Vogue.com’s Amanda Brooks could barely contain her excitement at the thigh-high and knee-high stockings that are showing up everywhere in elegant incarnations. I (almost) wholeheartedly agree. I own a few pairs, to the tsk, tsking of my sister, my mom and my friend who works in fashion. She cautions, “You’ll look like those silly Japanese girls and soon you’ll be wearing pigtails and carrying a Hello Kitty rhinestone purse.” While I truly appreciate the concern I have to say I LOVE THEM (with some caveats): 1. If you pair them with a tight top and short skirt, you’re ready for working the  street corner, not working the room. 2. If the socks leave an indentation on your legs, either get thee to a gym or buy a bigger size. 3. If you live in a suburban area where the only place you can wear them is to your local mall, why bother? Really.

That said, I own a few pairs that rock the house. See below please.

J Crew Knee-High Socks

These are really great and when worn with oxford or menswear-inspired footwear, appropriate for the office (if you work in a creative field, not insurance).

American Apparel Tube Sock and J Crew Argyle Sock

I’m not suggesting wearing mismatched socks–I was just too lazy to take an extra photo. Anyway, I like patterned knee-high socks, but to prevent them from looking like you’re applying for entrance to an UES prep school or auditioning to be a backup dancer for Mariah Carey, wear them with some motorcycle boots and either a leather jacket or tweed blazer. American Apparel socks run notoriously small, so beware.

Here, I have some above the knee socks I bought at Loehmann’s that look fab worn with 1. vintage leather jacket from eBay 2. Mischen silk high-waist zipper skirt 3. Converse tee tucked into skirt and 4. platform heels OR ankle booties. When wearing a lot of black, keep it fresh by mixing textures and fabrics.

Tread carefully, though. When wearing anything above the knee, keep the rest of outfit loose and keep the rest of your goodies covered, because they’re still reminiscent of a working girl’s wardrobe. Unless that’s what you want.