If you think that wearing stockings or pantyhose draws more male attention to your legs than going hosiery-free, then you’re probably right. But there’s nothing much to prove it except that many other women think the same.
For all the studies showing that high heels increase female attractiveness, nobody seems to have yet studied whether their frequent companion – stockings – actually do the same.
Given how much attention is paid to heels, we’re surprised at the lack of hard data about hosiery.
Stockings or pantyhose are undoubtedly functional as well as fashionable. The benefits of stockings include that they keep legs warm in winter and help your feet slide into stilettos. And they even cushion them against the sole or sides of your shoes.
On the other hand, hosiery is a pain: it costs money, is easily snagged and ruined and can be seen as a through-back to the bad old days of oppressive dress codes for the working woman.
But how are stockings perceived by people other than the woman wearing them?
The evidence is only anecdotal, but many women do report that the male gaze is drawn to stockings even when they’re not overtly sexy.
One feature of pantyhose is that they give a sleek or uniform look to legs, which is aesthetically pleasing and “easy on the eye”.
So it’s perhaps not a surprise that even a standard daily pair of stockings might result in increased attention being drawn to your legs.