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Charnos 30 Denier Semi Opaque Tights

Charnos 30 Denier Semi Opaque Tights are perfect for everyday tights!

Some time ago, we reviewed some Charnos tights called Charnos Semi Opaques, which were also 30 denier but differ from these in the composition of the fibre and the fact that these are supplied in the open packet Charnos use for opaques, rather than the closed flat packet used for sheers. These differences are enough for us to treat this as a new style.

Well done to Charnos for making these tights in 4 sizes, Small to Extra Large, opaques at under £5 rarely come with such a choice of sizes these days. There is a range of colours including a skin tone is another major plus. We are not overly keen on the open style packet, but it does at least mean we can feel the softness and weight very easily.

The legs are straight and finished with a simple unreinforced toe; the panty features a cotton lined gusset, flat seams and, perhaps unusually for what look and feel like, lightweight opaque tights, there is reinforcement either side of the seams and a finger band. All in all exquisite detailing for the price. With 30 denier tights you can never be 100% sure what you will get, some most certainly look and feel like heavy duty sheers, but these are most definitely light opaques, both in look and feel.

The sizing is spot on, and with gentle stretching, you can take a few liberties with length, there are strength and stretch in abundance. Take care to stretch these tights carefully, and you will be rewarded with a perfect close fit.

The colour on the leg was even, but we struggled to get rid of banding in the panty, a small quibble that will only be an issue if you plan to wear them with very short skirts or shorts.

For everyday wear, these tights are ideal either as a durable alternative to sheers or as a more refreshing alternative if you wear opaque. Well made they should last weeks and prove to be good value for money.

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Charnos 24/7 Sheer Gloss Tights

Charnos 24/7 Sheer Gloss Tights are the way to go!

We need to start this review with a confession. This is a style of tights that have been around for years and which we thought we knew very well. Last week our web master’s wife had one of those unfortunate ‘ripped tights’ accidents and had to buy a replacement pair in her lunch hour. She purchased Charnos 24/7 tights, and that evening we had a few comments to be added to the review. And here is the confession; we had never done a review!

Luckily these tights come in a pack of two pairs, so there was still one in pristine condition for us to review.

Charnos are working to a budget, so both pairs of tights share a single card and plastic bag in the packet. The construction of the tights is in the same vein with standard seams in the boxer style brief and reinforced toes to finish the straight legs. There is no skimping on quality though; these tights are well made of good quality yarn. Charnos very sensibly did nor economised on the gusset, which is cotton lined.

The boxer brief and reinforced toes may not shout “classy” or “expensive”, but they do ensure that these ten denier tights are durable. As a sheer to waist with sandal toes ten denier would not be practical for everyday wear, and these are as the name suggests everyday tights.

Four sizes are available, small to XL, with XL being shaped for the shorter more hippy lady and large being styled longer.

Length is not overly generous but the sizing is accurate, stay within the suggested heights and weights and these tights will fit beautifully. It was comforting that drew our web master’s wife to these tights.

There is a beautiful shine to the finish on the legs, although they feel a little rough to the touch and look more massive than ten denier. Great tights for a day at the office, but you would want to change before going out on a date.

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Charnos 100 Denier Opaque Tights

Charnos 100 Denier Opaque Tights are 100% perfection!

Spring is here, and the time for wearing opaques will soon be past. But while the weather stays chilly here in England, opaques will still be many women’s best friend.

Charnos package their opaque tights in open card packets, so you can both see and touch the tights if you are buying on the high street; if you are buying online we can do that for you! Quite a treat it is too, as they are smooth and soft to the touch and quite light in weight for 100 denier also; visually smooth with a little shine and the dark purple of our test pair is a delight.

There is a choice of 4 sizes, from Small to Extra Large covering a range of heights from 4’11” to 6’0” and a range of hip sizes from 34” to 48”. Now, we must applaud Charnos for making four sizes in an era when one and two sizes are so common.

Opening out these Italian made tights, we got a strong whiff of the perfume used in the finishing process at Levante, a clue to where they are made perhaps?

Straight legged, but an average weight and finish from hip to toe. These tights also feature a run stop in the toe and both a cotton lined gusset and flat seams in the panty, excellent detailing at a price.

Regular readers will know that we tend to test the large size on a tall model to get an idea of the sizing. Our test pair of this style came in medium, and we didn’t notice until after our model had put it on. We would say that the sizing is accurate but with enough stretch to go down one size if you can’t buy the size you need.

Even stretched to the limit these tights fit well, are comfortable and give right even colour on your legs.

If we have one criticism, it is the use of the open type of packet. Our test pair picked up a bit of dust on its travels; you may need to consider washing before wearing.

Spring may officially be here, but there is still plenty of time to get some wear out of a pair of Charnos 100 Denier Opaque Tights, and they do feel like they would last.

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Cette Vienna Seamed Tights

Cette Vienna Tights are one of the most magnificent seamed tights ever!

Cette Vienna Seamed Tights are from Cette’s “Fun” collection. “Fun” is a word that worries us, as it conjures up images of expensive, poorly made one size tights made for the bedroom (is that just us?). Anyways, no such concern here, these are pretty severe fashion tights that come in a range.

The three smallest sizes have a cotton lined gusset, and the largest size has a comfort gusset to cope with fuller figures. The panty is made sheer to waist. There is a tiny amount of shaping at the heel, and the toes are reinforced, but in a way that makes them look sheerer than the rest of the tights; and the toes have a run stop feature, so holes in the toe do not run into the leg. All in all excellently featured sheer tights.

The 16 denier material has correctly even colour and is the perfect base to show off the reinforced sole and heel and the back seam. The seams run all the way from the top of the pyramid heel to the waistband.

Set the heel correctly, and the seam runs arrow straight up the back of your leg first time, no need for twisting and adjusting. The foot is long and stretchy enough that even if you have bigger than average, the heel detail will still show correctly.

Sizing is spot on, with more length than the maximum heights in the table would suggest. We commend Cette too for including guidance on hip measurement as well as height and weight; it is the hip size that will determine whether you need size L or size Super. The cut off between Large and Super is a hip measurement of 44”.

The fit is excellent as is the level of comfort. A pleasure to wear and the seams on our test pair stayed straight without any problems. Excellent tights that are among the best-seamed tights we have seen.

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Cette Quebec Semi Opaque Tights

Cette Quebec Tights are of the highest quality!

Most brands have a 40 denier semi-opaque style in their range, and with good reason, as they are suitable in most circumstances where one would typically choose a sheer or opaque. Where this style stands out is in having an additional size for larger ladies. The “Super” size is designed to fit ladies who are in the medium height range, but bigger than the maximum hip size for the large size. This makes perfect sense as generally shorter, more full figured ladies can get a larger taller size to fit on the hips, and the extra leg length is quickly lost.

The Supersize features a comfort gusset rather than the cotton gusset of the three smaller sizes but shares the other features such as reinforced toes and flat seams in the panty.

Cette is one of the dark horses of the hosiery industry; it is easy to forget until you slip a pair of their tights from the packet just how nicely they are made and the impression of quality they give. Sheer to waist, entirely shaped legs and a smooth, soft feel in hand…gorgeous!

Although not considered a support or compression tights, there is a noticeable squeeze at the ankle, which is very gentle and refreshing. The fit is perfect from hip to toe, and the comfort gusset in the supersize is one of the better examples we have encountered (but we still prefer the fit of the cotton gusset). The thick finger band and waistband are soft, comfortable and stay in place beautifully even on a fuller figure.

Sizing is more generous regarding length than we expected, we suspect that the supersize is based on the large size and will cope with the same range of heights.

The look on the leg is pure quality, perfect even colour with a lovely satin sheen. You will feel as good as you look wearing these tights and we have no hesitation in recommending them.

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Cette Long Beach Tights

Cette Long Beach Tights are great for this summer!

This season sees a resurgence of sheer natural hosiery, and this style from Cette promises all you could wish for from tights trying to give you that “is she or isn’t she?” bare legged look…ultra fine, matte finish, sheer to waist and sandal toe. So does it deliver?

First impressions are excellent indeed; even the largest of the three sizes weighs almost nothing and what weight there is in in the waistband. Soft and smooth in hand they simply beg to be put on.

Detailing is uncomplicated but well considered. The straight legs are finished with a simple toe seam, and then it is light sheer fabric all the way to the narrow finger band that gives a transition to the plain waistband. The seams in the body are flat, and there is a thin reinforced strip either side of the seam and around the cotton lined gusset for strength.

As you put them on these tights grip your skin and disappear, they do give that perfect bare leg look with only a slight sheen from all that Lycra giving any hint that you may be wearing tights.

The Lycra seems entirely consumed in giving a fit like a coat of paint with nothing left to provide stretch. The sizing is entirely accurate, with very little latitude if you are taller or heavier than the suggested sizing. The body is quite short, and on most ladies of average build, this will probably mean that they are worn by hipsters rather than on the waist.

A great example of sheer summer tights that delivers what it promised.

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Cette Leopardi Tights

Cette Leopardi Tights are a fast way to look good!

Leopard prints are going to be something that you either love or hate. All we would say is that one leopard print in a single outfit is enough, mix different leopard prints, and the look just won’t work.

A high proportion of the top fashion prints that we review sacrifice a lot of quality in the construction and focus on the design. In this case, the tights are of good quality, they are of uniform weight and finish from hip to toe, there are a cotton lined gusset and flat seams in the panty. The waistband is quite thick at 4cm and is attached to the sheer panty by a 3cm thick finger band.

The legs are unshaped and have a printed on leopard skin pattern from the run stop behind the lightly reinforced toes to the tops of the thighs. The pattern is well designed and printed, so there is no straight line where the pattern meets itself.

The fit is excellent, and the sizing is accurate. These are adorable tights to wear, very comfortable and reasonably soft to the touch. There is a definite sense of quality and strength.

We would suggest wearing with closed toe shoes as the sheer toe looks a little strange; and with skirts or shorts that are not too short, you want only the leopard print on show. Cette may have missed a trick by not including a false garter in the design to give the impression of hold-up stockings.

£13.95 is not cheap, but the tights themselves would be worth nearly that without the design.

We did not expect to like these tights, but we did; find yourself a suitable party to go to and buy a pair…better still create a stir and wear them to the office!

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Cette Helsinki Hold Ups

Cette Helsinki Hold Ups are a great blend of opaques and stockings!

The sharp-eyed reader will have noticed that these are stockings rather than tights. This is not the first time we have reviewed stockings, but it may be the last. We hope to open in the very near future, and all stockings reviews will be there.

Cette makes these hold up stockings in two sizes, Small/Medium for if you are under 5’6” and 140lbs and Large if you are taller than 5’5”.

We looked at the large size, and our first impression was that they seemed very short. Construction is very straightforward on a straight leg with a non-reinforced toe. The welt is made up of four narrow parallel bands joined by fine vertical fibres to give a banded effect on the leg. The top three of these bands are backed with silicone to grip the leg.

Being microfibre, the feel in hand is very soft; the softness is even more pronounced on the leg. The finish is matt, and the colour is perfectly even.

The Lycra in the fibre ensures plenty of stretches to fit even the longest of legs, the three bands of silicone ensure that once in place they stay where you put them.

The fit is good, but we did notice just a little creasing at the knee with legs bent. The welt detail is lovely, and we would suggest that you wear with a skirt length calculated to give just an “accidental” glimpse from time to time.

Maybe just a little expensive at £10.99 but if you are torn between opaque tights and wearing stockings, these are the perfect compromise.

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Cette Dublin Opaque Tights

Cette Dublin Tights are the way to go!

All through opaque pantyhose, with a crotch in usual sizes and with a back gusset in size super. What they are trying to say is that these are sheer to waist tights with a gusset in sizes S-L and a rear panel in XL.


We find ourselves testing these opaque tights in the spring when we would hope to be looking at summer ranges, but with the British weather, opaques can be part of your wardrobe at almost any time of the year.

On card these tights look so lovely it is almost a pity to remove them, our test pair is in the shade called loden, which is a dark olive green. The feel in hand is quite soft; the surface has a definite texture so cannot be described as smooth.

The brief is finished with high-quality flat seams; a cotton lined gusset and a 3 cm deep waistband. The legs are entirely straight, and look quite short.

The fit is quite good, but we would have preferred a little more Lycra in the mix.

The broad waistband makes these tights very conformable to wear and holds them in place well. The leg length proved to be adequate. Size chart appears accurate.

The colour is very even, and this weight of opaque is quite flattering, being just sheer enough to see the leg underneath. Our test pair had a slight manufacturing fault on one leg; we are disappointed that quality control at Cette did not pick this up. The finish is smooth and quite soft, some satin sheen is apparent in the right light. Good everyday sheers, in an ideal weight.

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Cette Dijon Tights

Cette Dijon Tights are perfectly versatile!

These tights are at the cheaper end of the Cette range of tights, and they are remarkable for some things. Firstly they are made only in larger sizes; Medium, Large, Super and Super XL. Sizing is not consistent with the rest of the Cette range either, as they are made full with a comfort/back gusset. Secondly, rather than coming in a flat packet on a card, you get three pairs in a box 7.5 x 7.5 x 11.5 cm (3 x 3 x 4.5 inches).

This may not look spectacular but it does save on waste packaging and from a practical point of view, it means you can keep the box with two spare pairs in your office, in your car or even in your handbag if you are following the fashion for large bags.

If we were to be critical, it would be nice if the tights were individually wrapped inside the box. Anyway taking one pair off the roll, you see that these tights are made with straight legs and a boxer style brief. The toes are reinforced and are connected to the leg with a run stop so a ladder in the toe won’t go on up into the leg. The boxer brief has the comfort gusset already mentioned and sound quality, but not flat, seams. Although 100% nylon, the knit does give plenty of stretch and fit is good, but there is a tendency to sag a little with wear.

The crepe finish is entirely matt. Colour is even, and these tights feel excellent as well as looking nice on the leg. The brief won’t win any awards for sexiness, but sizing and the absence of Lycra mean that you will not feel constricted wearing them.

Good everyday tights, helpful if you need a larger size without spending a fortune.

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