Tights, leggings and hosiery--is it just me? 7/30 edit - YouLookFab Forum

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Tights, leggings and hosiery--is it just me? 7/30 edit

Carol

(website)

Veteran

Is it just me, or does anyone else struggle to squeeze into leggings, tights and hosiery that is your correct size, according to the chart?
I wear these things a lot less than I might, because I break a sweat putting them on.

Has anyone sized up? How does that go?

7/30
And on the topic of pantyhose, has anyone noticed a trend of pageant tights? I would really like to get some. Basically a shimmery, nude hose for performances, but you could wear them in daily life. They would go great with cowboy boots and a short skirt, or a mini dress and Mary Janes. Pic below.

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Dressing

26 replies

Latest reply was from Carol

Irina

Veteran

Sizing up doesn’t work for me - I’m short so it will be longer and pooling down at my ankles. Sometimes it’s just a cut. My biggest issue is not long enough rise and consequently slinging down. I wear pantyhose in the winter for warmth and if I find a brand that fits, I buy multiple.

cat2

Veteran

I think you need to try different brands to see what works for you. If you find the right one, it won’t be such a struggle.

Echo

Veteran

I don't have much of an issue with leggings, as I buy the ones with the super soft, butter-like fabric as opposed to the compression leggings. Fabric matters!

Tights, likewise. If they're intended to be opaque, you may be able to size up one size without them being too long, though if your inseam if very short, that may not work.

It's sheer hosiery that is less forgiving on size, and I agree with others that when you find a brand that fits, buy multiples! Additionally, it helps to not buy control top hosiery. Control top hosiery feels like an athletic event to put on, even in the proper size, and I don't even WANT that feature; it's just that it is sometimes difficult to find hosiery without it.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I seriously hate pantyhose and tights. I wear them as little as possible. This year I might have only worn them to my father-in-law’s funeral. It’s because they always dig in around my middle. I much prefer leggings which seem to have less stretch and softer elastic around the middle. If I can get away with wearing leggings instead, say with not much showing between the hem of a dress and the top of my one pair of tall boots, I will. In NZ the size charts on pantyhose do suggest a bigger size as weight increases, there is often a detailed chart on the back of the packet. I have found this mostly works, I’m only 5 foot 1 but have not found too much of Irina’s problem of them bunching around the ankles. A little bit, yes. Occasional pulling up. I have bought so few in the last decade that I don’t have much experience of trying different brands.
It’s 15 years since I bought several interesting tights after I saw a stylist in 2010. She was good and did help me (at the age of 49 at the time) but she didn’t know nearly as much as we can learn from Angie and the forum! Needless to say I still have some of those tights I bought although I gave some to my daughters.

Lisa

Veteran

I haven't worn tights or pantyhose in years. When I did I would size up because I could never get the size according to the chart past my thighs. Yet with one size up there was a lot of length leftover since I'm short.

For leggings, again I go one size up, but I look for cropped (or what Zella calls the 7/8 length). What's cropped on others is usually full length on short me.

DonnaF

Veteran

I never wear leggings, but I sometimes wear tights (like yesterday) and even more often wear fishnet variants like right now. See Finds for examples. I hate, hate, HATE control tops so I avoid them. If I am between sizes or near the top end of a size I always size up. My city is experiencing its coldest summer since 1970 with only one day at 75 degrees or more and I freeze if I have bare legs in temperatures below the high 70s.

The other trick to hosiery comfort other than avoiding control tops is to make sure the stockings aren’t twisted on either/both legs. Btw I am highly allergic to cats so kitty claws are not a problem.

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Bijou

Veteran

I have tried sizing up on hosiery and it was fine - my regular size was out of stock and so I went with the larger size without any problem at all. I am 5 foot 5 inches and went from medium to tall sizing.

Sisi

Veteran

No, it's not just you. When I used to wear pantyhose I always sized up. What drove me crazy was that the elastic waistband was always too tight anyway. I don't know about leggins.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I kinda hate pantyhose — I’m having a hard time remembering the last time I wore them. Our mayor’s inaugural ball, perhaps? That was eight years ago. But I have a couple of pairs in my hosiery drawer, just in case. I have some opaque tights too, even though I don’t think I’ve worn those since before the pandemic. But I always found these things difficult to fit because my legs are long relative to my height — I would always size up so I didn’t have the crotch hovering several inches low around my thighs.

I only wear exercise leggings, not for anything else, since I don’t care for the look of leggings personally. Those are really only challenging to put on if I am already sweaty or have put moisturizer on my legs too shortly before, LOL.

Aurore

Veteran

Hosiery is a real struggle for me too. I almost always wear sheer tights with dresses, except in the peak of summer heat, but I have a hard time finding ones that fit well.
I have long and rather curvy legs, and hosiery supposed to be my size is almost always way too short. I size up to have enough length - or rather, to have enough extensibility left to acommodate the length.

Dee

Veteran

Ugh! My situation with these items is pretty much like Janet. Sizing up might help some but not all. It's trial and error. I personally can't stand wearing panty hose anymore.

Susie

Veteran

Ugh, I hate pantyhose and even tights. The last time I wore them was for a themed holiday party and they were fishnets. (I do actually like the look of fishnets.) But I currently own none and rarely wear dresses or skirts in the winter time.

I don’t really wear leggings but I generally don’t have an issue with fit on them, other than possibly length as I’m only 5’1”

RobinF

Veteran

I hate pantyhose with a passion. I haven't worn them in years, hard to believe that I used to wear them every day for work.

The last time I tried some (I think it was an outdoor wedding that was very cold), I sized up a lot and when I took them out of the package they were laughably small. Like size of my hand small. I went to the wedding with cold legs.

I don't care for leggings and tights either - I have a thing about waistbands - but not nearly as bad as pantyhose. I am thankful that bare legs are acceptable.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Personally Carol, I don't wear leggings. I find them impossibly uncomfortable, and feel awful in them. I wear salutation joggers for yoga and Pilates.

I occasionally wear pantyhose, and like it!! Looks pretty too. Pantyhose feels much more comfy than leggings, somehow. I know I'm in the minority! I wear the size recommended and do not size up. Although, some of my clients prefer to size up.

Like DonnaF, I don't enjoy control tops.

Irina

Veteran

Angie, high five!

So much hate for pantyhose
I don’t like leggings, too with an exception of Uniqlo’s heatech thin ones. I bought leggings to wear under jeans in the winter but found them uncomfortable.

I don’t like control top pantyhose but regular kind is fine and a part of my winter wardrobe. It might be physiological but I need to wear pantyhose plus knee high socks for warmth when it’s freezing outside.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Irina, high five, back! I happily wear pantyhose. In fact, I find it comforting! Polished and elegant with the right outfit.

Yes to heattech long underwear under pants - I do that too! It's like thick hosiery to me. YES to staying warm!!!

Sal

Veteran

I am very much out of the habit with tights and hose. I used to wear almost daily at one point but now just wear tall boots if wearing a dress.

Happy to wear knee highs on occasion.

I found sizing challenging too - but the main issue was with snags.

I find leggings comfortable but don’t wear them under things. If I lived in a colder place I might though.

Irina

Veteran

Sal, does it mean that you wear tall boots with socks only? No pantyhose or tights?

Echo

Veteran

I am in the liking hosiery camp. I wear skirts and dresses almost all winter, and black tights or insulated black tights are a staple for me. I also wear leggings as a part of my loungewear capsule, so at home I live in leggings and long sweatshirts. I wear them in the same size I normally wear, but they have the wide waistband and never feel constricting or uncomfortable.

It is sheer, flesh colored hosiery where I have a problem. I CANNOT seem to find a shade that approximates my actual skin tone, and it is SO frustrating. They always look wonky - too yellow, too cool, too tan, and very, VERY obviously hosiery. I used to have pantyhose that matched my skin, and I never minded wearing them. I still wouldn't if they didn't make my legs look completely artificial.

Sal

Veteran

Irina that is right. With midi dresses. Our winter is not that cold but can be wet and damp.

Irina

Veteran

Sal, I only knew that trendy New York girls wear their boots like that!
Of course, it is because your winters are mild. I’m very, very envious of both!

Ginger

Veteran

I also like hosiery. I wear tights almost every day in cold weather, and most weeks to church (though with sandalfoot). Air conditioning is pretty cold at church.

I also like control top, but that may be because of my pear shape. The control top feels just more like a very lightweight shaper or light compression leggings, and because my waist is smaller proportionally than my hips, it's not at all uncomfortable. I like the smoothing and the definition.

That said - I did find the waistband very uncomfortable on tights without a control top. It's just a pinch point if there's not continuous compression.

As far as the original question goes: I do not find the sizes to be off, but I do tend to have to size generously because of my height. And also, since I am used to the compression, I don't really notice a struggle.

I must admit that I did get tired of wrestling into and out of some thick winter leggings - they were fine on, but pulling them up got old. (I also refuse any sports bras that don't open in the back - I do hate that wrestling over my head and hair and bust!) I don't mind tights, though.

Carol

(website)

Veteran

Irina--looking for good brands, check!
cat2--ditto!
Echo--soft leggings, check!
JenniNZ--wearing the stuff less often--actually, a very good solution!
Lisa--good to know sizing up is possible.

Carol

(website)

Veteran

DonnaF--nice patterns, really nice circle fishnets. I do try and put my hose one straight, but it requires full focus. Any tips, LMK.
Bijou--I am 5'6", so maybe it would work for me, as well.
Sisi--good to know that is possible. Those waistbands are super tight!
Janet--you know, they also hover several inches below for me. I never associated that with height. Maybe I will try a size up.
Aurore--I just said to Janet I will try sizing up for the same reason. And I do find I need them from time to time--shaving nicks, bug bites, etc.

Carol

(website)

Veteran

Dee--good point, they are kind of stuffy. But I like the looks of some, like a sheer black.
Susie--I also like fishnets, esp. for costumes. Mine are always tearing, though!
RobinF--that sounds exactly like something that would happen before a wedding. Unfortunately, my legs aren't always presentable, so sometimes hose are good.
Angie--I like hose a lot right now, and I will always like opaque black tights. I like all the variety of classic hose--black, white, nude, brown.
Sal--tall boots is a great solution. Also snags--yes, I feel like it happens after one wear!

Carol

(website)

Veteran

Echo--IKWYM about finding the right shade, but I also enjoy playing wit the shades. A pale nude works for me, but a regular nude will, as well. I have my heart set in the long term on a nice black pair, like Wolfords.
Ginger--how interesting about the control top. I wonder if it works for me, too. I also have wide hips, and I do have some stomach. I know it is kind of uncomfortable for me, but it maybe helps...