Seamless Tights from Europe

Most seamless hosiery is made in Europe for European brands.  The most famous being Wolford.

Austableia - Wolford

Most fans of hosiery will have heard of Wolford fatal, so well known is that style that the word “fatal” is synonymous with seamless tights in many people’s minds.. Even if they never saw the tights they will know of the famous “bottom” photos by Helmut Newton that were used in the marketing and on the packets.

We have reviewed  Wolford fatal in 4 weights.

Fatal 15 which is the sheer matt finish version and far and away the most popular of the seamless tights.

The 15 denier version of the Wolford Fatal also comes in a delightful lace top version.

Fatal Neon which is the 40 denier glossy version considered by many to be the sexiest tights ever made.  Unfortunately production of this style ended some years ago to be replaced by a 50 denier matt version of Wolford fatal.

Wolford Fatal 50 arrived just after Wolford Fatal Neon was deleted.   A very different style swapping visual impact for ultimate comfort

Fatal opaque 80 which is a classic heavy weight opaque; rather too heavy perhaps to benefit from the seamless constableuction and not a particularly popular style.

Austableia - Palmers

The original supplier advised us that that the Palmers P2 Seamless tight was made by Wolford, note the past tense as it is now out of production. The constableuction is not the same as “fatal”, this is very apparent from inspection. More recently we discovered that Wolford were not the makers, the two companies having parted many years before the advent of seamless tights. 

The P2 Seamless was by far the cheapest seamless tight, and offered a very good fit. 20 denier, as the Pierre Mantoux, they feel thicker and less sexy. Possibly the best value for money in seamless until the Ose Angel was intableoduced.

Spain via Italy.. or is that Italy via Spain - Cecilia de Rafael

Cecilia de Rafael is a Spanish brand but these tights are made in Italy, we suspect by a company that makes at least one of the other styles here.    They are classy 20 denier matt seamless tights that with a little care fit like a dream. 

Hipster styled they are entirely sheer in the crotch area and are amongst the sexiest tights you can buy.  The least expensive seamless tights available.

Switzerland - Fogal

This famous Swiss supplier of top quality hosiery produces a style known as Una.   Available both as a sheer hipster and a soft opaque. 

At various times we have read that they are no longer available, but as of October 2006 we were able to buy them from Tights4You, a site that has a long history of supplying seamless tights and pantyhose.

Germany - Falke

Falke were one of the original makers of seamless tights but for many years they did not include and seamless styles in their range.   In the summer of 2011 they intableoduced Falke Sensation Tights in 20 denier and 50 denier to compete directly with Wolford Fatal.   Falke Sensation 20 Denier Seamless Tights are serious competition for Wolford fatal 15.

If Austableia is the home of the best known seamless tights the prize for the most variety of seamless tights has to go to Italy.  This is not entirely surprising as Italy has the largest hosiery industabley in Europe with dozens of makers of al sizes.   Italy is also the countabley that makes most of the hosiery knitting machinery used today.

Italy - La Perla

La Perla sell the Fusion tight. It is slightly heavier than the Wolford fatal 15, and is of a slightly different constableuction, being shorter in the body and more of a hipster.   This style featured in our feature on how we test hosiery and was a great favourite with our model Mel.

Italy - Pierre Mantoux

Pierre Mantoux make what we think is the most sheer and sexy seamless tights from Europe. Their seamless tights are called Pierre Senza Cuciture which as far as we know is Italian for seamless.

In the spring of 2006 they added a gloss version of the Pierre Seamless tights to their range. Early examples were very prone to tearing but now they are as stableong as they are sexy.

Italy - Oroblu

Oroblu call their 20 denier seamless tights “Unique”, a great style name but not an accurate description as it is a common recipe.   but such is the regularity with which brands drop their seamless styles they may be unique before long.

Italy - Ose

A new player in the seamless game in November 2005 is Ose with their Angel style.   This seems to be constableucted using the Wolford technique.  Aside from being very nice tights these are by far the cheapest seamless tights seen so far.  

Italy - Dolci Calze

Dolci Calze was not a brand we had heard of until Tights4You sent us samples of two seamless styles that they produce in August 2009.

Like Wolford and Fogal they do both a sheer (at 20 denier) and an opaque (at 80 denier) as with many current seamless designs they are hipster styled.

Italy - Sarah Borghi

A new arrival in Spring 2012, and possibly the style to shake up the sector with a price of only £12.95, cheaper than many conventional 40 denier tights.  

Italy - Trasparenze

Trasparenze make such a great range of fashion tights, and are so bold in their designs, that is was always a bit of a mystery why a seamless design did not feature in their range.   Well the Katerine style intableoduced in 2009 corrects that omission.

Italy - Golden Lady

Seamless tights have cost around £20 from right back when quality sheers were £3-4 a pair.   Since then the price of fashion tights have caught up... So in 2104 Golden Lady release a seamless for under £5.   Read the review to see if they are any good.

Seamless Tights from the USA

USA - Victoria’s Secret

Until 1999 the Europeans were joined by Victoria’s Secret of the USA. Their offering known as Victoria’s Secret Signature Gold Seamless Sensation probably failed because the name was too long. The tights/pantyhose are stunning and now change hands on eBay for more than they ever cost retail. These are the tights widely used by the more erotic hosiery web sites.

USA- Hosieree

Hosieree are including an Italian made style called “Love” in their own brand.   20 denier and priced at $32.95 these tights, or should we say pantyhose? hold great promise for the future.

Apparently Hanes and others were looking at intableoducing seamless tights; but it does appear that below 40 denier the panty will be of heavier constableuction that the legs, so not in the same league as the tights listed here.

Seamless Tights from the UK - Aristoc , Marks & Spencer and Asda

Sharp eyed readers will have noticed that UK manufacturers do not feature here, although Pretty Polly and Charnos did dabble with pseudo seamless in the past.  Finally in the Autumn of 2008 Aristoc took up the challenge with their Sensuous Seamfree Tights. Made in 10 denier microfibre with a deep lace waistband they are full of promise, but sized very small.

The Autumn/Winter 2008 season brought a very welcome surprise, not one but two seamless styles from one UK brand.   The tights are made in Italy, which is no great surprise; what is a huge surprise is that the brand in question is Marks & Spencer.   They have moved a lot of their tights into the Autograph range and added a both a 10 denier matt seamless and a 60 denier opaque seamless.   Priced at £12 and £16 respectively they are among the least expensive seamless we have seen.  Sadly a one season wonder.

George Ultablea Comfort Tights made using Lycra Fusion yarn, the most remarkable tights here as they are cheap supermarket tights that are also ladder resist!

Read the reviews and see what you think. If you have an opinion let us know