Just like your little black dress or your favorite pair of jeans, no wardrobe should be without a decent pair of opaques. So, if you are an opaque virgin (or just looking to restock your wardrobe), here’s my guide to the best opaques to buy this season.

Mega Thick Opaques

Opaques come in all shapes and thicknesses and at the top of the list are Pretty Polly 200 Denier Thermal Opaque Tights. By far the thickest tights around, these tights have a fleecy thermal lining that will keep you warm all season long.

Also in the ultimate coverage category are the Pamela Mann 120 Denier Tights (also available in plus sizes up to a US size 30).  A classic black opaque with added warmth, no harsh winds will get through these.  If you’re on a budget, these are ideal. But, should you decide to look for something a touch more luxurious, then I would recommend the Falke Pure Matt 100 Tights – not only will they keep your legs warm and comfortable, they are available in a range of 5 classic colors.

Thick Opaques

In the thick opaque category, there are too many tights to choose from. Mary Portas is a newcomer but she has produced some great collections and her opaques are no exception. Mary Portas and Charnos Satin 80 Tights have a slight shine and seven striking colors ranging for fern green to aubergine.   I also love the Pamela Mann 80 Denier Tights which offers us unlimited options with a range of nineteen colors.  

My personal wardrobe basic has to be Falke, which has a great thick opaque option. Falke Seidenglatt 70 Tights have nine gorgeous colors including some of the great basics. All the colors have that extra shimmer that will highlight any outfit, day or night.

Opaques

If you prefer something a little more lightweight but that still has solid coverage, there is the opaque category. Pretty Polly is always great at catering to all style preferences, and their 60 Denier Plush Tights come in classic black, chartreuse, grey and cerise. These tights are the perfect leg wear for early winter.

Moving down to a little less opaque, the Pamela Mann 50 Denier Tights are the best option. If you’re on a budget this winter then these are the tights for you. The incredible range of 28 different colors will revive every possible outfit in your wardrobe.  Not far behind, Jonathan Aston 40 Denier Opaque Tights also have an amazing range of 19 colors, but are slightly lighter in weight. Stock up on these and the Pamela Mann tights and you might just be able to get through winter by wearing a different pair of tights each day!

If you’re looking for more of a semi-opaque look, the DKNY Control Luxe Tights are a great option. Their beautiful soft feel adds extra comfort and a classic semi sheer appearance will make you look and feel great.

Mary Portas and Charnos Almost Opaque 40 Tights come in an assortment of ten colors that will definitely help upgrade your wardrobe to meet this season’s key trends.  Although, if dark and edgy is your style, Aristoc 40 Denier Microfibre Tights will suit you perfectly. The matte finish beautifully highlights the subtle elegance of the grey, black, navy and magenta color choices.

So there you have it! Tights to fit all shapes and sizes, styles and thicknesses. So what are you waiting for? Make room in your drawers and stock up on all tights now before the weather turns even colder!

A little black dress, a crisp white button down shirt, tailored jeans, and the perfect pair of heels are all staples for the fashionable woman. However, a quality selection of hosiery is just as important to complete the foundations of your wardrobe. There are many different styles of hosiery, and they can revitalize your outfits without breaking the bank.

Sheer Tights

The most essential and basics of hosiery are sheer tights. It is worth the time to look at many brands in order to find the one that has colors that will match your skin tone and give you a barely there look. They can also give your legs a healthy tan appearance that will make it seem like you just came back from an exotic vacation. Hanes Silk Reflections line is a customer favorite that is also a budget-friendly choice. Another inexpensive option is the Pretty Polly Naturals range. The sheers, control tops and thigh-highs in the collections come in a variety of colors that suit most skin tones. Falke Shelina, a personal favorite of mine, has the wonderful bare leg finish and a great spectrum of skin tone shades.

Opaque Tights

For slightly chillier days, opaques are a necessity, and DKNY Basic Opaque Tights are good quality opaque tights that also come in a control top style. During the winter you’ll need the warmest wool tights, and the luxurious Trasparenze Gennifer Merino Wool Tights and Falke Soft Merino Ribbed Tights both combine warmth and texture to provide maximum coverage. There’s not need to stick with plain black since some of the deep blues and purples, greens and metallic that were launched last fall are still fashionable this year.

Colored Tights

Colored tights are an easy way to turn an ordinary outfit into an extraordinary fashion statement. Just look at the likes of Bridesmaids star Kristin Wiig and Sarah Jessica Parker who are masters at rocking the colored opaques. Jonathan Aston 40D and Pamela Mann 50D offer two of the largest color ranges around spanning 54 different shades from electric brights to strong pastels and soft primary colors, all with a long lasting texture.

Elegant Fashion

I know it’s a recession and we should all be pulling our belt in, but what if your dress doesn’t have one? The quickest (and cheapest) way to make our clothes work a bit harder is a stylish pair of elegant fishnet or patterned tights. Over the past few months there have been some really sophisticated and chic designs created.  Among our favorites are Pretty Polly Secret Slimmer Lace Tights which merge fashion with a control top. HUE Micro Mesh Tights, as well as Pamela Mann’s Jive Seamed Tights and Sheer Dotty Tights feature graceful designs that emphasize your lovely legs, all for under $15 per pair. All of these choices will add a grown up note to your outfit and add a hint of glamour to your evening outfit.

Control Top

If you need a little extra support here and there, control top tights like the Aristoc Bodytoners range and Spanx In Power Line will help smooth your figure and make your outfits fit even better. Best selling Givenchy 575 Body Smoothers Support Tights has firm control throughout the tights to sculpt and tone your legs and tummy. All of our control top tights are extremely comfortable (I sometimes forget I even have control tights on!) and come in a range of natural skin tones and classic black.

Footless & Open Toe Tights

There’s no better way to celebrate warmer weather than with a cute pedicure, so add some footless and open toe tights to your hosiery drawer. Footless tights are in the middle of a big revival and will ease transition from tights to bare legs. The soft textures used by brands like HUE are easy to wear under both the lightest or warmest of fabrics. And my last tip for this week – if you haven’t tried open toe tights, now’s the best time to try them.  When correctly positioned, open toe tights, such as Falke Shelina Toeless or Donna Karan ‘The Nudes’ Toeless, are basically invisible under sandals and will give you a smooth blemish free look and extra coverage, plus I can show off my pedicure too.

Now that spring cleaning has given your wardrobe a fresh start to grow again, head to AlexBlake.com to get your pantyhose online and create your staple wardrobe of hosiery that will see you through every season.

There was a time when finding fashionable hosiery in sizes 14+was near on impossible but this week, here at AlexBlake.com at least, we’ve made a great leap forward with the arrival of Pamela Mann’s new plus size tights and pantyhose.    We’ve had a selection of plus size opaques and sheers for a while we’ve always found it difficult to find good quality fashion tights for fuller figures.  We know there is a huge demand (we speak to customers who ask about this all the time) so when Pamela Mann told us they were making some of their fashion tights available in larger sizes we snapped them up!  Adding these new fashion styles feels like we are beginning to complete our plus size range.  So if you are over a size 14, the hottest hosiery trends are now made for you too.

British based brand Pamela Mann is constantly inspired by the best of celebrity and catwalk trends. They specialise in making eyecatching and highly fashionable tights, with a very quick turnaround and at a fantastic price but, until now, most of their fashion tights came in one size only which was disappointing for girls that didn’t fit into the standard size range.  Now they have redesigned some of their most popular styles to fit UK sizes 16-32 (US size 14-30).  Fashion tights that really fit and are made to hug your curves perfectly are here!   Pamela Mann’s Jive Seam Plus Size Tights are plus size pantyhose with an elegant and classic back seam that will give you a hint of timeless glamour.  If you want to wear the trend for spotty tights, Pamela Mann have also brought out a plus size version of their enormously popular Sheer Dotty Tights.  Their dainty, dots design is a very chic and wearable pattern and a style that works for women of all ages.  Alternatively, the new Large Overknee Plus Size Tights are cute and fun way to wear the trend for suspender tights as seen on the like of Rihanna and now Paris Hilton!

Pamela Mann are also famous for their opaque tights that come in a dizzying array of colors and now they do plus size versions too!   Available in 50, 80 and 120 denier styles there is something to see you through the transitions in the season.   There are only a limited number of colors available at the moment but watch this space!  We are sure there will be more on the way soon.

For more conventional or professional looks, we have of course still got our great range of plus sized tights and pantyhose.  Pretty Polly’s new Curves ranges is definitely worth a look for all the hosiery basics but we especially love the Pretty Polly Curves 60 Denier Plush Opaques with their super soft feel and smooth appearance.

The famous Hanes Silk Reflections range also includes non-control top pantyhose which offer a great fit for fuller figures along with the classic looks and silky feel that they have become renowned for.

It is worth pointing our here that most plus size styles come with a back panel in the brief.  This is a way of making the tights larger around the body to accommodate your hips and, while some people find this perfectly comfortable others can find it a nuisance.   Levante’s Extra Pantyhose will fit hips up to 60inches but without that irritating back panel.

We’ve always had a good range of essential plus size hosiery but now we have upped the count of plus size fashion tights as well.  Do let us know what you think of the new styles.  We are always looking to expand our range to make sure we are always the very best place to buy pantyhose online so if you have seen styles and brands that you would like to see on AlexBlake.com website do let us now.