Suddenly, Sophisticated Dressers are Swapping Black Tights for These 5 Chicer Alternatives This Winter

From Kate Moss roaming around Paris in a slinky little black dress and a pair of seductively translucent light deniers to Alexa Chung in a silky mini slip and Burberry’s Nova Check pumps, there’s no denying that black tights are as British as they come.

But to some, this cool-weather staple still reeks of the sixth form corridors and stuffy libraries that used to play host to them, causing a slight aversion to donning the beloved hosiery style. That’s where the chicest alternatives to black tights come in.

In recent years, tights have slowly risen in the ranks from a forgotten underwear drawer to a considered and foremost addition to thoughtful outfits. You can blame this on Chanel's creative director Matthieu Blazy, who first helped whet consumers’ palettes for elegant tights during his tenure at Bottega Veneta. Indeed, during the Italian designer’s sophomore season at the house, he presented a look that featured a chunky navy jumper paired with black tights and a pair of knickers. This act of wearing tights as trousers swiftly became one of the year’s biggest trends, adopted by everyone from Kendall Jenner while out in Beverly Hills to Emma Corrin gliding through glittering grand canals at the Venice Film Festival.

And while black tights will always be a true sartorial classic, it’s moments like these that encourage you to expand the horizons of your personal taste and explore more innovative options. These sophisticated alternatives to black tights aren’t total substitutes, but rather fresher choices that can breathe new life into a stale outfit or transform a look into something far more intentional and impactful. Better still, these choices all offer the same thermal support and layering benefits that black tights do, which is an essential element for surviving the frigid winter months that await us, without actually breaking the bank, given that most expensive-looking high-street styles start for less than the price of sickly sweet iced coffee at one of London’s trendiest cafes.

As for what alternatives to black tights are dominating? It’s a combination of bold neutrals and vibrant patterns, including the beloved tiger-print pair famously worn by Chloë Sevigny to a film premiere in 1996 and the saturated tones seen on Miu Miu’s spring/summer 2023 runway.

Ultimately, the question isn’t whether to wear tights or not to wear tights, but what tights to wear, and as the below proves, there are countless slick and polished options for you to choose from.

With that in mind, keep scrolling through for the 5 elegant alternatives to black tights that will have you swapping, or at least pausing, your well-loved and long-standing pair of dark stockings.

The 5 Chicest Alternatives to Black Tights

1. Grey Tights

Style Notes: When eschewing a colour as classic as black, it’s always safest to stay within your comfort zone with another dialled-down shade. Grey, as unassuming and benevolent as it sounds, is a fantastic option for those who want to shake things up. Not only is the hue the closest thing you can get to black without crossing over into that territory, meaning that you’ll feel a sense of familiarity when wearing it, but the paler tone actually can help brighten your overall ensemble. From steel to pewter and even true silver, this look is 50 shades of classy.

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2. Burgundy Tights

Style Notes: It’s not just you who’s seeing red. Shades like oxblood, merlot and chianti continue to dominate during the colder months, with the most ingenious dressers incorporating the popular hue into their outfits by slipping into a pair of burgundy tights. The result is something that feels decadent but also gently winks to the shade du jour.

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3. Designer Logo Tights

Style Notes: Fashion has steadily been obsessed with the naked dressing movement, from Miu Miu’s satin bras that poke out the side of the brand’s knitted cardigans to Chloé’s boudoir-approved lace-trim ruffle shorts. In recent seasons, however, we’ve seen brands embrace this mode further through hosiery and the fusion of revealing the skin through a historically matronly silhouette. The result is both prim and provocative, proving the most potent antidote to secretarial and sexy black tights.

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4. White Tights

Style Notes: As is often the case when it comes to resolving style woes, this option proves that it’s a matter of inverting or juxtaposing what you know to achieve a completely different outlook. Ethereal and prim, this style can often border on bridal or ballerina territory—which is great for those who adore Natalie Portman’s performance in Black Swan or regularly peruse Danielle Frankle’s dresses, but not so much everyone else—so ensuring they look as suave as black tights is simply a matter of toughening them up. Pair with a funnel neck-jacket or a super structured tweed coat et voilà!

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5. Animal-Print Tights

Style Notes: Speaking of edge, there’s not a pair of tights boasting more personality or flair than that of the animal print variety. As previously mentioned, it was a then 22-year-old Sevigny who introduced the act of wearing patterned tights to the masses when she paired a tiger-print pair with an asymmetrical black dress with sequin stripes and a boutonniere. Now, It girls like Camille Charrière and Leandra Medine Cohen have both followed suit, including the style in their respective collaborations with sustainable Scandi brand, Swedish Stockings.

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