"What color of hose should I wear?" is one of the most frequently asked questions I get, second only to "What color should my hair be?"

Hosiery is the finishing touch, not the focal point. A lot of women get this wrong by wearing hose that are either too dark or too light for the rest of their ensemble.

Here are some guidelines:

1. Hosiery needs to be in the same color base as your garment. Don't mix warm hosiery colors with cool garment colors.

2. To instantly look taller and trimmer, go monochromatic by matching the color tone of your hosiery to your shoe and your hem.

3. With neutral colored skirt or pants, match all three color elements. Example: black skirt, off-black hose, black shoes.

4. Colored hosiery for dressy or business situations needs to be very sheer. Charcoal gray or off-black is more subtle than a solid black.

5. Colored hosiery may either match the garment or the accessory/accent color.

If the hose match the color of the dress or skirt, they add the illusion of height and slimness. This concept works especially well with neutrals like navy, gray, brown, beige, taupe, and even burgundy and rust, but NOT with red.

If the hosiery color matches the accessory/accent color, it should not outshine the garment color.

6. With a brightly colored garment, choose neutral shoes and match hose to shoes. Example: red dress, taupe hose, and taupe shoes.

7. Two-color spectator pumps look best with hose matched to the lighter color, NOT the darker one.

8. Very dark, light or bright hosiery colors and patterns or textures draw attention to your legs.

9. Off-white or light beige can be worn with black during the summer season.

10. Keep leg coverings in the same mood and weight as your shoes. Chunky, casual shoes work with heavier, textured hose or socks.

11. Control top hose are more durable than regular hose, and Lycra extends the resiliency of both.

12. Avoid emergencies by purchasing hose in quantity and keeping a spare pair in your desk drawer and glove compartment.

One of the biggest bugaboos I see: wearing dark hose to hide spider veins. Unless your ensemble is dark, you're calling attention TO your legs, not AWAY from them. Dress in darker colors to match the hose, or wear a longer skirt to cover what you want to hide.

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