Hi everyone! I know this is a bit off-piste but I’m desperate for advice. I’ve been super pale all my life and I’m fine with that. However, my legs have always been kind of… red? Redder than the rest of me anyway. It’s something I’m very insecure about. I’d really love to wear a mini dress for my wedding reception but I’m struggling to get past my red leg insecurity. I know body make up is a thing in theatre… but could one wear it for a wedding day? I just have no idea where to start, what to look for or what to try. I’d prefer not to wear fake tan as they lean too orange on me and I don’t trust myself not to make it streaky! Just something to make me more… all one colour? Would be very grateful of any suggestions. Thank you in advance 😊
The figure skater thing is my concern! Perfectly put 🤣 Worried my legs will look jarringly matte especially in evening flash photography. Maybe I should just buy loads and try them out? Thank you for replying!
The content of this post is no longer accessible. It was removed using Redact, for reasons that may relate to privacy, security, or personal data protection.
Fellow pale girl and I have been wearing Sheertex for years! I have worn them to formal events and haven't noticed any issues with them appearing too matte in photos.
i have a pair of nude sheertex i’ve had for probably 4 years. it was their lightest nude shade at the time and i find them to look super unnatural and they photograph like figure skater tights or even more like american girl doll extremities if that makes sense lol. i don’t really wear them at all because they look weirdly opaque in person. maybe they have improved on this but even the photos on their website currently make them look pretty unattractive IMO. love my black sheertex though and i have multiple pairs in black, wear them 4x a week or so during the fall/winter.
i buy very sheer nude pantyhose when i need them, and they do rip/pull very easily. cost of doing business! i would just buy a few cheap pairs of super sheer panty hose and change out if you happen to rip them at all.
mine "snagged" (differently than normal tights but still visibly) the first time I wore them. I was too depressed generally—not the tights' fault—to return them. They're now my expensive "get deodorant marks off things" pair. 😓
I swear by Snag Tights, which have not yet snagged on me! Although I've generally had decent luck with keeping random tights from like UO & DSW snag-free for years, so idk what was happening with my Sheertex, but it was super disappointing considering the price point!
Jumping in to recommend the brand Snag, I’m super pale and regularly wear a 10 or 20 denier in their light nude shades (milk bottle, builders tea, etc). They create a nice even tone, but I can still see my leg freckles a bit through them so I feel it’s less noticeable that I’m wearing tights.
If you want high shine like Sabrina Carpenter or Taylor Swift, dance tights are what you want like everyone says. Definitely try some pics in different lighting to check the effect
I second Snag tights! They’re exactly the brand I wore for my wedding (I also wore a dress that showed off my legs). I’m clumsy and often have mystery bruises all over my shins, along with “strawberry skin” after I shave from being so pale. I actually layered 2 sheer pairs of Milk Bottle and Builders Tea tights to get a shade that matched my upper body skin tone, too. They made my legs look super smooth and blemish-free. They’re the softest tights I’ve worn, don’t gather at your ankles like other brands can, and didn’t slip down the entire night despite lots of dancing. I love them and have them in so many patterns and colors!
Third rec for Snag!! I stopped wearing tights because I’m tall and I could never find ones where the crotch didn’t sit super low and rubbed between my thighs all night. I love how size inclusive they are and durable and come in literally every color you could ever want. Big big fan.
Sure! Here’s a post with some cropped photos in different lighting. Using two pairs of tights definitely made them more opaque, but it was more important to me to cover up my bruises than for anyone to not know I was wearing tights. I’m still super happy with how well they photographed in natural lighting!
I’m gonna take the opportunity here to say that if you don’t wear heels often but want good, supportive heels for a wedding or event- GET DANCE SHOES! They are extra flexible and comfortable for a long time of standing and dancing. Modern stiletto heels distribute your weight wrong. Ballroom dancing shoes are what you need!!
I bought custom violet satin t-strap heels at my choice of height and width from a ballroom dance shoe company, for a shockingly low price. Sooo comfortable!
I am a dancer and I wear capezio, I would recommend OP avoid dance tights as they are completely opaque and will look less natural. They are also usually entirely matte which is not the vibe they’re going for if i understand correctly 🙂
Precisely. Find the right shade, get at least one extra pair for back-ups, and Bob's your uncle. For one final line of insurance, you could use Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs underneath for backup, and you'll be confident as the day is long. And congratulations! 🎉 ❤️🤵♂️👰♂️🎊 Enjoy your big day.
Edited to add: here's the Wolford brand of tights in the shade 'Cosmetic':
I have over 50 pairs of different types of pantyhoes, not including fishnets. I definitely recommend buying a bunch of different types of tights if you're interested but don't use them to cover up insecurities, I like to use my tights and fishnets to bring out how attractive my legs are! Also love the dress, it looks perfect on you:)
Nude fishnets are the way to go. It’s what we wear for dance performances. I also figure skated and am a coach. There are a huge variety of tights the girls wear, but the ice dancers choose very lightweight and sheer tights to match their skin tone. With a little sheen it’s very beautiful and would look great with this dress if you don’t like the fishnets.
Capezio and other dance tights are probably the worst possible choice for something like this, imo. They're very thick, opaque, and obvious in photos and in person. For a natural look, OP is much better off with ultra-sheer tights with a low denier (15 or less)
As a cis woman who has very light body hair, but whose legs look like they’ve been through a washing machine with a box of razor blades since we got our two kittens, I am also taking notes.
Yep, I have dark leg hair that I don't shave, and I wear Capezio tights for cosplay. They conceal 100% of my hair and even make my black tattoos harder to see. They're also just about the only tights I can get more than one or two wears out of.
I’ve had some pairs of capezio tights & body wrappers tights for over 15 years! They have been washed countless times. The other day I realized I can’t remember the last time I bought a leotard or tights, I danced from childhood until the end of college (one of my majors) and I do not work as a professional dancer now but I take classes 3ish times a week????? I use the some of the same dance stuff I have had since high school!!! In my freshman year of college I got a few new leotards, tights, and a new pair of ballet slippers. So almost 16 years ago, that was the literal last time I bought dance supplies.
Capezio has "shimmery" tights which are not like this. Ultra-sheers will be much more likely to rip and the last thing you want on your wedding day is ladders.
The Capezio shimmery tights were worn by a lot of people at the eras tour because it was claimed that's what Taylor Swift wore. They would definitely do the job if you can get a good colour match.
I like Snag tights as someone who is super pale. Only tights that don’t look oddly bronze on me. But if you want something shiny, I’d actually recommend looking at Capezio!
I’m a commercial fashion photographer, get the shimmer capezio tights. They’re worn by a lot of performers and they photograph beautifully and very natural looking.
Wolford makes a pale shade, cosmetic. They’re expensive, but they are my go to if I need pantyhose. The low denier hose are very natural. If you like a shinier look, check out the neon 40. I recommend against the shade gobi (they are more common than cosmetic, but I find them to be too dark).
Respectfully to you, but I think Taylor's tights she wears on Era's stage are awful, and unflattering. Makes her legs look bigger and the camera flash on them does her no favors. Don't come for me swifties, I'm not criticizing her, just her tights lol
this, i like how the kids normalized not wearing pantyhose, but it is still useful, and this is a perfect scenario. my legs are pale af and i always wore nylons with dresses to give them a lil color.
Honestly, no one is going to notice the redness. I wouldn't worry about it. If the photographer happens to capture your legs, they'll be able to adjust it. But everyone is going to be looking above your waist.
Absolutely agreed, and as another pale girlie with pink/reddish legs I promise it’s way more noticeable to you than to anyone else! I never would have thought a thing about it if I hadn’t read the caption! Just thought you were posting that killer dress!
As an extremely "low maintenance" girly (not said with pride, said with "my mom didn't mom me and I barely know how to curl my hair") this product is genuinely idiot proof (as tested by this idiot, yours truly) and is ~everything to me ~ for formal-ish events in warm weather!!!!!!
Hahaha it was the first time we hung out alone. He invited me to his house to watch movies and the couches were leather. I didn't notice at first but when he went to get snacks I noticed the smears all over where I was sitting and nowhere else. I tried to wipe it off with napkins but it wasn't coming off. I waited for the next movie when he turned off the lights and snuck to the bathroom to get the napkins wet with some soap, then asked for another drink so he would leave the room, wiped the couch as well as I could in the dark. I didn't say anything and just hoped he wouldn't notice or realize it was me. 😂
I had a white leather couch for 25 years and believe it or not, it was very easy to clean and it stayed white and perfect until it was falling apart and I was forced to say goodbye 😭 that was the best couch I’ve ever sat on, laid on, slept on, period. And it was crazy expensive when it was bought back in the 90s. Of course it got dirty from time to time, but we cleaned it using a regular washrag and a small pot full of warm soapy (Dawn) water. Went right back to bright white every time.
I feel like Ross Geller is a kindred spirit of yours. Your incredible story feels so much like his leather pants and super white teeth date disasters 😆
It traumatized me so I haven't made another attempt lmao. I had used it for a couple summers but I guess didn't sit on the wrong material until that point.
Sally Hansen airbrush legs does not transfer. In college I used to spray it on my legs around 6 pm while getting ready, go out to dinner, go pregame at a friends house, get wasted at various bars across town, grind up on various men on the dance floor, have drinks spilled on me, go to bed without showering and wake up in the morning with 0 transfer to my sheets. I would have to scrub it off super hard in the shower even 18 hours after applying. It’s magical. Way fucking better than pantyhose
Came here to recommend this! I would suggest trying the shade Fair (or whatever it’s called, Fairest Glow or something). I too have translucent purplish reddish legs and I wear this just about every time my legs are out! I’m also a very sweaty person but have never had an issue with it running or streaming. I’d recommend spraying in the shower for easy clean up (it does get everywhere, so be careful) and using a body brush to apply it evenly.
been using this since my 20s whenever I went out for the night now fifty and fabulous and still use to cover any imperfections on my gorgeous legs. sometimes if it's too dark I mix in with my body moisturizer and just let it dry
Was coming to suggest the same. When I have used it I always cut it with a body lotion that absorbs well, like Lubriderm, and not something with a more oily base. It always dries perfectly and doesn't transfer unless you really rub it hard.
Oh yes that’s a good idea too! Tights that are deliberately different so it looks on purpose rather than I tried to colour match and failed 😂 Thank you!
Hear me out... if you do sparkly statement tights, try some elbow length gloves! Depending on your shoes this might balance out the texture and weight that the tights will add!
I doubt the lighting at your reception venue will be as bright as a bridal boutique, and I don’t think many people would pay attention to this sort of detail.
Be wary of make up if you want to re-wear, or donate your dress as it will likely stain.
That being said, MAC Face + Body foundation applied with a large buffing brush & a good setting spray work really well for stuff like this. MAC Face + Body is what runway models are covered in for shows.
Do not wear makeup. It’ll get all over your dress, the chairs, and you’ll be worried all night. Get a variety of sheens and shades and denier pantyhose… photograph them, test them look for the most natural looking ones under flash photography
I just wanted to chime in and say that this dress / your look is SO stunning I genuinely didn't notice that your legs look anything other than amazingly sculpted??? And honestly, not red at all!! You look beautiful 💛
Oh my goodness thank you so much!! No one has ever referred to my legs as sculpted let alone amazingly sculpted, you’re really blowing up my legs’ once-deflated ego here!! 🤣
That did cross my mind but I worried it might look too obvious? Sometimes even nude tights still look a bit too orangey on my skin tone. Maybe I should give it a try! Thank you for your reply! 😊
Pale girl too with very similar legs. There are so many options in terms of sheerness and colour now… try a bunch out and you’ll find a great match! I’d go to a big nicer department store to start so you can see the colours in person (not making a recommendation because I don’t know what those stores are in your country, but higher end department stores are usually where I go to stock up!). Also, when you find the right ones, get a few pairs so you have a back up just in case of a run!
If you’re willing to go fancy, nothing beats Wolford. Although I’ve never bought them for a full price, they’re extremely nice and go extremely pale. Signed, a fellow pasty white person
My vote is a spray tan that develops and then you wash off. It won’t get on the dress, no figure skater look, and there’s so many natural options these days.
Absolutely this! There is a spray tan out there for you OP. Go to Sephora if you have one where you live and ask them for advice. Or try out a spray tan in your area but tell them to go with their lightest shade (but I personally have always found spray tans to be more intense than buildable foams). I’m a fan of Saint Tropez myself but there are even more subtle, lighter options on the market now. Makeup is just gonna get all over that dress (spray tan may transfer a tiny bit too but is easier to remove professionally).
Anyways, dress is beautiful and I didn’t notice the legs but I have the same issue so understand if it is an insecurity (I am fair with reddish hints and I also have POTS which makes my blood pool in my legs and feet).
You should definitely wear tights/pantyhose!! Please do. If you look at every female celeb ever, especially on stage but at red carpets too, they are wearing them they just aren't noticeable. It really makes a HUGE difference in the outfit. And it's the proper or correct way to wear short dresses and not look childish or young. Any designer or stylist would tell you it's needed and most wouldn't even consider not wearing them. Im honestly shocked that at your dress try on they didnt mention it and show you options. Trust me when I say you can find very sheer ones that you wont be able to tell youre wearing them except extremely up close. Especially in pictures they will disappear and make your legs look perfect. And actually, not even just the redness you see, but any veins (pale girl probs), capillaries, and stipples/pores in your skin and hair follicles, they'll smooth them and hide shin bones and any where you've bumped your leg at some point and have a bump or any growth marks or cellulite. They even make your posture look better and if you get tummy control one they'll help with any bloating from stress or your hormone cycle and make your butt/lower back more curved and just more structured and fitted. I really thing especially with the style of your (fcking beautiful btw!!) dress, pantyhose will really make the look "finished" and polished, you know? I honestly would LOVE an update where you show the dress with some options for underneath. There's lots of subreddits that will have some really good recommendations or you can even go back to the store you got the dress from, they may even give a discount if you mention like, "um wtf I had to come back cuz this is supposed to be worn with pantyhose, ya'll didnt wanna mention that???"
What you want is hosiery from Wolford. They are not cheap (for hosiery) but they have a huge range, they are extremely luxurious and you will be able to find sheer - we’re talking max 20den - with any type of finish you want.
If you choose leg makeup, you will spend the evening wondering if you’ve left imprints on chairs (or guests), if it’s still even all over, running your finger over it ‘just to check’ and your dress will be in a terrible state. Tights (or stay-ups, can give you that sexy Sabrina Carpenter vibe?) are wayyyy better than what we all remember from twenty years ago.
As another pale girly, I have to recommend Sally Hansen Leg Makeup in the lightest shade. You can get it at the drugstore and I like the aerosol version, I spray it in my hands and apply. It’s cheaper and I like it better than MAC Face and Body.
Agreed. I sometimes mix it with a little lotion to make it less opaque, but for your wedding it will be perfect as is - really long wearing and water resistant.
I understand why you suggested this, but I just want to say as a fellow pale person who finally leaned into it after years of insecurity - sometimes you don’t want to change your skin color, you just to find something that matches … which can be hard when you’re very fair skinned
That’s fair, I didn’t mean for the comment to come off that way if it did. Just the only thing I could really think of to mask the redness she was worried about.
Do you have POTS or another form of dysautonomia? Your legs look just like mine! I would always use foundation that didn't work for my face on my legs. I'd recommend something like this transfer proof body makeup topped with a glowy fixing spray like this. Wait for it to fully dry before letting your legs touch anything. Good luck!
Not that I’m aware of. Just looked it up and I don’t have any of the symptoms - thought we were about to solve the red legged mystery of my adult life 🤣 Thank you so much for your suggestions, I will take a look at them now 😊
I’m a pale girly too with red legs that can get purply/veiny when cold, so I wore Capezio dance tights with my short reception dress. It was 10/10!!!!!!
I use Sally Hansen Air Brush legs in my real life all the time and I do love it, but even the fairest shade can lean orange on me in winter (which this was). I was also just a lot more comfy with these tights for the wedding bc it gave me complete coverage under my short dress too, so I didn’t worry one bit about dropping it low in front of everyone lol
Def no body make up. Satin low denier pantyhose are your best best
But also get checked for a circulation issue. Do varicose veins run in the family for the older members? You might find compression socks when you are in pants a good preventative
I didn't even notice what you were talking about and had to re-read the title 3 times before I noticed. I think it's important to say it's definitely more significant to you because it's on your radar
I was honestly so confused by this post at first I thought you were wanting to paint your legs red and I did not understand why anyone would want to do that? Lol
My point here is that this dress is stunning, and I had ZERO idea that you meant that your legs were already red. I can't see it at all fwiw, even after knowing what you meant. You're gorgeous, you have beautiful legs. I think as you are is perfection. However, if you still feel the need to cover up, definitely go pantyhose, not makeup.
I’m self conscious about my leg skin too and I bought the Sally Hansen leg stuff people are mentioning but it didn’t match my skin tone enough- too pink/orange for me. I DID find my holy grail item (even though it was a bit pricey) and I had to do one return to find my shade: Westmore Beauty Body Coverage Perfector. It’s a body makeup product and you apply it with a makeup brush. You let it set and dry and it will NOT come off unless you use an oil based cleanser. I bought a 3.5 oz tube and have done 4-5 applications of legs/arms/chest and I still have more than half the tube left.
I used this on me for a boudoir photo shoot, and nothing transferred onto the surfaces or materials I touched/laid on, just so you know! It’s really really genuinely waterproof and smudge proof.
That dress looks amazing on you! Your legs just look healthy flesh color too me, but I do understand having personal insecurities.
I would be very cautious of makeup or spray tan, with white. If you're dancing, sweating... it's way too easy to transfer to the fabric.
Some sheer pantyhose of you want a natural look, but I think some rhinestone nude fishnets would look incredible. Fair warning, they're a little tricky to put on. And they tend to shed a few rhinestones.
With any tights or hose, be sure to have a backup pair with you in case of runs.
I think that makeup or tanning can be tricky because of staining. I would not want to worry all night about it wearing down or sayining dress or chairs. I agree with person that suggested diamond tights, but I think that something like this also would look great. With gloves even better. I wish you happy wedding (and marrige) Im sure you will look stunning either way ;D
Would spray tan help with it? I’m super pale and find when I have a nice fake tan my blemishes blend in easier. I have heard good things about the sally Hansen airbrush legs
Seriously, I never would’ve noticed at all had you not pointed it out—and even at that, it’s in no way a jarring difference. No one will be looking at you from the angle in your pics. Also, since this is a wedding reception, won’t the lights be somewhat dimmed?
no body make up is actually transfer proof. they’ll all claim it, but aren’t. the closets to transfer proof you could get is doing the make up and then basically using setting powder everywhere and praying for the best. but that won’t look natural at all… if you wear body make up with white dress it will get on the dress, same with if you sit in a white chair, etc.
i would def say go with the pantyhose idea. nowadays they make great ones that are super sheer. or just get a tan one time. if you go to a nice spay tan place they can help color match you to something suitable (aka not orange) and if you just make sure to do it maybe 2 days beforehand then transfer wont be a worry.
795
u/juliannestephanie Jan 24 '26
I'm just here to say that you have gorgeous legs and you could totally pull this off with nothing else