Living in a cold region, and being someone who manages to wear dresses year-round, it’s crucial to have a battle chest of warm leg wear to choose from on chilly mornings.
At the start of each season, I take inventory of my drawer of tights & stockings, making notes as I go as to what needs replacing. When possible, I salvage and repurpose damaged items. Tights with holes in the toe are transformed into footless tights; sometimes it’s the seat of the stockings that are frayed, so I detach the seat and wear the remaining legs (new separated from each other) as thigh-high stockings with a garter belt. Extending the life of your tights is frugality at best!
New tights are wonderful though, so I make a wishlist and set out to replenish my supply of warm tights & legwarmers. Holiday bonus: ask Santa to put some new stockings into your stocking!
An indisputable favorite is the basic black stocking, usually in a microfiber or poly & nylon blend. Hands down, these tights last a long time. They are warm but not too thick, stretchy but not too tight, and they make a perfect base for layering with warm socks and boots.
For the days when I need a pop of color, I reach for tights in bright hues — purple, yellow, red, green. I love to mix color and patterns in my wardrobe!
For a more intense mix of patterns, layer black fishnet stockings over a colored tight. Instant intrigue and dead sexy!
Need warmer leg cover? Reach for a cotton blend; they tend to be a thicker texture and are very comfortable for wearing on long, cold days and nights. Some people are allergic to wool, but if you can tolerate it, merino wool tights are a great stocking to add to your arsenal. Bamboo, brushed cashmere, fine gauge cotton yarn….all perfect for surviving bitter wind chills!
Finally, Legwarmers, despite their 1980’s image, are the workhorse of warm wear. On very chilly mornings, I wear a wool blend thigh-high legwarmer over microfiber tights. Because long legwarmers tend to be they are very thick, I wear garter rings to hold them up.
So pets, don’t fret about the cold weather and pout while you stash dresses away for the winter. Just throw on a warm pair of tights with your frock and off you go!
xoxo
Mlle. Remi
Mairose Boutique 