The Duchess of Sussex recently opened up about a fashion rule she disliked. In a Bloomberg interview, she revealed that the royal dress code forced her to wear nude pantyhose “all the time.” However, she admitted they made her feel “a little bit inauthentic.”
Still, her complaint is surprisingly relatable. After all, many women agree that pantyhose are uncomfortable and outdated. In fact, even the word “pantyhose” makes people cringe. Meanwhile, tights—whether called pantyhose in the U.S. or hosiery in Europe—continue to divide opinion.
For example, in a quick WhatsApp poll, every one of my friends said they dislike pantyhose. One remarked, “I haven’t worn them since school.” Another explained, “It’s the gussets.” The least popular styles included pearlescent versions, often compared to “shiny sausage casings.” Similarly, the once-popular American Tan shades—now renamed “Powder,” “Sand,” “Golden,” or “Champagne”—still failed to impress. Exotic names, therefore, cannot disguise the fact that many women remain firmly anti-pantyhose.
There is no strict royal rule about wearing tights. However, Queen Elizabeth II was believed to prefer that female royals follow her example. Like many women of her generation, the late monarch was never seen without them. Over time, her sheer stockings with back seams were replaced by beige 60-denier tights, which offered both warmth and coverage.
Meanwhile, other royals such as Princess Anne, the Countess of Wessex, and the Princess of Wales also chose to wear tights. In fact, the Princess of Wales often opts for affordable £6 Barely There Non-Slip tights from John Lewis. Therefore, tights remain a quiet but consistent tradition in royal wardrobes.
The Duchess of Sussex may dislike nude pantyhose. Yet, in some professions, they are still part of the dress code. For example, female cabin crew are required to wear hosiery whenever their uniform includes a skirt. However, most airlines now provide trousers as an alternative.
In the UK, British Airways, EasyJet, and Ryanair allow black or navy tights to match their uniforms. This option is far more popular than the dreaded tan shades. On the other hand, Virgin Atlantic’s crew are less fortunate. Their iconic red and white uniforms, created by Vivienne Westwood, require nude or tan tights. Still, this rule can be avoided by choosing the trouser option instead.
Tights are also an expectation in many corporate roles, particularly in banking, consulting or law, with hosiery seen as a key part of maintaining a professional look, particularly when representing your firm at formal events. Where a skirt or dress is part of the uniform, tights are also mandatory for female police officers, members of the military, hotel staff and retail workers. Female nurses are also expected to wear tights when skirts are worn, though this is more for reasons of hygiene than aesthetic, since covered legs can help reduce the risk of infection.
Unless they are a Strictly contestant or a figure skater, however, most professional women can manage to avoid tan tights in favour of more flattering, modern workarounds. Some may even subscribe to the Duchess of Sussex’s view that tights are “not very myself” and eschew them entirely. When I was at school (admittedly a long time ago), my female teachers wouldn’t have dreamed of entering school premises with bare legs. Today’s teachers seem to be held to less exacting standards. As do journalists: I frequently wore bare legs to the office, hoping I had a pass to do so working on the fashion desk.
For if there’s one profession where “nude pantyhose” are completely verboten, it’s fashion. I’ve seen editors – including Anna Wintour – in bare legs and pencil skirts in a snowstorm, when the mercury was minus 10. Karl Lagerfeld may have opined that sweatpants are a sign of defeat, but among his A-list fans, tights are a far greater evil. For models, actresses and fashion folk, “nude” unequivocally means “bare”, whatever the occasion or time of year.
The Duchess of Sussex may live in sunny Montecito. However, her dislike of tights seems to be shaped more by class than by climate. Within royal circles, bare legs have often been viewed as “common.” Yet, among pale-skinned middle classes, bare legs are seen as a status symbol. The message is clear: you don’t need flesh-colored tights if you have a driver and a year-round tan.
Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth remained loyal to the no-bare-legs rule. For instance, at the 2005 Royal Windsor Horse Show, she was once again pictured wearing tights. Therefore, tradition and class expectations played as much of a role as personal style in shaping royal dress codes.
Markle’s antipathy towards tights may very reasonably spring from a difficulty in finding the requisite “nude”, a term too often used exclusively in relation to Caucasian skin. At King Charles’ 70th birthday in 2018 – her first official engagement – she was criticised for wearing tights that were deemed “too pale” for her skin tone. Brands including M&S, Pretty Polly and Charnos now offer a wider selection of “nude” shades than they once did, as do newer brands such as Bianca Miller and Heist, whose Nude collection was developed with skin analysis data from 100,000 women, and comes in seven hues.
As for whether there’s any way to wear tan tights stylishly, designers seem to think so: Miu Miu, Gucci and Valentino have all incorporated pale tan tights into their catwalk shows in recent seasons, even if the look hasn’t caught on in the real world. For those wishing to try, avoid high shine in favour of matte, consider a texture such as polka dot or fishnet and wear with pumps, ballet shoes, stilettos or any other footwear that plays up their primness.
“The 2000s party girl in me sees the pairing of nude tights with an open-toe shoe as a big ‘ick’, but I’m coming around to the look, with caveats,” says the stylist Sophie Paxton. “Pamela Anderson has recently worn nude tights with strappy heels and mid length skirts, and looked great. Opt for a nude tight as close to your skin tone as possible, and if your shoes are open-toed, get a pedicure, because sheer tights do not cover this oversight. In terms of what to wear them with, the powdery effect of nude tights needs to be balanced in other areas. Try leather or heavy wool mid-length skirts, or patent leather strappy sandals in burgundy or other warm tones.”
