Sharon C

Hello Heidi (and the rest of the gang if reading), Heidi, sounds like you had a great time. Red knee-length boots... Do you mind if I ask where you got them, what brand they are, and how much they cost? I have been looking for a pair of red knee-length boots, and a pair of white patent ones, both with around 3" block heels, for the last couple of years, but haven't managed to find any as yet. Anyway, sorry this is short, need to have a little lie down as I've just finished a huge Xmas dinner. Look forward to hearing from you again soon, with love, Sharon. xx

Hello Heidi, As for which country they are in, I'll send you a private message about that, as I don't want to reveal that in a public area. I can say here, though, that I haven't ever visited, due to a few things: a) It would be very expensive, Getting the time off work would be difficult, and c) Probably most importantly of all, I have an intense phobia of hypodermic needles, and travel to that country requires several inoculations, which I could never bring myself to have Anyway, have a cracking Christmas, and look forward to hearing from you again soon. Sharon. xx P.S. Don't forget to check your private messages once you've read this.

Hello Heidi, No, I won't be going back to the UK for Christmas, as my parents are abroad in the Far East as they are retired and own property there so I very rarely get to see them at Christmas. Myself and my partner are spending the Festive days together at home, but are going to various parties on the evenings of the 24th, 25th, 26th, 31st and 1st So it's going to be a busy time. Like you, I too am looking forward to being able to show off many of my outfits, including some of my favourite tights and boots. Anyway, hope you have a great Christmas and hope to heat from you again soon. Sharon. xx

Hello Heidi, My navy skirt suit is made of a polyester and viscose mix with a nylon lining to both the skirt and jacket, and is machine-washable at 40 or 50C. It can also be tumble dried on a cool setting, so whenever I go swimming with it on, I just pop it all in the washing machine on a standard wash. Thus gets rid of the smell of any of the pool chemicals. I then tumble it dry, put them on a hanger so any small creases fall out, and it is then ready if I want to wear it the next day. Most of my skirt suits are made of very similar materials, and have all had 'the pool' test - some even on first wearing and brand new! Today I wore my black leather zip-up knee boots with three inch block heels. I wore them with a pair of grey 140 denier matt opaque tights, an 18" grey pin-stripe, rather tight pencil skirt with a silvery-grey satin blouse, and jacket to match the skirt. I must say, it did look very nice, being a mixture of looking both smart, yet feminine. Anyway, must dash, hope you have a nice evening and look forward to hearing from you again soon. Sharon. xx

Hello Heidi, Yeah, there is another Sharon on here, I know this because when I joined I tried using just my first name, but it said it was already taken, so I just used my name with the first letter of my surname. As for the navy skirt suit, I have got wet in that several times in the past, most often in the summer after work on a Friday afternoon, when I've got home and dived into my pool wearing it, boots and all As for your question regarding the gussets on opaque tights, I can certainly say yes, I do prefer opaques to have a gusset, although I will wear ones without from time to time. My partner is the same as me when it comes to this. Sounds like you had a great time on board that ship. Anyway, sorry this post is rather short, but hope to hear from you again soon. Happy Christmas, Sharon. xx

Hello Heidi, I'm glad you like the 300 deniers, and I'm glad to have introduced you to them Interesting to see that yours have the same Lycra content as mine. I was wearing mine earlier, as I wore them to work today with my black leather knee boots and navy blue skirt suit. However, when I got home, I changed my outfit to my pale green hoodie with a tight top under it, and a nearly knee-length, tight denim skirt. I kept the 300 deniers on and wore them with my pink Fila platform trainers, and then, after tea, had a bath with that outfit on. It felt really nice, especially all the cushioning in my trainers teamed with such thick, soft tights I must say, they're probably my favourite tights for getting wet in now, and they had a lovely sheen to them when I lifted my leg out of the water. As for your other questions, I haven't tried layering them yet, as they are sufficiently thick; however I do wear leggings over them quite a lot, as that feels very comfortable, soft, warm and cosy and, above all, tight, which is perfect for me as I hate loose clothing. I'm fine with baggy hoodies and jumpers, but that's about the limit. As for the thickness of my 300 deniers, they are of an even denier from the toe caps all the way up to the waistband. The waistband on them looks like it's very durable, as it's an inch high and nice and stretchy, so when wearing them they don't dig in to you but they do hug you nicely, keeping them in place. They also have a decent gusset on them for added comfort and fit. Do yours have one? Look forward to hearing from you soon, and have a nice weekend. Sharon. xx

Hello again Heidi, Thanks. When I get a minute, I'll look up moon boots. I'm glad you managed to find some 300 denier opaques. Do you mind if I ask how much you paid for them, and which brand you purchased? Also, what is the Lycra content of 300 deniers you bought? My ASDA ones are 96% Polyamide and 4% Lycra. I remember years and years ago, when I used to wear opaques as part of my school uniform. Back then, I wouldn't buy tights with less than 8% Lycra, as 4% wouldn't make them tight and clingy enough, and they didn't stay up very well. But these days, the technology has improved so much that, with Lycra 3D weaving and various other modern forms of nylon, 4% now is perfect. The 300 deniers I have hardly ever need pulling up at all, even when wearing for over ten hours a day. How do you find this with yours? Anyway, look forward to hearing from you again soon. Sharon. xx

Hello Heidi (and the rest of the gang), Heidi, I haven't heard of those boots before but they sound lovely. How much do they cost, and do they do them in my size, EUR 42 (size ? As for my tights, I haven't tried layering them yet, as they already feel thick enough. They feel indestructible, very soft and comfortable with a smooth matt finish. The ones I have are black; I'm not sure if they do any other colours. I'll have to ask my friend who got me them. They came from the UK supermarket 'ASDA', which is the UK arm of the American hypermarket chain 'Wal-Mart', and cost 4GBP per pair. I'm going to be getting her to send me over another two or three pairs. If you Google search ASDA UK, you'll find their website, where you'll be able to search the ladies' clothing department for them. However, I'm not sure if they'll do international delivery or not, as I haven't checked myself, but it's worth a look. They come in a purple card packet with black writing saying '300 denier thermal'. Let me know how you get on. Regards, Sharon. xx

Hello Heidi (and the rest of the gang), Heidi, you're certainly right. I had the bath on Friday evening. It was lovely. I stepped in and stood there, and within around five seconds I suddenly felt my feet get really warm with the water as it came in everywhere and soaked through my thick grey slouch socks and the 140 denier black tights I was wearing. I then sat down, and my legs went under the water. It went through my leggings, tights and panties in what felt like an instant. I then lay back, soaking myself completely through to my bra. The whole outfit felt fantastic. I'm probably going to do the same again this Friday, but in a different outfit. Oh yeah, up until recently my thickest opaques have been my 140 denier ones, but last week a friend of mine in England sent me two pairs of - wait for it.... 300 denier!! Black matt opaque tights. I was amazed, as I never knew such a high denier existed. Being as I always wear tights, I couldn't wait to try them on, and I must say, they felt gorgeous! They felt as thick as leggings, but with feet. I've asked her to send me some more, as they are one of the cosiest and most comfortable pairs of true winter opaques I have ever worn! Sharon. xx

Hi Jane (and the rest of the gang), Jane, yep, I'm definitely going to have a fully clothed bath later today. I was going to wear my skirt suit, opaque tights and leather knee boots, but I've changed my mind, and instead will change into my black fur-lined Rocket Dog calf boots, grey marl slouch socks over my 140 denier black tights, black classic leggings worn over the tights, cotton panties and bra with a form-fitted tee top and my pink hoodie. Should be lovely. Jane, if you're planning a fully-clothed bath, what do you plan to wear (in detail)? Look forward to hearing from you in due course. Sharon. xx

Hi Jane (and the rest of the gang), Jane, nice to hear from you again. I haven't had any wet shoe/boot fun for a few weeks now. Mind you, it's Friday tomorrow, and I won't need my work boots or clothes until Monday, so I may do a fully clothed bath tomorrow If so, I'll post about it over the weekend. Speaking of weekends, hope you all have a great one. Sharon. xx

Hello Heidi (and the rest of the gang if you're reading), Nice to hear from you, sounds like you had fun the other night. I haven't been to any Christmas parties yet, although I probably will be within the next two weeks. I haven't much to report on the getting wet side of things, so this post is going to be short and simple. Anyway, hope you're well and look forward to hearing from you and, hopefully, Jane, Alexa, Sangue and Wyndi as well, real soon. Sharon. xx

Hello Heidi (and the rest of the gang), Heidi, in answer to your question, no, as I'd run a deep bath that was calf-deep when I stepped in, as I wanted my shoes and socks to be completely submerged. As for stomping down when my trainers are full, they squish and squelch a lot, but very little gets out due to the fact that they are leather-topped and not the fabric-topped variety. As for it being more stable showering rather than bathing in trainers, I would say there's very little difference, as they have good grip. Anyway, sorry this reply was a little shorter than usual, look forward to hearing from you all again soon. Sharon. xx

Hiya Jane (and the rest of the gang), Jane, glad to hear you've finally tried the trainers, socks and tights in the bath. It's funny you should did this the other day, as I also did the very same this afternoon. I'd been out shopping all morning, and had done a lot of driving as well. When I got home, I ran myself a nice deep bath with bubble bath and stepped in wearing what I'd worn all morning, which was my white and lilac Reebok Classic leather trainers, pink and grey striped cotton ankle socks over 40 denier black satin tights and a pair of black classic cotton/lycra full-length leggings. On my top half, I had a bright pink hoodie with a form-fitted pale pink top underneath, and obviously my bra and panties. I spent nearly an hour in the bath. It felt so nice when I first stepped in, feeling all the warm water filling my trainers and soaking through my socks and tights. The rest of the outfit also felt fantastic. Anyway, hope you're all having a great weekend and hope to hear from you soon. Sharon. xx

Hello Heidi (and the rest of the gang), In response to your last post regarding wearing tights with court shoes, I'm assuming you are referring to the slippery sensation caused by your feet sweating in the shoes and tights? If so, I would say that I only tend to feel it a bit, as I usually always wear thick opaque tights. However, I have found that if I wear my 40 denier satin-feel opaques with court shoes, they do make my feet sweat a lot more, and it does feel a bit slippery around my toes by around lunchtime. Knee-length boots also do this, as the feet are obviously deeply enclosed, but for some reason court shoes tend to do it more. Hope to hear from you all again soon, Sharon. xx

Hi gang, Jane, nice to see you back. I'm sure I can speak for the rest of our little gang when I say that you have been missed. Heidi, in answer to your first question about whether, when swimming in knee boots and double-layered tights, do they get heavy, I have to say there is a two-part answer to this question. If you walk slowly into the pool, you do feel them filling up as the water goes through the zips. If you just jump/fall into othe pool, when you come up from under the water, the boots are obviously 100% full in a mere few seconds. However, they don't feel heavy to swim in, as you're basically weightless in water no matter what you're wearing. However, when you climb out of the pool, knee boots do feel pretty heavy to walk in for the first minute or so, until most of the water has drained from them. This can take longer if I'm wearing a lot of clothes, as all the water tends to run downwards, straight down my legs and into my boots again. As for your second question, regarding whether swimming in heels affects the way I swim, I'm not entirely sure. I don't think it does, as I can swim perfectly well both above and underwater in them, however it's been nearly 30 years since I swam without clothes and boots/shoes on and just a swimsuit. I can't remember how that feels. Wyndi, regarding your question, I would have to say that providing the boots or shoes are of at least a fairly good quality, the insole/lining should not roll or curl up at all. I've gone swimming in one of my favourite pairs of black leather knee boots at least 30 times in the nearly two years I've had them, and as long as I just dry them overnight on a radiator you'd never know anything had happened to them the next day. There is an additional plus side to this, in that the mild chlorine in the pool water kills any bacteria in the boots or shoes from where my feet have been sweating in them, and therefore my boots and shoes have no smell. And, for your second question, in order to stop wet padded shoes or boots developing any mould, the easiest way is to just dry them on a radiator for at least 24 hours, maybe turning them upside-down or on their sides every eight hours or so. And, lastly but by no means least, Sangue. In answer to your question about the more drastic differences in weather, yes, the USA probably does have more drastic weather changes when changing seasons due to the number of different kinds of climates. For example, more northern states, nearer to the border with Canada, see more climatic extremes than other states much further south. Anyway, look forward to hearing from you all again soon. Sharon. xx

Hi Wyndi (and the rest of the gang), Regarding your question about whether I drip-dry or towel-dry wet tights after showering, I usually just take them off when I've finished getting wet, and then put them in the washing machine with the rest of the outfit that I got wet in (apart from my shoes or boots, which are drained out in the sink and then put to dry on a radiator). In the summer, I tend to nearly always go in my pool for a swim wearing a full outfit. I always like to vary the types of clothes that I wear, as different outfits feel different to swim in. For example, a sporty outfit consisting of trainers, slouch socks, classic black cotton/lycra leggings, a fitted tee top and a baggy hoodie feels completely different to swim in than a formal work outfit such as the one I described in my previous post yesterday. I've also found that, when I've been for a clothed swim in the sea or a lake, the layers of soaking wet clothes keep me warm as the wind can't penetrate through the fibres, even though they're completely soaked through. I tend to find my natural body warmth warms up the air between the layers and prevents me from getting cold, kind of like the way a wetsuit works. Well, look forward to hearing from you all as always. Sharon. xx

Hi gang, Wyndi, with regards to your question about what feels nicest wet when it comes to tights, I would say it's down to personal preference. I like getting wet in various different types, from 40 denier satin-feel opaques to my 140 denier ultra-matt opaques. I recently went for a clothed swim and was wearing two pairs of purple 140 deniers with black 3" block heel leather knee boots with a two-piece skirt suit and satin blouse. I must say, the whole outfit felt lovely to swim in, but the nicest sensation was definitely the double-layered opaques and knee-length boots. As for showering or bathing in tights, using soap or shampoo is certainly an option. Sometimes, if I'm in a mischievous and playful mood, I soak my tights in the shower (whilst wearing them), and then pour shampoo over my legs and rub it all in to a rich lather, making a pair of black tights look almost like they're white Other substances can also be poured inside tights, and each one has a different feel to it. Sangue, in answer to your question, yes, us Europeans have kind of been forced to work using the modern Metric measurement system, and whilst I can do most conversions, Metric to Imperial and vice versa, I tend to work in a bit of both systems. For example, when I am talking about people's height and shoe/boot heel heights, I use the Imperial 'feet and inches' scale. The same with weight; I use the Imperial 'pounds and stones' (lb and st). I also tend to lean more towards Imperial when it comes to measuring volume. For example, when I fill my car up, I go by Gallons instead of Litres. Maybe I'm just showing my age a bit LOL. Well, that's me for now. Look forward to some more interesting chat with you all. Sharon. xx

Hi Sangue (and the rest of the gang), Thanks for what you said about my wardrobe sounding nice. I think you would like most of my outfits, and probably Heidi's as well, as Heidi and I do tend to like the same kind of things. Thanks for putting your height as 5'3", as I'm useless at working out metres and centimetres for people's height. I'm 5'9" barefoot, but I love wearing heels to make me taller still I tend to usually wear 2.5-3.5" block heels, as I find those are the most practical, especially for at the office. 3" heels are great, as they make me 6' tall, and taller than most of the men at work It gives me a feeling of power. Regarding the outfit you described, I must say it does sound nice, although personally I would swap the stockings for opaque tights instead. You also mention it being -2C in Minnesota. Wow, that is chilly, especially for just mid-November. Over here in Germany, we are having an unusually mild early winter. I think most of Europe is also milder than it should be for the time of year at the moment. Well, must get on, things to do as always. Hope to hear from you all again soon. Sharon. xx

Hi Sangue (and the rest of the gang), Sangue, I read what you asked Heidi, hope you don't mind me answering this question too. When I was in both junior and senior schools, opaque tights were a girls' winter uniform requirement. They had to be opaque (40 denier min) and could be either black, navy blue, dark brown or dark grey. These days, especially in the last couple of years, opaque tights have become very much the "in" thing, which is fantastic for me as I absolutely love them. Regarding the issue with stockings, I can't say whether or not other women would pass comment on me wearing them, simply because I don't wear them. I do however get several positive comments from other women about my tights, especially when I wear ones with an unusual pattern, or of a non-conventional colour. I've even had strangers stop me in a supermarket aisle, asking me where I bought my tights. When I say people, I mean other women. I don't think men tend to notice this kind of thing, but then again I don't pay much attention to men. I've nothing against men, but I don't have anything in common with them either, and as such I have very few male friends outside of work. In regards to your other remark to Heidi about your husband preferring you in more suggesting rather than revealing clothing, it's funny you should say that, as my partner has a similar attitude towards this. She likes it when I wear knee boots, thick tights and a short, fairly tight just-above-the-knee-length skirt along with form-fitted tops that show a clear outline of the bra I am wearing underneath. Anyway, hope you're all having a great weekend. I'm off out into town with friends in around an hour's time. Sharon. xx

Hello Heidi (and the rest of the gang), Heidi, in regards to your question, as far as the amount of days in the year that I wear my heeled boots, it's probably easier to count the number of days that I don't wear them. I would say it's only around 20 days in the year that I don't wear heeled boots for at least half of the day, and no days of the year that I don't wear opaque tights. As for my girlfriends, I only have one. We've been together since 1993, and have been living together since early 1996. She likes me in heeled boots and opaque tights, as I'm definitely the more girlie of the two of us. As for the strangest thing I've done whilst wearing my heeled boots, I will have to get back to you on this one when I can think what the absolute strangest thing was, and when. Anyway, as always, look forward to hearing from you all again soon. Hope you all have a fantastic weekend. Sharon. xx

Hiya gang, Heidi, in response to your question, it depends. If I've worn knee-length boots to work, then very often I'll keep them on when I get home as well, as I find them very comfortable. However, if it's been a very hot day and I've worn courts and tights to work, then I'll usually change my courts for knee boots when I get home. I do sometimes wear my flat, fur-lined Ugg boots, especially if I'm wearing black leggings over my tights, as I find that it's a look that suits me. Another nice look which I sometimes wear is my tan Ugg boots with brown diamond-patterned thick opaque tights, teamed with a pale denim mini skirt. I'm quite tall, and the diamond patterning looks great on my long legs. Anyway, hope everyone's doing great and look forward to hearing from you all soon. Sharon. xx

Hi 'gang' Jane, lovely to see you back. I think we were all beginning to wonder where you'd got to, and yes, Sangue is definitely part of our little group now Heidi, with regards to your question and observation, yes, I am in tights almost 24 hours a day. As for my knee boots, on a work day I would have them on from around 7.30am until I get home. Then I'd get changed and put them back on again, and keep them on through the evening until I get ready for bed around midnight, so I would have my boots on for between 16-17 hours per day. Anyway, I would like to welcome Wyndi to our little group. Sorry this message was a bit short and sweet, will catch up with you all again very soon. Look forward to hearing from you all soon, Sharon. xx

Hello again Heidi and Sangue (and Jane and Alexa if reading), Heidi, wow, you really were working late last night weren't you! I hope they pay you proper overtime for making you work as late as 10.30pm? Sangue, thanks for accepting my friend request. I only send friend requests to those who are part of our little group, and you certainly fit in well As for your question regarding getting used to wearing tights and the way they feel, I personally can't remember, as I started wearing them when I was just four years old. Opaque tights were always a part of my junior and senior school uniforms, so I guess I've always been used to the way they feel. I find them so comfortable that even during my school years, I would wear tights with my normal clothes on weekends and holidays. When I left school, I continued to wear them every day, literally all year round, from back then right up to the present day. You mention about getting a hot, asphyxiated feeling when wearing opaque tights. I've never had that sensation even on hot summer days. During the summer, I still wear between 80-140 denier ultra opaques without getting over-warm anywhere from the waistband to the tips of my toes. I'm not sure if you can buy them in the States, but in Europe we can get opaque tights made of a special blend of materials, typically microfibre, polyamide and 3D-woven Lycra with Tactel, branded as "Climate Control". This feature can be found on many leading supermarket brands of opaque tights and, as it says on the packet, "Designed to keep you cool when it's hot, and warm when it's not." It's been around for about the last decade, and I can certainly say from experience that it does exactly what it says on the packet! I've worn them in the height of summer with a short skirt and ballet pumps when the outdoor temperature has been touching 30C (86F) for the entire day, and not once thought about taking them off due to being too warm. On the other end of the scale, I've also worn them to work with my skirt suit and knee-length boots in the middle of January when the outdoor temperature is only around 0-2C (32-34F), and they've done a marvellous job of keeping my feet and legs cosy and warm. Anyway, look forward to hearing from you again soon. Sharon. xx

Hi Sangue (and Heidi, Jane, Alexa if reading), I have my own heated outdoor pool in my garden, of which I'm always going in it fully clothed, and nearly all the time my outfit does include a pair of opaque tights as they just feel so lovely to swim in. I haven't found that the pool chemicals have ever harmed any of them, or any of the rest of the clothes I wear, including my shoes or boots. I just shower off in them after a swim, then put the entire outfit in the washing machine as normal, and everything comes up great. With the shoes or boots, if they are my leather trainers, they can be machine washed, but if it's knee-length boots or fur-lined calf length Ugg boots, then I have to rinse them out in the bath or shower and let them dry on top of a radiator. I can relate to what you were saying about your socks and trainers when you were at Disneyland. I absolutely love the feeling of soaking wet squishy socks and trainers. Usually, if I want to go in my pool wearing them, I like to wear a pair of thick slouch socks with classic black cotton and lycra leggings over a pair of 40 or 50 denier satin-feel tights. The feeling of walking around after swimming with the satin tights on my feet, the thick, soft slouch socks over my tights, and all the wet squishy cushioning in my trainers is just so nice Have you tried stepping into a bath wearing a really nice pair of trainers with thick, soft socks over a pair of satin-feel tights? If not, I highly recommend it. As for your last question regarding leather court shoes, I can honestly say with 100% certainty that they can be dunked countless times and not endure any damage. I'm always getting my court shoes wet. Walking back from work to where I park my car, whenever there are deep puddles, I always walk through them, deliberately filling my court shoes and soaking the feet of my tights. I then have a half-hour drive home with wet feet Anyway, speaking of work, I need to get on with some so I'd best be going. Look forward to hearing fro you again soon. Sharon. xx