Dresses and tights - what is "acceptable"

[MrSeptember]

I have a gorgeous pair of brown suede ankle boots with a low heel that I've been wearing with jeans/trousers and I love them. I'd like to wear them with dresses or skirts, specifically I have a midi-length demin skirt, a knee length light blue denim-style cotton dress with long sleeves and a knee length work dress that is cream with brown and black accents.

BUT.. what tights? In winter I'm usually a black tights - usually thick - with black boots kind of woman. Clearly black tights are NOT going to work here. But I'm a bit worried that flesh coloured tights are going to make me look like I'm channelling Taylor Swift on stage? Are flesh coloured tights okay/ Do they need to be a specific shade or thickness?

Help needed!

I havr no idea why navy scares me. 🤣.

I am quite looking forward to tights shopping now! Hilariously, the only other colour I already have is grey, which also doesn't work! Plan to test outfit one shortly.

Embrace the navy! 😁(tights not the seafaring branch of the armed forces)

I do love a man in uniform though....

The concept of "colours going with other colours" and there being rules is partly to do with the physiology and psychology of human vision. Generally, black is found in nature paired with bright colours as a warning pattern (think ladybirds and wasps) or else with other really dark colours because you're looking at a creature that wants to disappear against a dark background. Zebras are a notable exception because they've evolved their patterns to confuse a predator with very limited colour vision. The colours used in warning patterns are meant to jar visually, that's how they serve as warnings. So yes, you can wear black with a bright colour, but it will jar. Those of us who've taken onboard the Trinny and Susannah message that black goes with more black, maybe a little bit of chocolate brown, gun metal grey, or white, have done so because at some level we want to avoid looking like a natural warning pattern.

With those boots and a blue denim skirt, I think I'd wear brown, burgundy or mustard yellow opaques.

As do I! But once upon a time I would never wear brown and black, or navy and black, together. But I think anything goes these days. And brown tights make my knees look chunky. Black is more flattering on the legs. IMO.

When I wear coloured tights I usually look myself up and down in the mirror and think "I'm off to teach Art at the Gnome School".

(Approvingly - it's a look I enjoy but I wouldn't want to do it accidentally, IYSWIM)

I have a cream knit dress and I dislike it with black tights as it looks harsh. I wear it with brown opaque tights and brown boots.

I got the impression it was not just the boot but the colour of the clothing above the boot.
I am interested in this topic: I have patterned dresses with different colours, with one colour dominant (background colour eg navy), and I wonder which is the best colour to pick: I have been favouring the dominant colour, but would be interested in Style and Beauty opinions.
The boots I wear are dark matt brown cowboy boots and lighter caramel brown ankle boots, the dresses tend to have a navy background colour but the other (pattern) colours vary between greens or reds or cream.

@Pudmyboy i do sometimes wear navy tights (still with the brown boots) in that instance.

I feel like navy is dodgy- something about air stewards?

I like the mustard suggestion, and the ivory wool. How about burgundy with your midi denim skirt? It's very this season.

Trinny and Susannah

That stuff about ladybirds and wasps is cute but irrelevant when talking about clothes on humans where there is infinite personal style choice. No one is suggesting dressing up as a wasp. We were discussing black + brown (incidentally, seen in nature on a bay horse or doberman). Black + brown go together absolutely fine.

It's fine to follow 'rules' made up by Trinny and Susannah, but they are not real rules, it was all nonsense to promote books and telly programmes to people who wanted to be told what to wear.

God this. Grown women in coloured tights looks the opposite of chic. It looks like a Primary School Teacher Trying To Be Zany.

Falke opaques, OP, are your friend. 50denier, they have 3 or possibly 4 different shades of brown in the range. You might struggle to find every choice under one roof, though - my experience of shopping in store for tights that aren't black or noood (ridiculous idea - nude for whom?) is that the range of colours available is rather small. Even in the mighty John Lewis/Selfridges on Oxford Street.

I wear denim skirts/dresses with navy tights and mid-brown boots. I do not look like a zany primary school teacher! Today I'm wearing a burgandy cord dress with black tights and oxblood boots, in case anyone was wondering??

Cream wool tights would whisk me straight back to winters at my girls school in the 80s! 😅

I was concerned about this. I buy a lot of tights/socks online but was quite keen to eye ball the colours/textures in person. But I accept that I might have to get some ideas in person, then do actual purchase online.

I will, in fact, be visiting John Lewis in Oxford Street. if anyone sees a woman wearing a demin skirt and brown boots, a bit overweight on Friday... say hi! That will be me! (unless the denim skirt doesn't work. In which case I'll probalby still be wearing the boots, but with jeans!)

How will we recognise you if you are in boots and jeans 😀?

By how fabulous they are and the fact I'm browsing navy tights!?

But I concede, without the skirt, you have less of a chance! 😪

I am extremely cheered up by my new intention to dress like a natural warning pattern this winter.

"Natural warning pattern," I'll mutter to myself on dark mornings while picking out knitwear.

I've got dark brown opaque tights from John lewis.

I'm sorry @MrSeptember but I'm going to add another thought into the mix...

I find that textured tights vs flat opaques gives a lot more options. If I wear normal black opaques with some shorter boots I feel like I'm verging on old style traffic warden/ wpc territory. Swapping for eg knitted or even patterned tights makes me feel much better about the whole look whether black or coloured.

(sorry if that's just one option too many!)

I have a pair of Falke tights in a brown that is (I think hilariously) called Brenda that sounds perfect for this!

Are they pronounced (in manner of Archers' script direction) Brenn-durr?

Well, they are German, so maybe not.