Trend Alert: Tights

By Marni Elyse Katz
November 2, 2009

It’s been seventy years since chemical manufacturer DuPont introduced the public to the phenomenon of nylon stockings. And they’ve come a long way baby. Fall fashion runways—and now every city street corner, it seems—were replete with abundant incarnations of leg coverings, from shimmering sheers to heavily patterned opaques, in colors and textures that will make you giddy.

Basic black made a strong showing too, especially when paired with satiny jewel tones (Vivienne Tam) and florals (Pollini). Speaking of color, legs paraded down the catwalk in an array of pretty brights, including hot pink (Emanuel Ungaro), violet (Marc by Marc Jacobs), yellow (Limu Feu) and electric blue (Anna Sui). On the other end of the spectrum, there were also a lot of great grays, from simple opaque tights (Thakoon) to ankle and knee socks (United Bamboo and VPL), as well as slouchy grey leggings (Lacoste). Ivory and white found a place too, complementing monochromatic palettes (TSE) and paired with black (Prada).

These six trends top our list:

Stripes

Given the black and white stripey tights and pointy hat she sent down the runway, Erin Fetherston seems to have been inspired by the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz (another cultural icon celebrating a 70^th anniversary this year). House of Holland showed wide bands of color in poppy Pantone shades, while Wolfgang Joop incorporated geometric shapes into painterly vertical stripes.

Get the Look: Black and Yellow Striped Tights (buy it now price, $6)

Pair horizontal prison stripes with a leg-lengthening wedge heel.

Metallic

Decadence is hardly dead. In fact, metallics are the new neutral. Luella proved girls just want to have fun with her gold stockings paired with metallic shoes and pink hair, while BCBG Max Azria went for the gold as undertones in a black base. Gucci and Diane von Furstenberg offered a similar subtle effect with blends of black and silver. Londoner Giles Deacon, however, went futuristic with shiny silver leggings.

Get the Look: Set of Three Pairs of Footless Tights in Black/Silver, Grey/Silver and Gold (buy it now price, $7.99)

Wear dark, jewel-toned skirts with metallic tights for a ladylike effect.

Slashed

Duo Alexa Adams and Flora Gill of Ohne Titel displayed biker chic with sophistication, showing black leggings slashed at the knees, as did Charlotte Ronson, who also reveled in leather. Roberto Cavalli, not known for his restraint, went all out, with ladder-like tatter covering the whole length of his leggings for Just Cavalli, a look he styled super casually with shaggy vests, scarves and pointy flats.

Get the Look: Ripped Leggings in Black, Gold, Silver or Blue (buy it now price, $19.99 each)

Embrace this trend’s rocker chic origins with an oversize concert tee, black motorcycle jacket and a loosely tied scarf.

Animal Prints

Blumarine wemt wild with black and pastel leopard print leggings on runways with a Warhol backdrop. Miss Sixty, too, went head to toe in black and white animal print. In her “Nomad” themed show, Diane von Furstenberg showed multiple prints and patterns, including a dark leopard legging worn with a textured tent dress and a bone necklace.

Get the Look: Betsey Johnson Animal Print Tights (buy it now price, $14.95)

Found on everything from fur jackets to shoes to slacks, animal prints are a must-wear this season, and tights are an affordable way to take on the trend.

Textured Sheers

For ladies who lunch and femme fatales, sheers also made a showing. Miss Sixty sent models down the catwalk in exaggerated ‘80s silhouettes paired with sheer stockings in super wide fishnet patterns and lace. Lacey legs, so very French, were de rigeur in Paris at Christian Lacroix. Nicolas Ghesquiere achieved the same glam vampy effect at Balencia with delicate pointelle hosiery. Ruffian too, picked up this look, though paired it with preppy, tailored blazers.

Get the Look: Double Diamond Black Fishnet Stockings Stockings (buy it now price, $8.99)

Stockings with a super subtle texture make even the most conservative skirt suit look modern, but not vampy.

Embellished

One might fear that rhinestone-encrusted hosiery might end up resembling an art project gone awry, but the jewel-adorned legs on the fall runways exquisite. New York designers Doo-Ri Chung and Cynthia Rowley studded lacy stockings with sparkly crystals, and Miuccia Prada placed paillettes on chunky ribbed knit tights.

Get the Look: Embellished Topshop Denim Blue Shiny Sequin Disco Leggings (buy it now price, $60)

For those of us that live off the runway, beaded or sequined leggings are sturdier than tights.

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