Pantyhose as a Gift – Appropriate or Not?

hosiery-and-gifts

Some gifts from a fan. Yes, pantyhose were inside too!

Just recently a woman mentioned to me that she’s planning to give some fun pantyhose to her friends as gifts for the holidays. Is it a good idea?

Turns out that according to the European etiquette, pantyhose are not considered to be an undergarment. It is a luxury item. Thus, they are perfectly fine to give as gifts. I had that opinion all my life anyway!

When it comes to stockings / stay ups, I think it’s OK to give it to people you know pretty well. Strangers may see something sexual in it, contrary to the fact that a lot of women wear stay ups daily just to cover their legs at work.

Occasion also matters! I’ve read that queen Elizabeth II got 100 stockings as a wedding gift. That was a very luxurious gift, based on the scarcity of the garment.

I am going to a Christmas party in December and I thought to bring pantyhose for all the ladies there, but then I figured I’d rather bring knee socks and ankle socks instead. I have no way of knowing what size those women are and I’d rather not guess or ask the hostess to guess.