Would you pay £70 for a pair of tights? And are they any better than a 60p pair?
03:34:00
From patterned to opaque, high-tech winter warmers to bum-and-tum lifters, the choice of tights on the High Street is staggering.
Even so, we’ve all suffered the embarrassment of tights that fall down or start to ladder the second you put them on. So which tights are worth your money?
And which should you steer clear of? Our expert wore and washed 35 different pairs, from supermarket cheapies to £70 designer hose, to bring you the ultimate tights guide.
SHEER
Supermarket: TU at Sainsbury’s, TEN-Denier FIVE-pack, £3
At first I was impressed; the nylon was soft, comfortable and a lovely natural matt colour. But after a couple of hours there were holes in the toe area and the tights spent the rest of the day falling down. 3/10
Luxury: Wolford Individual TEN, £26, mytights.com
Luxurious, soft and matt on the skin, super-comfortable and didn’t ladder at all. Kept their shape after three rinses, stayed up and were snag free. Generous sizing — the medium fitted me perfectly. The only downside was the price. 9/10
Department store: Debenhams 15-Denier Sheer and natural support tights, £5
Comfortable, supportive everyday tights with a natural finish. Snagged slightly but no ladders. Medium was a bit too short — I’m 5ft 7in — so you may need to go up a size. 6/10
M&S: FIVE-Denier Appearance Bare Bronzing Tights, Autograph, £5
Brilliant tights. I wore them twice and despite being very sheer and having a natural sandal toe (with no reinforcement) they didn’t ladder or snag and kept their shape perfectly. Come in six different shades. Perfect spring/summer tights for people who want a natural look. 10/10
Market leader: Aristoc Ultra Shine TEN-Denier Tights, £4.50
Glossy, sheer and looked lovely but snagged easily. By the end of the day, I had a huge ladder on the thigh. Save for a night out. 5/10
OPAQUE
Supermarket: Florence and Fred at Tesco, Luxury opaque tights, 60 Denier, £6 for two
Very soft and luxurious for the price. Nice long legs and high waistband but the elastic dug in a bit. Didn’t snag and kept the shape in the wash. A good buy. 8/10
Luxury: Falke Seidenglatt 70 Tights, mytights.com, £18
Gorgeously soft and slightly glossy. Generously long legs, high waist and no snags. I didn’t want to take them off. Stayed perfectly in shape after a cool machine wash. Expensive but lovely. 10/10
Department store: John Lewis 80-Denier tights, two pack, £9
Terrible. I bought large but they felt too small. The tops of the thighs felt twisted and tight; the crotch kept falling down towards my knees. So uncomfortable. Took them off after an hour. 1/10
M&S: Autograph, 60-Denier Luxury Velvet Touch tights, £9.50
Soft, comfy and well-fitting. The deep waistband sat comfortably and they stayed up. Small bobbles appeared at the heel after a second wash, but good overall. 8/10
Market leader: JA by Jonathan Aston, 60-Denier Gloss Opaque tights, one size, £7.50, from Boots
Looked expensive with a lovely sheen and great choice of colours but a ladder started almost immediately, then a hole which turned into a ladder. Disappointing. 4/10
BODY CONTROL
Supermarket: George at Asda Invisible control tights, £3
These tights claim to offer ‘sheer invisible control’, which defines waists, tums and bottoms and they worked surprisingly well given how sheer and cheap they are. My middle was sucked in and my bum felt pushed up, but they were comfortable, too. A great buy. 8/10
Luxury: Spanx, high-waisted tight end tights, £29
Amazing. Flatten the tummy, lift the bum and didn’t sag in 14 hours of wear. They washed well, too. The waist goes up to your bra giving a smooth silhouette. Felt as if I’d dropped a dress size. 10/10
Department Store: BHS Shapewear light control shaping tights, gloss finish, £5
The medium was tiny, the waistband was low and cut into my tummy and they laddered the moment I put them on. Lifespan? About two minutes. 1/10
M&S: Secret slimming Tummy tuck tights, £12
Fabulous strong lycra that definitely kept my tummy in but after a couple of hours they drove me mad as they kept falling down. Felt a bit small – go up a size. 5/10
Market Leader: Charnos, Killer Figure Control Tights, £8.50
A great pair of tights. Stayed in place all day, had a comfortable waistband and were made of really durable material — even though I snagged them with my ring, I didn’t get a ladder. 9/10
PATTERNED
Supermarket: George at Asda, Cotton Soft Spotty Design Tights, £5
These thick knitted tights with white spots were warm, soft and comfortable, and fine in a cool wash. Generous sizing — small to medium fitted me, so go down a size. Yet again, Asda’s tights are impressive. 9/10
Luxury: Can Can tights, Wolford, £70
Ooh la la, these silver studded tights were flattering, sexy and sturdy. I wore them out twice with no snags or ladders. It’s hard to justify £70 for tights but I got more compliments for them than I did a new dress. A real statement. 8/10
Department Store: John Lewis, Animal Fashion tights, in grey £9.50
Lovely design and felt as if they were sucking me in, which was good, but they weren’t comfortable. The waistband was digging in and the material felt a bit rough and not stretchy enough. 5/10.
M&S: Limited Collection Bow Sheer Tights, £3.50
pretty design and a good price but too delicate. I caught them on the edge of a table and got a ladder, which turned into a rip, within a couple of hours. Very disappointing. 3/10
Market Leader: Charnos, two tone floral opaque tights, £7.50, mytights.com
Despite being quite sheer in parts, they felt sturdy and didn’t rip or snag at all. Great quality, comfortable waistband and long legs. They come in plum, grey and deep blue. Went in a cool machine wash with no problems. 9/10
FISHNET
Supermarket: Tesco, Florence and Fred Fishnets, £2
Felt robust and comfortable and the holes in the netting were small which made the tights feel durable. Flattering and didn’t snag, even when I caught them on a chair. The waistband dug in a bit but the tights didn’t fall down. Great value. Handwashed fine. 9/10
Luxury: Wolford, Botanica tights, mytights.com, £35
Very fine tights with large gaps in the netting. They looked sexy and were also ridiculously comfortable, almost like wearing nothing. The material was soft and the medium had very generous long legs and a high waistband. They didn’t snag or pull and survived a machine wash unscathed. 10/10
Department Store: Jasper Conran Sheer all over lace tights, Debenhams, £8.50
Very pretty woven tights with a floral design, which felt quite delicate but lasted all day without snagging. The material was a little on the harsh side, though. Handwash only. 8/10
M&S: Secret Slimming Patterned Bodyshaper tights, £6
The thicker weave around the hips, bum and tum is supposed to give a flattering silhouette. I didn’t lose any inches but the same reinforced weave around the bottoms of the feet was very comfortable to stand on. A good pair of tights – but came up small. Came out well in a cool machine wash. 7/10
Market Leader: Pretty Polly, spotty fishnet tights, £6.50
Oh dear. I was in a rush when I put these on and must have been too rough as two holes appeared on the thighs straight away. They felt a bit small but are only available in one size. Wouldn’t recommend. 0/10
WOOLLY WARMERS
Supermarket cheapie: 300 Denier Opaque Thermal Tights, Asda, £4
Unbelievable value for money. These thermal tights are thick, warm, and soft – and a fraction of the price of similar tights. They wash well and seem like they’ll last for a long time. The only criticism is the length between the waist to crotch comes up a bit short so go up a size. 9/10
Luxury: FALKE Sensual touch silk cashmere blend tights, £38, mytights.com
Warm, soft and very generously sized with a lovely high, comfortable waistband but I find it hard to justify the price and the wooliness made them feel a bit like my old school tights. 6/10
Department store: Jasper Conran 100 denier with angora, Debenhams, £12
Itchy when you first put them on and very fluffy looking. They started to bag around the knee after a couple of hours of wearing them. I felt about as sexy as Nora Batty. 4/10
M&S: 100 denier, Thermal Heatgen tights £9.50
Brilliantly warm without being bulky. The legs fitted really well, and didn’t bag after a full day of wearing them. My only criticism is the waistband dug in a bit. 8/10
Market leader: MP Pretty Polly Fleecy opaques – 200 denier, £10
I love these tights. The fleece lining was super soft and warm, they had a good stretch and generous high waistband. Washed well. They are a bit thick on the legs – so ones for warmth rather than style. 10/10
0 comments