Are black opaque nylons really frumpy fashion?

[kranberrie]

I read an article in the Guardian on Saturday that stated that black 40/60D hoisiery is "out" and fancy colours and lacey ones are "in" for the party season. The statement was backed up with statistics of sales growth of colourful nylons and lacey ones with a decline of sales in 40/60D black.
I Google researched more and found that this ditching of classic black extends to the workplace and social settings. Looking around my office and offices of clients I visit, I'm shocked to find that I'm almost the only "frump" in standard class opaque black legs.
I can't bring myself to go jazzy colours or lacey. I had a big clearout of my tights draw about a month ago - ironically in my vast collection I had old red, navy, green (why?) and lacey tights (mostly unworn) - they got chucked. Those still in packets and unworn are now in the local Scope shop - maybe I should buy them back.
I'm extra miffed because the clearout coincided with a £150 spending spree on good quality black opaques.
Maybe I should buy trousers and never wear tights again.
Am I the last living fan of black opaques? - I think they are sexy, stylish, warm and practical.
What next - shoes out and only boots?

I like black opaque in winter. I don't care if they are 'in' or 'out'. They do not seem to be going out of stock. I have multiple pairs of stockings in various shades, but they have to go with what else I am wearing, whereas black goes with everything.
Also, if you are not careful, patterned and lacy tights can make your legs, esp ankles, look fat or clumpy.

Love black 40d tights! They're timeless classics I think

Aren't crew socks with skirts and dresses a thing?
I'd like to embrace this look, but haven't been brave enough yet.

I've just bought a mini skirt for NYE and was planning on pairing with black opaque tights and Chelsea boots, so I'm in the frump club too, evidently.

And lacy tights bring me out in terrible eczema...

Lower denier tights are 'in ' .. like 20 ish but I still wear 80/100 as I've got chunky thighs .

Maybe, but I'm going to keep wearing them because they work for me!

Well the 80's are seemingly still in hence the polka dot tights, et al. It'll be backcombing and perms next. Balls to what's in, wear what you're happy with.

It's threads like these that make me glad I live in a warm climate where no one wears tights, nylons, whatever you want to call them.

There's a presenter from BBC Verify on the News now. Merlin (?) Thomas, young and wearing a mini skirt, black opaque tights and lace up Doc Martens. It's a great look and not the usual TV presenter style

I live in Italy, and judging from the choices in our office I would say that coloured and patterned tights never went out of fashion for Italian women. As a twenty-something year old I can’t stand them, all of my tights have to be black, but I see all kinds being worn here, almost always by older women.

I prefer the look of sheer tights but tend to wear opaque 60d during the colder months. Hold ups in the summer are a game changer!

Many years ago I had expensive red tarten tights that I loved . Worn with a miniskirt …sigh Nowadays it’s a miracle if I even wear a dress or skirt and yes if I do it is with dark flattering opaque tights. But trousers are just so comfy and practical…

There's nothing in that Guardian article which says black opaque tights are "frumpy" or "dated" or that you can no longer wear them. All it's saying is that there's been an upsurge in popularity in coloured and patterened tights.

Although given Em and Ess sell multipacks of coloured opaques every year, that's hardly a new thing.

Yep, that's what I picked up too......a word that definitely belongs to a bygone era.

Weeelll, I don't wear black opaque nylons. cos with my famously tanned (some says it's orange) visage I tend to look like one of those English Belisha beacons things.

This thread just reminded me how much black opaques went out in the late 90s early 2000s. I saw Kate Moss in the street in early 2003 wearing black opaques and a flared mini-skirt and it was honestly surprising. I literally phoned a friend to say how amazing she looked. They were on the way back in, here's 2003 on catwalks: https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2003-ready-to-wear

Then opaques were everywhere for ages. Mid-late 2000s me and my friends were all getting the very matte, solid colour Japanese opaques from Tabio.

Disclaimer: I know black opaques never went away as an office basic! Just talking about as a fashion look. Anyway I have no plans to stop wearing them but I think they're back to being an office basic again.

Oh god. I remember wearing thick black tights under ripped light blue/ bleached jeans. And the rip was under the gum cheek. We're talking mid-eighties. How weird that must have been. Thank God nobody had phones that took pictures back in the day.

oops, meant the rip was under the " bum" cheek of course.

oops, meant the rip was under the " bum" cheek of course.

I think it's true that younger people have moved towards thinner tights (so 40 denier) not full black opaque, although they wear those too.

In general though, black opaques are not frumpy, but there are a lot of frumpy things worn with black opaques.

If the rest of your outfit is pretty cool, I don't think the tights will swing it too heavily.

I have been wearing slightly thinner opaques though, with short skirts, I'm in my fifties and my legs are my best feature.

The same is true of skinny jeans, you can style them for now if you try very hard, but it's harder work than swapping to other more 'in' jean types. You can style opaques for now, but if you don't change anything about your outfits and you persist in opaques when everyone else is moving on, eventually the whole thing looks slightly dated.

It's also true that if you swap to spotty thin patterned tights and expect that to do all the work of making you trendy, you will be a bit disappointed.

I think having a tight selection, like a jean selection, is a good idea so you don't get so fixed on only being able to wear one version of the item.

I saw some of these on Next earlier. Can't vouch for what they're like though!

Thanks, can you remember what they were called. Next has so much stock these days I find it hard to narrow it down!

These !

I love an opaque tight! The patterned ones seem dreadfully 80s and dated to me: probably because I’m old enough to remember them when they were new and exciting the first time round! And the lacy ones just make me think of Mary on Gogglebox!!