Nude not rude

Why is it so hard for fat women to find decent tights, huh? They seem like a wardrobe staple?! I've also never understood why even standard retailers don't make nude tights in the range of deniers they do for black tights. Maybe I'm the only woman who doesn't like sheer tights? Who knows.... either way I was getting desperate to find some nude tights for the wedding I'm going to (in 4 days... who knows what the weather will be like?!) so I bite the bullet and ordered some from the big tights company. Frankly I found paying £15 for a pair of tights really depressing (I can get leggings for £3 for fecks sake!) but needs must, so I ordered 3 pairs of nude-ish tights and here is how I got on....

The least said about the Venice Lady 20 denier tights the better. Thank goodness I got the sample pair for £1... the only size available was the 20-22, and I couldn't get these on past the knees. Thankfully I sized up in the other tights I ordered.

 These are the New York Lady 40 denier tights in mink. I got these in a 28-32, and thank goodness I did, because these were tough to get on! The problem seems to be that these tights are a decent enough size from the groin up, but if you have thighs as large as mine these are just not as generous as they should be! I should be swamped by tights that would fit a size 32, but instead they're pretty tight everywhere but my waist.

 

The look and colour is okay, but I'm not keen on the fabric. I find it itchy and I suspect my thighs will still chafe. A bit gutted for £12.95!

 This is the pair I like - New York Lady 70 denier tights in Mink. Also size 28-32, these are notably bigger than the 40 denier. A tad bigger on the thighs (and therefore more comfortable) but WAY bigger on the waist.

The fabric of these is a bit rough, but the thickness makes them more comfy, and they feel less itchy. These are certainly the best of the bunch in my opinion, and should be for £14.95!

Over all I'd say that if you have a big belly but smaller legs, then these tights from the big tights company will be excellent for you, but if you have mega thighs like me you will need to get the biggest size and hope that the fabric is nice. The other bummer is that the 'mink' colour will be too dark for many ladies with pale skin, and sadly they don't offer any of the high denier pairs in the paler 'natural' colour. I've read many rave reviews of the big tights company but I'm not really convinced myself. I think If I'm going to spend loads of money trying to get good tights in the future I will try we love colours from the U.S, as they have such an impressive range of colours in opaque plus size tights.... the shipping is pricey but the tights are cheaper, so I think it will be worth a try. Many bloggers swear by them after all!

 £114.06 paypal earnings - £31.85 (OUCH!)= £82.21 to spend or save!

Cheap-ass tights!

The only black tights I own are from Primark. I have quite a few pairs of their 'super cosy' tights in black (none of the other colours fitted despite all being XL!) and they're the only tights I ever wear. They are too hot for this time of the year though, and they're not very smart because they're a bit ribbed and fluffy, so I really wanted to find some decent tights to wear with smart dresses & skirts.

I got 3 pairs to try, these are all size XL which is supposed to fit up to a size 22-24 with a height of up to 5 foot 8.

 First up are the £2 80 denier appearance microfibre tights.

 This is seriously as far up as I could get these. Bit of a shame because they are lovely and opaque and feel so soft and silky. You can see how shiny they are. Oddly the coral coloured pair I bought on sale in Primark a few weeks back are the same tights (80 den microfibre 3D) and they fit me, so it might be a case of typical Primark size disparity, or they have put the wrong sizes in the packing. Who knows?! Either way these are no good!

 Next are the £2.50 100 denier appearance microfibre tights.

 Bingo! These are a great fit for me, and they are smooth and soft. They're pretty good in terms of opaqueness on the main bit of my legs, and they are long enough to pull right up (which I pretty much insist on my tights doing!) so I'm happy with these. I assumed that they will chafe after a while because I've never worn tights without getting a bit of chafing, but maybe I'll put a bit of anti chafe gel on my thighs to double the protection?! A big thumbs up to these, I plan on getting a few more pairs.

 The last pair I tried were the £3 120 denier appearance velvet touch tights.

These fit me, but they're a less comfy fit that the 100 deniers. They are more opaque which is great, but they have a little less stretch so I can't pull them up as far as I'd like. A minor complaint as these are nice soft tights. I do think these will cause a bit more friction between the tighs than the 100 den because they have a slightly wider ribbing, but these could be a great cheap option for girls my size, even better if your a bit shorter than me!

There you have it, my super quick tights review. Hallelujah for Primark, without whom I would have to spend a small fortune on black tights!