If you’ve read some of my past posts, you’ll know that as a woman of color, I’ve had a hard time finding affordable flesh-colored pantyhose. So-called “Nude” hosiery and “Buff Beige,” which seems to be in abundance, just does not work for me my dose of melanin. So I spiraled into months of passive anger, bitterness, and wretchedness when I could no longer find my favorite shade of hosiery [Hanes Solutions Day Sheer in “Honey”] at my local Target store. This week I decided to stop wallowing in my own pissed-off-ness, and to do something. At first, I was going to go to my local Target and make a scene at customer service, but I thought better of it. Besides, the line was too long. Then I thought I was too hasty to blame my beloved Target and thought maybe that the manufacturer was to blame. So the lawyer in me decided to get crafty and I wrote to Hanes, asking them why they had dropped the honey color and were only producing black and buff beige. Surprise Surprise—on October 2, 2008, Hanes actually responded quite quickly and here’s what they said:
Dear Consumer,
Thank you for contacting Solutions By Hanes. We are always delighted when Consumers take time out of their schedule to share their comments and welcome the opportunity to address inquiries regarding our products.
We are sorry that we no longer make the color honey in the style you need. If a color does not sell well for the stores, then they will not order it. We make this line of hosiery specifically for Target stores and if they stop ordering a certain color, Hanes has to make a business decision. Your comments will be forwarded to our Marketing department. Hanesbrands makes the L’eggs pantyhose also. Please try the Brown Sugar Luxury French pantyhose in the honey brown color. Those are usually sold at Wal-Mart stores.
So after receiving this response, I focused on Target and fired off the following email:
Since April, I have been unable to find Hanes Solutions pantyhose in the color “Honey.” After contacting the manufacturer Hanes, I found out that Target has decided to stop stocking this color. Now Target only stocks this hosiery in Black and Buff Beige. I am an African-American woman with a professional job, and “Honey” was the only color that I could wear as a flesh-tone. Now that you are not stocking this color, you have effectively deprived me and other women of color of a valuable hosiery product. Hanes’ response was for me to go to your competitor Wal-Mart where I could find a comparable product Hanes manufactures for their stores. Target is closer to me where I live in Metro-Atlanta than any Wal-Mart location, but I won’t be shopping at Target if I can’t fulfill my basic needs. You should reconsider this decision particularly in markets like Atlanta where there is a significant population of women of color. I await your kind response [Bitches!—I didn’t write that but I was thinking it.]
So today, Target responded as follows:
Dear Customer,
I can understand it’s frustrating when an item you’re looking for is discontinued.
At Target we strive to offer our guests the best shopping experience, which includes offering merchandise that reflects them and their lifestyles. Although we change our merchandise frequently to make sure we have the latest variety of merchandise for you to choose from. Hearing your feedback about this item is very important to us and I’ve shared your comments with our Merchandise and Buying teams.
Thanks for writing. We’ll keep working to find more merchandise that fits your lifestyle.
WHATEVER! Was this an exercise in futility? Will corporate retailers continue to ignore this key segment of the consuming public? Will I continue to run around bare-legged in the dead of winter? [Yes-Atlanta does get cold.] I still feel so very empty inside. Stay tuned for what comes next.
I feel your pain. Those were my favorite panty hose. Now Hanes doesn’t even make them anymore! My back up was L’eggs Silken Mist Sun Beige but I can’t find those either.
My choices: walking around looking like I borrowed my grandmother’s stocking or wear black all the time.
It’s hard out here for a sista!!
I was upset about this too. I used to wear the Brown Sugar pantyhose in Bronze and they were a perfect match. It looked like I didn’t even have hose on. That color was replaced by the Honey that they recommended you try and it’s not the same. It’s a bit too light. They’ll get by they’re not quite right. You can tell you have them on. I emailed the Hanes people and got the same BS response you did. They only offer Bronze in the shimmer line now. The Solutions Honey from Target was the only comparable replacement I’ve ever found and now they’re discontinued too. I’ve just been going barelegged since then. I hate pantyhose as it is.
I’m upset too! I’m from NY and honey was the only color that matched me! Actually at my Target they still sell the honey color in the thigh highs, so I’ve been getting away with that. But I found this website searching around for the Hanes pantyhose I originally loved and surprise surprise I’m not the only one who is hating Hanes right now. I tried the L’eggs pantyhose but they are so cheaply made that I can only wear them once and they don’t fit as nicely once again due to the poor quality. Hanes needs to get it together. I’m writing a letter too.
My friend on Facebook shared this link with me and I’m not dissapointed that I came to your blog.
I LOVED the Honey hose from Target but alas I am mourning with you. Before that I wore Silk Reflections in Barely There. I’m back to those now but would really like something better. My friend loves Berkshire’s hose but there isn’t a color in their line that works for me. I guess you are still searching because there haven’t been that many posts.
Good luck on your continued quest. I’ll bookmark your blog and check back for any good news.
At the moment, I’m bare-legging it because it’s summer. Supposedly there is a store in metro-Atlanta that Target uses to track purchases of African-American consumers as part of their diversity marketing initiatives. I have not visited it yet, but when I do I will give a full report.
Ladies I came across your blog while doing research and wanted to know that I certainly feel your pain. My drugstore use to carry Brown sugar NOW the don’t and guess what I am back to searching for my panythose AGAIN.
Keep an EYE out ladies.
More info to come in the next couple of months.
Bests,
Clarinda
[...] in there, I decided to buy a pair of black pantyhose. If you have read my earlier posts (here, here, here, and here), you know for well over a year now I have been frustrated and outraged that [...]
well, well, this is where all the sisters pissed off about hosiery end up. Thought I was the only one. It’s tough enough living in the Pacific Northwest where only small sizes (marketing to Asians and Causcasian women) are stocked. Then to my surprise, when I go online and in the catalogues, I begin seeing that there are NO browns, honeys, etc. And forget about finding anything in my size. I’m a 6′ plus size. Sh*t! Not having much sun exposure in the winter makes me lose any semblance of a tan I manage to get in the summer, and I really need honey-colored hose. Not ecru, not taupe, not their idea of suntan.
The best hose I ever purchased was back in the day at a hosiery store. California Sun. Looked like they were made exclusively for me.
Thanks for reading, Pam. Yes, I was very pissed and lots of sisters share the same pain.
I thought I was the only one. I am so sick of black panty hose I want to scream!! The only thing I can find outside of Solutions are Berkshire but by the end of the day they are sagging and binding. Don’t let them get a run because the entire leg will probably fall off!!! Luckily my neighborhood Target still has Solutions but I think I need to stock up in case they decide to call it quits.
Thanks for reading, Jackie. Isn’t it sad that we feel the need to hurry up and “stock up.”
-wow….I too was doing research on where/how to find good pantyhose, since my feet stick to my shoes badly with this whole ‘no hose” trend. You would think that we women of color would now out number the taupe/beige/ groups….. if you are a professional, a sista needs the right colors outside of black! I felt so much better reading these posts! I think I’ll knock out a complaint to HANES too!
Cant believe I have company. There’s nothing like those Hanes Honey Day Sheers. Nothing. I loved the feel of them, the colour of them. They were the only ones that worked. Sad. Very sad. It’s true…everything else look like old, granny pantyhose on my complexion. grrrrrr!
Me too! I am a professional and used to wear the honey thigh highs. they matched me perfectly and now I have nothing but black! If anyone has any other place they get thigh highs, please share!!
@Amira Now that the weather is turning cold, I’m basically wearing tights.
I’m not a professional… I have not worked in 11 years raising my children and was looking for panty hose for a wedding and found your blog. I am sad that nude hose is all the wrong color!
Thanks for reading, Erykah!
Sisters, I cry with you. I used to buy Hanes, Silk Reflections in Gentle Brown, 3 pack for $11 from OneHanesPlace.com. Problem, I put on weight, so OneHanesPlace doesn’t carry gentle brown in the plus sizes. I finally found them, but @ $7-$10/pr, I’ll wear pants in the winter and bare-legged in the summer. Another thing I’ve noticed is that it’s hard to find plus/control-top/sheer toe. What, the mfrs think control/plus + claw feet? Sistah can’t catch a break!!!
Thanks for reading, Anita!
This is really amazing to read how so many other are suffering as I do. As a professional woman, I like to wear hose that match MY flesh tone. It seems that whenever I find tones I really like, the stores stop carrying them, then I cannot even find them on line! I am willing to pay the price also (I have no use for cheaply made pantyhose, even though sometimes the colors are pretty close), but we need the manufacturers to step up and recognize that we are a sizeable market that is being missed.
Thanks for reading, Gwen. It is very frustrating that retailers and manufacturers ignore a whole segment of the marketplace or only provide subpar options.
The color that suits me is Hanes Brown Sugar Honey something or the other in size Medium, the problem is they have it in Medium Tall but I dont need that size because I am 5’3 and the Medium tall is too big and then the color looks a little darker than it should be. I called and asked why I could not order that size on line or on the phone and they gave me the same story I have read above. It is so sad, I would like to look like I am not wearing any pantyhose and not have to wear off black…now since summer is coming I tried to order the white and they dont have that either, what is going on, are you telling me that sisters dont buy pantyhose and now these folks feel like they need to discontinue stuff. I just refuse to believe that.
Hoping that someone else steps in and fills the void, the next time I find the perfect fit and color I am buying like a million of them before they discontinue that too…
Thanks for reading, Rudy. Target has rolled out a new line of hosiery for women here in Atlanta. But I find the stock is inconsistent at my local store. They either don’t have my size or out of the shade I wear. FRUSTRATION
Hi Ladies, I think it’s just a business blunder. Pantyhose are “out” with the 20 to 30s market, I read negative stuff about them all over net from young women. Of course they should have reduced the main market and left the niche market alone (regardless of which skin tone type had the most sales). But of course the 2.5 gpa MBA grads went and reduced the smaller draw. I love the brown sugar line as well. Regarding the lady that said they were bad quality- It’s not that they are bad, but different. They are 100% nylon like vintage stockings. The high % spandex in other hose like Leggs makes them more durable. The pure nylon type has little sags here and there which are sexy maybe in the bedroom or burlesque show, but not the best office attire.
Thank you for commenting. I might be prone to agree with you, except historically mainstream retailers have been slow to cater to women of color especially in the areas of business fashion and beauty, from hair products, to make-up, to panty-hose. I have learned to cope by simply wearing tights in the winter and bare legs and pants in the warmer months. Ignoring these niche markets is seriously undermining one very important color–GREEN!