Preventing a pantyhose run was a daily obsession of mine 20-something years ago. Maintaining a yuppie “Dress to Impress” office look required pantyhose vigilence. But I was a Pantyhose Klutz!
Stashed in my handbag were 2 extra pairs for quick changes. Lunch — often a quick run to the nearest convenience store for a pantyhose restock. After my 1st raise, I tried upscale department store hosiery. No difference in the run rate; I went back to cheap stockings. They still cost a small fortune because of runs — in my sheer tights and in gas to go the store for more!
Now that HuffingtonPost has confirmed Madonna Makes the Sheer Tights Trend Official an earlier ABC report Kate Middleton Style: Sheer Pantyhose Comeback?, I’ll be keeping a few pairs ready for my next job interview…or my next job…or my next date…
These easy pantyhose (or tights or stockings or whatever) strategies I’ve learned along the business and finance career path way helped me save my personal finances from costly wardrobe budget overruns through the years:
1. Buy at least 2 Exactly Matching Pairs at a Time
Critical for strategy #5; take advantage of Buy One Get One (BOGO) free sales or the discount boxed sets.
2. Wash Before Wearing to Prevent Runs
I saw this tip years ago on one of the early morning shows and I noticed a significant improvement. Detergent leaves a film or coating or something like that. Hand washing anything is not my thing. I wash my cheap stockings in a washing machine on the gentle cycle and it works just fine. This was the single most amazing, incredible, awesome career-saving discovery for a pantyhose klutz like me!
3. Dab Clear Nail Polish to Stop a Run from Spreading
An oldie but goodie pantyhose saving tip, the secret to success is to actually have the polish in my purse!
4. Wear a Runned Pair Under Pants
Who cares, nobody can see the run! This one’s great for those times when I’ve been a super klutz and managed to get runs in both legs.
5. Cut Off a Runned Leg and Save to Wear Again
I learned this one from a professional musician friend, a fulltime harpist, that often wears 2 matching pairs of one-leg pantyhose to weekend wedding gigs. She prefers tummy control stockings, so the 2-for-1 is a girdle-girl bonus!
After all of the above, when I do need to dispose of a (one-legged) pair, I’ll be keeping this recycling plan in mind from “Consumer Reports” Recycling pantyhose–nonsense or sheer genius?. I won’t be following the latest No Pants trend: ABC: The Five Worst Fashion Trends of the Year.
Married already I might be if I’d used the “Pretty Woman” line from Julia Roberts as Vivian: “I’ve got a runner in my pantyhose, I’m not not wearing pantyhose” in my earlier pantyhose klutz extraordinaire days instead of breaking my budget to replace runners. It’s a thought…for the next date…
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