Mumsnet Talk

Bought a navy jersey dress (more of a french navy than a dark navy) which is just above knee length, and looks really nice for work with navy ballet pumps (need to wear flat shoes, do a lot of walking round). I'm a bit stuck though about which tights to wear; plain navy looks odd, black looks terrible, nude looks tacky.....any ideas? I'm 39, tall and a size 14, so can't really get away with anything too cute or colourful...help much appreciated!

Plum.

How good are your legs? If they're good, then I'd say orange or red opaque, otherwise grey wool ribbed maybe?

It's a difficult question and I'll be watching with interest. I have a navy dress that I LOVE and I never know what to wear with it.

I'd bite the bullet on navy tights tbh. I've experimented with coloured tights but it always looks a bit Zandra Rhodes iykwim. I'm a bit funny about the all over navy treatment but you can always go for lovely, different colour accessories <waits for lovely yellow bag ordered from Boden to arrive to offset any navy frump anxieties>

Navy tights remind me of old ladies. And yy to not wanting to look Zandra Rhodes. Thick grey tights are good but with a knee length skirt look a bit like you're off to your first day at school.

Depends on what the dress is like - could you try textured or patterned tights (cable knit/spots etc) in navy?

Or how about teal?

Argyll patterned can look nice. Or something with a rib - charcoal grey or burgundy/plum?

If wearing navy tights, you could wear a scarf to add an extra colour.

[http://shop.uniqlo.com/uk/goods/070119#colorSelect THESE?]

OOPS THESE?

Id go for navy with a texture to them or I also like Nude micro fishnets, they always fit the bill when you have a tights conundrum

yy nude micro are good but I also like navy tights as long as they are not too opaque or a slatey grey colour perhaps?

BLACK - I have a thing about black and navy and am rebelling against stupid fashion rules

these have bought these in grey and brown, they are fabulous. Warm, soft and wash well. Grey may work well with navy and the pattern will avoid the school uniform look.

Black.

Victoria Beckham would wear black. Not that I pay attention to what she wears or anything. I'm not sad like that.

Brilliant, thank you, all! I will be going tights shopping tomorrow. and tights shopping does not really count as actual clothes shopping, because they are essentials, and therefore an entirely guilt free purchase.
Tried plain grey woolly ones,that i already had, colour was good but yes def. need a rib or pattern or something to work. Will be buying nude micro fishnets too because yes, they do sound like the solution to all of my early morning leg covering dilemmas. And will take the dress in to see if there are any navy patterned ones around that might work.
Also v much liking Bienchen's suggestion.

Good idea re taking the dress along! Please do report back, I may end up replacing a navy dress I returned to the White Co and benefit from your shopping experience.

I wearlots of navy clothing. IME navy tights usually dont work with navy skirts /dresses as the navy is never the same colour. You need textured tights in navy or a different colour. I wear grey ( usually a blue grey from M and S called carbon), magenta , purple, aubergine and olive green . The carbon is rather nice with red shoes

Red is a bit trolley dolly IMO. I don't think nude is tacky, and as mentioned upthread nude fishnets are good. Otherwise, I second teal, or lime green.

Nude micro fishnets

LadyClarice I do wear nude tights,and they can work really well with some outfits, but for some reason they just didn't look nice with the navy dress and flat shoes; I don't know whether there was just to much middle age bare leg going on. The nude micro fishnets that I got today, however, they look lovely, maybe a bit chilly for now, but perfect for spring. Tis odd.

So, yes. I got grey cable tights in primark (£4!) which are grand, some micro fishnets in House of Fraser, and some more cabley/patterny tights from M&S. Sorted. Haven't found any navy tights which I like yet.

too much. Not to much.

Great choices, the various styles and colours will allow for lots of different looks. Off to investigate nude fishnets for Spring...