Tights Sizing And The Importance Of Checking Out Size Charts

Why on Earth is tights sizing so tricky? Sizing your leg wear is one of the most important parts of shopping around for new tights. It should be clear why you need to always take stock of what sizes are on offer. But the problem is that many women think shopping for leg wear is like shopping for shoes. A universal size, and nothing to really think about once you know what is what. Well that isn’t the case with hosiery, unfortunately. Tights sizing is one of the most haphazard parts of the clothing industry. It’s all charts and tables and height and hip size. So why is this the case? And why should you always check the size charts? Let’s take a look.

Why Is Tights Sizing Not Standardised?

It isn’t really clear why tights sizing is not standardised. Shoes all have a universal size, as do most items of clothing, thanks to dress sizes. But this isn’t the case with hosiery. We think it started with a few big names in the world of shoes. In 1970, the Mondopoint system was introduced. Shoes were so difficult to wear and to find in your size, that an international convention occurred among manufacturers. They created a system that we still use today, and it is pretty effective. So why not with other items of clothing? Well, our best guess is that shoes in the wrong size cause significant pain and discomfort. If you get the wrong tights, the consequences are far less drastic. We hope that this will change soon, but for now, you will need to check your sizing. Specifically, when you try a new brand.

Differences Between Brands

The most important thing to remember is that sizing is very brand dependent. You need to always recheck your size every time you try a new brand. And using your size from one designer is not going to tell you anything about your size from another. As we mentioned, since items are not standardised by size, brands need to develop their own. It isn’t too bad that no universal sizing exists. But for a brand, they need to be internally consistent. Their reputation as a designer really does depend on it. Once you know you are a large in Aristoc, for example, you are pretty much set. You can be confident you will take a large in anything they make. This can also goes for brands that they own or manufacture for, but sometimes these are made to different specifications. It is always best to recheck each new brand.

How To Use A Tights Size Chart

Each size chart may be different in its results, but each one works the same way. This chart above is the current chart for the Aristoc Ultra Shine Tights. Some designers have a size chart for the whole range, but others use one specific to the range. We used Aristoc as an example above as a brand where a large is always a large. Here you can see the sizes are simple. You look for your height across the horizontal, and you look for your hip size across the vertical. Once you find both, work your way across the grid. You will find the letter, or number, that corresponds to your closest size. And handily, if you prefer to work in metric rather than imperial, Aristoc have made it easy. They have added a metric converted measurement to the bottom of the chart.

What Happens When Your Tights Are Too Short Or Small?

An important part of most size charts is height. This is used to determine if your tights will be too long or too short. If they are too short, then the most frustrating part of poorly fitting tights occurs. Namely, they slip down. This also occurs if your tights are generally too small, not just short in the leg. This slippage is constant, and seems to never ease up, and it only gets worse as you walk around. Make sure you are well within the height limitations of any size chart. If you are on the borderline between one size and another, go up to the larger of the two. This will prevent this awful fate.

What Happens When Your Tights Are Too Long Or Big?

Conversely, an item that is too tall won’t necessarily prevent or mitigate slippage. It’ll just be a different kind of slipping about. Long tights can only stretch up so far, and the brief area is rarely deeper or shallower across different designs. It is usually the leg that is the major problem. If your tights sizing is wrong, and the legs are too long, it can be disastrous. The feet of the tights will slip out from under your own feet. This means they bunch up around your toes and cause major frustration whilst walking. Make sure your tights are not too long or too big. Don’t ever go up a size just for the sake of it. And only ever jump a size for one specific reason, something we will address next.

Anything Else You Need To Know About Tights Sizing?

As we mentioned, if you are on a border between two sizes, go up by one. This is the only time you ever choose a size that you are not strictly going to fit into. According to a size chart, that is. This is due to the simple reason that elastane behaves differently to other materials. Elastane, sometimes known by its trade name Lycra, is what makes tights stretch. A pair of tights are usually quite small in the packet, as the elastane stretches up a bit. Elastane stretches a long way, but not infinitely. Once it has reached the edge of its tolerance, you cannot go much further. The tights will shrink down, but they won’t stretch too far. So the solution is simple. If you are on the border between, medium and large, then go for large. Other than that, always read that trusty size chart.