes out and blatantly tells women to go with bare legs in the summer?  She also tells women to use self-tanner for pale legs?  Seriously?  Second, she recommends opague tights in a subtle color, “like burgundy or deep purple?”  (Those colors are subtle?)

Stacy London actually wore this outfit during the Keep A Child Alive's 5th annual Black Ball Nov. 13, 2008 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, NY.

Hey, look, I respect others’ opinions, and the fact that London is considered a fashion expert, if that’s her best advice about leg coverings, then too bad for her and anyone who listens to her.  While I completely disagree with London about everything she says about pantyhose, I’ve got no problem with her actually saying it.  She’s entitled to say what she wants.  Where I have a problem with her is on her point about denier ratings.

She specifically says that it’s pantyhose with a denier rating of 30 that she finds objectionable.  She even cautions “If they come in an egg, you don’t want to wear them,” referring to the L’Eggs brand (owned by Hanes) of the 1970s and 80s.   But she’s wrong.  L’Eggs and their competitors (the most widely-known one being No Nonsense) made their pantyhose in a 20 denier rating.

As she said, denier rating determines how sheer the nylon fabric is.  The lower the number, the more sheer the pantyhose.  When I created ActSensuous in 2001, I looked into the 10 denier rating she referred to, and yes, they are super sheer, but the fabric is coarse and not very natural looking.  They are not soft or silky at all, and while there may be a market for them, it’s not a very big one.  You almost never see anyone wearing pantyhose like these.  And, yes, denier ratings as high as 50 are available, but they are tights that are thick and, in my view, not suitable in some venues, such as a formal dinner engagement, nor for proper business attire.

No, my problem with London’s remarks are about the pantyhose of the 1970s and 80s being so awful.  I loved pantyhose in the 70s and 80s, and I’ve never known of a 30 denier rating.   But what do I know?  The pantyhose of those decades were made almost entirely of 100 percent nylon fabric in a 20 denier, which is exactly why I made ActSensuous in a 20 denier.  I think those are precisely the kind of pantyhose that true pantyhose lovers love.  Those are the style, the look and the feel that we all miss.  Maybe London meant to say a 20 denier rating is what is so awful.

By the way, ActSensuous has hundreds and hundreds of customers from all over the world, literally from Atlanta to Bangkok, from California to Denmark, from New York to New Zealand.  We’re big in England, France and Australia.  We have customers from China, Korea and Japan.  I don’t think there is a country in which we don’t have customers.  And they all tell us ActSensuous are the softest, sheerest and sexiest pantyhose they’ve worn.  But, really, what do we all know?  We’re not “fashion experts” like Stacy London and Boy Wonder.

In doing the research for this post, I ran across this forum on the Internet:

http://askville.amazon.com/honest-opinion-Stacy-London-Clinton-Kelly-Wear-show/DiscussionBoard.do?requestId=8011723&page=1

To the question:  “What’s your honest opinion of Stacy London and Clinton Kelly of What Not to Wear?  Do you like this Show …?,  most answers were negative, but even some of the supportive ones came out against their obvious negative slant against pantyhose.

I particularly love this response:

LindsaySheers said:

… Why is (Clinton Kelly) telling me what all men find sexually alluring on women?

A lot of gay men know a lot about fashion, but to get such advice on that subject, I would like a 2nd & 3rd & straight opinion.

… These two complete followers of Brittany and Sarah Jessica Parker have agreed that they do not like pantyhose, (fine), however, they dictate to their audience and columns that, “No one likes them.” “Everyone looks bad in them.” Etc…

I think my legs are my best feature and every boyfriend I have ever had have all confessed to me, after that shyness period passed, that they were all ‘ga ga’ for me (girls in general) when wearing sheer silky pantyhose (hence my nickname, given to me by my current boyfriend sitting kind of to the side here & still a little shy) and tights, but mostly the sheer nude/tan/beige hues.

Lastly, the show was/is not only incorrect on so many levels, but caters to and from their mindset only. Falling into this show would have you most likely ending up as a follower. Be a trendsetter, not a follower. Be stylish. Be sexy. Be yourself. Not what they insist on.

Let me tell you something: this LindsaySheers gets it.  Good for her.

If ever a case could be made for wearing pantyhose, click on the image to see the expanded version. Stacy London looks very lovely in this photo, but wait until you get to see a closeup of those legs.

You know, I want to like Stacy London.

She’s a beautiful and charismatic woman, she’s very intelligent, and she has accomplished great things in her life.

Before co-hosting “What Not to Wear,” she started her career as an editor at Vogue magazine, then, became a stylist for celebrities and designers, then, a fashion contributor on many Today show formats.

She is or has been a spokeswoman for several brands, including Revlon, Pantene, Woolite and Dr. Scholl’s^® For Her Comfort Insoles.

Along with Kelly, she’s written a book, “Dress Your Best: The Complete Guide to Finding the Style That’s Right for Your Body.” 

I actually felt a little bad when I named Sarah Jessica Parker the first recipient of the ActSensuous Grizzly Awards because, when researching her for the piece, I actually found several pictures of her wearing pantyhose.   That’s right, the one celeb universally “credited” with creating the bare legs culture with her “Sex and the City” TV series and movies, actually wears pantyhose fairly regularly.   It was more symbolic that SJP had to get the first Grizzly Award.

But I don’t have any reluctance about bestowing upon Stacy London the second Grizzly Award.  I can’t find a single photo of her wearing pantyhose.  Granted, some of the pics of her on the Internet are of low resolution and too small a file to really be able to tell if she’s wearing or not.  But based on everything London says and stands for, I am pretty sure she is not wearing pantyhose in any of the pics on the Internet.  Certainly, she comes across as if she hates pantyhose, thinks they are old-fashioned and irrelevant today.

The dynamic duo, Clinton Kelly and Stacy London of TV's "What Not to Wear."

I liked “What Not to Wear” when it debuted in 2002.

I watched quite a few episodes and I remember longing to see London wearing pantyhose with those beautiful dresses and high heels she always wore.  But it never happened.

I thought that was such a missed opportunity on her part — a chance for her to show professionalism, class and elegance in the role she held.  But, to her, it wasn’t a missed opportunity at all.

This lady just doesn’t believe in pantyhose … period.

Like LindsaySheers, I too was upset and offended when I saw a video of London and Boy Wonder “explaining how to wear pantyhose,” especially when they admitted the video was made only because they were getting so many inquiries from consumers about why they never talked about pantyhose.   Then, when they said that nobody looks good in suntan pantyhose and no one should ever wear them, I realized that there is probably no one more deserving of the second ActSensuous Grizzly Award than Stacy London.

Here’s that video:

http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/what-not-to-wear-how-to-wear-pantyhose.html

So, what do you think?   Could there be a more worthy recipient of the ActSensuous Grizzly Awards than Stacy London?

Seriously, why not Pantyhose and open-toe high heels?

Robin Maryland, president, ActSensuous

     Since I started my blog in May 2009, I’ve written 30 posts.  I am really proud of a few of them: “Why Bears don’t wear Pantyhose,” “A good time to be Asian,” “Even Aliens wear Pantyhose.” 

     But the post that has been, by a wide margin, the most read, and seemingly, the most appreciated, is the one I wrote in January of this year, “Why not Pantyhose with open-toe high heels?”  So, as 2010 comes to a close, and I want to finish as strongly as I began this year, I feel compelled to give you what you obviously want. 

     Now, please don’t think that I couldn’t come up with something fresh and so decided to reheat this one.  OK, that’s actually pretty much the case, but seriously, during this entire year, I’ve been struck with what the stats show – that, when I have, for example, 200 visits in a day, 120 people read “Why not Pantyhose with open-toe high heels?”  

     Similarly, more readers have participated in the poll attached to that post than any of the others.  And the results?  As of this writing, of the 109 votes cast, 106 (97 percent) were for “Absolutely! Yes, please!” (to wearing pantyhose with open-toe high heels); only three were for “No way! No how! Never!” (3 percent); and zero for “Who cares?” 

     Because this post, and the ongoing debate over the subject, struck such a nerve with you, I decided to dig a bit further into the matter.  In January, my post began this way:

     Lately, I’ve read several posts on various blogs in which girls are asking for advice about what to wear to a special event.  Often – and I love this – they are open to wearing pantyhose but for the fact that they want to wear some sexy open-toe high heels and believe one is not supposed to wear pantyhose with such shoes.   Who made that rule?

      Today, my question is:  Who made these people “fashion experts?”

     This time, instead of stating my views, I went the scientific route and visited some websites of fashion magazines.  Like everything else on the Internet, you can find tons more information than you’re looking for, so if you want to see some of what I saw, you can write this in your Google search engine: top fashion experts on pantyhose and open-toe shoes

     In the interest of keeping the length of this post reasonable, I’ve selected for your viewing pleasure just three excerpts of advice/opinions about the topic from “fashion experts.’’ 

     Here’s the question posed to the experts: “Should you wear stockings with open-toe shoes?”

(Stockings?  Who wears stockings today?  I’m already offended.  Why couldn’t they just write pantyhose?)

     Below, you’ll see a direct quote from some of what these people wrote, a blurb about who they are and their qualifications, as well as mug shots where available, and my polite response to their idiotic statements.

• “I view it as one of the worst fashion offenses a woman can commit…   “When I see a woman wearing stockings with open-toed shoes, my first thought is that she must have some kind of nasty toenail fungus or calves covered with varicose veins.  Wearing stockings when it is not appropriate to wear stockings always makes it look as though you have some dirty little secret to hide. So if you must wear stockings, wear them with sensible shoes.  And if you must wear open-toed shoes, make sure that your toes are showing.  After all, that is the whole point of open-toed shoes in the first place.” 

Marlin Bressi

(Marlin Bressi:  An award-winning hairstylist and beauty expert whose work has appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers on several websites, such as Suite101.com, where he was Beauty Editor for two years.) 

     Hey, Marlin, it could be that the reason you used to be the beauty editor for two years is that someone finally discovered that you have no sense of fashion.  “If you must wear open-toed shoes, make sure that your toes are showing…”  Uh, two things for you, dude:  1.) Toes most certainly will be showing in open-toe shoes; 2.) Toes do show through pantyhose.  Nylon is sheer.  That means they’re see-through.  Go back to strumming your guitar and smoking dope, dope.   By the way, nice outfit.

• “Breathless with anticipation and wondering if you can wear pantyhose with bare toes? Relax, take a breath. The answer is no. Pantyhose and bare toes are not complimentary.” 

Anne Warchol

(Anne Warchol: A retired mother of three married children. People think I’m in my 30s, and I never tell them I’m 50.) 

     I got news for you, Anne.  It aint just that people think you’re in your 30s.  They also think you’re a moron.   “…wondering if you can wear pantyhose with bare toes?”  Seriously?  You can’t even pose the question properly.  Of course one can wear pantyhose with bare toes.  What – you think pantyhose are usually worn over socks?  “Pantyhose and bare toes are not complimentary.”  Huh?  Anne, you’re not only not qualified to weigh in on the topic at hand, you’re not qualified to leave your house.  And get a hairdo. 

• “Tights and stockings should not be paired together.  No way.  No how…”

 (Chelia Copeland:  Highly motivated, creative and versatile journalist with a graduate degree in journalism.  Over five years of writing/editing experience at a variety of newspapers, magazines, web sites, publishing companies and organizations.  No photo available.)

     Chelia, you’re a journalist with a graduate degree in journalism?  You’ve been a professional writer and an editor?  Well, so have I, and when I see two mistakes in one paragraph, I stop reading.  First, the issue is whether one should wear stockings with open-toe shoes, yet, your opening statement is “Tights and stockings should not be paired together.”  Huh?  Then, you write that you have “over” five years of writing/editing experience …”  Didn’t you learn in journalism school that the word “over” refers to a position in space, such as over the hill, or over the rainbow?  You should have written that you have “more than” five years of writing/editing experience … 

     Whenever professional writers get the little details wrong, they lose credibility in my book.  You lost me after your first paragraph, and I stopped reading.  So, while I don’t know why you are arguing against wearing hose with open-toe shoes, I really just don’t care what you have to say.  You have no credibility with me because, if you’re this sloppy in your own profession, you’re not qualified to comment on what is or isn’t fashionable. 

     There, see how delicately I handled these so-called experts?   Sorry, but I have little patience with stupid people – especially those who tout themselves as experts and then have the nerve to publish their views, despite the fact that they can’t construct a simple sentence.   I mean one knucklehead wrote that wearing pantyhose with open-toe shoes is ugly because the “seem” shows.  I guess he means the “seam.”  

      I wonder if any of these people have seen a woman wearing sheer pantyhose lately?  In many cases, unless you get probably way too close and/or stare with great intensity, you can hardly tell if she’s wearing pantyhose or not.  And today, even the seams are delicate and sheer.  And what if they do show?  I think it’s sexy. 

     Seriously, who made these people “fashion experts?” 

     As long as barely-educated windbags have a forum to express themselves, unfortunately, some women will be influenced by their stupid opinions.  I should point out that, thankfully, there are several writers taking the exact opposite position, so perhaps it all balances out.

      One positive about this raging debate is that there is one.  I mean as long as so many women are asking, and so many “experts” are answering, at least it’s a good sign for pantyhose lovers that so many people care.  Unfortunately, I believe the prevailing thought is this:  

     “The universal no-no is to never wear sheer nude hosiery with open toe shoes or strappy sandals — it just looks tacky.” 

      So states fashion expert Sharon Haver of www.focusonstyle.com

     I disagree with her.   Fortunately, so do many women who most influence fashion – actresses from throughout the world.   Check out the celebrities below.   Who’s going to tell them they are committing a fashion no-no?

Happy New Year, everyone!

Robin Maryland, president, ActSensuous

Marlin Bressi

Anne Warchol

Lucy Liu

Milla Jovovich

Milla Jovovich

Anne Hathaway

Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba

Shu Qi

Karen Mok

Karen Mok

Gong Li

Gong Li

Maggie Cheung

Katie Holmes

ZiYi Zhang

ZiYi Zhang

Why not pantyhose with open-toe high heels II?

Update:  As of May 15, 2010, 74 of you had voted on the poll attached to the original post I wrote on this subject in January.  Of those, 72 (97 percent) chose the answer, “Absolutely! Yes, please.”   So only 2 of the 74 cast a “No” vote.   That begs the question:  What monkey came up with the rule that one should NEVER wear pantyhose with open-toe high heels?

I like it when you agree with me.   Good job with that.

Perfect

Thank you to those who wrote comments about my January post, “Why not pantyhose with open-toe high heels?”

I try to be relevant, if not compelling, in this blog — hoping to get more of you involved in it.   I really thought more of you would weigh in about pantyhose with dress sandals because my research showed that so many women absolutely believe this is a fashion no-no. 

Well, of the whole six (yeah, six) comments I got about my post in January that it’s not only OK, but really sexy, to wear pantyhose with open-toe high heels, all of them were positive.  Men and women agreed.

But while I wrote in the first sentence of this post that I like when you agree with me, seriously, it’s OK if you have a different opinion.  The content in this blog is open to debate.

I would just like to know why so many women believe it is wrong to wear pantyhose with open-toe dress shoes.  I think women everywhere believe they should never do this, but I’ve never heard anyone explain why?

Just look at the attached photo (you can expand it by clicking on it).  I dare anyone to say that pantyhose should not be worn with open-toe high heels.

And for those who say that it is unsightly for the (delicate little) seam across the toes to show, I say that that is actually kinda sexy.

Let the debate continue!

Why not pantyhose and open-toe high heels?

Lately, I’ve read several posts on various blogs in which girls are asking for advice about what to wear to a special event.  Often – and I love this – they are open to wearing pantyhose but for the fact that they want to wear some sexy open-toe high heels and believe one is not supposed to wear pantyhose with such shoes.  

Who made that rule? 

While pantyhose of the 1960s predominantly were made with a reinforced heel and toe, beginning in the early 1970s, pantyhose evolved to sheer heels and toes, specificially for wear with dress sandals. 

In fact, some pantyhose are so sheer, it can be difficult to tell whether a woman is wearing them with open-toe high heels or not.  And on a TV show or a movie, without a closeup, it’s practically impossible to tell.  

I say it can be beautiful and extremely sexy to wear sheer pantyhose with open-toe high heels.  Pantyhose can make nice legs lethal weapons.  Likewise, they can make nice feet incredibly gorgeous and erotic.   Remember, that’s the whole idea behind pantyhose – they enhance a woman’s natural beauty.  Most guys get that.  Funny how so many girls don’t seem to.    

Always known for wearing exotic outfits on stage, singer Cher, shows her lovely toes in Suntan pantyhose and high heel sandals.

To support my case, I’ve attached this photo for your viewing pleasure. Now, you tell me ….. pantyhose, or no pantyhose, with open toe high heels? 

Want more?  See the gallery I’ve put together for you of a few notable celebrities wearing pantyhose with dress sandals.  (Scroll down below the poll.)

I rest my case. 

Happy New Year, everyone. 

Robin Maryland 

 

Here’s a gallery of celebrities (what do they know?), who must not have gotten that memo about not wearing pantyhose with open-toe high heels.  Enjoy! 

Always known for wearing exotic outfits on stage, singer Cher, shows her lovely toes in Suntan pantyhose and high heel sandals.

Nice

Always classy

Still got it

Yes!

Perfect 10!

Just adorable

She’s awesome

Incredible

She’s amazing

Absolutely stunning

Too cool

Love her no matter what

Not enough credit

So sexy

Good friend

Got the look

WOW!

Always classy