I’m a working mum & tested 8 denier tights trend loved by Michelle Keegan & Maya Jama, while not kid-proof I felt bolder
THEY are sexy and sophisticated – and fashion-savvy celebs cannot pull them on fast enough.
All hail 5 to 10 denier tights, which are also proving big business on the high street as one of the season’s biggest trends.
But how practical are they for a busy working mum?
Emma Lazenby gives her verdict after putting 8 denier tights to the test . . .
“GETTING dressed is a dilemma as the weather flits from wet and windy to hot and sticky.
It’s not winter-tights season but, despite the warmer spells, I’m not brave enough to bare my legs.
Enter the transitional tights.
Colleagues in the fashion department tell me this is a staple this autumn, with celebs such as Maya Jama, Michelle Keegan and Lily Collins showcasing their pins in barely-there 5 denier stockings.
Slimming, sexy and stylish, the sheer hosiery adds je ne sais quoi.
But are they snag-proof and practical for a working mum of three?
I tried an 8 denier pair from Calzedonia — and with a £6.99 tag, I didn’t expect much.
First issue, fear of laddering your tights when you haul them up in a rush is tenfold with these.
You must gather them neatly and peel them up slowly. Like in the movies.
But all good. The next pitfall was then negotiated too — I’d remembered to shave.
And sheer tights need to be pulled taut.
But faced with a wrinkly ankle and low-hanging crotch, I had to start again.
I would need to factor in five minutes each morning to get these on properly, without laddering — not ideal when I have to get three young kids to school before my commute.
Still, they feel sumptuous, so maybe it’s worth sacrificing those five minutes in bed.
It was nippy out, so I pulled on a jumper-dress for the school run and pleaded with my children to not touch Mummy’s new tights.
Pointless, clearly.
My five-year-old daughter dried her wet hands on them.
But they dried almost instantly. Tick — and good to know they’ll fare well on rainy school-runs.
I’m usually a 70-denier gal.
My motto has always been: “The thicker, the better.”
As any child of the Nineties will recall, sheer hosiery was reserved for Madonna in Who’s That Girl and Princess Di.
Barely-theres were too Eighties.
Opaques also meant we could get away with shorter skirts.
I remember when M&S brought out 70 deniers with a magical new material — Lycra.
It was £2.50 a pair and I never looked back.
But that was 30 years ago.
Now I’m in my forties, my thermostat is unpredictable and I’m ready for a change.
Sheer is great when you can’t be bothered with fake tan or have the odd bruise or spider vein — you get the right coverage while adding sex appeal.
I see how alluring Lily Collins, Alexa Chung and Maya Jama look. The tights seem to lengthen their legs.
When I wore them with a mini-dress and asked my husband for his verdict, he said, “Won’t you be cold?’, and then: “The children will trash them.”
‘BOLDER SHEER LOOK’
I took him back to the Eighties and Nineties — Kim Basinger, and Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles — and he got it.
Sheer tights were sexy then.
I might not be showbiz but he did admit: “I see what you mean, legs do look really nice.”
I also tried them under cropped trousers — they looked great — and as a base layer they felt light and comfortable.
I also tried them with a floaty midi-dress.
Fearing I would look frumpy, I’d never considered tights with a longer frock, until now.
My new hosiery took the edge off the leg-chill factor and there were no ladders — although I had some clear nail varnish to paint over those tiny nicks.
So it might be wise to invest in a ladder-resistant pair, for up to £20.
I did feel a bit overexposed, especially in the mini-dress, but I came to love the bolder sheer look.
And why not?”