Not so long ago, pantyhose were marketed to women as a symbol of professionalism and liberation, and were considered part of the workplace dress code.

But women entering the work force today don't even remotely feel that way.

Sales of pantyhose have dropped every year since the mid-'90s, which is when companies began loosening their dress codes. And between better tanning products and the "Sex and the City" effect -- sexy shoes, hold the hose -- women have been rolling them back.

Women in New York also said that virtually no one they know wears pantyhose to work, and if they were required to, there might be an uprising.

But then he wrote to the bible of the business world, The Wall Street Journal, to settle the controversy. Had dress codes really changed? Is it OK to forgo hose at the office?