Leggings and Colored Tights - UK

[Sewbee]

This must be a UK trend and I love it! Heavier winter tights in different colours - or leggings worn beneath a dress. I'd love to be able to wear these thicker tights in colours in the winter but I haven't worn tights for about a decade. In the USA you can get by with no hose at all in summer and in winter - trousers. I stopped wearing them because the waistline was always too small and I had to snip it with scissors to fit. In earlier years, of course, they were fine - until I got sick and lost my waistline for good. (Carried 7-month size fibroid tumour for two years - no health insurance!!) Anyway that was 12 years ago but I had too much excess skin to shrink back by the time I had surgery - along with hysterectomy. Time to sew again and try to get around the waist issue

Karen Ball, a former blogger with the Guardian and also children's author and publisher, writes one of the best sewing blogs and I see her wearing colored tights or leggings all the time and she looks really nice! Here's a link:

https://didyoumakethat.com/2017/09/28/moving-on/

Note: She also often wears trainers in coordinating colours with the tights - comfy!

[UttaRetch]

I wear 3/4 black leggings when the weather gets warmer - even in the summer to hide the blotchy skin on my legs - and switch to 60 denier black tights in the winter.  However, recently I have fancied trying different colours.  Now is the time of year when the shops are starting to reintroduce thicker tights, so you could start there.  There will be a greater variety of colour online, so may be you would prefer to go there instead.

[Morgan]

Wearing coloured tights that are the same colour as the shoes or ankle boots is a great trick for those of us with short legs.
A couple of years ago I had some purple suede ankle boots and as I loved them so much I got the same style in a luscious burgundy red.  They looked fabulous with same colour tights and I always felt well put together.

Also love wearing wearing some of the patterned tights with knee boots and thick patterned tights.

Leggings with tunics or dresses are a different look altogether.

[Catllar]

Love the idea, but nearly always too hot for me.

[Tamnymore]

Yes I often wear leggings or tights in winter. I never wear ordinary sheer tights. M&S used to do good cotton leggings but they've changed their design so I'm road testing Sainsbury's leggings which are cheaper and, so far, fine. I do like tights or leggings to be either cotton or mostly cotton (or merino wool for tights on really cold days). Artificial fibres are too hot. And I do find that tights often slip down. M&S and John Lewis are the best for staying up, ditto Falke (if you can find the latter at reduced price as they are expensive).

[Sewbee]

Yes I often wear leggings or tights in winter. I never wear ordinary sheer tights. M&S used to do good cotton leggings but they've changed their design so I'm road testing Sainsbury's leggings which are cheaper and, so far, fine. I do like tights or leggings to be either cotton or mostly cotton (or merino wool for tights on really cold days). Artificial fibres are too hot. And I do find that tights often slip down. M&S and John Lewis are the best for staying up, ditto Falke (if you can find the latter at reduced price as they are expensive).

If you wear leggings in winter what do you put on your feet before your shoes? Socks? Trying to get the hang of how to stay warm here. Last year when I was working I wore trousers with no shoes or hose and I froze to death waiting at bus stops. This was, of course, before I got my car.

It's good to hear that colored tights often fall down. That means they would stay up on me. I gave barely any waist and had to clip the waist of USA panty hose so I could breathe! I haven't worn any in ten years but I really, really love the different colours of tights and leggings to coordinate with whatever you are wearing.

[Fiona M]

Leggings, wool socks and boots that come to mid calf for me in the winter.  I have poor circulation and get cramp in feet and legs if they get too cold.
I find Sainsburys leggings are good, but you could always make your own, and then would have free choice of size, fabric, colour etc.

[Francesca]

Leggings, wool socks and boots that come to mid calf for me in the winter.  I have poor circulation and get cramp in feet and legs if they get too cold.
I find Sainsburys leggings are good, but you could always make your own, and then would have free choice of size, fabric, colour etc.

I also like the Sainsburys' leggings - mainly the premium ones which are really nice. I try not to depend on leggings too much though as I think they look a bit scruffy at work. Don't know why. Tights look so much better on.

[Tamnymore]

Yes always socks in winter. Wool socks are best. I like M&S men's wool wide top socks. I agree, Fran, leggings are somehow more informal than tights. I probably wouldn't go to a job interview in leggings!

Sewbee, all tights have a tendency to fall down in my experience! Gravity I suppose. So it's a question of finding some which defy gravity as much as possible. I need someone to invent anti-gravity tights.

[Sewbee]

I'd have to go with cotton. Wool makes me itch, or at least it did in the USA. Oddly, it didn't make me itch prior to going there. Might be worth another try though.

[Surest1tch]

I feel I'm too old to be wearing leggings, the only time I ever wear tights thick or sheer is if it's exceptionally cold under trousers or jeans.  On some people leggings look really good but I'm afraid on some people IMHO they look an absolute mess.
Hope that doesn't offend anyone.

[Ploshkin]

Wool makes me itch

I can't wear any wool against my skin so I always wear thin cotton socks under wool ones.  If it's warmth without too much bulk you are looking for try goat socks.  They are incredibly hard wearing and very warm - it's claimed that they don't cause smelly feet.
They aren't cheap but I bought 3 pairs from Wiggly Wigglers (sorry, can't do links on Kindle but they still sell them)  which have done 3 winter seasons in wellies - a winter sock season is 6 months here, and only one sock is starting to show any wear on the heel.
I have been looking for goat yarn with a small proportion of nylon or polyester for hand knitting some socks but am drawing a blank at the moment.

[Sewbee]

I feel I'm too old to be wearing leggings, the only time I ever wear tights thick or sheer is if it's exceptionally cold under trousers or jeans.  On some people leggings look really good but I'm afraid on some people IMHO they look an absolute mess.
Hope that doesn't offend anyone.

I tend to agree. They do look awful on some. My legs are probably the best part of my body and I am tall so I like to wear them with a long top, usually at home, though. Plus they are not skin tight. I never thought of wearing them the way Karen Ball does in the link above under a dress that coordinates. You are right, though, some can get away with it and some can't. Grooming overall counts for a lot.

[Sheilago]

In the winter I wear M and S children’s knee high school socks under my trousers ( plain navy, black or grey) . I love them as there’s no draughty feeling around your ankles and they are reasonably fine, so when your feet and ankles show they don’t look like bulky socks. They do a size 4-7, which is ok for me and they come in packs of 5 I think.

[Fiona M]

I feel I'm too old to be wearing leggings, the only time I ever wear tights thick or sheer is if it's exceptionally cold under trousers or jeans.  On some people leggings look really good but I'm afraid on some people IMHO they look an absolute mess.
Hope that doesn't offend anyone.

I only wear them under dresses and skirts - I hope you didn't think I was advocating wearing them as a substitute for trousers!!!