Hosiery Choice – Tights Stockings and Hold Ups
The hosiery market is filled with several variations, requiring one to have the knowledge of each type. Read on to get a brief understanding of the three more popular styles.
• TIGHTS
With cover for the whole leg and a band at the waist to keep it up, tights are regarded as the most well-known hosiery. A combination of nylon and Lycra, tights come in several degrees of thickness to allow year round use. For the winter months, wool is added to the contents to ensure warmth, while the thinner versions are more transparent. For those wanting an alternative to nylon, don’t fret; you can purchase “fishnet” tights.
• STOCKINGS
An absence of a joint at the top is what differentiates stockings from tights, with the former requiring a garter belt to hold it in place on the thighs. Stockings possess the same contents and properties of tights, but offer a more alluring and sensual feeling to the wearer. Being of a thinner variant, stockings don’t make an appearance in winter unless absolutely called for to complement a dress.
• HOLD-UPS
While similar in appearance and nature to stockings, hold-ups have an elastic and silicone strip at the top to keep them in place, replacing the bother of suspenders.
Where all three of the above hold similarities between themselves, tights, stockings and hold-ups are used for different purposes.
For more day-to-day wear, and warmth in winters, tights are preferred over others. In the warmer months and where the outfit demands it, stockings tend to be more appropriate. Hold-ups also suit the summer weather; however, the elastic strip can become an irritation if it’s too hot.
Now, which one of the above three you choose comes down to your personal taste and need, not to mention the outfit it will be accessorising. The wiser option: have all three in your wardrobe for whenever they may be needed.
Denier of Hosiery Explained
The term denier refers to the thickness that a material possesses. Tights and pantyhose are classified on the basis of their thickness.
When assessed scientifically, denier is a unit of measure to calculate the density of weave in tights, resulting in either an opaque or transparent nature. Tights are thin and transparent when their denier is low, and vice versa.
The scale for the denier of tights ranges from 3 to 100:
• 3 is given to the thinnest tights that are extremely delicate and need extra care and attention when in use, since a slight prick can damage them.
• 15 forms the standards level in tights. They are thick enough to provide a nice cover to the legs, but still not too visible.
• With a semi-opaque nature, 30 denier tights are recommended when needing to wear a dark colour.
• 100 denier tights are the thickest and highest denier produced, being complete opaque.
Which denier level you choose depends on the role the tights need to fulfil. The standard level is normally perfect if you want enough coverage, but the invisible appearance. The thicker versions are ideal for the cold months of winter, keeping you warm by becoming another layer under your clothes.
Keep in mind that the lower denier tights need you to exercise extra caution when using them, as tights generally are delicate and can snag or get ladders. Remember to take precautions, regardless of which denier your tights are.
So with the large variety available, and an understanding now of denier, you are sure to find the tights and pantyhose that fulfil your needs to the highest degree.
Americans Say Pantyhose We Say Tights
Pantyhose and tights are often regarded as the same. However, the question arises if they are, and if not, what differs the two from each other?
Let’s have a look at the similarities. Both provide complete covering to the legs, from the waist to the toes. Both have nylon and Lycra in their contents, providing comfort and a nice fit. Both come in a variety of designs and deniers, including specialised types.
Developed in the US, the term “pantyhose” combined the two words panties and hosiery, to signify the thickness of the gussets which allow them to worn without any underwear.
The concept of tights was to develop something that provided a close body fit for horse riding. Since then, fashion has developed them to be a practical item of clothing, and their continued tight fit gave the rise to the name.
The use of tights and pantyhose is numerous; from the demands of outfits to the concealment of skin blemishes. Both can be worn with short outfits to maintain a level of decency, and are equally applicable in the summer and winter months.
When in America, it’s the thickness, measured in deniers, which differentiates tights from pantyhose. Anything up to 40 deniers is considered as pantyhose, as the lower denier makes the item thinner and transparent. Higher denier means more opaqueness in the item, thus being called tights.
However, in the UK, there is no such distinction as the word “tights” is used across the board, with “pantyhose” a very rare term in the market.
So, pantyhose and tights have the same use, share the delicateness in nature and can be damaged in the same way. The only difference it seems is on where you come from, not the garment itself!
Tights or Stockings and Suspenders
The popularity of tights and stockings with a garter belt is relatively the same. Which one you choose is based upon the level of comfort you get in either and the purpose your hosiery item needs to fulfil.
Made from nylon with the addition of Lycra for comfort, tights provide cover to both legs and join at the top. With a classification according to thickness, they possess a waistband, gusset and closed in toes.
Stockings are similar in classification and contents to tights, but offer an individual cover to each leg, with the cut-off at the thigh being held up using a garter belt with suspenders, which are attached around the waist.
But which one of the two provides more comfort? In addition to the uncomfortable waistbands, it is important to get the tights size correct in order to have a pleasant wear. Similarly, getting the right size of garter belt and material of suspenders is important, as some people experience the tights to chafe their thighs or tightness from the garter.
There is a general perception of stockings and its attached garter belt to be rather fiddly. Additionally, the tightness of suspenders is questionable, with the chance of them pinging off at the most inconvenient moment. However, they are cooler in summers due to an absence of extra material, while tights suit the winter months by being warmer and more comfortable due to the extra material being present.
With positives and negatives for both hosiery items, it ends up being a personal decision to choose which one to wear, keeping in mind the type of outfit it needs to accompany. Mostly, stockings and suspenders get chosen for their sexiness and tights for being more practical; however, it is your purpose which will dictate the preferred option.
But which one is the best when judged on comfort? Wearers of tights will support their choice while those favouring stockings and garters will push for their preference.
To make a more informed decision, one needs to consider their daily lifestyle. If you are on your feet most of the day, stockings and suspenders will not provide the needed level of comfort, as they are more suitable for a situation where activity is limited. At the same time, where long-term sitting is involved, tights could prove uncomfortable die to its waistband. So, check your circumstances and needs, and go for the one that gives you most comfort in being the right decision.
Difference between Tights and Pantyhose
Pantyhose are body garments worn from the waist down to the feet and is used by both men and women. It is usually tight and fitting to the body hence can also be called tights. Pantyhose are made of nylon and spandex which explains their elasticity and their name comes about from the fact that they combine pants together with socks, stockings and tights, better known as hosiery. The advantage with the pantyhose is that when you use then it can serve as both underwear and socks so no need to wear socks or underwear again.
Tights are also garments worn from the waist down to the feet and made of cotton or nylon. Hence any close fitting covering from your waist to feet is just a tight. So the difference between tights and pantyhose could be very minimal. Pantyhose are just modifications to the tights and the difference between the two would be on the materials used to manufacture each. Pantyhose are much lighter than tights since tights are made from heavier denier than the pantyhose.
Tights are mostly used by acrobats, athletes, dancers and wrestlers whereas pantyhose are best worn by women to serve as pants and covering for the legs when they wear miniskirts or during formal functions, although there are pantyhose for men. Tights worn by athletes tend to be made in such a way they don’t reach down the foot hence are feetless. Since pantyhose are much lighter, tights would be good for cold weather to provide warmth to the feet. Young children can also wear tights but not pantyhose because women sometimes use pantyhose to hide defects on the feet. Men would mostly wear pantyhose for medical purposes or under the wetsuits during scuba diving to minimize the cold from the water to their bodies.