Bare legs?

Where was I when bare legs became "in"? I was thumbing through my daughter-in-law's People magazine and could not believe the photos. I am all for bare legs in every casual occasion possible, but evening wear??? I have never sen so many ugly knees in my life, some of them look like orthopedic anatomy textbooks. The same knees, I admit, that would look fabulous and bracing at the beach or on a tennis court. Where are the fashion police on this one?