I was this poor! L'eggs get a lot of membaberries, but none for these. These were always on sale for $1.99 vs the ritzy $4.99 of L'eggs. A huge difference back when I was young.

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goose-and-fish@reddit

I just remember when they came in plastic eggs. I liked to put hot wheels in them for some reason.

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laziestmarxist@reddit

Man y'all out here saying "I was this poor" about the good cheap pantyhose, I used to buy the 25¢ ones that came in the little gumball containers 🥴

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MisRandomness@reddit

Yep the .99 clear egg ones! One time maybe twice use.

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mysteriousblue87@reddit

I’m a guy and I know this trick from a frugal mom

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jimicus@reddit

This must be something I am too male to understand.

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lifeuncommon@reddit

I’ve known deer hunters who swear by wearing pantyhose as a first layer for added warmth. Then tights. Then thermals. Then clothes. Then whatever you call the full suit of thick camo.

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fxpstclvrst@reddit

Lol a law enforcement relative of mine did the same thing back in the day.

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Pinklady777@reddit

Do they still sell these at the drugstore?

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May_of_Teck@reddit

I was wearing control top (green package) in Nude at thirteen years old, every week to church. Control top! I kept wearing hose into adulthood, but I graduated to ✨sheer mist✨.

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CrazyIrina@reddit (OP)

I wore medium support when I could afford them. Age 14, about 97 lbs. Not for shaping, but the compression in the legs I thought was marvelous.

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ArcadesRed@reddit

compression in the legs

I don't know if it's a me thing or a guy thing. But I cannot stand things compressing my legs. I have no idea how most women love leggings.

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OSCgal@reddit

I'm a woman who dislikes leggings. Not even tight jeans. I can wear tights when it's unavoidable, but it always feels so good taking them off.

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Treadingresin@reddit

Control tops kept expanding. It became control inner thigh, extended waist, extra control, etc. I still felt fat. Thanks society.

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ironic-hat@reddit

Control tops tended to roll down much less than normal top panty hose, so I definitely preferred them whenI was a twiggy 13 year old.

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So this is an interesting look into how difference in genetics contributes to not just body type but clothing preferences. I have never been anywhere near twiggy in my entire life. I come from a tall, slender dad, and short stocky mom which created taller girls with thicker bodies. Couple that with the genetic bonus of always having had a fatty pouch lower belly, even at my thinnest, and you get a body that had the exact opposite impact on control top vs. normal hose.

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moonbunnychan@reddit

I'm so glad they're mostly gone. I used to fight so hard with my mom over them...I had a sensory issue with them where they literally made my skin crawl, but she made me wear them anyway.

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Steely-Dave@reddit

How I regularly left the house in a turtleneck and wool sweater I’ll never know.

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Imaginary-Mix-5726@reddit

I was happy to graduate from itchy 80s girl tights, but I still hated pantyhose. Haven't worn them since I left home.

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the_kid1234@reddit

Wow, the market was just destroyed on these. I think I’ve seen my wife wear them maybe 5 times over the past 15 years.

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ironic-hat@reddit

We dress way more casually at work these days, save for some careers than command more formal clothing. And even those that do allow for pant suits. Personally I hate having to wear them since it’s yet another thing I have to buy since they wear out so quickly.

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sassooal@reddit

We had a Leggs/Hanes/Maidenform outlet store close by, back in the days when outlets had deals. I'd get a bag of five pairs of irregular pantyhose. Usually the gusset was crooked or something minor like that. I want to say it was $5.99 for the bag.

I seemed to have lots of events requiring skirts/dresses and therefore hose.

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MistaRekt@reddit

We had these in Australia. My father and I wore them when he took me to work. Daddy was a bank robber.

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That_Skirt7522@reddit

I still occasionally wear hosiery but my color is becoming very hard to find even on EBay, and certain dress shoes with no house feels weird, especially knee highs.

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RabbitNumber8@reddit

Honestly my varicose and spider veins yearn for these to come back in style!

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Dear-Discussion2841@reddit

Oh yeah we never bought the expensive hose. Especially because as a teen I was probably just going to get a run in them anyway!

Thank goodness pantyhose have died out.

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Glass-Marionberry321@reddit

I prefer them. Sclerotherapy for spider veins only lasts so long.

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Dear-Discussion2841@reddit

Fair enough, they do make your legs look pretty good. I'm just so clumsy I can't ever keep them from getting ripped up.

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FoppyDidNothingWrong@reddit

Every store seemed to have leggings back then!

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Strange-Employee-520@reddit

Ugh, my legs are itchy now! My youngest daughters will never understand, and I'm glad for them.

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malibuklw@reddit

My daughter doesn’t even like leggings, I could imagine her having to wear tights

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hangryvegan@reddit

The screams that would be scrumpt in my house

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malibuklw@reddit

When I started out as a lowly little lawyer for the state I would wear these and tall boots to cover the runs that I patched with clear nail polish. When I had to wear actual dress shoes, I had to pull out the good ones.

At one point a coworker complimented my boots and I told her my secret and she went to my boss and demanded I get a raise. “She can’t even afford stockings”

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Treadingresin@reddit

The horror! It was near impossible to get them on in the first place and a run in your stocking ruined the day. They never stood a chance against aging wooden school chairs with splintering edges. The things I'd do to save them, clear nail polish, hair spray.

When I really embraced art punk I started ripping them purposely to create designs with the runs. That act alone scandalized some people.

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Puzzled_Respond_3335@reddit

I loved these because I got every color. White, black, dark tan and light taupe. If I bought L'eggs, it was one color only that I wore to church. Thank goddess they've been banished!!

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cronokun@reddit

Do women still wear pantyhose? I remember my mom having these all the time as a kid but now I can't remember if I still see people wearing them.

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CrazyIrina@reddit (OP)

Yes, but far fewer than at peak in the 80's.

Women still buy sheer hosiery, but it's a niche market...about 165k pairs a day are sold, but nearly all to regular wearers of them.

It's similar to the 95/5 rule or whatever. One solid example: 5% of book readers buy 95% of the books.

Of this, I bet 75% are to women who are required to wear them, and the last bit to women who like them.

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