How to Dress your Legs for Fall
Written by Ali Straka Tuesday, September 07 2010
Along with boots, sweaters, and darker hues, tights are essential for your fall wardrobe. Not only do tights keep your legs cozy and protected against autumn’s nippy weather, but they also help to instantly transition your favorite spring and summer clothes for the increasingly colder weather. Too attached to ditch your favorite summer shirt-dress? Add some tights with boots and your go-to summer look is updated for fall. On top of that, tights help to smarten up your look. Wearing the right hosiery can ensure you look professional and polished. If you’re not sure what to buy, don’t fret. I scoured the fall ready-to-wear collections from top designers to find out which tights are hot for the upcoming autumn season.
Back in Black: Black opaque tights are always chic; they’re not going anywhere. As seen on the Burberry Prorsum runway, black opaque tights are the perfect compliment to a plethora of fall outfits, from casual sweater dresses to sharp pencil skirts. To liven up a bland look or avoid a monotone ensemble of black, try out the opaque tight trend in a rich hue like plum or military green. Both those shades are hot for fall fashion.
Whiteout: On the flipside of black opaque tights are white opaque tights, as seen on the Chanel ready-to-wear runway for fall. White tights are a good alternative if you’re over black but love the bold and camouflaging look of opaques. To avoid looking like a little girl on Easter Sunday, pair white tights with edgier fare; stir clear of the feminine florals and girly pastels.
Sheer Genius: Opaque hosiery has dominated the leg wear department for years, but if the top ready-to-wear designers have anything to say about it, sheer black tights are the next big thing. The fall collections of 3.1 Phillip Lim, Céline, and Burberry Prorsum all included ensembles that incorporated this sheer genius trend. Sheer black tights look especially chic with business attire, so give this trend a try when you dress for the office.
Cozy Knits: Imagine the comforting coziness of your favorite sweater, but on your legs. Sweater tights – particularly styles with knit detailing like cable knit lines – are warm, soft, and add an interesting layer to your fall outfits. But if they seem too thick or stuffy right now for moderate fall weather, you can get the same look by wearing patterned knit tights in thinner and more breathable fabrics. Patterned knit and sweater tights were shown on the Prada and Chanel fall ready-to-wear runways.
Au Naturel: One of the hottest leg wear trends for fall is actually no leg wear at all. If you’re willing to be a bit daring (and brave autumn’s chills), bare some skin and ditch the tights. A majority of the looks from the Chanel, Marc Jacobs, and Dolce & Gabbana fall collections featured models with bare legs.
Sock Hop: Not feeling tights but not comfortable going bare? Join the sock hop that strutted down the Marc Jacobs, Prada, and Dolce & Gabbana runways. Socks in a variety of heights – just above the ankle, knee high, and thigh-high – in neutral tones like gray and beige were prominent in designer fall collections. Like tights, socks can be worn to transition your favorite summer shoes: Sport your open-toe sandals and platforms into autumn by pairing them with a pair of socks.
Flashdance Redux: Michael Kors has given us a reason to resurrect the Flashdance-era leg warmers. On his fall ready-to-wear runway, Kors showed chunky knit leg warmers paired with chunky sandals and autumn-ready leather boots. To keep the look modern and not Jazzercise-ready, stir clear of colors: Try leg warmers in dark neutrals like black, gray, or chocolate.
Ali Straka is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism. She majored in magazine journalism with a minor in textile and apparel management. She used her experience as a college student to contribute to developing products from University Chic in addition to writing regularly for the site. In her free time, Ali muses about fashion, interior design, and all things pop culture on her blog According to Ali. She hails from the North Shore suburbs of Chicago.
