Pantyhose sales are down… people just don’t want to wear them anymore.

Sure, their sheer allure enhances the legs. But they’re tight, uncomfortable and one little rip can make them run — and ruin an entire outfit. And while they once were a staple in a career woman’s wardrobe, sheer hosiery today faces an even a bigger snag that can’t be fixed with clear nail polish or a Band-Aid — more than a decade of declining sales….

"The casualization of the workplace, it is not as strict as before," said Romaine Sargent, vice president and general manager of marketing for hosiery at Hanesbrands. "Women have more options and some are choosing to wear sheer hosiery less."

According to the company, women ages 25 to 54 wear pantyhose an average of 1.8 times a week, down from 3.5 times a week a decade ago. Hosiery sales at Hanesbrands, which includes sheer hosiery (pantyhose, knee-high and thigh high), leggings, tights and trouser socks, totaled $290 million in fiscal 2006 — a nearly 68 percent drop from the $895 million in sales the company did in fiscal 1995…

Nowadays, the trendsetters in many offices wear Capri-style pants, dress shorts, open toe sandals or even flip-flops.

My thoughts: there are too many bad pantyhose out there that rip and tear like crazy, and too many options. People just don’t know what to get - so many brands with so many different names for the same thing, and yet you can never find the shade or size you want. It’s a product demand thing. If pantyhose were chic and attractive, we’d wear them more. I love to wear them, personally. They make me feel great, and I love that little boost they give me.

Oh yeah, and cut cost. It’s a supply and demand thing. Demand gone down? So should price. If you want to attract new customers with funky new products, don’t price those products as the most pricey.

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