How Hos Changed My Life

Before I begin tonight's post about hosiery, I have something to say. I would like to clear something up first before I begin my rambling for the people (ahem, Bacne) that have misconceptions about me. First, I am not a ho. I would actually much rather be a rake because at least rakes get to play with leaves. Hoes just play with dirt. Now that this matter has been cleared up, I can begin.

I remember I used to hate tights as a kid. Getting ready for Christmas musicals was not a fun time for me or my mom who had to I had to pull and scrunch, pull and scrunch the tights up my chubby legs. Plus, I couldn't scratch where I wanted, if you catch my drift. Now as I look back at my horrid experience with tights, I wonder what the heck I am doing now wearing them all the time. I suppose I was in part influenced by all the wonderful street style photographs I began seeing as I started college. While the idea of wearing tights is nothing new, it has certainly become a lot more "trendy". I began wearing tights as a way to conceal my legs. Yes. I have used to have self image problems. Don't we all? I hated my legs. My parents called them "turnip" legs because well, they looked like turnips. These comments no doubt, scarred me for the rest of my life. Thanks parents. (I'm just kidding....my parents actually read my blog, so please don't get offended). I thought I could hide them under tights. Last year, I never revealed my legs in all its naked glory during college. I was always covered in something be it pants, tights, or leggings. But then I had an epiphany. I can't change my legs. Unless I fly over to Korea and get surgery, which would leave me a semi-cripple for the rest of my life, I chose my legs. Sure they may be a little more on the muscular side, but without them I wouldn't be able to walk or run or do all the activities I love to do! Slowly, I've started to appreciate them. I don't care anymore about caring how other people view my body because those people can stick a pencil up their butts. I was a fool to think that tights would somehow cover what I didn't like about my body. After all, tights were like a second skin which showed off the shape of my calves as if I didn't wear anything at all. It is a good feeling to accept ourselves, our bodies and how we look. It feels really good. Better than losing those 10 pounds after three months of dieting I tell you. It feels good. It may take a while for you to completely accept who you are, but boy, it feels good when you finally do.


Okay, enough of that personal rant. But yes, I love tights and my love for color greatly benefited from my love of leg accessories. I can now have red legs, blue legs, yellow legs every day of the week. When it comes to my favorite color, mine is the rainbow. Pessimistic Bacne says that's cheating because you technically cannot pick "rainbow" as your favorite color, but is it really? I like every color of the electromagnetic spectrum. That was inner nerd speaking right there folks. I can find beauty and inspiration in every shade and hue so really it's the people who stick with one color who are losing out in the end. It was only a matter of time that I found out that I could change the color of my legs with colored hosiery! Opaque, sheer, textured, or patterned, give it to me and I will wear. Not only are tights a great way to brighten up (or brighten down) an outfit, they also serve quite well for those who are sick of pants during the winter time. At least for me here in Southern California where having a winter is foreign to many of natives, tights can be a nice alternative for when the thermometer drops below 70 degrees.

I began thinking that I should gather around all the people who share the same love of hosiery with me and host a HOSIERY PARTY!! I would seriously want these fabulous gals to attend my party.

photos from Facehunter, Hel-Looks, and Flickr

I seriously want to snatch those tights from the girlies on my VIP list!!

Now comes the part of where to buy such wonderful hosiery and I will give you tips on how to do it cheap, because yes I am a cheapskate. I just can't justify shelving out more than $10 for a pair of tights, although I am sure that some companies do make wonderful high quality tights.For me, many of my tights have come from thrift stores. Don't worry they were "new" and still in the packaging. Thrift stores often have wonderful selection of old lady-esque hosiery that are quite cheap with some of the most interesting patterns and colors that you probably wouldn't be able to find at your local Target. On my last thrift trip, I bought four packs of what I thought were tights, but turned out to be sheer hosiery which is good because I like change and it's always good to experiment up a bit. I also bought some tights from the 99 cent store. They were these "control top" tights in neutral colors. When I first wore them, I understood what "control top" meant because boy do they control your flabby tummy.

I also love looking at online stores such as We Love Colors and Sock Dreams for their tights and socks but too bad their prices are just a little too much for me. Costume shops and costume tights on ebay are another wonderful idea. I can imagine getting those two red and green jester tights inspired by my VIP guest's two toned tights.

As I go to sleep, I will dream about tights and my lovely "turnip" legs.

And so they ask me how I do it

A frequent question I get from readers and friends is who takes my pictures for all my "Lala's Style of the Day" photos. Well ladies and gentlemen, the truth is, if I have not already told you before, is my camera takes the pictures for me. Good ole self timer. I rarely let people take pictures for me because I feel embarrassed for trying to act all "model-y" when I am cleary anything but a model. I also love self timer because it lets you become the photographer and the model at the same time. So much creative energy is there all you have to do is RELEASE! That was random, but random things pumps up my endorphins and endorphins make me happy and happy people don't kill other people.

That was a revamped line from Legally Blonde if you didn't get it.

So yes, self timer is a wonderful invention. I try to be more creative when I know no one is watching. Making a fool of myself is my biggest fear. I guess I've conquered my fear already because I make a fool of myself 24/7. Here now, all you fashionistas or fashionistos are some of my tips for creating wonderful self-timer photographic art.

• Any digital camera with a self timer will be the first start. This first start is rather important seeing as how you can't take pictures with say your eyes, although that would be realllllly neat. a little freaky, but neat nonetheless.
• You do not need a tripod. If you have one that's good. If you don't have one, that's good too. All you need is a table or something elevated from which you can place your camera on.
• Look through the lense before you step in front of it to approximate the distance between you and the camera and to see where you want to stand for creating a lovely composition.
• If at first you don't succeed, try again. And again. And again. Skills aren't born, they're practiced. So go practice your self-timer taking skills NOW!
• Be creative. Make weird poses. Find new places to take pictures at. Such as outside or in a stairwell or on the floor or in a toilet. You never know.
• I usually find places that are isolated so no one can see me. When people are around me I feel that I can't show my true self and then I try to make some lame coverup to why I was so narcisstic and taking a picture of myself. If you aren't afraid of people, then go at it tiger!

However, I am by no means a self-timer expert. If you want truly inspirational self-timer skills check out this video of model Elle Muliarchyk's kamikaze skills. When I first watched it at fashaholic's blog, I knew that that was what I wanted to be when I grow up - a kamikaze self timer photographermodel.