On Sunday I wore Silkies Pantyhose while I was at Wedgewood.  Monday I threw them into the laundry so they will be ready to wear the next time I need pantyhose.  They are one of seven pairs of Silkies Pantyhose that I still own, four of them in their original packaging.

When I first started out in ministry, way back in 1984, I wore dresses or suits 90% of the time.  And, of course, with those dresses and suits I wore pantyhose.  All working women wore pantyhose.  It was indecent and uncomfortable not to wear pantyhose.  I continued to dress in this way through 30 years of ministry.

Along the way I discovered Silkies Pantyhose.  I wanted control-top pantyhose that didn’t roll or sag.  Silkies were durable and comfortable.  They were also only available by subscription, in the days before the internet.  So I had a pantyhose subscription where four pairs of pantyhose were delivered to my house every three months.  Because Silkies are so durable, that was plenty and it was the minimum available with the subscription.  I stopped the subscription a few years before I retired because I had enough to last me for a while.  When we moved into the RV, I gave away about 20 unopened pairs.

When I retired, I stopped wearing dresses all the time.  They were no longer appropriate for my lifestyle.  I still like to wear dresses or skirts for church or for special events, but I seldom wear pantyhose with them.  Pantyhose are hot and uncomfortable in the summer and that is mainly when I wear dresses.  I only wear pantyhose when I am preaching or going to a wedding (as dressed up as I get).

Pantyhose have fallen out of fashion.  One article I read said that the number of women who bought pantyhose had fallen by 50% in the last ten years.  Women are more into comfort and less willing to be forced into some kind of unwritten fashion standard.  And I am fine with summer skirts and bare legs.

But I think I will always wear pantyhose when I preach or when I am really dressed up.  I feel more at ease and my shoes are more comfortable with pantyhose.  If I wear a dress when it is cold, the pantyhose keep my legs warmer.  This means, however, that I only wear pantyhose a dozen times a year – or less.

Which is why I am thankful for my seven pairs of Silkies pantyhose.  When I took them out of the washing machine (I don’t even use a lingerie bag anymore) they were still perfect.  They are virtually indestructible.  I think these seven pairs will last until I die.

So, a question for the women who read the blog:  tell me your pantyhose story.  Do you still wear them and, if so, when and why?

Bare legs are beautiful.  But when I want to feel really pulled together, I pull on my pantyhose.