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!

It's just a matter of preference. I think navy goes well with brown, so I would choose opaque navy for your denim skirt and dress, with perhaps thicker navy for the coldest days. And perhaps try brown tights occasionally for a change. However for cream dress you mention, I would stick with black tights. I agree avoid tan tights.

people who wanted to be told what to wear

People who didn't like how they ended up looking when they tried to choose clothes, you mean? There is nothing wrong with admitting that you struggle with something and trying to get help with it.

Depends on what colour the tights are. Tights the same colour as the boots or shoes generally works.

Of course you can wear a denim skirt with black opaques and brown boots. I couldn't be bothered spending so much time worrying about what colour goes with what. I naively thought that sort of thinking disappeared decades ago.

I like black with brown too but maybe black tights with brown boots and denim might be a bit too much!

Yes, some people want to be told what to wear, they want a guidebook.

But the 'rules' were made up. A lot of that kind of advice is designed to create insecurity.

Plenty of people break those fake "rules' and look good.

I couldn't figure out how to look good, so those books helped me. The insecurity stemmed from looking in the mirror and hating what I saw but not knowing how to fix it, not from the books that helped me achieve the look I want.

Music theory is also made-up fake rules, but you need to know it to know how to get the harmonies you want.

Black tights are the best yabu!

A few weeks ago I picked up a three pack of opaques in Sainsbury's - one black, one burgundy and one brown. I was quite pleased as I have some knee high suede dark chocolate brown boots and I've never been very sure which tights to pair up with them. Black never seemed quite right unless I was wearing all black anyway.
Fair play to you if you can confidently sport cream tights - the thought of my legs in cream nylon fills me with absolute horror!
I have legs like a Clydesdale.

It helped me achieve the look I want.

That's my point. They're not universal rules, they're a route map to a specific destination.

Nothing wrong with the destination if you like it, but they're not rules.

What books did you use? Although I am quite a fan of my denim skirt, opaque tights and brown boots I am otherwise increasingly hopeless at finding a style I like.

What Not To Wear and similar books by Trinny and Susannah.

Which is why I buy Snag or Better tights who have every colour you could want on their sites. Their tights don't sag, roll down or bag around the crotch. Considering both brands actually fit comfortably and are not expensive, I have no idea why people buy from anywhere else.

Cream dress with brown tights would look lovely with brown boots.

Oh dear, what's the issue with Snag tights? I have just bought 3 pairs as quite a few people have recommended them to me. Not worn them yet. I struggle to get tights that fit properly as I am long bodied with short legs and the Snag ones looked like the answer to my prayers. Worried now!

So good news and bad news. I tried on the shoes with denim skirt and neutral tights tonight... they look awful!!!

The good news is that I think it's because I am a soze 16 Apple with slim hips, thin legs and skinny ankles and I have been losing a bit of weight. The result is that the slightly a-shaped denim skirt fits but is now very slightly loose, especially over hips/bum/thighs and so the small little ankle boots at the bottom (remember thesr are very much ankle boots without the detail of the ones I posted earlier) means I just look ridiculous. They're sort of sticking out the bottom!!

A problem like this due to weight loss is one I can live with.

I think its possible that dark opaque tights or woolen tights might actually make a difference so will still investigate those. And in the meantime, if I keep losing weight (I am working on it), the shoes will still fit and I can wear them with some other (to be purchased) skirt!

Good luck. Sorry skirt hasn't worked but it's for a good reason. I'm also an apple, which makes it difficult to get skirts to fit. Keep trying re skirt for boots, but best to avoid neutral tights. They don't look good on any of us, unless it's the sheer, very fine ones, and even then, only with cocktail dress or evening wear.

@Lifeomars

Personally I love snag tights and I've got a drawer full of sparkly, sequinned and just plain coloured Snags - they fit and they last too. But there was a discussion on MN about some of the patches Snag were selling in their 'adult' nsfw/Spicy ranges promoting violence against women - hope this link works ok!

I've not been able to find the offending patches on their website so perhaps they have removed them.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/other_subjects/4990838-so-snag-have-responded-exactly-as-expected-unfortunately

I knew absolutely nothng about this! a few people recommended them to me for fit and quality, one buys them for herself and her teenage daughter.