YouLookFab Forum » Topic: More on the London black tights thing

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: More on the London black tights thing https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sat, 25 Apr 2026 17:10:34 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php jurocha on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-972436 Sun, 07 Jul 2013 06:59:47 +0000 jurocha 972436@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I am a great fan of the shorts, opaque tights and boots combo for winter and I do it a lot. It might seem tee or (insert name of this blonde female character who wears jeans shorts and tall boots here; I forgot her name. Pfff!), but for someone as trouser-challenged as I am... it's the fool-proof cold weather outfit. Therefore, I would expect myself to embrace this summer + thighs idea. It follows the same guidelines: mixing items from different seasons to bring some edge to the outfit and make the most out of seasonal clothes (make them linger while temperatures are... hm... themselves confused). However I don't. I just find it plain weird: something like "I still hv my gym/ballet clothes on, below my walk-around outfit". Bu for my prejudice! I do get some people wearing this around here in Vienna, most jeans mini (all sorts of colour, from jeans to bright egg yellow) and opaque black thighs that stops at knee leght. It is a free-time or student look, thanks fashion gods (prejudice, prejudice, tsk tsk tsk) no office lady thought of bringing it to work. Scarlet on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-972429 Sun, 07 Jul 2013 06:26:12 +0000 Scarlet 972429@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I love the outfits in the video! I haven't seen this too much in the summer, but I understand that London is having a cold summer, so probably people are just wanting to get on their spring and summer clothes anyway. I can understand that. It's not seasonally confused then but just practical. Having said that, I don't care for black tights under denim shorts which I have seen quite a bit. Deborah on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-972289 Sun, 07 Jul 2013 01:42:04 +0000 Deborah 972289@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ What Caro said! I do think it has been popular here at times though. I see the looks around town on young girls going to office and sales jobs. I have also recently seen it on British starlets. Having been a black opaque tights offender, I am torn, part of me thinks it is just lazy styling and part of me likes it. I am not keen though on the opaque tight with summer dress look though. Carla on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-972241 Sun, 07 Jul 2013 00:55:37 +0000 Carla 972241@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I would second what Suz says. It is a winter look. Lots of black worn in the winter ( black skirts, black dresses) and thick black stockings with black boots, booties or shoes. What colour there was, was worn on top. Please understand, we get snow in October and it stays till May. We even got snow in June this year, and had a cold spring. Thick hose is about self preservation! If one can be stylish doing it...so be it! Diana on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-972233 Sun, 07 Jul 2013 00:28:50 +0000 Diana 972233@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I actually think it's a cool look (especially with chunky boots!) but I can't imagine wearing tights at all in the summer here. I would die of heat. I have worn black opaques in winter with a lightweight, floral skirt and boots though. Kind of a 90s look. Suz on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-972205 Sat, 06 Jul 2013 23:35:54 +0000 Suz 972205@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ People wear black tights (and other opaque tights) in winter here, all the time. Myself included. I could not wear skirts or dresses at all, unless I wore dark tights. (Nude hose are not warm enough, full stop! Not even if I layer them.) But I have a poison eye for what I consider seasonally confused looks, so I tend to prefer them with wintery fabrics. I did like these outfits minus the tights, however! And I thought she gave great advice for how to pull it off if you want to.  Ornella on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-972126 Sat, 06 Jul 2013 20:56:55 +0000 Ornella 972126@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ The look never grew on me personally. To my eye something about heavy tights just does not work with summer dresses, period. There is season for everything and there is wardrobe for every season.  Mia on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-972121 Sat, 06 Jul 2013 20:53:45 +0000 Mia 972121@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I saw a gal (not super young) rocking this look a couple of days ago.   It was a black tunic type dress with leggings just below the knee.   From what I know of London it makes perfect sense from the point of view of the weather and  getting around on the Tube.  Too short dress can be "icky". Lots of the docents in the the museums had an 'arty" version of this look when I was last there.  Like it. Anonymous on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-972111 Sat, 06 Jul 2013 20:45:41 +0000 Anonymous 972111@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ The look was very popular here in NYC this past winter. I like it. Sveta on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-972011 Sat, 06 Jul 2013 17:48:36 +0000 Sveta 972011@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I don't wear them much even in winter so they do not feel right to me with light and bright summer clothing as well. As Angie I would rather wear nude hose and  / or light tall boots if it is too cold in summer to go barelegged. Astrid on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-972004 Sat, 06 Jul 2013 17:42:04 +0000 Astrid 972004@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I see that a lot here, like Caro and Lyn said. It's a student look, black tights with short skirts or under short shorts. I personally don't like it much. MovingFashionForward on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-971933 Sat, 06 Jul 2013 15:44:25 +0000 MovingFashionForward 971933@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ It only looks seasonally confused/clashing if you don't live somewhere it makes to wear warm tights all year round. In London it is often warm enough to wear a summer dress if you wear tights but not if you don't. Seems perfectly seasonally appropriate in Britain to me. It is also a way for those who don't want to show their legs to wear shorts and short summer dresses. It is a look that has been around for as long as I can remember in Britain. I shall be interested to see what replaces it, when it eventually goes 'out'. I've been looking for a pair of opaque WHITE tights, but of course few women are likely to want to wear thick white tights. (Not that I would wear them the same way we Brits have tended to wear black tights.) 8-) lyn* on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-971648 Fri, 05 Jul 2013 23:37:48 +0000 lyn* 971648@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Ditto w/ Caro - it's a very student look. I see it on the subway all the time. Angie on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-971647 Fri, 05 Jul 2013 23:35:57 +0000 Angie 971647@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I've owned one pair of black opaques in my life - in the '90s - which was orphaned. It's just not my thing! I do not like the look - black opaques and footwear with colourful Summer outfits. I'd prefer to see nude hose and tall boots in lighter colours.  But I DO get that the weather in the UK can be cold and wet, and that wearing tights with closed shoes is one way to wear your Spring and Summer-y outfits and not feel cold. We have the same weather in  Seattle. Although our Summer so far has been off the charts!!!! Caro in Oz on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-971641 Fri, 05 Jul 2013 23:28:35 +0000 Caro in Oz 971641@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ It's mainly a student look here - summer dresses with tights & Docs MsMary on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-971638 Fri, 05 Jul 2013 23:26:17 +0000 MsMary 971638@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ In in So Cal and we never see black tights here, even in winter. That said, I loved each and every one of the outfits in the video, with or without the tights! ElleH on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-971620 Fri, 05 Jul 2013 22:48:14 +0000 ElleH 971620@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Hmmm maybe I should wear black tights & shoes with a dress for the UK wedding. Black shoes are much easier to find & I already have black booties. Ana on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-971607 Fri, 05 Jul 2013 22:30:29 +0000 Ana 971607@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I won't say never, but I agree with Janet that I don't really like seasonally confused looks either. Black tights just look so heavy to me that pairing them with bright, summery fabrics just seems, I don't know, unbalanced somehow? But if I lived in England, maybe my eye would adjust to the look. You never see black tights around here, not even in winter, so I don't have a lot of good examples to think about.  hedgiehog on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-971527 Fri, 05 Jul 2013 20:10:31 +0000 hedgiehog 971527@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ ETA: I did like the outfit in the video. To my eye, her colours are bright, summery colours and I thought the black tights were too opaqu and heavy for the bright colours. Maybe I'm just not trendy enough to appreciate it. :/ hedgiehog on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-971526 Fri, 05 Jul 2013 20:06:50 +0000 hedgiehog 971526@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I agree with Joy. When I was in London two weeks ago I saw black tights everywhere. Paired with summery dresses, skirts and short shorts. They varied from sheer to opaque. Because the weather was still a bit cool for summer, it made sense that some ladies were still wearing them. I am not a fan of the shorts and tights combination but it was very popular there. I suspected that the tights were a bit of a compromise to the shorts. I live in Florida so I do see a fair amount of short shorts but never with tights. rachylou on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-971524 Fri, 05 Jul 2013 20:01:51 +0000 rachylou 971524@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ In the '80s. No doubt London is ahead of SF in an '80s revival. Janet on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-971505 Fri, 05 Jul 2013 19:33:28 +0000 Janet 971505@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I don't see much of that where I live, but it's much too hot and humid for tights. I don't personally care for looks that are so seasonally confused. It can work if done really right, but whenever I've seen it IRL, it's never looked great. Anonymous on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-971490 Fri, 05 Jul 2013 19:00:36 +0000 Anonymous 971490@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I suspect the black tights feel like a method to get away with wearing the skirts and dresses that are too short. I haven't seen it here but it is far too warm for tights. Maybe in the fall. Anonymous on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-971460 Fri, 05 Jul 2013 18:26:09 +0000 Anonymous 971460@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I saw a girl of around 18 sporting some today ( I don't live anywhere London, more central UK) She had a short, quite flared denim skirt and a light coloured tee shirt tucked in. The tights were quite opaque but not really thick. I thought she looked quite cute. Not sure whether I would wear them though. Laura (rhubarbgirl) on "More on the London black tights thing" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/more-on-the-london-black-tights-thing#post-971446 Fri, 05 Jul 2013 18:13:28 +0000 Laura (rhubarbgirl) 971446@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ When I was in London I saw women of all ages wearing black tights with all and sundry - summer dresses, office wear, you name it. This was a new look for me - around here usually tights are winter only and you don't really use them to winterize otherwise summery things. I was monkeying about on the Guardian site with Jess Carter-Morley's fashion videos and found this one about how to wear black tights: <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/fashion/video/2013/feb/20/how-to-dress-black-tights-video" rel="nofollow">http://www.guardian.co.uk/fash.....ghts-video</a> What do you think - do you like the look of black tights and shoes with a bright, summery outfit? Do you see this look where you live?