Gerbe Soie 50 Tights really missed the mark this time.
No, you did not misread the fibre mix, these are 100% silk tights. Gerbe makes these tights in just four sizes; 1-4.
As soon as you open the packet you can see these tights are different; the whole surface texture is just different. The second thing that you notice when you open them out is that they look huge, in fact, size four measure 70” or 178cm from waistband to the tip of the toe.
The regular Gerbe waistband is replaced with a knitted weld that looks more like something from a cheaper brand, whereas the brief is finished with flat seams and a reinforced gusset.
Sheer to the waist in construction with the shaping of the legs at the heel and invisibly Reinforced toes.
When you put these tights on all that length disappears into the width needed to get around your leg. There is no stretch to speak of although we can report that the sizing is accurate. We must stress that you must not stray outside of the size chart guidelines.
The finish on these 50 denier tights is matt, so you don’t get the sort of glossy finish you may imagine.
Now, silk is a natural material so you would expect more variation in fibre than with man-made Nylon, but sadly we have to report that on the leg our black test pair looked like cheap semi-opaque nylon tights. If you are going to try these tights, the pale colour will be the one to go for.
Despite doubting that tights could be made of silk we have wanted to try these ever since we heard of them. After much anticipation, it is disappointing to have to report a rare failure by Gerbe.
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