In a weak moment...(questions about styling colored tights)

RunnerChick

...I bought myself 2 pairs of colored tights. The colors I went for were a burnt orange-sienna and a green, both of which will go with tons of tops/ sweaters in my closet. I'm strictly a black (smartwool) tights kinda gal so far but I figured this was a low-stakes, low-budget way of taking a risk and pushing myself outside my fashion comfort zone.

I live in the SF Bay Area, and falls and winters are mild - and a sweater-pencil skirt-tights-boots formula gets a lot of wear. I'm excited about styling the tights when the weather cools down, and I was wondering if folks on YLF have experiences, WiWs, and tips to share about wearing colored tights.

Thanks!

13 years ago

Dressing

12 replies

Latest reply was from RunnerChick

qpswan

Active Member

Good for you (and I thought I was going out on a limb buying heather grey tights..)!

My only advice is to take care to avoid looking like a school girl. In the 1960's, I had matching turtlenecks and leotards and my mom paired them with jumpers and skirts. I rocked the look until I was 10.

I look forward to your photos!

13 years ago

shiny

Veteran

I like to layer black micro-fishnets over the colored tights. It tones them down -- you get just a hint of the color. I have even worn these to work! It's very subtle; people do a double take. It's a very popular look here among the art crowd: I also like the look with black sheer patterned hose over the bright colored tights.

13 years ago

RunnerChick

Active Member

qpswan - that's exactly the look that I'm trying to avoid. I do have a tendency towards the preppy, some times, and preppy --> schoolgirl is a slippery slope that's totally inappropriate (not to say unflattering) for a woman in her 40's.

Shiny - great suggestions! My workplace is very informal -- anything goes, as long as it's not too revealing or body-con -- and I'm totally planning on wearing these tights to work. I love the idea of layering fishnets or patterned sheer hose over the colored tights. Can't wait to try that out! Thanks!

13 years ago

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I like doing either colored tights with everything else neutrals, or colored tights that are a different shade of the same color as the rest of my clothes - kind of a shades of monochrome look. I'm no expert, though, I look forward to reading what other people's recommendations are.

13 years ago

Astrid

Veteran

I would avoid too high contrast, that can be difficult to pull off in a stylish way. So I'd wear the tights with bottoms in a fairly similar color. I also second Shiny's suggestion - I like to layer black sheer patterned tights over my colored tights to tone it down a bit. In the picture I'm wearing dark red tights that go with the culottes and the black poka dots layered over it work with the black shoes and jacket. You're seeing just a hint of red, but it looks very interesting.

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13 years ago

Veteran

I haven't got any experience to know what I'm talking about, so all I can offer you is how I would play with it. I would do a variation on your mother's theme, quite honestly, a column of colour formed by a sweater or long-sleeved T or button-down and the tights, covered by a pencil skirt in denim or houndstooth or a dark neutral. Or I would bookend the tights with a scarf or cardigan or a print top that contained the same colour. To me, legs that are a vastly different colour than the rest of the outfit are very distracting, and make the legs look out of proportion. That might be just me, but that's the only way I could wear coloured tights and be comfortable. I even feel obliged to echo black tights elsewhere, so I might be excessively uptight in this department.

13 years ago

Mama Susie

Active Member

I'll be interested to see how you end up styling these. I am debating getting a pair of purple/fuchsia tights for Fall along with trusty black and brown. I was planning on layering them with some of my shorter dresses and tall boots so that you only see a slice of color around the upper legs. But since I haven't tried it yet I can't say whether or not it will work.

13 years ago

LadyBirdK

(website)

Active Member

Hi there, Runnerchick!

Those colored tights sound like a lt of fun! I don't know your day-to-day, but I am kind of envisioning a crisp autumn afternoon, a nice cup of java, red and yellow leaves falling and you in your cute tights - and perhaps a caramel suede or corduroy skirt, cream sweater and warmly-coloured scarf, maybe even a denim or utility jacket topping it off. You'd look like you stepped straight out of the pages of a Bodn catalog!

Here are some examples of the look (can you tell I have been following this trend a bit?)

http://www.bodenusa.com/en-US/.....vGroupID=4

http://www.bodenusa.com/en-US/.....GroupID=13

I also really like the idea of coloured tights with a sweater dress and a hat. These aren't brightly coloured, but it could give you an idea (from Athleta):

http://athleta.gap.com/browse/.....pid=860615
(click on the alternate views)

Sally from already pretty has some really cute outfits featuring colored tights, too. Here is one:

http://www.alreadypretty.com/2.....-1912.html

Hope that helps!

13 years ago

LadyBirdK

(website)

Active Member

Wardrobe oxygen Also had a little featurette on this (part of her trends report):

http://www.wardrobeoxygen.com/.....rends.html

I really like the ensemble on the right, and could totally see something like this working with green tights (the navy blue dress would look great, I think, if you bookend them like some of the lovely ladies suggested above).

13 years ago

geargirl

Active Member

Hi from a fellow Bay Area girl!
I admit I checked out LadyBirdK's links (those are great!) and the Wardrobe Oxygen feature shows one of my favorite "retired" blogger: Tania from "What would a nerd wear".
She rocked colored tights so I'll give you the direct link: http://whatwouldanerdwear.blog.....chive.html
I also like to layer tights especially when it gets cold here! I'm not brave enough to wear color alone though...

13 years ago

Lyn D.

Veteran

R.C. I wear mine with a denim skirt, and maybe a hint of matching colour in my scarf to tie it together.

13 years ago

RunnerChick

Active Member

Laura - I really like the idea of using the colored tights to do neutrals with a pop!

Astrid - thanks for the picture, and for the suggestion of continuing the color from the skirt through the tights. Might have to invest in a pair of blue tights as my denim skirt gets a lot of wear during the winter

JR - the formula you describe is exactly how I was thinking of wearing the tights. I had not thought of bookending with a scarf (but you would, of course :), and I thank you for that. I think my scarf affinity is strong too, like yours:), although you style them in more classy ways

MamaSusie - layering them under dresses and tall boots sounds fab. In fact, that is one of the looks that LadyBid shared from the Boden catalog, I think.

Ladybird, thanks for the awesome advice and the links! 'm definitely going to hit you up for advice and suggestions when the weather cools off enough!

GearGirl - hello from the East Bay! Thanks for the link. I love Tania's style - especially because it's close enough to mine that I can copy some of her outfits!

Lyn- thanks for sharing how you'd wear it. Do you keep your top neutral? So the main source of color, other than the tights, is from the scarf?

13 years ago

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