AllyG: So! A couple of my friends (yes! I have TWO) inquired today about coloured tights. I’m glad they asked, there are certainly many examples of coloured tights gone wrong thanks to American Apparel’s easy access (don’t get me wrong, I love AA’s tights, but people should have to take a course before they leave the store with hot pink tights…I should know…that was one horribly unfashionable Wednesday in 2007).
It was a good day to ask this question, as Canada.com also took on the task of embarking coloured tights etiquette. The most important point they raise in the article is why focus soley on colour? What about pattern? Patterned tights are SO HOT RIGHT NOW. Speaking of Zoolander, remember this scene?
Nothing to do with patterned tights, but it’s awesome. Sorry, back to Canada.com. They correctly note that, “Bold fashion followers can team bright or patterned tights with a fun, flirty dress for a playful look, as shown here. Or go more monochrome for an equally eye-catching look with black, patterned hose and a black, patterned dress. The red shoes add a splash of colour.” Agree. My friend M wondered whether she should have paired her black dress and boots with grey tights. I love mixing grey in with black. It breaks up the look and I think it makes you look taller. If you do want to go all black, then I would point to Canada.com’s advice to work some pattern into your black tights and pull out a bright pair of shoes.
I was looking for some “best of” coloured and patterned tights and saw that Vogue had done a feature on this for a recent accessories file. Being lazy, I decided to share! You can go to the link to read the full article.
I decided to actually do some work and find some tights I enjoy. My friend S asked about what to wear with an off-white skirt. I know she has the same pair of BCBG ankle boots as I do, which I thought would be perfectly paired with the skirt and these tights from Forever21.
I also love this look from Urban Outfitters. It’s much more casual, but great for the weekend or casual Friday.
For ordering info you can go here…
As for coloured tights, this is a great look. It’s bold, without being too young and in your face. You can still wear to the office.
Those red/wine coloured tights are from Emilio Cavallini (90 Denier Alligator Tights) you can also order online thanks to polyvore.com
I feel as though many people in their thirties are terrified of coloured/patterned tights because they equate them with this crap:
That’s just disgusting. Seriously. That’s not fashion, that’s insanity. You wear those and you are looking for attention in all the wrong places.
Since patterned tights are so popular for F/W 2009, you should be able to find them easily in Halifax. I’ve seen many different brands at Winners for great prices (specifically Hue)
Hope this helps, ladies. We’re totally behind fab tights. Mostly because Blair wears them.
Leave it to Serena to be slutty. Again. Wtf is she wearing? Again?
L-A: Would you believe that I’ve never actually seen Zoolander? (the sound you hear just now is that of Ally’s heart breaking).
Serena’s outfit is like the late-2000s/NYC version of this:
For reals. And that was 1995. Let’s bring back one decade at a time folks. Everyone is killing themselves over the 1980s comeback right now, so let’s just get through that before we move on to the 1990s. Besides, we’d need to go through grunge first before we can start bringing back Clueless.
Anythehow, coloured tights. Love them. I was getting ready for work the other morning and realized I was head to toe in black. Which is not the norm for me. So I broke it up with a pair of Betsey Johnson purple tights (found at Marshall’s on sale) and poof! My outfit was a million times (or at least five times) more interesting. Or my grey plaid dress (kind of Mad Men Joan-esque) that has a very small hint of purple in the plaid. You barely notice the purple, but it works oh so well when I throw the purple tights on. Hmmm…I possibly only ever wear purple tights. I think that’s because I was broke for so long that I couldn’t afford to buy another pair of coloured tights. Whatever the reason, I’m drawn to purple tights (and slightly heartbroken over the hitch in my favourite pair).
Moving on to the patterned tights. Mostly love. I love them in theory. However, I fear trying these on myself because I’m not sure they’d look so hot stretched over my gams. I’ve got big legs. It’s a fact of life. I’m sure going to the gym might help a little, but to tell the truth, I was born with thick legs, so it’s not like they’re going anywhere – they’d just get less flabby. So the idea of me in patterned tights is a bit scary.
But if you think you can do the patterned tight and not look like ten pounds of shit in a five pound bag (this is one of my mom’s sayings. I kid you not), then go for it! Wear something a little simpler – your outfit doesn’t need to be competing with your tights. Let your tights do the talking. Like, cute solid coloured skirt or dress and AWESOME patterned tights. If you’re at all crafty, you could try to DIY:
Although, that is not a project for amateurs. Aside from wanting to avoid a run in your tights while you embellish, you’d want to be careful that you don’t end up bedazzling the shit out of your tights (p.s. if you do try this project – please share pics with us!).
Some interesting patterned tights are the ones handmade by Sans Soucie of Montreal. I’ve yet to try them (see the part where I was too broke to buy tights, let alone fancy ones), but I’ve been tempted (Love, Me carries them). They’re coloured and patterned and quite frankly, look like they’d be real pretty.
But now it’s my turn to ask for some tights advice from you:
1. I have a navy pencil skirt: what colour tights (and colour top) do you wear with that?
2. I have mustard coloured tights that I kind of love, but am not sure what to wear them with. Suggestions?
