Looking to spice up your outfit this spring? Leave it to colored tights. Whether you simply need to keep warm or you’re searching for the perfect pop of color, colored tights will surely embellish your outfit.
According to an article from Time Magazine, Allen E. Gant is credited with the creation of pantyhose. The idea came to him in 1959 while he was on an overnight train to North Carolina with his pregnant wife, Ethel Boone Gant. The pair were returning home after the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the last trip they would go on together before the arrival of their child, particularly due to the discomfort of Gant’s wife, who wore a combination of thigh-high stockings, girdle and garter every day.
Once they arrived home, Gant asked his wife if he could sew together a pair of stockings and panties for her to try on.
“It was wonderful,” Ethel Gant told the Associated Press 30 years later. “Most people my age loved them from the very beginning and couldn’t wait to get a hold of them. I don’t think we’ve ever changed our minds.”
Since then, tights – or pantyhose – have served as both a comfortable alternative to stockings and a fashion statement.
Wearing colored tights is not a new phenomenon but the trend has made a major comeback in the past few years and have been spotlighted by many designers.
Mui Mui catapulted the trend with their bedazzled hot pants and accompanying sheer tights, which can in a rainbow of colors, in their Fall/Winter 2023 collection while Versace sent sheer pink and blue toned tights down their Fall/Winter 2023 runway.
In Spring 2024 collections, cherry-colored tights took the lead, being featured in collections from Proenza Schouler, Acne Studio and Ferragamo.
It seems as if colored tights are all the rage when looking at modern media. Celebrities have fully embraced the bright accessory, layering them under monochrome outfits and one-piece bodysuits.
Kylie Jenner recently wore bright blue tights in a promotional snap for her new brand Khy and Dua Lipa casually posed in sheer blue tights while also sporting the underwear-as-outerwear trend.
Colored tights are a timeless staple that can be worn with practically any style. ‘90s grunge looks utilize a dark appearance while the cottagecore aesthetic may lean towards an opaque light pink, white or cream color.
Patterned tights are another option to add to your wardrobe, perfect to wear with neutral colors and classic Mary Jane shoes.
Don’t fret, black tights are still an incredible staple piece in any closet. But, incorporating colored tights can add a bright contrast to neutral-toned outfits that are typically worn during the colder months.
