Women's Sheer Pantyhose (Hosiery & Socks)

Sheer pantyhose are a one-piece knit running from waist to toe in a yarn light enough to see through. Denier, the weight of that yarn, sets the transparency. 5 to 15 denier is the barely-there range, and 20 denier still reads as sheer while surviving more than one wearing. Past 40 denier they stop being sheer and become semi-opaque.

Nylon with 5 to 20 percent elastane, the stretch fiber sold as spandex, supplies the give. The knit is circular, so the tube comes off the machine with no side seam. The main joins are the crotch gusset, the small panel where the two legs meet, and the toe seam. Reinforced toe panels and a control top, a firmer knit over the stomach and hips, are separate options. A reinforced toe buys durability at the cost of showing through open shoes. Because one continuous yarn carries the whole structure, a single cut loop unravels in a straight line, which is a run.

Everything nearby is heavier. Tights begin where sheers end, at 40 denier and up, opaque enough to be the visible layer. Leggings drop the knitted tube for a cut and sewn fabric and have no foot. Knee-highs and trouser socks stop below the knee, which rules them out with a skirt. Sheers are the only member of the group meant to be almost invisible.

Formal dress codes, court appearances, weddings and workplaces where bare legs are not accepted are the real cases. Cool spring and autumn days suit them, though they add almost no warmth and do nothing in winter. Heat above the mid 80s Fahrenheit makes them miserable, since nylon traps humidity against the skin. Snagging a pair twice a week means moving up to 20 denier or buying in bulk.

Match the shade to the inside of your forearm rather than your face, since legs usually run a shade lighter, and hold the packet against your skin in daylight. Size charts here work from height and weight together, and going one size up adds life by lowering the tension on the yarn. Cool water by hand, or a mesh bag on a delicate cycle, is as much as they will take. Keep them out of the dryer entirely, because heat destroys elastane. Trim your toenails and file rough heel skin, which cause more runs than furniture does.