Tights are a staple in any woman’s wardrobe. Whether it’s black opaque tights, stylish footless tights, or patterned tights, there’s always a pair that you can wear to any occasion. But with so many kinds to choose from, you might be wondering how to differentiate them as well as which ones you should add to your closet. To learn more, read on for six must-have tights that you should include in your wardrobe:

1. Footless Tights

Traditionally, tights cover your legs from waist to toe. But with daily use, they may start developing stains around the areas covering your feet. They may also start to lose color after each wash. Aside from that, ripping and snagging are also causes for concern.

Fortunately, footless tights were created to address these issues. They work and fit every bit as well as traditional tights, but without covering the foot area. While they were mostly used for activities that require a lot of movement (like dancing), they are slowly growing in popularity as casual wear. If practicality is what you’re looking for, footless tights are the way to go.

2. Control Top Tights

Unlike other kinds of tights, control top tights come with built-in shapewear, much like the girdles that women used to wear in olden times. These tights can smoothen love handles, rolls, and other lumps to help enunciate your overall body shape. Hence, control top tights match well with outfits that hug your figure, such as cocktail dresses. If a more defined silhouette is what you’re after, control top tights are a must to keep in your drawers.

3. Seamless Tights

As the name implies, seamless tights are knitted together in a circular fashion to create a one-piece garment, whereas traditional tights are made up of separate pieces of fabrics that have been stitched together. Because of this method of production, seamless tights cost more than other types.

That being said, these kinds of tights can be a worthwhile investment, as they help you avoid a notorious fashion fail: visible panty lines. Because they don’t have any ridges, seamless tights provide a smooth and clean look when covering up your hips. If you worry about panty lines, give these types of tights a try.

4. Opaque Tights

Opaque tights are made with materials of higher denier, making them much thicker and darker. These qualities make them an excellent garment for keeping your legs warm. Hence, it’s common to see more women wearing dark tights to complement their outfits during the colder months of the year.

The thickness of opaque tights not only provides ample warmth, but they also prevent your skin tone from showing through the material. They are also comparably more durable than other kinds of tights and are less prone to common problems such as tears and snags. And because these tights fit well with various kinds of outfits, it’s best to always keep a pair of these in your wardrobe. 

5. Sheer Tights

Sheer tights are one of the most popular kinds of tights on the market. They can provide a formal, sleek, casual, or sexy look, depending on how you match them with your outfit. And because of this flexibility in style, they can be used in all kinds of settings, including work, school, parties, and meetings.

However, it’s important to note that sheer tights are made of materials with lower denier, usually ranging under 30. This makes them thinner and more prone to tears and snags. But as long as you take good care of them, they’re still considered the best tights for showing off your natural skin tone. That said, sheer tights with deniers 10 or less work well if you’re going for a bare-legged look.

6. Patterned Tights

If you want to wear something more creative and casual, you can always try patterned tights. These are made using a mix of sheer and opaque materials to create interesting visual patterns that run throughout the whole garment. Some of the most common patterns include polka dots and flowery laces, but there are countless other kinds of patterns available as well. When matched properly, they can offer a new and refreshing take on an otherwise common-looking outfit. That said, keep at least one pair of patterned tights in your closet in case you ever want to spruce up your look. 

These are only some of the many kinds of tights that you can buy on the market. When choosing which ones to add to your wardrobe, just keep in mind that the denier and color can vary wildly among each type of tights. So take your time when picking tights that best suit your style. Indeed, with the right tights, you can pull off a much more striking look no matter what the occasion.