Talkin’ ‘Bout My Pantyhose Generation

Dear Fashion Police: I have noticed that my younger co-workers often wear dresses minus the pantyhose. Is that appropriate? Is the new trend to go barelegged? Is pantyhose a thing of the past? I’ve gotten used to wearing pantyhose when I wear a skirt.

--DO THEY HAVE A LEG UP?

Dear Leg: This is definitely one of those generational fashion things. Though we don’t know your age, we’ll guess you started working at a time when people were expected to dress up: women in suits, dresses or pantsuits; men in suits, or coats and ties, or at least ties. For all of you 20- and early 30-somethings who think we’re talking about ancient history, we’re not. While the casualization of our society has been gradual, it’s only been in the last 10 years we’ve seen huge changes in our wardrobes, especially in the workplace. For many businesses--including banks and established law firms--casual Friday has given way to casual every day. Despite recent efforts in the menswear industry to have workers dress up more often, it’s going to take a major cultural shift to get people out of their comfy jeans and khakis.

All of this brings us to your younger co-workers. Considering they entered the work force at a time when suits and high heels had practically disappeared from the landscape, it’s not surprising they’re skipping the pantyhose. Let’s face it--though we love the way they make our legs look, they’re not exactly our most comfortable wardrobe item. And because comfort is high on most young people’s priority list these days when it comes to clothes, we doubt pantyhose is often in the picture.

Statistics support this. Sales of pantyhose in the U.S. have been dropping, from more than 1 billion pairs in 1995 to 636 million in 1999, according to the Hosiery Assn. in Charlotte, N.C.

So are they a thing of the past? They may be on the decline, but they’re far from gone. All department stores and many specialty stores still sell hose, so there must be a demand. If you feel fine wearing them, go right ahead. What we are seeing now and will continue to see are advances in fiber technology that make pantyhose lighter, more sheer and more comfortable. So maybe those Gen X, Y and Zers will climb into a pair eventually, especially because fishnets and similarly sexy, feminine stockings are in right now. You never know.

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Dear Fashion Police: I’m desperate to find a replacement for my now gnarly looking, long black gauzy cotton scarf. It’s fairly wide and 60 inches long, but the material is thin enough so that it becomes quite narrow if it’s twisted, one of the things I like best. Do you know where I could find a scarf that would replace it?

--UP TO MY NECK

Dear Up: Sounds like that accessory should be given a decent burial. Once you’re over your mourning period, you can update with a few different looks.

If you’re looking for light and airy, oblong chiffon scarves, whether silk or polyester, are lightweight and can be twisted into thinness. They come in solids and prints and can be found at major department and specialty stores. Spring and summer are the best seasons to find them, but they’re usually available year-round.

Ethnic looks in scarves are big, and you’ll find everything from paisley prints in jewel tones to scarves embellished with beads, embroidery and fringe. You can go wild with hot colors or play it safer with black, or muted tone-on-tone shades. Textures and weights vary, but we’ve seen several of these styles in chiffon or tissue-weight silk.

For evening, scarves can add a bit of sparkle with woven-in Lurex threads, or the aforementioned beads. For chilly weather, try wool, wool blends, soft acrylics or pashmina (which has come down in price considerably since it debuted a few seasons ago).

Just surfing a bit on the Internet, we found loads of oblong scarves at Bluefly (https://www.bluefly.com, [877] 258-3359), including a Mark Snider variegated silk chiffon scarf for $30 and a Georgia Von Etzdorf turquoise silk and cotton scarf for $65.

Boston Proper (https://www.bostonproper.com, [800] 243-4300) offers a sheer black silk embroidered georgette scarf measuring 71 inches long for $109. And at Eziba (https://www.eziba.com, [888] 404-5108) there are silk fringed paisley scarves for $110.

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Write to Fashion Police, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012, fax to (213) 237-4888, or send e-mail to socalliving@latimes.com.