SK, my comment about wearing pantyhose in AZ is based on 15 years of working in various school districts there. But, it was almost 20 years ago. No one would have thought about coming to work without them. Even in 1990, I noticed that in the same profession, when I moved to MA, less people wore them.
Personally, I think hose make legs look nice and professional looking. I would not care if they were required for my work. I go bare legged when it's warm enough, but not in the dead of winter. I wear knee highs under pants, sort of the kind a cross between stockings and knee socks. I do not like the look of being professionally dressed in a pants suit/dress pants, sitting down, and then seeing ski socks under the pants. I solve the issue by wearing short boots with my pants a lot of the time.
I know it's a generational thing (mostly), but it also took me a long time to be able to wear pants to synagogue, even when I was there for a meeting, not a religious service.