A pantyhose has been known to enhance the legs and overall appearance of a woman. However, a pantyhose can also be of use for women who are not after the improved look and feel of leg wear, but for the health benefits they can get from wearing a pantyhose. Control top pantyhose and bodyshapers are made to enhance a woman’s silhouette. There are also stockings made of a blend of nylon and spandex to make the legs seem more toned. A medical support pantyhose operates on the same principle, for reasons that are much more than just aesthetics.

Using a medical support pantyhose for varicose veins

Varicose veins have been a long-standing problem for women across all body types. Though an opaque pantyhose can hide this leg problem, varicose veins are much more than just unsightly blemishes.

Varicose veins may occur in people who have vascular or circulatory problems that are either genetic or congenital in nature. Varicose veins may also appear in people who have acquired vascular problems through time and even through pregnancy. People in jobs that require them to stand up for long periods of time are often the most susceptible to develop varicose veins. Varicose veins develop when blood flow towards the heart has been impeded by blockages and gravity. Blood is being pulled downward, towards the ankles. Often, varicose veins may just be unsightly problems, but in extreme cases may cause pain, discomfort, and even skin ulcers around the areas of the swollen veins.

Benefits of wearing a medical support pantyhose

Doctors prescribe supports stocking and hosiery to people afflicted with varicose veins caused by congenital vascular diseases such as thrombophlebitis to help lessen the pain and improve circulation.
A medical support pantyhose works through compression that improves blood circulation in the legs. Most medical support pantyhose are tight around the ankle areas, same with areas that blood pools down to. By ensuring that there is a tight fit in the ankle area, blood is stimulated to flow upwards in the right direction. Blood flow is further regulated as the fit or compression decreases as it goes up to the whole leg of the hose.

Wearing medical support pantyhose is not only beneficial for older women who have developed varicose veins and circulatory problems, but also for pregnant women. Due to the added weight of the baby, most pregnant women develop swollen lower limbs as blood also pools downwards. A medical support pantyhose not only aids in regulating the blood circulation in the legs. The added control top found in most maternity pantyhose also help lift up the tummy portion.

Sources:
Shop National
MayoClinic
LEGLUXE
MayoClinic
Medline Plus

Nylon pantyhose became the miracle garment for women when it first appeared on pharmacy and hosiery store shelves. Imagine wearing stockings that provide you warmth and firm up your legs, without having to hide behind the thick layer of silk or cotton socks. Nylons were the answer to droopy hosiery as it conformed easily to body shape and stayed up regardless of how many washings you give it.

Sheer pantyhose regarded one with a sense of freedom despite the coverage it offered. Though it covered up most skin blemishes, there are still other imperfections that were not completely covered up by sheer pantyhose. Fashion, being under constant change to bring out the best in every woman, eventually brought about the invention of opaque pantyhose, which more or less camouflaged the problem areas that sheer nylons were unable to hide.

Features of an opaque pantyhose

The opaque pantyhose is generally made of thicker fabric, and depending on the denier scale of the fabric used in a pair, would show more or less of the legs. A pantyhose that is only a tad darker or thicker than the regular sheers or nylons is generally seen as flattering for women. Especially full-figured women benefit from this as the dark coloring gives the legs a slimmer look. These slightly darker nylons have a certain opacity in the scale of 30 deniers.

As the denier scale of the fabric goes up, the opacity of a pantyhose would be stronger. A pantyhose with a denier above 40 is considerably darker than ones that are worn for dress and are already considered as tights that serve more functional purposes aside from being accessories for aesthetics.

People who wear tights or opaque pantyhose

Tights are usually worn by athletes as these enable them to move more easily. These allows movement during sporting events to be more streamlined, especially in sports such as gymnastics and horse-back riding or equestrian events. Tights are also the undergarments of choice for many performers such as actors and dancers. Not only do these allow seamless movement during performances, tights are also integral parts of their dress as costumes smooth over them with ease.

Opaque pantyhose as part of new fashion trends

However, current fashion is bringing opaque pantyhose and tights onto the streets. Opaque pantyhose can be worn under miniskirts to offer some bit of coverage despite the minimal fabric of the skirt. Tights and opaque pantyhose are even seen as trademark clothing features of some pop subcultures. Opaque pantyhose and tights also come in different colors and styles, and are versatile pieces that can make outifts truly stand out.

Sources:
About.com
Wikipedia
fresh pair
Wikipedia

Pantyhose is an essential part of a woman’s outfit. They are also perfect for hiding skin blemishes, enhancing the tone or color, and providing support and contour to the torso area. A pair of sheer pantyhose is a staple piece in the wardrobes of women working in the corporate setting, as wearing pantyhose gives them an air of professionalism and modesty. However, there are other types of pantyhose that serve more than just functional purposes for the wearer. The pantyhose has been used by dancers and entertainers as supplements for their costumes during performances. As such, many variations in design and style are available.

Colors of pantyhose

Perhaps one of the more commonly used hosiery for costume purposes are those in darker shades. Though most women wear pantyhose in darker colors in an everyday setting to create an illusion of slimmer legs, dark-colored hosiery can also be worn as part of costumes for different themes.

A pantyhose also comes in different colors such as red, navy, and gray and other more creative descriptions of the hues such as paprika, forest, and ash. Pantyhose in different unnatural colors are used not only for costume purposes, but also worn as statement pieces for individuals who are fashion-forward.

Designs of pantyhose

Pantyhose designs also vary not only in color, but in the weave or knit of the fabric. Fishnet stockings are one of the popular unconventional hosiery that women use. These have open weaves of fabric and look like its namesake. But unlike the kind of netting used for functional purposes, fishnet stockings are flexible enough to conform to the body and leg shape of the wearer. This type of pantyhose offers coverage but gives more ventilation than that offered by regular pantyhose. Pantyhose with larger weave designs are called fence net stockings, but are used solely for decorative or costume purposes.

In the early days of hosiery, most stockings and pantyhose had seams running at the back of the legs. These seams were then considered one of the few boons of sheer hosiery, the ones that confirmed that a woman is wearing a pantyhose. Though seamless stockings have provided a solution to this fashion conundrum, seams are in style for costumes and performance purposes. Cuban heel pantyhose is a popular variety, which has darker seams running at the back of the leg of sheer pantyhose legs, while the heels and soles are in a darker shade that offer more reinforcement to prevent tearing.

Printed pantyhose can be used to spice up the outfit. Designs such as stripes and polka dots are fairly common fare, though there are other creative styles available in the market to suit the needs of every woman.

Sources:

ECONOMIC expert.com
My Diva’s Closet
Yandy.com

Control top pantyhose is a pantyhose that aim to give a firmer look and feel. Pantyhose is generally a pair of stockings sewn on to underpants. Control top pantyhose can be worn even without any undergarments or panties beneath it. Control top pantyhose replaced the girdle of the past years by offering a more breathable option of shaping and contouring the problem parts of body. Control top pantyhose is regarded as the pantyhose of choice for women who love wearing clothes that are made out of sheer or impressionable fabrics to avoid VPLs or visible panty lines.

Components of control top pantyhose

The waist area of control top pantyhose is made with Lycra fibers that offer a stronger and firmer hold than the control offered by elastic or nylon. The material comprising the panty part of the control top pantyhose is made from a slightly thicker material than the one covering the legs to support the fuller shape of the hips and waist area. The waist area may have extra panels of durable material sewn onto the sides and the crotch area to allow for more expandability and support for the wearer. Though it does not effectively shape or cover some problem areas, it helps by loosely firming up some target problem areas. Control top pantyhose can also be combined with support pantyhose for the legs. This offers a much-needed support and lift especially for those with circulation problems.

Control top pantyhose sizes

Control top pantyhose is designed to provide support and shape to the tummy and buttocks, the common problems areas of the body. Although control top pantyhose is usually more suitable for women with body shapes in the full-figured range, sizes for plus-size women are also available. Many women who are not full-figured or plus-sized also wear control top pantyhose for the support it gives them in the problem areas. Though most pantyhose can fit women up to five feet and eight inches in height, tall women can have problems in choosing the right pantyhose size. Fortunately, control top pantyhose in tall varieties are also available in most department stores.

Non-control top pantyhose

The support that control top pantyhose offers may be seen as restrictive and constricting by some women, so they turn to non-control top pantyhose or those that are sheer up to the waist. Non-control top pantyhose that’s sheer up to the waist is used when wearing clothing or dresses with exceptionally high slits.

Sources:

Wikipedia
wise geek
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