- 00:48:00
- 0 Comments
There is nothing more irritating than heading out to work and snagging your black tights. Quite frankly, it can ruin your whole day and make you feel like a child in an adults’ world.
Our delicate hosiery can be ruined by the inside of our boots, a heel on the other foot as we nudge off a shoe, the zip on a coat, a long necklace and more often than not a broken finger nail.
Many companies promise to solve our woes with 'ladder resistant' tights. But can any item so delicate as hosiery really be immune to the dreaded ladder?
Blogger Megan Taylor and writer Siofra Brennan put seven brands to the test to find out. Each pair was torn at with fingernails; snagged with jewellery; rubbed with Velcro; poked with the heel of a shoe and cut with scissors and all underwent the same process.
Boots Ladder Resist
80 denier: £8
My initial thoughts are that they are a lot more expensive than the other pairs and being a higher denier I am expecting them to resist any laddering whatsoever.
They are wonderfully soft on the body but with a little stretch and a tug they seem to have a weird tiger print woven in.
Is this something to do with their ladder resistant technology?
I tried to make a hole or a ladder with the heel of my shoes and some jewellery but could not break through the yarn.
Megan put Boots £8 Ladder Resist Tights to the test and found them wonderfully soft. Due to the 80 denier she wasn't expecting them to ladder, but initially thought they were a bit pricey
I decided to attack them with a pair of scissors, then give the fabric a tug, still nothing. I then cut a hole on a thinner bit of the fabric and still nothing.
All I was left with were holes that I myself had created with a pair of scissors.
These tights really do what they say on the packet and possibly more.
Verdict:10/10
Marks & Spencer Autograph - Ladder Resist
10 denier: £4
I know I'm not supposed to be judging the colour here but these are labelled as 'nearly black' yet they were positively pale grey.
These tights were lovely and soft and my broken nail didn't snag the tights at all whilst pulling them on.
With a lot of scratching with the bottom of my shoes the tights only snagged a little. Even when I stuck my star shaped necklace into them there were still no laddering or holes created.
Whilst taking photographs my dog wanted to help me test the tights and her claws didn’t snag these tights at all.
I snipped a little hole with my scissors and it unfortunately immediately laddered very easily.
This being said, it was very difficult to create a hole in the first place therefore I would still give them a good rating.
Verdict: 7/10
Charnos Run resist
10 denier: £4.99
I really struggled to break through the fabric of these tights, so I got my scissors and sliced a couple of holes. Neither hole laddered.
The hole did get a bit bigger with a pull but there was no laddering at all.
Overall my favourite pair of tights for comfort, quality and resistance to laddering were definitely the pair of tights from Boots.
This being said I was actually really impressed by all of the tights.
They were all very difficult to actually try and break. With all my trying through doggy claws, necklaces and Velcro none of them laddered until I had opened the fabric with a pair of scissors.
Verdict: 8/10
Pretty Polly Legs On The Go Ladder Resist Tights
10 Denier £6.00
These light compression tights are designed to reduce swelling in the ankles and claim to be ideal for long periods of standing or sitting, as well as being tough wearing.
When I open the pack to reveal a pair of flimsy barely blacks, I feel certain these won’t stand up to the test. I make sure to stick my toes out and pull them on really roughly, put they don’t appear to sustain any damage.
So far, so good – but the colour is less appealing. They’re supposed to be barely black, but they give my legs a greyish brown hue.
They sail through a day of wearing, but they look exactly like the kind of tights that would easily snag on a ring or a bracelet.
So I load up with three rings and a heavy embossed silver bangle with a fastening chain that dangles from the side. I run my hand up and down inside the leg of the tights several times, but there’s not one spot of damage to be seen.
The Velcro test leaves a light impression on the nylon, but nothing noticeable. Even cutting them doesn’t create a ladder. Considering the reasonable price and the fact they’re only 10 denier, I’m really impressed.
Unfortunately the colour really lets them down, but they come in 60 denier, which I’d definitely be keen to try.
Verdict: 7/10
George at Asda Ultimate Ladder Resistant Tights
15 Denier £4.00
With two in a pack, these tights are a real bargain, but my past experience of cheap tights is that they never last beyond two or three wears, especially when they’re this sheer.
These newly launched tights contain LYCRA® Xtra Life to prevent ladders and have the added bonus of a sandal toe.
I’m pleasantly surprised when I put them on to find that they don’t look in any way cheap and shiny, and the colour is much more appealing than Asda's offering.
An attack with the heel of my shoe does nothing, and they survive an onslaught of jewellery and Velcro. And even when I snip a hole and pull on the material I still can’t ladder them.
Taking into account the price, quality and durability these were definitely my favourite.
Verdict: 10/10
Heist Tights Low Waistband
30 denier £19
Made from Italian double covered yarn with five times the spirals of regular tights, they’re completely seam free and claim to be ladder resistant. The toe seams tuck under so they’re invisible and they’re hand sewn for a better fit.
Crucially they come with both a high and low waistband – a godsend for us short folk who are used to hosiery that covers most of the rib cage.
But when I try mine on I find that I strangely miss the support of something covering my tummy and it feels a bit odd. On the second day of wearing though, I’m more used to it.
The instructions say that they should be handwashed, but I put them through the machine several times and don’t notice any difference.
They pass all the other tests with flying colours. I’d happily wear these again, but they do come with quite a high price tag – and they’re £21 for the high waistband version.
Verdict: 8/10
Spanx Luxe Leg Blackout tights
£35
These ultra-opaque tights and have a built-in shaper which flattens stomach and firms your bottom and thighs, and the combination of nylon and spandex promises to render them virtually ladder-resistant.
When I take these out of the packet they’re so sturdy I wonder if I’ve accidentally been sent a pair of leggings. The waistband looks so tiny that I wonder how they’ll ever go on.
A lot of pulling and tugging certainly puts the ladder resistance claims to the test, but once they’re on they’re actually quite comfortable.
Not surprisingly these sail through the day without sustaining and holes, ladders or pulls and they pass the Velcro, jewellery and nails tests easily.
When I cut a hole in them and give a good pull a small ladder forms. But you’d really have to be dragged through a thorn bush to rip these in real life, and even then they would probably still come out unscathed.
I can’t fault their resilience, but they’re just too heavy and feel more like leggings than tights you’d pair with a nice dress.
Verdict: 6/10
- 03:16:00
- 0 Comments
The simple trick that promises the end of ladders in your tights for good (but make sure you take them off before doing it!)
A tip advises to wet your tights and freeze before wearing
Only needs to be done once when new and takes a day to defrost
It strengthens and firms the tights' fibres making it less likely to happen
Forget dabbing clear nail varnish on holes in tights to prevent them from running - there's a new trick which promises to stop nicks in the first place.
As the mornings turn colder, black opaques are once again becoming a fail-safe for winter.
However, it can be a hassle when once false move can leave you with a ladder the length of your leg.
Freeze your tights before wearing them and it will strengthen them and make them less likely to rip
However, according to PureWow, there is a simple trick that you can do at home, which means nicks can be avoided with one simple solution - freezing your tights before wearing them.
This relatively unknown and incredibly cheap tip promises to work to prevent tights from running.
So instead of getting having the clear nail polish on standby when a rip happens, you can prevent it using this tiny trick.
After buying a new pair of tights, before wearing them, take them out of their packaging and run them under a cold tap until they are damp.
Then place them in a plastic bag and put into the freezer overnight.
Run the tights under water then freeze overnight and leave defrost for the day
After taking them out the next morning, leave them a day to thaw out.
But after doing this just once, the tights will be significantly stronger, according to the website.
By putting tights in the freezer, it firms and strengthens the individual fibres of your tights and makes them less likely to ladder.
David Rigby, buyer and hosiery expert at the Sock Shop, said: 'Freezing your tights creating a "cryogenic stress relief" process on the nylon.
'How this works is, cold temperatures stop the molecules from moving and strengthen each fibre of the tights.
'Then by bringing them back to room temperature, the molecules loosen up, rearrange and release most of the internal pressure between them.
'This makes the material very uniform on a molecular level, therefore reducing the weak spots that cause the snagging in the nylon.'
- 07:04:00
- 0 Comments
If you are the sort of person who has to bulk-buy new tights around this time of year because the ones you kept from spring are laddered, baggy and feature more holes than a piece of Leerdammer then listen up.
The simple truth is that if you wash and handle your tights like any other item of clothing then you will need to keep replenishing them. If however, you take a little more care and follow our hacks below, you can find yourself investing in more luxurious brands that will go the distance.
Pop them in the freezer
Before the first wear, strengthen the fibres of box-fresh tights by running them under water until damp. Then place them in a plastic bag and freeze overnight. Wait until they have thoroughly defrosted before attempting to wear. This should make them less prone to running.
Go inside-out
When washing tights – be it in the machine or by hand, turn them inside-out. This is the best way to get rid of dead skin cells and prevent those annoying bits of fluff sticking to the outside.
Stay cool
Hand-washing helps hosiery last longer, but if using a washing machine, stick to cold or cool temperature settings. Tumble-drying is also a no-no, always hang them out to dry.
Compartmentalise them
If washing tights in the machine, separate them into a delicates bag or pillowcase to avoid them snagging on other items, such as bra clips and buttons.
Don’t be soft
As in, don’t add fabric softener to machine washes, as this only serves to break the fibres in tights down.
Pull the right way
Always pull tights up from the ankle gradually and never from the thighs. This is the best way to evenly distribute coverage when wearing opaques.
Go large
If you’re in-between sizes when it comes to hosiery, always go up a size. Over-stretching fibres will only cause them to wear faster.
- 03:35:00
- 0 Comments
Yarns, holes, damaged: tights are linked and do not keep, the price of a budget that we would be okay. Faced with this problem of major company, we decided to take action and give you some tips to better preserve them.
Every year it's the same thing: winter comes, the mercury drop and tights ... budget. explodes.However much there to be extremely careful, threading very carefully but to no avail: they spin, they pierce they are damaged, let alone the timing is rarely good. Obviously, all we know the trick of nail polish transparent in case of small scratch, but concretely, how does it to keep our longer sticky? A review of the most effective means of action.
1. Put her new pantyhose in the freezer.
A recipe grandmother probably be applied before the first use of your brand new tights. In short: after having previously put in a plastic bag, place your pantyhose in the freezer (yes, in the middle of frozen) and let stand overnight. At daybreak, pass them under cold water and let them dry on a clothes line. Once dry, it's ready! The mesh of the tights will be sufficiently tightened and consolidated for long-lasting wear.
2. Wash her pantyhose in a pillowcase.
Yes because the washing machine is far from the tenderest machine with our tights. So, it preserves by hiding them in a pillowcase before launching the program at 30 degrees. One can also buy a special bag shop, or at home Etam Phildar.
3. Put on socks over his tights.
Certainly this is not the most glam solution 'but everything is good to take. History to avoid end up with unsightly holes when removing your boots (especially when still annoying), it is believed to put mini-black socks over his tights. It's stupid but it limits the wear and therefore the purchase of tights family size every three days.
4. Hydrate the skin before putting on her tights.
All drama "collantesque" beginning with a hitch, care is taken to moisturize our skin , especially heels , before putting them on. Smoother, softer, our creaming legs and slip into our tights without a scratch unfortunate.
5. file nails and remove her rings
We do not say it often enough but a fingernail grip is often the cause of death of our tights. So much care is taken to file them before putting them on. Similarly, we do not forget to remove her rings and other jewelry highly detrimental to the survival of our Wolford worshiped.
6. Have a shot of hairspray
Another little trick to keep intact our tights: spend a little bit of hair spray before wearing them for the first time. As the freezer, it fixes the mesh and reduces the risk of yarn tights. But be careful to apply it sparingly so as not to end up with your new pair of rigid Sun completely.
Other tips to share? Do not hesitate to advise us: it is never enough.
- 05:18:00
- 0 Comments
YOU know summer is over when it’s time to dust off the tights again.
Leg freedom is soon going to be over and the pain of ladders and snags will leave you spending a fortune.
But one lifehack doing the rounds on the internet reckons you can make a single pair of tights last DOUBLE the time they normally do.
It’s simple, just follow the steps below.
1. First of all, run your new tights under a cold tap so they are soaking, then rinse out in the sink.
2. Place the damp tights inside a plastic carrier bag then put them in the freezer for three hours.
3. Lastly, remove the tights and allow them to thaw at room temperature (don’t attempt to put them on frozen...obviously)
Your tights should now be super-strength.
- 01:17:00
- 0 Comments
- 06:33:00
- 0 Comments
Every woman knows the misery of laddered tights. The sheer nylon that gives your legs such a desirable look is prone to 'running' the second it comes into contact with anything sharp - even a fingernail.
Research has found two-thirds of us snag our tights after just one wear, while as many as one in four resort to buying a new pair every two to four weeks.
But now experts have found an unlikely solution to holey hosiery - putting tights in the freezer before the first wear.
Every woman knows the misery of laddered tights
I decided to test this technique, as well as six others. To ensure my experiment was as accurate as possible I bought seven pairs of the same, supermarket brand, 7-denier tights, and applied a different technique to each.
I then subjected them to three separate tests that reflect the everyday perils our tights face - putting them on quickly without taking off my sharp-edged rings or filing my nails; sitting on a chair with a couple of screws protruding from the base and getting up again a few times; and walking past a thorny rose bush in my garden.
Here's how they fared . . .
FREEZE THEM OVERNIGHT
THE THEORY: This is a form of cryogenic treatment in which sub-zero temperatures make the molecules in the fabric stronger. The idea is that when the tights are brought back to room temperature the molecules rearrange themselves. This makes the material more uniform and reduces weak spots in the nylon that are more susceptible to snagging.
THE PRACTICE: Before I go to bed I run the tights under cold water and put them in a plastic bag, before placing them in the freezer overnight. The next morning they resemble a large, brown block of ice. It takes eight hours for them to defrost - however they look normal afterwards.
Nail varnish is supposed to stop tights from developing holes - but Antonia found that it made them sag
DOES IT WORK? It isn't the most pleasant of treatments - when I put the tights on they are still cold - but in a weird way the fabric feels slightly thicker for it. I put them on quickly, sit down three times and walk into the thorn bush twice without creating a single snag. And it's free! I'm impressed.
DAB THEM WITH NAIL VARNISH
THE THEORY: The film that polish forms on nails can also harden nylon fibres in the areas subjected to most pressure, to stop them developing holes.
THE PRACTICE: I use a clear, budget nail varnish to avoid looking like I've been in a nasty accident and paint it on the fabric on the toes and knees of my tights - the areas which traditionally are most prone to snags. It gives the hosiery a wrinkled sheen and, when dry, feels crispy to the touch. But you probably wouldn't notice it from a few paces away.
DOES IT WORK? Up to a point. I don't get any ladders in the treated areas, but when I put the tights on a little overzealously, the untreated fabric against my thigh catches on my engagement ring and snags.
The dried varnish also stops the elastic in the tights from working, making them sag around my knees. I get no further holes from the chair test, but the second I scratch my tights on the rose bush they ladder in the left calf.
USE SOAP TO STOP RUNS
THE THEORY: Soaps are made from fats and oils that harden on exposure to air. Rubbing soap against tights is said to stiffen the fabric, making it more resistant to ladders.
THE PRACTICE: The soap leaves an unattractive white residue and, instead of drying and stiffening, feels slightly slimy. The smell is overpowering.
While wearing gloves might be a good way of stopping your nails from laddering them, it doesn't work for outside factors such as thorns
DOES IT WORK? I manage to put the tights on without snagging them, but just as I think there might be method in the madness I sit down on the chair and they rip on the back of my right thigh. I get a rip on my left thigh from the rose bush - concluding soap treated tights are a truly bad idea.
WEAR GLOVES TO PUT THEM ON
THE THEORY: The simple act of putting your tights on is a risk, with rough nails and sharp jewellery making a run likely before you've even dressed. Wearing cotton gloves creates a soft barrier between the hazards on your hands and the fabric of the tights, minimising potential for damage.
THE PRACTICE: My £3 gloves are tight fitting but still make the already fiddly process of getting the tights ready to put on properly more difficult - you're supposed to bunch up each leg before putting your foot in it and slowly rolling it up. However, they force me to be more careful, which is fine as long as I am not in a hurry.
DOES IT WORK? Yes, in so far as the tights go on without a snag. They also survive the chair test - more by accident than design - but are ripped apart by the rose bush. Nonetheless, worth using for their ability to prevent holes.
RUB YOUR LEGS WITH TALC
THE THEORY: Tights are more likely to stick to your legs and snag when your skin is still damp from the shower or body lotion that hasn't yet sunk in. Talcum powder absorbs moisture and reduces friction on the skin, making it easier to pull up your tights, minimising the number of runs.
THE PRACTICE: I have a shower and apply body lotion before coating my legs liberally with talc, which helps them dry. It takes minutes to rub in, though, and leaves my legs looking anaemically white.
DOES IT WORK? Surprisingly, yes. The tights are far easier to pull on and don't snag at all as I get dressed. But they still ladder when they catch on the chair and the rose bush, while the residue of talc that lingers makes my legs look pasty.
SPRAY THEM WITH STARCH...
THE THEORY: Starch is a polymer that, when sprayed on to tights, creates a space between the molecules of the nylon fabric, leaving it stiffer and less likely to ladder. You can buy spray starch from any supermarket.
THE PRACTICE: This is one of the easiest tests, taking a matter of seconds. My tights feel stiffer and slightly crisp - wonderful on a freshly ironed blouse, perhaps, but a weird feeling on my legs.
DOES IT WORK? The tights feel robust as I put them on and they survive the chair test several times. Unlike the nail varnish, the starch doesn't seem to affect their elasticity. But they snag after I brush my leg against the rose bush the second time around. Still, this is a good quick solution.
THE THEORY: Hairspray can prevent tights from laddering Antonia found hairspray a terrible solution - it made them sticky anby making them less fragile. And, unlike nail varnish, it won't stick to your leg if applied once the tights are already on....OR TRY SOME HAIRSPRAY
THE PRACTICE: This is easy enough to apply, but when sprayed liberally with hairspray the tights become incredibly sticky. It feels as if my children have put syrupy fingers all over my legs and when the tights dry they look wrinkled and unattractive.
DOES IT WORK? Putting them on proves almost impossible because the hairspray seems to have weakened the elasticity of the fabric.
And they are so sticky that by the time I roll them up past my knee I have made a hole. The tights don't ladder any further from the chair test, but rip easily on the rose bush. They feel thoroughly unpleasant throughout the whole test.
- 03:17:00
- 0 Comments
- 04:41:00
- 0 Comments
Step 1
Wash pantyhose in lukewarm water with
shampoo or liquid soap for hands (anything close to hand in your bathroom that cleans the human body is perfect).
Step 2
Get out your salad spinner and toss the pantyhose in.
Step 3
Whiz away to get rid of the water.
Step 4
Hang over towel rack and dry with a hair dryer - warm to cool heat. This should take no more than 5 minutes. Clean your teeth and do your hair at the same time.
Step 5
Another suggestion would be to roll wet pantyhose into a thick (dry) bath towel. But do not twist or ring the rolled up towel. The towel will absorb most all of the moisture and it only takes minutes to air dry them after.
Step 6
If you have a heating vent you can hang the pantyhose near, this can likewise act as a drier.
Step 7
In a real emergency, (and if the weather is good) you can also dry your pantyhose by opening your car's side window, carefully placing the upper portion (where your tummy and bottom would be) on the top of the glass, and carefully rolling up the window so the legs hang outside. As you drive to the function, the pantyhose will be dried by the wind and sunshine. When you arrive, pull into a discrete location. Unroll the window, pull on your hosiery in the car, check that all is in order, and then make your entrance.
Tips
If you don't wear pantyhose regularly, try to leave pantyhose out for hand washing in the shower or bath basin the morning after you've worn them to your special occasion. That way, you'll have several pairs waiting around for next time.
Buy a few spare packets and leave them unopened in your underwear drawer.
If you purchase an expensive pair of sheer pantyhose for a special event, buy another one at the same time, just in case. Special events don't come around that often and even if you don't need the second pair, you'll have it for another time. If you do need it, you'll be eternally grateful it was there.
When putting on pantyhose, bunch them up around the foot first, then gradually roll out the bunch rather than pulling it up. Pulling creates pressure which causes tears and laddering.
Warnings
Be careful not to be in so much of a rush that you ladder this last pair! If you do, dab on a dob of clear nail polish to stop the run from laddering any further.
- 08:43:00
- 0 Comments
