Would you spend $345 on a pair of tights?
01:34:00With the cold winter weather finally setting in, so too is the return of tights.
But if you consider your hosiery a relatively inexpensive purchase, the latest designs to hit the market may come as something of a shock.
Among Wolford's current season creations are a pair that retail for an eye-watering $345.
Three-figure price tag: Among Wolford's current season creations are the delicate lace Roses tights, which retail for an eye-watering $345
The lace Roses tights, which are so delicate they cannot even be dry-cleaned, have a floral pattern, and three tiny roses embroidered at the back of each ankle.
They may have been reduced in some outlets already, but they are not the only pair around with a three-figure price tag.
Luxe label Maria La Rosa, which commands such figures for the simplest ankle socks, proves you don't always need decorative details to justify such a cost.
Statement looks: Wolford's Brilliant tights (left), with their sexy corset lacing, cost in excess of $200. Bebaroque's sparkly Lavender Lux tights are $323 (right)
Luxury: Maria La Rosa's toasty-warm cashmere-silk blend tights may see you through Arctic temperatures in style, but at $325, they don't come cheap
Its toasty-warm cashmere-silk blend tights may see you through Arctic temperatures in style, but at $325, they don't come cheap.
If you do need some drama to demonstrate just how designer your hosiery is, Bebaroque is the way to go.
LUXE LEGWEAR: THREE BEST TIGHTS OVER $100
A three-figure price tag may sound a lot for hosiery, but some really deliver. These give the best bang for your buck.
1. Wolford Gisella tights, $113 (from $170) at wolfordshop.com
Made from the finest merino wool, these flattering, super-warm tights with a vertical ribbed pattern are already on sale.
Available in jewel-like purple and green as well as black, snap them up while you can.
2. Bebaroque Tigerlily tights, $111.75, mytights.com
The black colourway is perfect for Christmas parties. A floral design running down the left leg from below the knee is embellished with tiny, twinkling metallic studs.
Team with a black miniskirt or tailored shorts.
3. Yves Saint Laurent snake print tights, $109, mytheresa.com
Patterned tights for people who don't dopatterned tights. These smoky grey hose have a divine texture that is not too OTT.
Wear with skirts in block colours like fuchsia pink and acid yellow.
Its tights may be akin to works of art, but each pair - be it the Deadly Nightshades at $127.85 or the Lavender Lux at $323 - will cost you.
And Wolford's Ruches tights, with frills up the back of the leg, and the Brilliant tights, with their sexy corset lacing, may make a statement at your Christmas do, but each pair costs in excess of $200.
But according to the label, women are being more adventurous with their winter legwear than ever.
Statement patterns, dramatic finishes and bold colours are now de rigueur among the style set.
A PR told MailOnline: 'This season the trend has gone beyond celebrities as women everywhere - from trendy girls in Williamsburg to chic women of the Upper East Side - have been seen wearing textured, patterned and coloured hosiery.'
She explained that hosiery was definitely 'having a moment', but the statement tights 'are here to stay'.
And the high prices aren't going to stop us, adds Treacle, the blogger behind TheLingerieAddict.com.
She told Today.com: 'Women buy expensive hosiery because it makes them look and feel good at a fraction of the cost of a complete lingerie set or a new designer dress.
'Legwear is a practical indulgence. It is something women can wear anytime and with any outfit. They can play with trends, with color and with texture in the same way they can with any other piece of clothing.'
So take heed, and start saving now, ladies.
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