If you wear black opaque tights and boots all through winter, what are you wearing now/how do you transition to bare legs and sandals?

[Frangipane]

I mean at work. I don't like work trousers, though I live in jeans at home, so I wear preferably dresses, or a skirt and top to work with black opaque and boots.

Work is a new concept for me and I am no clothes horse, hate clothes in fact! so I am facing spring in a total quandary. It is getting too warm for black opaque and boots. Where next?

Sorry, autocorrect changed opaques to opaque every time, but I hope you understand my meaning.

I have this question every spring and always end just wearing trousers. Sorry I know you said you don’t do work trousers so not very helpful. A lot of people recommend nude tights but they don’t give much warmth and I’d rather go bare legged in this scenario.

Another thing that works for me for change from trousers is coloured tights and shoes in the same colour (I have a sage pair of tights and shoes that seem to go with a lot of things) but I appreciate this may not be to everyone’s taste.

What is it about work trousers that you dislike?

Well, I am not really an expert on them as I haven't worked in years and not had a reason to buy them, but I did once have a pair and I thought they made me look fat. It is the wide leg, really, that I dislike. All my jeans are skinnies.

I dreaded your response but expected it too. And tbh, it would solve some of my problems if I had a decent pair of trousers to wear as I actually have quite a few nice blouses. Are work trousers always black though? I don't really want to be in black now that spring is here. Also, what shoes? My feet are a nightmare, very very wide. Virtually no shoes fit me at all, hence I only wear boots, trainers or birkenstock type sandals.

Last year I got some "lightweight" trousers from H&M. they aren't your traditional structured work trousers (actually very plain, elasticated waist - god they sound horrible but aren't - plain trousers) I found them easy to wear and versatile - worn with flats, heels, wedges and a variiety of different tops - sometimes tucked in, sometimes not depending on style. they were only about £9.99 each

In a similar position though. I have been wearing tights and boots and now it is milder I wore trousers with shoes last week but found it was still a teeny bit cold for them - so back to tights and boots for now

When people say boots, what kind do they mean? Knee length or ankle? I feel ridiculous wearing ankle boots, tights and skirts but some people look amazing in them.

I'm still in black tights and boots / shoes now, but soon I'll move onto nude tights or stockings with closed toe lighter coloured shoes and finally onto bare legs when it's properly sandal weather.

Don't wear trousers at work either.

Op if you don't like wide-legged black trousers for work, what about a colourful pair in a cigarette style? I have a lovely mustard pair from ASOS years ago, a navy pair with small white polka dots from H&M, and a forest green pair from a charity shop. They're very versatile and flattering. I wear them with everything from t-shirts and ballet flats to blouses and heels.

I wear dresses, ankle boots and opaque tights to work and I am still in them - not warm enough yet to change! I usually swap May-early Sept then I am back in the tights again.

In summer I wear slim, cropped/ankle length trousers with a smart top or or midi/maxi dresses with flat-ish smart sandals and bare legs. My work is not overly formal though.

Although I'll be in maternity wear this year so whatever I can get that is comfy.

Very similar to Megan2018 (including the pregnancy!) - I will be sticking with opaques and boots until May at the earliest. We're allowed to wear smart jeans at work so I tend to wear those on summer with ballet pumps / smart trainers but also have some skinny trousers. The Gap ankle length ones are pretty good and come in a range of colours/patterns.

I will also be in opaques, boots and heavier trousers until May. It isn't warm up here! I do have a few pairs of skinny trousers which I wear with a tunic top and cardi for work, but I'm a practical goth so everything is black and functional. Perhaps look at Oasis or Uniqlo for very slim leg trousers?

Op, are you on Instagram? If so have a look at Holly Willoughby - the last couple of days she's had some really nice mink/nudish colour shoes on which I'd wear with nude tights right now. (I'm guessing hers are expensive but just to give you the idea). Also grey ankle boots are a bit more spring like than heavy black boots if for sunnier days. I'd wear them with nude tights again for now.

I tend to go cold turkey leg when the time comes and just go from tights and boots to bare legs and summer shoes. But then I do wear trousers at work - like "treggings" which are slimmer than trousers but more forgiving than leggings. Try Sainsburys.

I have started preparing by trimming my claws last weekend

I just do it, roundabout now

Rarely have cold legs anyway

Love wearing a dress with brown/suede/grey ankle boots

Then mid heeled shoes (brogues)

Sandals I never wear to work (feet too ugly)

I spend 2 weeks with pale cold (ish) legs, then they get a light tan, then people stop commenting...

Same every year "ohhh, you have got your legs out!" As if it's a big deal. All my female colleagues will say this. None of my male colleagues comment. Same every spring

I think you need to look again at work trousers! They're not all wide-leg styles; in fact, last time I looked, I had trouble finding anything that wasn't cigarette/tapered/skinny.

If you do want to stick with dresses and skirts, how about thinner black tights, or a colour like teal or burgundy? I'm wearing 40 denier black ones today, which I think look fine as long as you don't go all 80s and wear heeled court shoes with them - unless you're a fan of the whole Robert Palmer video vibe.

I don't go bare-legged at all because my legs are fat and pale and I don't shave. I can't be bothered to deal with comments and sniggering blokes so I just switch to lightweight cotton or linen trousers on the few days it gets above 20C!

Dresses, opaques and boots -> cigarette trousers and flats / heels depending on how fancy my day is -> dresses / lightweight trousers and sandals.

I’ve moved to leather trainers with bare ankles instead of boots, but it’s still a bit cold! I wear cropped trousers with them or jeans. I’d then move to midi skirts over thinner black tights and trainers or loafers, eventually braving the cold and removing tights when it seems warm enough - probably late May! And cropped trousers with flats too.

I've just started wearing opaques and brogues rather than woollen tights and boots! Like others I wear ankle skimmers when wearing dark tights seems too wintery. Gap bi stretch ankle pants or Boden Richmonds are popular. M&S have a decent range of this style as well. Wear with brogues, loafers or mules until it gets warmer (or all summer if you're northern). I'm also considering wearing some of my midiskirts with boots and a jumper but I appreciate my work is closer to the casual than the smart in smart casual.

Thanks for all the replies. It looks like I am going to have to look into work trousers and some sort of brogue. They're not really my thing but I can't envisage an alternative. You are right though, it is not really that warm yet. The sunny days make me feel I should be wearing something summery, but I wasn't too warm today - apart from when in one particularly warm office - and I was wearing a thin jumper over a long sleeved top.

I have (v) thick black tights for winter. I have just swapped them to thinner ones, that are still black, but you can just see the leg through them. I think they're 20 denier.
Once it's properly warm weather I will change to nude tights and if it's hot no tights.

I wear trousers a lot too, but have a couple of nice work skirts.

linen trousers and loafers

If it gets really warm they are cropped!

it's tricky isn't it.

I went to an occasion today and wore short smart dress, skin tone tights borrowed from DD and new ballet flats plus a cardi.

I had to take the tights off on the way home!

Alternatives are smart trousers with ballet flats and bare feet or long dress and bare legs/flats. It's about now I start to hate my boots, yesterday was just too warm for them tho I did stick with opaques.

ps I have wide feet too and my new ballet flats are wide fitting from Primark for £8!

Hmm, not enamoured by any of the trousers I could find online. Some mentioned here I would not be seen dead in. What is wrong with me?

Also, having googled brogues and loafers, I realise it is loafers I need. But I might give the Primark ballet flats a go if they are genuinely wide enough.

Can you be more specific so we can understand what you do like? Take the Gap skinny ankle trousers what do you not like about them?

Ankle length trousers and loafers here - easy, smart, not too cold, versatile, what’s not to like?