Buying tights used to be a simple affair. Sheer, elegant and plain was the rule, and they came in black or tan. If you were feeling racy, there were fishnets or even seams up the back of the legs. But there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that tights were meant to accessorise a dress, rather than the other way round. And brightly coloured and patterned tights were reserved exclusively for small children.
Buying tights used to be a simple affair. Sheer, elegant and plain was the rule, and they came in black or tan. If you were feeling racy, there were fishnets or even seams up the back of the legs.
But there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that tights were meant to accessorise a dress, rather than the other way round.
And brightly coloured and patterned tights were reserved exclusively for small children.
Not anymore. Browse one of the numerous online tights stores (their sudden mushrooming is another sign of the growing fashion status of tights) and you’ll find a bewildering variety of colours and patterns available.
There are tights with spots and stripes, tights in leopard-print and lace, check and tartan, and pre-ripped, so you can get the Miley Cyrus laddered look without having to snag your fingernails.
I found a pair emblazoned with a pattern of veins. (I thought the point of tights was to hide your veins, but never mind . . .)
And one of the hottest trends is for tights that mimic the look of suspenders but keep the wearer entirely decorous — a look championed by the professionally naughty Pixies (Lott and Geldof).
They may be fashionable, but do patterned tights really work on anyone over the age of 25?
I’m not sure. After all, if anyone can work a pair of tights, it should be Penny Lancaster (aka Mrs Rod Stewart), proud possessor of 36in legs and creator of the Hot Legs Workout DVD.
But in this fussy pair of tights, you can’t really admire the elegance of her perfect pins. In fact, you can’t really see their shape at all, while the busy weave on the tights obscures the detail of her pretty shoes.
And as for her simple little dress — well, you just don’t notice it. Far from her tights being an accessory to her outfit, they have become the only thing you see, which is a little odd, since they’re bound to be the cheapest item she’s wearing.
So, fashionable, yes, but elegant? No.
Call me old-fashioned, but I think one of the joys of growing older is being able to choose clothes that make you look good, rather than blindly following the fashion herd.
Coloured and patterned tights look fun and funky on the young (especially the under-tens) but for grown-up glamour, I don’t think anything can beat trusty black sheers. Femail
Ends