HOW TIGHTS CAME IN FROM THE COLD
PUBLIC SERVICE announcement: tights have had a revamp! Yes, that controversial and often uncomfortable underwear drawer essential has had a makover, resulting in Net-a-porter shifting 200 pairs a week since October. What’s behind the sudden surge? Well: a) the new mind-boggling varieties of sheer patterns have turned our heads as we face the party season; b) it’s suddenly cold enough to wear opaques; and c) tights give us more mileage from our trans-seasonal wardrobes.
In the fancy tights department, it’s all about the rise of the designer monogram – see the Gucci, Fendi and Balenciaga runways. They look fantastic if you don’t mind your legs resembling branding billboards. Equally brilliant when pulled off correctly with a simple LBD are the bright lace tight (Gucci) or the bright check tight (Molly Goddard). You want a more subtle look? Try super-sheer black denier tights – terribly chic – that were all over the runways at Saint Laurent and Tom Ford. It probably won’t surprise you to learn that black opaques are seeing hosiery’s biggest hike in sales. Indeed, plain black tights account for 75% of Net-a-porter’s sales, from brands including Falke, Wolford and Spanx. But there’s a newish brand you need to know: Heist, founded in 2015 by Toby Darbyshire (and worn by Meghan Markle) makes techno tights without any seams, with a high-rise and adaptive waistband. ‘ They don’t dig, sag or itch,’ says Darbyshire of his wares, a pair of which is sold every 15 seconds in cold weather months, with 50 denier being the most popular. Designer Henry Holland, who introduced his tights range in 2009, adds, ‘Black tights are flattering and slimming – and they mean you can wear your summer pieces right through autumn.’ Our point exactly! Time to dig out those mididresses.