The anti-pantyhose movement doesn't mean our interest in hosiery has fallen to ankle-length proportions.

Hosiery has been a key part of women's wardrobes since the turn of the century. Socks gave way to stockings attached to garter belts as long skirts started hitting mid-calf in the 1920s flapper era.

Early this millennium, women stopped trying so hard to dress like men at work. Pink became an acceptable shade, cleavage started to peek out, and bare legs became the norm.

Now as we enter the third consecutive summer of the dress - with this year's emphasis on Empire-waist fitted shifts - we still prefer our legs sans stockings. Even Michelle Obama - wife of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama - publicly decried pantyhose two weeks ago.

In fact, Alison Hessert, director of public relations at No Nonsense, predicts a jump in interest in sheer pantyhose in both flesh and colored tones based on their visibility on fall 2008 runways in Karl Lagerfeld and Miu Miu presentations.