Dahan, 33, a Montreal-based mother of two and co-designer of Mackage, a brand of downtown chic outerwear. Not long ago, few fashionable women could stand wearing pantyhose. Later they began to rely instead on products like Spanx for body contouring, and self-tanning lotions to conceal blemishes. Patricia Wexler, a New York dermatologist who treats the fashion elite. Goldman said Spanx has seen more than 50 percent growth in its fashion sheers business in the last two years. Cohen attributed the increase to the relative affordability of stockings compared with other accessories and the continued importance of the dress as a fashion trend.

Pantyhose — or stockings or nylons or tights, which are not exactly the same things but are often used interchangeably — are one of those items of dress that seems innocuous and unimportant, but is actually a giant generational, occupational and cultural lightning rod. For women of a certain age, they are simply a part of girding yourself for the world; for others, they are a symbol of old-fashioned female repression and outmoded gender rules. Indeed, if you ever want to start a lively discussion during a lull in a dinner party, bring up the question of pantyhose. Even when they are invisible or skin-tone, no one is neutral on the subject. Simply consider, if you will, the case of Megan Markle.

My crotch near his. My head to his neck. So close, yet so far. I ran my tongue along his earlobe.