The fabric feels soft and smooth. The legs and heel have some shaping.
Typical quality Levante with flat seams. Extra tall size does not have a gusset, but a triangular back panel. The back panel does make for a very loose fit in the panty area. The toes are the same thickness as the legs, but at 70 denier can’t be called sandal toe.
These tights are very big and very long. I would suggest that unless you need the extra size in the panty area or you are over 6’4″ tall, the tall size would be quite big enough. In 2007 this style was replaced by Levante 80 denier Ultimate Tights.
Levante Ultimate 80 vs Levante Airskin Opaque 70
Levante told UK Tights that the Ultimate 80 are the Airskin Opaque under a new name. Of course, being told that an 80 denier tight is a 70 denier does raise a few questions. More questions were raised when we found that the Levante Ultimate 80 tights in size X-Tall (black) fit our tester perfectly. That same tester remembered that the Levante Airskin Opaque in size X-Tall (charcoal) had been about the biggest tights they had ever tested in terms of the size of the brief.
We decided therefore to re-examine the Levante Airskin Opaque in size X-Tall and to compare this with Levante Airskin Opaque in size Tall and another pair of Levante Ultimate 80 in size X-Tall to see if we had another case of Levante “mispackaging.”
4 Pairs examined
- Levante Airskin Opaque in size X-Tall (charcoal) – 11cm wide rear panel (measured at the waist), waistband 53cm un-stretched. Weight 60g
- Levante Airskin Opaque in size Tall (mocha). Identical to Levante Ultimate 80 in size X-Tall (black) in every detail, waistband 44cm un-stretched Weight 55g
- Levante Ultimate 80 in size X-Tall (black). Identical to Levante Airskin Opaque in size Tall (mocha) in every respect, waistband 45cm un-stretched, Weight 55g
- Levante Ultimate 80 in size X-Tall (mocha) Big in the brief but less so than Levante Airskin Opaque in size X-Tall (charcoal). 9cm wide rear panel (measured at the waist), waistband 49cm un-stretched. Weight 65g
There is no mention on any of the packets about a comfort rear panel in the brief. Airskin Opaque is described as 70 denier and credit Meryl with the microfibre manufacture, no mention is made of Meryl on the packets for the Levante Ultimate 80.
The main visual difference between the Levante Airskin Opaque and Levante Ultimate 80 is that the Airskin Opaque appears to have been shaped a little at the heel during finishing. On the leg, you cannot tell them apart.
What we did find is that Levante Ultimate 80 in size X-Tall (black) had a cotton gusset. Still, the same tights in mocha had a comfort rear panel and were much more prominent in the brief, although a little smaller than the Levante Airskin Opaque in size X-Tall (charcoal). That detailing should vary according to the colour in a given design is not good.
The change in denier from 70 to 80 is a mystery as the tights look and feel the same. The scales did tell us though that the 80 denier with the comfort rear panel was slightly heavier than similarly detailed 70 denier.
If you can get your size correct both styles look and feel great, and will last and last. We have no idea if the sizing anomalies go through the range. But if you are looking for long tights but don’t have large hips, you may want to ask your supplier to check that you are getting cotton gusset tights. Luckily this can be done quickly without taking the pantyhose from the packet.
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