One of the most frequent questions I receive is how I survive winter in tights. It's clear on days when I take pictures in the middle of snow-covered winter wonderland in tights and a dress that I'm quite determined to stick to my dress preferences even in the coldest weather. So here are my tips to surviving winter temperatures in tights (and dresses).
Be practical: How much time will you be spending outside and are you moving a lot? Last winter I spent a good amount of time digging my car free from the snow and a lot of other days having to walk a good distance because I didn't want to dig my car free--in those conditions I actually didn't have to wear a ton of layers because my actions kept me warm. If you're on short walks between classes, or scurrying from your car to a building, then you similarly don't need to wear a lot of layers. If you're however outside for longer periods of time and less active (say waiting for a bus) then you will need to dress a lot more warmly.
Pay attention to denier: Tights come in different weights or thickness, this thickness is referred to as denier. The higher the denier number, the thicker the tights. Denier is important to pay attention to if you're looking for sheer or opaque tights, but in winter a higher denier is also essential in keeping you warmer. For winter it is best to stick to 100 denier and higher.
Fleece-lined is your best friend: Similar to a high denier count there are now fleece-lined tights which will keep you amazingly warm and cozy in winter. Other specialty tights to look for are sweater tights and wool blends.
Layer up: Just because you're wearing tights doesn't mean you can't layer; I often layer 2 pairs of tights in winter to stay a bit warm and put tall socks on top of that as well. It might not seem like the most comfortable choice in the world, but I never feel the discomfort of the tights once I'm outside with snow in my face.
Keep everything else cozy: You can get away with less covering on your legs when your feet are toasty in warm socks and boots. I'm all about dresses and tights in winter, but I will keep every other part of me as cozy as possible; boots with socks, cozy hats, mittens, scarves and thick coats are necessary--especially if my legs are going to be a little less covered!
Brand loyalty (or not): I don't have a lot of brand loyalty when it comes to tights; whenever anyone asks where I get "most" of my tights it's a shop list half a mile long. I like the color variety at Tabbisocks, I like the quirky styles of TrendyLegs, the selection at Tights.uk, the quality of Wolford, the tights sales at Urban Outfitters in the spring, etc.
Be practical: How much time will you be spending outside and are you moving a lot? Last winter I spent a good amount of time digging my car free from the snow and a lot of other days having to walk a good distance because I didn't want to dig my car free--in those conditions I actually didn't have to wear a ton of layers because my actions kept me warm. If you're on short walks between classes, or scurrying from your car to a building, then you similarly don't need to wear a lot of layers. If you're however outside for longer periods of time and less active (say waiting for a bus) then you will need to dress a lot more warmly.
Pay attention to denier: Tights come in different weights or thickness, this thickness is referred to as denier. The higher the denier number, the thicker the tights. Denier is important to pay attention to if you're looking for sheer or opaque tights, but in winter a higher denier is also essential in keeping you warmer. For winter it is best to stick to 100 denier and higher.
Fleece-lined is your best friend: Similar to a high denier count there are now fleece-lined tights which will keep you amazingly warm and cozy in winter. Other specialty tights to look for are sweater tights and wool blends.
Layer up: Just because you're wearing tights doesn't mean you can't layer; I often layer 2 pairs of tights in winter to stay a bit warm and put tall socks on top of that as well. It might not seem like the most comfortable choice in the world, but I never feel the discomfort of the tights once I'm outside with snow in my face.
Keep everything else cozy: You can get away with less covering on your legs when your feet are toasty in warm socks and boots. I'm all about dresses and tights in winter, but I will keep every other part of me as cozy as possible; boots with socks, cozy hats, mittens, scarves and thick coats are necessary--especially if my legs are going to be a little less covered!
Brand loyalty (or not): I don't have a lot of brand loyalty when it comes to tights; whenever anyone asks where I get "most" of my tights it's a shop list half a mile long. I like the color variety at Tabbisocks, I like the quirky styles of TrendyLegs, the selection at Tights.uk, the quality of Wolford, the tights sales at Urban Outfitters in the spring, etc.
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