Okay, we left off with a few dress ideas, and lots of colorful accessories. I wanted to take a breather from dresses and focus on some details.
Low Heels and Kitten Heels
First of all, because of her height, our beloved wedding guest asked me if I could find some low-heeled or flat shoes. I'm fairly tall too, and I hate towering above people, but I also don't love the look of just plain flats for cocktail attire. I'm biased just because I hate the way I look personally in a dress and flats, so forgive me dear readers and prospective wedding guest!
With a low heel in mind, I wanted to find our guest some heels to serve her for all of the events in her life, so I made this little collage, with a whole bunch of low heels and kitten heels to choose from. I think nearly all are under $100.
Are you a Hoser?
Our second item of concern was hosiery. I did some research, and apparently this is a big debate. Bare legs seem to reign among fashionistas, whereas hosiery seems to have a following with men who admire the look, employers who insist on it, and women who would like to be warm and correctly turned out for formal events. If you'd like to read more about all the confusion, you can read here (kind of against), here (in favor of), here (undecided), here (corporate rules) and here (in favor of).
I myself prefer black opaque tights for many looks, or patterned tights if they are flattering pattern, and only if they pair well with a solid color I'm wearing. I do try to wear bare legs for as long as I can, but sometimes that is just not possible. That said, I think most of the looks I have shown here for our wedding guest, in the interest of being fairly conservative for the wedding, will be best paired with nude hose in a tone as close to one's own skin tone, although a opaque black or charcoal gray would also be appropriate for evening, especially if the shoes chosen are also black and if you like the look with the dress. If our guest finds a pattern or something that adds interest, I'd say go for it, too. In the case of a open toe, shoe (I think I showed a few) I think the only is to go sans hosiery, and just try to stay warm other ways.
To get the lightest possible coverage, you'll want to look at the denier, and pick one below 20 ( below 15 seems even better!) Here is the brand -- Matignon Glossy Jade 20-- which is rumored to be favored by the Duchess of Cambridge, who seems to be single-handedly bringing the nude pantyhose back into vogue. These look maybe a little too shiny/glossy for those not used to pantyhose and have some weight to them, so there is also this lighter version: The Cool Summer Version. I have also heard that The Nudes by Donna Karen are very good, too, but I have not worn them myself, but they look sheer and well made. Omigosh, stop the presses - I have found an open toed version, of Donna Karan's hose, too!
No matter what, look for a pair that has that fine stocking shape when you take them out of the package, not the balled up, sticky, clingy suntan brown version. I think the hosiery rule is very much up to the individual wearer in most cases, in terms of what you can tolerate for discomfort, and what color you can carry off with your own personal style. If all else fails, wear a pair, bring another option, and realize that the offending pair can be removed in the ladies' room if you find you are miserable or the only one at the wedding who has opted for nylon coverage.
[...] after a little break to discuss shoes and hosiery, I’m back to dresses. Just in case the other dresses I chose didn’t thrill her, I have [...]