Before the pic of the saffron piper was posted it really never registered how nice a pair of black hose look in a formal outfit. I feel a change in perspective happening.
I agree with Cavscout. For most of my life I had seen mainly off-white hose with formal wear, and sometimes diced or tartan, so I guess I got used to those being the "standard". But also, this was in the day of frilly formal shirts in light lime green, with big, dark green velvet bow ties. Don't laugh; that's what I was married in the first time around. Since then, formal wear has evolved into different forms, although basic black and white tie outfits have stuck around as well. I personally really like knit tartan hose for formal, but I still like my off-white hose for a dressy look as well. I think that a formal look can be achieved in many other ways, depending on the taste of the wearer.