Can we talk about panty hose?

[Bob Dole]

I've read discussions around here that indicate there might be a generational divide between those of us who suffered but endured for 50 years, and our relative newcomers. I saw a post on FB earlier claiming that Raquel Welch auditioned for the Maryann character on Gilligan's Island, and the first reply to the photo attached was, "She's wearing panty hose"

When I was growing up, respectable women not wearing slacks wore panty hose. Hell, L'eggs and their packing and marketing probably made some people a fortune. Hane's was a huge brand. Panty hose were as mainstream as anything you could imagine. My professionally employed wife (married 1986) wore panty hose with her skirts every day, and as a dancer, she had pretty good gams. (Not that kind of dancer, perverts.)

I remember clearly the first professional woman I saw wearing a skirt and no hose, and I remember thinking, "What the ****?" She was albino white, kind of bow legged, and her legs were not particularly attractive. I've since gotten used to it, but it's significant that I remember the moment

I'm just interested in the opinions and comments of others in this bubble, even though I expect the usual suspect's dismissive trolling. There was a change in our culture, and I'm just curious.