Yahoo News Designer deniers: Would you spend a thousand pounds on a pair of tights?
Us Londoners have a difficult relationship with tights. Some of us adore the flattering comfort of a black 40 denier and its ability to legitimise a shorter hemline, while for others tights present a form of restrictive oppression, complete with difficult denier decisions and laddering anxiety.
Whichever camp you fall in, there can be no doubt that the dark, chilly mornings and even gloomier evenings mean tights season is upon us. Yet while the forecast for the next few months might be bleak, that doesn’t mean your nylons need to be.
A look at this season’s catwalks would suggest this winter’s legwear is loco for the logo — with everyone from Gucci to Chanel adding luxe legwear to their ranges. In fact, fashion search platform Lyst reports searches for logo tights are up 61 per cent since September. But how much would you be prepared to spend on haute hosiery?
Gucci have a pair of tights embellished with sparkling crystals forming the historic GG motif which will set you back an impressive £750. While these would presumably sparkle through the darkest of locked-down days, one could buy the smaller size of Gucci’s GG Marmont quilted leather shoulder bag for the same price — a more functional purchase perhaps, with reduced laddering anxiety.
And yet the tights, first debuted in the spring/summer 2020 collection, are nearly sold out everywhere online in both nude and black. Personally, I would opt for the brand’s interlocking GG jacquard-knit tights for £170 instead — a pricey pair still, but a fashion-forward entry point to the brand for those that might not be able to stretch to a pair of its logo-stamped furry loafers.
Chanel debuted its first logo legwear at its autumn/ winter 2020 show in Paris back in March. Monogrammed with the brand’s iconic interlocking C’s, the £330 tights, which come in black and white iterations and were styled with leather pirate boots at the show, are, like all Chanel stock, only available to buy in a Chanel boutique. But this hasn’t stopped them becoming a major hit with the fashion set.
French influencer Camille Charrière paired her black boucle Chanel short suit with the designer’s deniers to attend its runway show in Paris last week, while French actress Céline Sallette wore a head-to-toe monogrammed Chanel look to attend the Deauville American Film Festival earlier in September. Fendi’s FF logo tights have meanwhile been popular fashion girl fodder since they first hit the runway in the brand’s autumn/winter 2019 show.
The Italian label, which is now helmed by Dior Men’s Kim Jones, also offers a style with a white thread on black “Karligraphy” motif, in honour of the late creative director Karl Lagerfeld. Both styles will set you back £220.
Those not big on patterned pantyhose might look to the colourful ribbed stretch-silk tights Prada offered on its AW2020 runway, which cost £360 a pop and come in pleasing shades of ice blue, lilac and green.
While those that simply, and very reasonably, baulk at the idea of spending several hundred pounds on a pair of tights might want to check out Calzedonia, which does a great range of flocked patterns and fishnets that all come in under £12.50, and Wolford who offer an excellent houndstooth logo pair for £39 that would most certainly validate a micro mini hemline.
Whether designer deniers or less spenny stockings, why not ditch the sombre black in favour of something a little jazzier this season? Lord knows we’ll need all the cheap — or not so cheap — thrills we can get this winter.
