Summer Tights

I first added this section as Autumn arrived here in the UK I thought it would be a good time to look at the new trend in summer tights. Of course there have always been low denier tan shade tights for the summer, some even had specific design features like ventilated panty areas. The specific development I am going to look at here is the addition of polyurethane to the fibre mix.

So far (July. 2007) I have identified 8 makers and nine styles which have this component in the mix with the normal nylon. In all cases the mix has 30% or more polyurethane and with one exception no Lycra. I had assumed that this was because the properties of the fibres are incompatible, but the Marks and Spencer Cooling Bare Tights prove that you can have both Lycra and polyurethane in the same pair of tights. Although these particular tights have quite a heavy reinforced panty so it is likely that Lycra in in the brief and the polyurethane is in the legs. The lower percentage of polyurethane, 32% when all the others are over 40%, would seem to confirm this.

The effect of the polyurethane is to give a very smooth finish on the leg and to make the tights at least feel cooler.

Top of the pile is the Dior Bronze. Not only were these the first tights I found with polyurethane in the mix but they are the second most expensive, best looking and nicest to wear. 7 denier, with a token 2% silk (the gusset) and £13.95 a pair. The choice for that special day in the summer.

Second in terms of release, but top in terms of price at £15.00 are the Max Mara L’invisible. At 6 denier a little more sheer than the Dior. Very good but just not a match for the Dior in terms of value.

Oroblu do the heaviest denier summer tights, their Suntime style at 15 denier. Their only short coming is leg length, but if you have less than a 32” leg they will be fine. At only £5.75 there are great for general summer wear and won’t look out of place at the big day out.

Our last acquisition for 2005 was the Cannes Style from Cette. At £8.50 they are in the middle price wise for this type of tights, although for tights in general they are quite expensive. In common with the Oroblu a little more length is required in the leg. 2007 version seems longer, but perhaps at the expense of the polyurethane in the yarn.

Spring of 2006 saw a new player in the summer tights arena in the shape of Pierre Mantoux with their Nude tights, with a yarn made of 56% nylon and 42% polyurethane, cotton gusset and flat seams all for less than £9.00 a pair.

Another newcomer for 2006 is the Gerbe Ethnic Colours 15 Tights. These are marketed as tights for all skin tones but their fibre mix of 57/41/2 Nylon/Polyurethane/Silk makes them fit them straight into the summer collection. Their price at £14 a pair is also in line with most of the other luxury summer tights here.

The latest tights to use the 50/50 Nylon/Polyurethane mix are the Teint Magique summer tights from Le Bourget.  Priced at £8.05 they are well priced to take on more established summer styles. Excellent summer tights that are at least as good as any others here.   Slightly smaller sizing than the others except the Oroblu and a lower price than most too.

The Pretty Polly Naturals Range has two summer styles with polyurethane, both using Sideria fibre too.  One is marketed just a Pretty Polly Naturals Sideria Tights the other as Pretty Polly Naturals Almost Naked Tights, the same fibre mix and 7 and 5 denier respectively.

If you like the oiled tan look, and have less money to spare then the competition to the polyurethane tights is the “sun oil” type.

I have only found one maker that does these, Pretty Polly. They make their own Perfectly Natural Sun-Oil Sheen tights which sell at £3.00 a pair and also the competing Marks & Spencer Bare Oiled Tights at £4.00. Both are very good and serious competition to the new polyurethane designs. Ironically the tights they make for M&S are better than their own brand.

Marks and Spencer updated their “Bare” style range in 2007 so that the Bare Tights and Bare Slip Resist Tights have 32% Polyurethane in the fibre blend. At £4.00 a pair these are by far the cheapest tights with polyurethane, but they lack the sheer to waist construction of the others.

The Marks & Spencer Bare Oiled Tights retain the classic Nylon/Lycra blend. 

Charnos have taken up the idea of cooling tights with their Charnos Simply Bare Tights, similar idea to that of M&S.  Sheer cooling legs with a heavier panty, in this case just a simple nylon/Lycra mix.

Updated 31 July 2008