UK Tights goes greener: Recycled tights and more!

There’s a green revolution in the hosiery world; a green revolution. Hosiery manufacturers are going greener with the release of new ranges of recycled tights and other sustainable products. We, at UK Tights, cannot get behind, so we have joined the eco-friendly revolution. If you care about sustainable fashion, keep reading to find out what’s new in the hosiery world.

Eco-friendly fashion: What can I do to fight sheer waste?

Photo by Nikola Jovanovic on Unsplash

We all love wearing hosiery, but, truth to be told, nylon, one of the most used fabrics in hosiery manufacturing is non-biodegradable. Nylon isn’t precisely an eco-friendly fabric, that’s why some people concerned with sustainable fashion refused to buy nylon tights. Nowadays, you have more options. Let’s see.

1. Buy natural fibres, instead of microfibres

You don’t have to buy nylon tights and opt for natural yarns when you shop for opaque hosiery. Try, for instance, one of the following:

• Cotton tights
• Wool tights, alpaca wool tights and cashmere legwear.
• Modal tights
• Bamboo socks

The Oroblu Natural Fibres range is a great range to start with if you want to go greener, but it’s not the only one. Charnos has been manufacturing bamboo socks for years and Wolford’s new Aurora Leggings are the perfect example of fashion-conscious legwear. These modal leggings are made with sustainable materials and biodegradable components, that’s why they hold the ‘Cradle To Cradle’ certification.

2. Choose quality over quantity

We won’t get tired of saying it. In hosiery, quality pays off. A good pair of tights is more likely to last longer than an inexpensive pair. This tip is especially useful for those wearing opaques.

If you are a fan of sheer tights, maybe swap your regular sheer tights for ladder-resist tights. We know ladder resist hosiery is usually a little more pricey than the regular one, but sometimes it’s worth the money.

Last, we must remind you to wash and store your tights the proper way. When you take good care of your hosiery, you can get more of it. Wash it by hand when possible, with a neutral soap or a wash, like Soak, and cold water. If hand-washing just doesn’t work for you, always use a hosiery wash bag for machine-washing your hosiery and your other delicates.

3. Invest in a good pair of recycled tights

2019 has seen more and more hosiery brands launching new eco-friendly ranges. These are our favourite hosiery brands of recycled tights and more:

• Charnos: ‘Re-Cycled’ is the name of Charnos’ latest range, made with luxurious Italian yarns, produced from using the offcuts from current hosiery production. By choosing this production, emissions are cut by 80% and water consumption is 90% down. Charnos Re-Cycled tights are available in 15 denier, 40 denier and 70 denier.

• Gipsy: Their ‘Gipsy Eco’ is made of 99% recycled yarns, made from offcuts, just like those above. The Gipsy Eco 30 denier and the 50 denier styles were one of the first pairs of eco-friendly tights we stocked and have soon become a best-seller of us.
• Pamela Mann: These Pamela Mann tights take nilit yarn, reduce it to its components and remake it into fresh yarn. Pamela Mann 50 denier and 80 denier tights are made of 92% Recycled yarn. Pamela Mann Recycle Yarn tights are ideal for curvy people, as they go up to UK 24 size.
• Pierre Mantoux has just launched its first sustainable collection to mark 60 years of tights. Pierre Mantoux Warm Effect is made with a thermo-insulating yarn derived from coffee, which is able to capture and preserve your body’s natural heat and keep you warm. Sound interesting, right? We’d love to give these a go.
• Pretty Polly: Soon to come, the Pretty Polly Eco-Wear range is biodegradable. Pretty Polly Eco-Wear tights are made with a unique innovative yarn, with biodegrades after three years when the product reaches landfill.
• Wolford ‘Cradle To Cradle’ range, as mentioned before.

UK Tights is also going greener

We are inspired by this eco revolution in the hosiery world, so we’ve also done our bit to contribute to the cause. If you have placed an order in the last weeks, you must have noticed our new bags, which are biodegradable and 100% recyclable. We know you loved our shiny purple bags. We are also sad to let them go, but it’s all for a good cause, right?

In the last years, we have worked hard in reducing paper waste. We try to use as little cupboard as possible, we recycle 100% of the cupboard and paper we use in our warehouse and we don’t print unnecessary documents, just like many of you do at home.

We also try our best to optimise the space in the delivery note. In this regard, you must have noticed that our delivery note includes a label with your delivery information for us to peel off and stick on the bags/parcels, the order information for you and, in the UK, our Royal Mail’s returns label. Then, if you turn over, you have our returns policy and instructions, so you can use this same paper to return any unwanted goods and save paper in every order. Let’s give a big round of applause to our team for coming up with brilliant ways to reduce paper waste!

So, tell us, have you also gone greener in your life or the company you work? Are you going to invest in some recycled tights next time you shop at UK Tights?