Kate Middleton: How she sparked an American Tan revival
With her flawless fashion sense, radiant smile and bouncy, glossy locks, it is hard to find fault the Duchess of Cambridge.
But a few quiet murmurs from the style set indicate that her look is not being as universally well-received as it seems.
The 29-year-old has not set a foot wrong when it comes to designer frocks, but in almost every single picture, there is the same telltale satin sheen of sheer hosiery.
But would Catherine actually be wearing these tights if she weren't in the public eye? The fact that she is always wearing them, and closed-toe shoes for that matter, indicate that she is simply adhering to Royal protocol.
Indeed, one will never see the Queen, the Duchess of Cornwall or the Countess of Wessex without sheer stockings and closed-toe shoes. Even fashion-conscious Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie comply.
And when Tom Hanks' wife Rita Wilson described the dress code for a recent white tie event at Buckingham Palace, the rules were the same.
She told Harper's Bazaar: 'The palace dress requirements say that women... must wear closed-toed shoes - and get this: stockings! Sheer disbelief - I don't even own a pair of sheer hose.'
Of course, like everything else the Duchess has worn since her engagement in November last year, sheer tights have been flying off the shelves.
Tightsplease have seen a 90 per cent increase in sales of nude tights compared to last year, while Selfridges reported a 40 per cent year-on-year rise.
In the nude: Hayden Panettiere wearing sheer tights in March (left), Pippa Middleton last month (centre) and a pre-pregnancy Carla Bruni-Sarkozy last year (right)
Jordana Morrison, intimate apparel buyer at Selfridges told MailOnline: 'Key lines that are doing especially well are the new Wolford Naked 8s and Falke Shelina tights.'
Nicola Pringle, buying manager for Tightsplease , said: 'We believe the aim is to get glossy perfect pins rather than to get the American Tan hue, which has been popular in the past.'
She added: 'Whether this increase in sales is down
to the unpredictable weather we have seen this spring summer or the Duchess of Cambridge, nude tights have definitely became a
wardrobe staple.'
Of course Catherine is not the only famous name to favour sheer pantyhose. Her sister, Pippa Middleton, is also a dedicated fan of the look, as is French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.
Women Like Wearing Tights - News
But would Catherine actually be wearing these tights if she weren't in the public eye? The fact that she is always wearing them, and closed-toe shoes for that matter, indicate that she is simply adhering to Royal protocol. Indeed, one will never see
And as far as women in the royal family are concerned, the same rules apply. Like every other woman in Britain, they will make a decision based on the time of year, how good their legs look without tights, the occasion and the outfit they're wearing.
However, more than anything else, Beyoncé on stage with her gold-sequinned jacket, big black pants, fishnet tights, thighs like a Michelangelo masterpiece and hair like 1000 Zebedees springing on the Magic Roundabout, made simply being a woman seem
While the antsy audience awaited the headliner, Dynasty Electric frontwoman Jenny Electrik emerged in a blue leotard, sheer black tights and tasseled boots, and a flowing, green shawl that slipped off her shoulders a mere 20 seconds into the first song
Gone her choppy boyish bob, replaced by Kate's trademark sleek, glossy brunette mane, her inner eye-line circled with inky black kohl just like Kate wears it. Just along from Holmes sat Cate Blanchett, wearing a figure-forming red Armani skirt suit
olanmcmillan - Does Kate Middleton Have to Wear Those Pantyhose?
Many things are required of British royal ladies?waving with a closed hand, for example, and wearing hats that double as radar dishes, lest the Germans decide to bomb London again.
But when it comes to Kate Middleton 's royal gams, I have some dish that may surprise you:
SERVED! Kate and William Hit Wimbledon!
Chicks overseas actually like their old-fashioned hosiery.
Yes, really?even the pantyhose in that awful "suntan" color that matches three people, and exactly three people, at any given time.
"Tan colored tights are enjoying a fashion renaissance led by younger women ranging from the Duchess of Cambridge and her sister, Pippa Middleton , to Cheryl Cole and Carla Bruni ," sayeth the Telegraph newspaper of London. Citing a possible fear of tanning-related cancers, the paper noted that fancy pantyhose-maker Wolford has seen a 29.5 percent increase in such sales compared with the same period last year.
Beyoncé and Sarah Jessica Parker also have reportedly embraced tan pantyhose in recent months.
It's a trend. A trend, I say!
And so does Angela Rippon, a distinguished British journalist and expert on all things royal family.
"Perhaps in parts of America 'young women today never wear pantyhose,' but here in Britain that's not the case," Rippon tells me. "The pantyhose (or tights as we call them) industry is alive and well and an important part of the fashion industry. "Frankly it's all down to personal choice, and the weather! And as far as women in the royal family are concerned, the same rules apply. Like every other woman in Britain, they will make a decision based on the time of year, how good their legs look without tights, the occasion and the outfit they're wearing."
In other words, Rippon confirms, "There is no 'royal family rule.' It's entirely up to them."
Viva, tan pantyhose! What's next, the return of acid-washed jeans?
Women Like Wearing Tights - Bookshelf
The Mind of an Innovator, A Guide to Seeing Possibilities Where None Existed Before
Wearing pantyhose, some of 53 the women said, made them feel sensual, ... Why do men like long legs? 'They're sexy.' And eventually women would say they ...Indianapolis Monthly
"Asking why we wear tights is like asking a violinist why he holds a ... on stage the fact that you are wearing tights is the last thing you think about. ...301 Smart Answers to Tough Business Etiquette Questions
Five Rules of Wearing Pantyhose You Should Adhere to Like a Girdle Unless your name is Florence Nightingale, forgo wearing white hose to the workplace. ...Relating in Psychotherapy, The Application of a New Theory
Wearing nylon tights, for example. deceives the inner brain into believing ... even though they know that the woman's legs do not really look like this. ...When men dance, choreographing masculinities across borders
Then there's the thing about wearing tights—when my friends rib me about having to wear tights, I tell them it's like wearing football tights. ...Information Search Directory
Do Men Like Wearing Pantyhose?
I can't say that my mother is the reason why I like wearing womens tights but I do know she introduced me to wearing girls clothing at a very young age. ...
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