Fishnet Stockings

I bought my first pair of fishnets the other day and I LOVE them. Fishnets are a great way to make a bold statement. They're edgy, sexy, fun and huge confidence boost to wear. The only problem is that when it comes to fishnets, the line between trashy and fashion statement is very thin. There are four ways to wear fishnets and only two of them are acceptable. We'll start with the never, ever, evers:

1. The Homeless Hooker

Britney, I love you to death. Really, I do. But this is atrocious. You're a mess. Dear Reader, learn from Britney's (many, many) mistakes. Fishnets can be very sophisticated, yes. But they also have a trashy stigma. If you want to be classy, you can't stick fishnets underneath a total mess. A sophisticated little black dress with fishnets is classy and sexy and probably a way better way to go. Think about it- the environment you place the piece in determines its tone.

2. The What The Heck is That Doing There? Look

You can't wear business clothes with fishnets. If you're in any environment that requires a business suit, you are sure as heck NOT in an environment that warrants fishnets. Work is not a place to try to look sexy or trashy... and if for you it is, I really hope it's because you're a supermodel and nothing else. This looks out of place and... strange. Just strange.

And now for the ways you can and should do fishnets.

3. The Sexy Sophisticate

It's hard to tell Scarlett Johansson is wearing fishnets here. The focus isn't on the stockings, it's on the fabulous dress and Scarlett's gorgeous face. I'm a huge Scarlett fan. I love that she added intrigue to this ensemble with the addition of subtle fishnets. It makes the look more interesting and little edgier. However, Scarlett does not look the slightest bit trashy or hooker-like. She pulls it off with total grace and class.

4. The Fashion-Forward Rebel

I think Taylor Momsen is a total poser and she runs her mouth too much. But, gosh darn it does she have a phenomenal stylist. Taylor reminds me a lot of myself strictly fashion-speaking. Taylor is rocking the edgy, punk-inspired look and the fishnets add to the edge and boldness. However, the outfit is clean, put-together and not revealing. This enables Taylor to pull off the fishnets without looking like our friend Britney.

So there you go. Definitely rock fishnets if you feel inclined. They're a ton of fun. But keep in mind that they are not appropriate in every situation with every ensemble.