For decades, stockings have been a way to show off your fashion personality. From vintage seamed stockings to decadent fishnets, they make a statement about who you are. About the fashion you love. Right now, there has never been a bigger selection of tights and stocking styles to choose from and this means you can have more fun than ever playing with new looks.

One of the biggest game changers for tight lovers is the style set’s embracing of new ways to wear this classic fashion accessory. Stockings are no longer just a means to feel perfectly put together in a dress or skirt. Fashion today lets you have a little more fun. You can layer tights under distressed denim, partner them with shorts or reveal just a hint of your favourite hosiery under cropped trousers. The new stocking rules are that there aren’t any. So, how will you wear yours?

We have brought together some of our favourite stocking style ideas and inspirations below. It’s time to let your legs do the talking.

 

Tights and Ripped Jeans

 

 

 

This on-trend look may feel completely current. With our favourite fashionistas and celebs showcasing it both on and off duty. But the truth is that this look owes its inspiration to a much more turbulent period of fashion history. Born in the world of late 70s punk, it was a way to subvert the more streamlined and well-behaved fashion of the decades before. It grew into an accepted statement for the hip young things of the 80s with Madonna making it a central part of her earliest looks. 90s grunge kids even got on board with the tights under ripped jean trend before it largely fell away. But now, with fashion taking a huge nudge from the 1990s, it’s back in a big way. 

 

How To Wear

 

You can style this look in a few distinct ways to create a diverse aesthetic. The simplest way is to pair solid black tights with inky denim with just a few rips. This take feels classic, streamlined, and is a great way to dip a toe into the trend without going full punk princess. If you want to step things up a little, then fishnet and lace stockings or tights give a deeper texture and personality to heavily distressed denim. Any colour or style will work here, it’s about pairing diverse textures to get a balanced look, so refined lace looks great against really beaten-up jeans. We also love the subtle glint of our Carnivalista Sparkle Tights under light-wash ripped denim. If you’re all about the bright and the beautiful then a pop of colour or animal print can also work really well. Bold, primary-coloured stockings make for a statement denim accessory, just be prepared to turn heads.

 

Do

Let your fashion imagination run wild and choose expressive tights and denim that you love.

 

Don’t  

Bare more flesh than you feel comfortable with. Choose ripped jeans that highlight your favourite curves and lines.

 

You’ll feel like…a rebel who got the fashion memo.

 

Tights and Shorts

 

 

Each year, as we move into the autumn and winter, you might feel like it’s time to relegate your favourite shorts to the back of the wardrobe. This doesn’t have to be the case. Over the past few years, it has become increasingly fashionable to step out in shorts and tights. It’s a cute, preppy look that when worn well can put you at the front of the fashion pack. But beware. It’s an easy look to get wrong, so take your time putting together a shorts, tights and outfit combination that feels like a good fit for the season. Autumn is not the time to get tropical with your favourite printed beach shorts. Instead, choose a modern, practical look that, done well, will leave you feeling like an off-duty model. In fact, tights and shorts is a look that some of our favourite fashion superstars love. Cara Delevingne, Alexa Chung, and Taylor Swift are all big fans of tights and shorts.  

 

How To Wear

 

Fabric choice can be the difference between getting this look right and getting it oh so wrong. Denim, tweed, and tailored, structural fabrics are all a good match for tights. Even leather can work here. But you should avoid lightweight, flimsy or brightly printed fabrics that make it look like you forgot to do your laundry and grabbed the first thing you could find that was clean. Next, comes tight choice and this comes down to seasonality and style personality. For early autumn, light fishnets and low denier designs look great with shorts and a light sweater. Our Carnivalista Liquorice Diamond tights are a perfect match for tan shorts, your favourite ankle boots, and bags of attitude. For the colder months, the tights get thicker and the designs can get a little wilder. From shots of colour to textured knits, the choices are endless, but remember the wilder your tights get, the more pared back your outfit should be. Otherwise, it’s easy for your outfit to wear you, rather than the other way around.  

 

Do

Opt for clean tailoring and season appropriate textures in muted tones.

 

Don’t 

Throw on your beach shorts with the first pair of tights you find in your sock drawer.

 

You’ll feel like…a street style hero on her way to London Fashion Week.

 

Tights and Cropped Trousers

 

For a long time, the idea of trousers and tights or stockings was a huge fashion faux pas. Anything more than a nude knee high was a big no-no. But some style superstars have got a little braver in recent seasons. Pairing their tights or stockings with cropped trousers to add a little extra leg appeal to their look. And we couldn’t be happier. It’s high time we all got a little braver with our trouser styling and this is a look that works just as well in the office as it does off duty. So, roll up your jeans, grab your culottes or hunt down your favourite cropped trousers. It’s time to add a little va-va-voom to your everyday style.

 

How To Wear  

 

The first question is, can you wear this style with every type of ankle skimming trews? The answer is in pretty much all cases is, yes. Wide-legged and narrow fit work well, as does a subtle boot-cut shape. In fact, the only cropped trouser shape that doesn’t quite make the mark is any type of cropped sports trouser. Teaming these with tights just makes you look like you have signed up for some type of endurance event in a cold climate – so try to avoid this pairing unless this is the case. Now comes the question of tight style. Basic black, high denier is a good place to start. This creates a pleasing silhouette and has the effect of slimming down the ankle shape if that’s what you want to achieve. But it’s not the only choice out there for hosiery lovers. Fishnet and lace add just a hint of edge to an elegantly-tailored look, while coloured or patterned styles are a good way of showing off a glimpse of your style personality in the office. Just pair bolder styles with plainer trousers so they aren’t competing with each other. This look works great with flats like ballet pumps, sneakers, and brogues, which makes it perfect for running around town.

 

Do 

Experiment with different trouser and tight combinations to find a look you love.

 

Don’t

Choose patterned tights and patterned trousers, you’ll end up looking like a magic eye puzzle.

 

You’ll feel like…a fashion pioneer, leading from the front of the style pack.

 

5 Quick Style Rules For Tights and Stockings

 

 

 

Excited to try some of this season’s biggest tight and stocking trends, but want to make sure you turn heads for all the right reasons? These fast and easy rules should keep you on the right hosiery track.

 

1. Don’t be afraid of colour and pattern. But, be careful to pair statement tights or stocking with neutrals.

 

2. Never wear tights with holes, pulls or rips. It’s lazy, not edgy.

 

3. Embrace fishnet and lace styles. They are a major trend right now and can look amazing.

 

4. Think of your tights or stockings as your ultimate accessory and take the time to think about how they gel with the rest of your outfit.

 

5. Don’t pair tights or stockings with light summer fabrics like linen.

 

Are you ahead of the pack when it comes to tight style? Here at Carnivalista we love to give good leg and the latest hosiery trends have left us excited to try out some fresh new looks over the coming months. Make sure you’re ready for anything by updating your tights collection with some statement Carnivalista hosiery. From barely-there fishnets to tights embellished with added sparkle we have a look for every trendsetter, whatever your shape or skin tone. Explore our online store and up your hosiery game today.