What's gone wrong with modern tights?

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

In the winter, I wear opaque or lace tights. In the summer (ha!) I go bare-legged with sandals. Inbetween I wear fine (10 or 15 denier) tights. But at the moment, they seem to be available in only two colours - black/barely black or weird orangey-beige. I am Very Old and remember when tights came in a range of unexceptional colours and at least the fleshy colours looked like flesh, rather than a Jaffa orange.

Am I shopping in the wrong places?

M&S also sell a small selection of 'limbs like a corpse' if you want some variety.

Hmm. Orange or corpse. Maybe that is my choice.

I have the same dilemma, and have been searching for some inoffensive tight to wear with summer coloured dresses. I was wondering if perhaps neutral tights had gone out of fashion. Any one know?? If so what do I wear? Its too cold barelegged and black opaques look too heavy. I tried sheer purple with a purple dress for work, but I just felt like a dairy milk!

I've had a similar dilemma. I bought some tights at £8 per pair from M&S and as well as being weird coloured they only lasted one wear! I made an emergency purchase at Sainsbury's the other day - two pack of medium support in nude and the colour was fine, so I'm sticking with those!

It's probably to cater for the number of orange people there seems to be nowadays.

orange people need to wear tights too. where's your sense of diversity. tsk

I bought some pale corpse ones in boots this week. They were shit though, laddered the same day

Ah but it's the lack of diversity I'm bemoaning. I am very happy for orange people to have a plentiful supply of hosiery, but would also like some for myself.

Well I bought some corpse like ones (bamboo) in Sainsbuys because it was that or orange (American tan)- and thought it would go better with chilly blue limbs. I wonder if they have stopped making nice natural colours and only have what's left - American tan is too orange for us sun deprived Brits.

Right. I shall be hot footing it to Sainsbury's on Monday. My tights from Boots are distinctly orange.

Hope the ones in Sainsbury's suit! I was pleased to find some cheap ones that were the right colour for me having decided to embrace dresses for work and casual wear this summer instead of the usual fruitless search for flattering trousers!

I seem to remember there being a bafflingly large choice of flesh tones years ago- you would get simple cards with interesting names the likes of which you only find on a Farrow & Ball paint chart nowadays. I wonder why they have stopped?

I agree BOF - it seems to have gone full circle since when I was at school and there were 3 colours - black, pewter & american tan.

A few years back there were about 10 shades of "nude" in M&S but we seem to be back to 3 colours again.

Perhaps not many people wear tights in the summer now fake tan is so popular. I only ever wore them to give my pasty legs some colour - no other reason.

Try Londis-type small local supermarkets.

I needed some tights in a hurry a few weeks ago and discovered they had a whole rack that looked as if they had been there since the 1970s, but did include lots of nudes.

Am buying some nude tights from Waitrose even as we speak.

I actually had Waitrose nude tights recommended to me very recently. I was a bit pissed so didn't get the details but they looked fabulous on the person who was wearing them!

BHS have good nude tights-I got a few pairs of tights and hold-ups in the sale for a quid and I found them a decent colour. Also lasted more than one wear unlike m&s.

Tesco sheen ones in natural are good and cheap!

But what's with the toes? I've resigned myself to M&S shiny Bodyshaper ones in natural tan as they are the only ones that I can find that are long enough and don't roll down (long waisted 5'10 and pearshaped) if I buy the XL size.

However whatever shoes I wear, I am through the toes in one or two wears. Roll on Winter so I can wear my opaques again.

Whatever happened to Christian Dior tights, which used to be available in about 99 colours, including many shades if natural but not (mercifully) American Tan?

What are all these corpse tights called please? That's basically my colour!

You've found black? Real black?
Not barely black?

That takes some doing, DD1 refuses to wear barely black as grey breaks the school rules.

I keep having a massive hunt for black, they seem to be sold out most of the time.

I find M&S nude and illusion tights fine. Sainsbury's do nude as well, and they look good in 10 denier.

M and S or Matalan Nude are nice plus you can get them in glossy too. Which looks better and you get more wears from them. I get on average about 5 wears

I've had this problem for a few years. I even wrote to Morrisons, and suggested they sold some paler tights, as I prefer lighter natural ones. They said they would look into it, but of course big corporate companies never take any notice of what their customers say.

Recently, I've found Tudorose on line www.tudorose.co.uk. They have a good range of colours. I've bought a few pairs of their "Champagne" 15 denier, which seem fine and feel good.