When it comes to feminine dressing, hosiery is non-negotiable. It feels great on your legs and it’s a natural accompaniment to heels, dresses and skirts. But what to buy, and what color? How to wear it?
The truth is, there can be alot of questions when it comes to this. Good thing you have a feminization Mistress to shed some light on the subject!

Pre-hosiery musts:

* Make sure you buy good quality hosiery. If you buy garbage hose, expect their poor performance. Honestly, I’ve never really had pantyhose last a long time, but you should at least be able to get a fair amount of use from them. Tights usually last longer.

* Make sure your legs are smooth. Little hairs poking from your pantyhose isn’t cute and won’t win you friends.

* Make sure you buy the right size. Buying a size too big means the hosiery will slouch on your leg and drive you crazy all day. Hosiery that’s too tight means you’ll likely tear or bust the fabric.

* Make sure you have a full length mirror. I cannot stress this enough, and for those who are tired of me bitching about it, get used to it. For those of you that rely on your bathroom mirror at home while getting dressed, you are doing yourself a grave disservice. Walking backward in your  bathroom or hallway so that you can see from knee-up doesn’t work, either. Your shoes are part of your outfit and you need to see everything at once. Full length mirrors are worth the investment, and the only way you can truly see what your overall fashion statement will be for the day when going out en femme.

She’s got legs…….she knows how to use them!

ZZ Top was singing about something that we all have a chance to master. Whether you are a sissy or cross dresser, these are my best hosiery tips when dressing like a woman:

*Nude or jet black is best. Black hose looks great with black shoes.

*Pay attention to your skin tone when shopping for nude hose. Work to match your leg color as closely as possible. Nude hose is fine for black, colored or metallic shoes.

*Do not wear hose if your shoes have a peep toe. Never never! (And if you’re wearing a peep toe, I shouldn’t have to remind you that those little piggies should be painted and well-cared for!)

I have fallen in love with tights. They’re warm (perfect for cooler spring weather) and very versatile. If you’re wearing tights, there are completely different rules than the ones mentioned above for pantyhose. Tights get noticed, and they can totally make an outfit. But it doesn’t have to be confusing.

*Try red tights with anything black and white, or if you’re in all black

*Navy blue, dark brown, eggplant and hunter green tights are going to look great with cream or earth toned outfits and of course, black.

*Black tights would look great with anything, but my faves would be with outfits that are camel, red or a bright pink.

Bringing out the feminine flair

Patterned tights should only be worn with solids. Nothing else in your outfit should be patterned.

Bright colors can work if you don’t already have too much going on. If your dress is whimsical, patterned, already bright or a little too ‘out-there’, bright tights in a different color will just make you look like Betsey Johnson. She’s as sweet as hell, but her look is not the one you want. Google her, seriously. That woman upchucks fashion for fun.
Bright tights can be beautiful. Just keep the rest of your outfit muted. Tights are a ‘POW!’ of color. You want one great ‘POW!’ every day, but too many ‘POW’s!’ will make you stand out for the wrong reasons.

Taking care of your hosiery

Have a snag when you’re wearing them? I always carry a little travel bottle of hairspray just for this purpose. Just a few spritzes should freeze the snag. Once, they just weren’t cooperating and could not be fixed subtly, so I just took them off. Hey, you do what you have to.

Washing your hosiery is pretty easy, too. You only need about 4 cups of warm water and a few drops of Woolite or another gentle detergent, even a mild shampoo would work. Add your hosiery and work them gently through the soapy water, careful not to snag your fingernails on them. Soak them for 5-10 min and then rinse with warm water. Do not wring. Instead, wrap them in a fluffy towel and roll them up with your stockings inside. Hang hosiery carefully so that they can air-dry. It’s as simple as that.

Feminization is a constant process, but definitely one you can build on and enjoy. I hope that my tips and tricks above shed some light on how to make hosiery work for you!