Spring is such a tease here in the Pacific Northwest. The sun comes out, temperatures rise, and I get all excited about breaking out my spring dresses. The next day, the clouds reappear, and I’m relegated to rain boots again. I can’t handle the mind games!
Fortunately, I’ve found a bit of help to steer me through these rough sartorial waters: Grey tights!
I know, I know…not exactly a revelation. But I’ve been a black-tights-only girl for my entire adult life. Anything else felt too sheer, and somehow just wrong. But black tights don’t do a thing for a cheery spring dress, unless you’re trying to rock it in the depths of winter. Grey, on the other hand, is light and subtle. It blends in, takes a back seat, and lets your favorite florals, pastels or whatever other springtime frock you’re sporting take center stage.
{Images, clockwise from top left: iro iro MTV Style / Golestaneh / Stone in Boots}
See what I mean? The only catch is that the right grey tights are just as hard to track down as the perfect opaque black. Heathered shades add bulk (texture is almost never a good idea). Anything too opaque looks dowdy, and anything too sheer looks like, well, pantyhose. It took some exhaustive searches, but I tracked down the perfect pair: Philippe Matignon’s “Noblesse 50” in Platino.
They’re the ultimate middle ground between opaque and sheer, which is perfect for this iffy season. No super-strong control top to weigh you down (or peek out underneath that super-short minidress), plenty of stretch to make these incredibly comfortable to wear all day, and the shade of grey is dark enough to provide all the slimming benefits of black. I’ve been wearing them nonstop all month. In fact, I think it’s time to order a second pair.
Of course, if it’s already mid-summer where you are…well, don’t tell me. But order these anyway – you’ll be wishing for them in September.
