Russian famous model, Anna Kalashnikova, trying on a dress for a wedding party. Yes, she wears pantyhose!

I saw this in an interview with a Russian / French fashion historian, Alexander Vassiliev, about wearing pantyhose with an evening mid-length dress. Here is a translation of the dialogue, taking place in Estonia (Europe):

Interviewer: Now, a question about something idiotic. A colleague read online some “fashion advice” about not wearing pantyhose with a shorter evening dress because it would make the legs glossy and this is not desirable. This would mean that ladies would come to celebrations, regardless of the time of the year, with bare legs. We were shocked. Do you have any comments?

Vassiliev: The author of this “fashion advice” should learn that there are not only shiny pantyhose out there, but also semi-matt and matt. For sure, they are always a must if paired with closed toe shoes.

Let me tell you, recently I went for my dental cleaning and I was chatting to my 23 year old dental hygienist. She was telling me about a beautiful wedding she just recently attended. I asked her if she wore pantyhose. Her answer was naturally “no”, as that of most Canadian-born women her age, but she said that she would if she would have a pair. Never in her life she tried on pantyhose, not even once, and there is currently none in her wardrobe.

It’s hard to say whether she said that she would wear it if she would have it just to please me, since she knows that this is what I work with. But at least it’s clear where this “fashion advice” is coming from that gets authentic fashion experts to raise their eye brows.