How To Wear Tights 40+ Woman

fashion tights skirt dress high heels

How To Wear Tights 40+ Woman

Why You Should Show Off Your Beautiful Legs

For many women over 40 their legs are true assets. Apart from the knees they are not prone to aging so quickly and it can add a lot of sex appeal to your outfit. Therefore, the general advice for many women over 40 is to show some leg for a hip and youthful appearance.  Although this is easy in the summer, it can be challenging for women like me who easily get cold. Tights are a perfect solution, but how can you wear them and still look hip and youthful?

Opaques

I really like opaque tights and you can get them in any colour these days. With the colour blocking trend still going strong, you can really play with the colour of your tights and make it fun. If you want a more conservative look than go with the colour of your shoes or skirt. Wolford Velvet Deluxe are good ones and so are Spanx Tight End Reversible Tights, which have a different colour at the back. Great neutral colours to own would be black, grey, brown and navy. Great fall 2012 trend colours would be burgundy and cobalt blue (both would look fantastic with either black or winter white). Do not wear opaques in nude and make sure you create a nice balance with the colours in your outfit.

Sheer Tights

Sheer tights look best in (bearly) black or very see through nude. I feel that this, together with fishnets, is the only way to wear nude tights if you want to create a modern look. Sheer nude tights that are frequently recommended are the Donna Karen nudes. In the below picture sheer black tights look very chic with the yellow dress. The Duchess of Cambridge has been credited for bringing nude tights back into favour.

Fishnets

If you want to up the sex appeal even more then this is always a consideration, but be sure to keep the rest of your outfit very classy. I would stick to black or nude only for fishnets.

Textures

Flower patterns and printed pants are very much the trend right now and you may want to incorporate this trend with your tights. However, do so with care. Using patterned tights can very quickly look wrong or trashy or just draw too much attention on your legs and away from your face. If you like to use pattern, I would stick to a subtle pattern in one colour. Make sure that the pattern blends in with your outfit and it can look great. Here is how I wore printed tights recently.

Sheer tights

fashion tights skirt dress high heels

Sheer tights or not?

Transparent flesh-colored tights have a reputation that sticks to their skin: that of being somewhat matronly and not really trendy. However, these tights are not to be banished from our wardrobes… if they are well chosen. Choose sheer flesh-toned and matte tights. These garments embellish the legs, highlight them and even camouflage their small flaws. Matte flesh-toned tights are nearly invisible: if you choose the right shade, they will be indistinguishable from your skin. In that case, they envelop the legs and help complete an outfit. You can opt for more or less opaque tights. Do note, however, that the more transparent the tights… the more fragile they are.

To make the best choice, combining practicality and aesthetics, always remember to check the opacity indicator, specified your tights’ packaging. The higher the index, the more opaque the tights. Sheer tights have an index between 10 and 30 denier. Tights with an index between 10 and 15 denier are perfect for the summer, because they are truly very thin. Thicker, 20 to 30 denier stockings are semi-transparent and ideal for mid-season. Tights with an index greater than 50 denier are very thick tights designed to cover the legs in winter. They are more visible than low-index tights… but can look great if worn with a midi dress and pretty mid-calf or thigh-high boots.

Our advice for choosing sheer tights

So you think you’re ready to choose tights? Let’s make sure we have thought of everything. The first point to review is the sizing. That’s right: choosing the right size of tights is essential. Too-big tights are not very aesthetic, because folds will form in the knees and on the legs, while with too-small tights… a tear is guaranteed. Take your height and weight into account so you don’t go wrong. Tights are rated from size 1 to 6, size 1 corresponding to a S, size 2 and 3 to an M or for tall and slender women and sizes 4 to 6 for curvier body types.

The second parameter to take into consideration: the color of the tights. If you opt for flesh-toned tights, as mentioned above, follow your complexion. Do not hesitate to test a color sample, available in stores, or to slip your hand into the tights while stretching them slightly. This will show you the tone of the stockings on your legs. Does the color blend in with your skin? Perfect, these tights are for you. Maybe you prefer to choose sheer black tights? Let’s answer that question next.

How to dress up your legs with sheer black tights

Transparent black tights are a must-have in your wardrobe. Resolutely chic and perfectly complementing the curves of the legs, under a pretty fitted dress or a pencil skirt they are sure to give you a girl-boss allure. They can also create a

glamorous look if you pair them with a mini skirt, high-waist skirt, shorts or a sweater dress. Sheer black tights are not difficult to wear: we generally consider that they can be worn under all outfits and complement all colors. They are the most modern stockings in our selection!

A subtle blend of transparency and creativity

Our advice: avoid patterns on patterns. To reveal all their beauty, fashion stockings must be worn with understated outfits, either plain or with very discreet patterns. The ultimate fashion faux-pas to avoid is wearing patterned polka dot tights under a plaid dress or skirt. This outfit is not very harmonious, because it sends too much information. So, keep it simple in order to shine in your fashion tights!