Wake Up and Wear the Pantyhose

Robin Maryland, president, ActSensuous

     Ladies, have you noticed that men have been telling us for some time now that they love women in pantyhose.  

     Men are talking about this subject on Internet chat rooms or blog threads.  They are subscribing to the hundreds and hundreds of Web sites out there whose content is dedicated to women in pantyhose.  They are looking at, posting and downloading pictures of women wearing pantyhose everywhere in the world.

      Call me crazy, ladies, but shouldn’t we be listening?  Shouldn’t we care about this a little more?  

     Throughout history, we’ve made every sacrifice out there to make ourselves more beautiful, more glamorous, more appealing. We wear high heels that one day will likely kill our feet forever.  We do spa treatments, obsess over hair and makeup, even undergo surgery if we think it’ll help our cause. 

     Yet, men aren’t asking us to do any of these things.  To men, none of these things make us sexier to them than our wearing pantyhose.  Men aren’t asking on a global scale that we wear shorter skirts or higher heels.  They simply, honestly and with compassion, are asking that we grace ourselves with the softest, silkiest, most decidedly feminine and beautiful thing we could ever wear. 

     Yet, women everywhere shun the wearing of this lovely, classy and glamorous accessory. In light of everything else we do to ourselves in the name of beauty and glamour, how did pantyhose become the enemy here?

     Here’s what I think:  Men ought to start fighting back!   That’s right –men should arbitrarily decide that they no longer are going to wear neckties, for example.  They should show up at the office in suits but no ties.  After all, ties are too hot, too tight, and too uncomfortable to wear.  And really, they’re sooooo yesterday. 

SPECIAL INSERT:  Guys, c’mon.  No comments from you about this?   I’m out here carrying the torch for your favorite fetish, beating up my fellow gal-pals over it, and giving you this brilliant suggestion about how to get back at women for not wearing pantyhose.    Yet, no comments?   I thought we were friends!   Where’s the love?

     Indeed, men ought to just unbutton their shirts to show off their gold chains instead?  We could call this new fashion trend the “bare necks movement.”  Or what if men wore designer suits but no socks?  The “bare ankles look.” 

     Really, men should show a lack of professionalism by dressing this way not only at the office, but on television shows, in movies and on the Red Carpet to collect their awards? 

     And how about on dates?  Men could certainly show their women how much they respect and appreciate them by choosing to look “so cultured” when being seen in public with them.  

     Think about it.  What if men arbitrarily decided that all of a sudden they just don’t need, or can’t be bothered with, dressing in good taste?

     Isn’t that exactly what most women are doing today?  And isn’t it getting a little old?

Credit ‘wear’ Credit is Due II — Going Ga-Ga over the Lady

Known for some outlandish costumes, Lady Gaga is a true pantyhose ambassador on and off the stage.

     After just my second ever blog post (June 2009), Calling out Professional Entertainers, in which I blamed Sarah Jessica Parker (yuk) for creating the “bare legs culture” with her TV series, “Sex and the City,” I’ve been dilligent in criticizing celebrities who buy into this awful trend.  

     Then, in August 2009, I wrote the post, Credit ‘wear’ Credit is Due, giving props to some special celebs who are classy and professional enough to wear pantyhose.  I praised the likes of Olivia Munn (co-host of Attack of the Show) and model/actress Milla Jovovich. 

     Obviously, there are many celebs who deserve such praise.  I particularly appreciate and like very much Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock and Linda Fiorentino.  And, even though I don’t see these two pantyhose goddesses much anymore, I’ll always love Kim Basinger and Geena Davis.  Then, there’s Parker Posey, once known as Miss Pantyhose.  These actors have the class and elegance to always wear pantyhose on the set.  I know you have your favorites, too.  (You gotta write in and tell us who.)

     But today’s post is devoted to one Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, also  known as Lady Gaga.   You know the story:  She has exploded on the dance music scene with four No. 1 hits off her debut album, “The Fame,” has won Best New Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards, has written songs for Britney Spears, the Pussycat Dolls and others, and has become one of Barbara Walters’ “10 Most Fascinating People of 2009.”  And she’s just 23 years old. 

      From what I’ve read and heard in interviews with her, Lady Gaga is more than just a flashy new entertainment phenom.  Already, she is a dance, music, entertainment, fashion icon.  She is wise beyond her years, probably an old soul in a young body.  

     You might not like her music, her dancing, her fashion designs, her lifestyle, or her outspoken ways, but you gotta admit she is a force, and a successful one at that.   I do like her sound, her look, and her style.  What I really like is her sense of values.  First, she is devoted to her mother, father and sister.  Second, she is committed to dressing up all the time, and she is a devoted wearer of pantyhose – not just on stage, but everywhere she’s seen.  

     Consider this quote from Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls during an interview last month with Elle Magazine: 

     “She (Lady Gaga) is incredible … We’ll be at the airport and she’ll have full fishnets … on even then. I’ll be there with my hair tied up, old sweatpants and top that doesn’t even match, and she’s there in fishnets and not much else.”   

     Said Lady Gaga:  

     “When I meet celebrities and they’re in casual clothes, I’m always like: ‘Whaaat?’ I don’t mean to be judgmental, but it would do them better to be who they really are, all the time. This is really who I am all the time. When I get out of a car and there are 30 fans waiting for me, I know I’m dressed the way I should be. There’s a reason they have that emotional reaction.   I think you should look nice all the time.”

      Lady Gaga has even publicly promised we won’t see her wearing pants.  Her commitment to look good for her fans and to always present herself with class and style whenever she’s in public, to me, is very admirable.  And she’s only 23. 

      I remember when the “bare legs” movement was just gathering steam in the mid-1990s, some show biz industry columnist wrote something to the effect that it would take a young entertainer, “maybe like a Britney Spears,” who would wear pantyhose on a regular basis to set an example for young women, who otherwise might never even consider wearing pantyhose. 

     I never forgot that statement, pretty much figured it would never happen, and now, truly appreciate Lady Gaga’s sense of glamour and style for creating some much-needed press about pantyhose.  

“I’m just trying to change the world one sequin at a time,” she told Elle Magazine last month.

 I don’t know about you, but I’m ga-ga over Lady Gaga.

What drives our Pantyhose Fetish?

Hard to believe so many women don't know or don't care about the power they possess in pantyhose.

     Sooner or later, I had to write this post.   I had tried several times before, but during my research to find scientific facts, I grew  increasingly discouraged because there are so many conflicting reports, every subject is debatable, and most of the material focuses on the weird or disturbing aspects of behavior. 

     I wanted to learn where pantyhose rank on a list of the most prevalent fetishes, but I couldn’t find credible material that could be documented.  I did find one thing I expected – that the foot fetish is still No. 1, apparently, the most common.  Suffice it to say that pantyhose are high up there somewhere.

     And, thankfully, pantyhose and foot fetishes seem to go hand-in-hand, or make that foot-in-hand, or foot-in-mouth, often appearing simultaneously (“dogs and cats living together …”).

     According to a Wikipedia report about a pantyhose fetish, the allure has to do with the following: 

• Pantyhose remove the appearance of blemishes, making  the legs “perfect.”
• The reflectiveness of the material, coupled with the way they appear less transparent at the edges, often gives legs more contrast and definition, as though lit by dramatic lighting.  This accentuates the curves of the legs, making them less “flat.”
• They often have a silky texture, which is pleasing to both the wearer and her partner.
• They do not actually hide what they cover.
• The slipperiness and smoothness of sheer pantyhose makes women’s shoes slip off more easily.  This vulnerability often is sexually attractive and can result in women engaging in shoe dangling or shoe play, which also is appealing to shoe and foot fetishists.

     Obviously, there’s more to a pantyhose fetish than this, but this is a good start.   Ultimately, I decided to just write about what I know.  To me, pantyhose always have been about three things: the way they look, the way they feel to the touch, and the very concept of them in the first place.  Maybe it’s just that they are designed to enhance the beauty of everything they cover.  

      To me, there’s a profound dichotomy about pantyhose, which I find very exciting: Pantyhose possess enormous power, yet, by design, they are extremely delicate and feminine, causing an irresistable vulnerability for the wearer. 

     This is never more evident than in the way the nylon fabric moves to the touch on a woman’s legs and feet.  It’s almost as if she has a second, delicate, delicious skin.  It’s as if the pantyhose are a living, breathing intimate part of the wearer.  You can physically manipulate that lifeforce, and you have to be careful not to hurt it.     

     Once on, any item of clothing a person wears, sort of disappears.  You stop feeling it on your body.  And even though you can touch the pantyhose on yourself, it isn’t the same as feeling them on someone else.  

     Want your lover to feel what you feel when you caress her legs in pantyhose?  All it takes is to move that delicate nylon fabric over her skin.    The sensation is incredible for both parties.

     Now I ask you, readers:  What do you think drives our pantyhose fetish?