layered tights

this is a really common search tag that comes up in my flickr stats, so it may indeed deserve its own post.

reasons that layering tights is a great idea:
– it gives added visual interest
– it is another layer of warmth in the winter
– if you have tattooed legs, patterned tights often just don’t look right without the opaque base. on my own legs, i am sometimes happy with the way a simple pattern, like a fishnet, shows up, but for more elaborate patterns, my large leg tattoo just gets in the way and i feel like it’s too visually crowded.
– on a similar note, it can add a coloured background that better showcases patterned tights, even when you don’t have crazy tattoos
– you get more wear out of your tights. two pairs at once! OH BOY
– some socks/tights don’t stay up well on their own (for example, a pair of thigh-high socks i bought at jacob) but do very well when layered on top of tights. no garter necessary!

here are some ways i’ve deployed such a tactic in my wardrobe:

maroon under-tights by hue (colour not currently available on their site, but you can find a wide selection on ebay)
knee-highs by sock dreams

white under-tights: hue, i think
maroon over-tights: perhaps costa blanca? i don’t remember!

before this outfit, i had never worn thigh-highs with the tops showing, and it was an incredibly sexy feeling. this was one of my favourite outfits of 2011, for sure.
eggplant under-tights: hue again!
knee-highs: same as above.

these pale pink floral tights are the perfect example of when you need a coloured background to make them pop. i’ve worn them with nothing underneath and it’s just not as effective because the pale pink is too similar to my skin colour.
navy blue under-tights: forever21
pale pink floral over-tights: forever21

white under-tights: hue, i think.
maroon knee-highs: sock dreams (i don’t think these are identical, but they are similar)

i feel like it’s worthy of note that this outfit was completely inspired by my super-stylish friend mal. although i have been layering tights for ages i had never thought to do opaque colours together. she’s often wearing sexily ripped up black tights with some cozy ripped thigh-highs overtop, and her signature palette is mostly neutral colours (i rarely stick to them, though they look so chic). she also wears lots of slouchy sweaters, so pulled together from my closet, this is my remix of her style. the skirt was a hand-me-down from her, so somewhat of a cheat, but fucking whatever

white under-tights: hue, i think.
charcoal thigh-highs: jacob, not available online.
grey knee-highs: target