Our internet friend Johanne literally begs for help!
Francesca, I’m begging you. Help me.
I am short. I am broad. I am muscular, especially in the thighs. And I cannot for the life of me find even one pair of decent opaque matte black tights. Anywhere.
Everything I’ve found so far, online or in the stores, is sized as if everyone who weighs 181 lbs. also is over 5’7″. I’m five-foot-three on a tall day. The few tights I’ve found that have short “Queen” sizes are crap–either too see-through or horribly shiny.
Can you recommend a site for good tights? My inseam is 28″ and I’m a size 14 on the bottom, mostly due to thighs and butt.
Help. I don’t want to go naked this winter.
Many thanks,
Jo
Ayyyy! Indeed, to be the petite girl of over 181 pounds creates a conundrum for the stocking stuffer!
Francesca, who is 5’1″ and weighs over 200 pounds, finds that the Queen sizes fit her OK, usually, but admittedly her weight is in her tummy, not her thighs. This does not help the Johanne.
Francesca’s first thought, for Jo, was to wear knee-hi’s on the bottom of the leg, and thermal or spandex or cotton leggings/long underwear/biking shorts up top. This would work for days one is wearing trousers or a long skirt, but it is not, admittedly, practical for knee-length skirts or for seducing a man.
What is the short-legged, wide-thighed and -butted girl to do?
First, she goes to Talbot’s! Look! Pantyhose in Women’s Petite sizes!
Here is a link to all the Womens Petite hosiery. Johanne will have a ball!
Next we turn to the readers. Where can Jo get opaque, plus-size matte tights for the short girl?
Hm, I’m thinking that this may not be so helpful but I have Wolford tights and though they are very expensive, they manage to cover both my tummy and my very large thighs and calves. Did I mention my tummy is so big that most people think I’m pregnant?
Anyway, these tights do seem to bend and curve over a great deal of me on my very short legs.
Good luck!
Comment by Christine — November 5, 2007 @ 4:29 pm
I’m 5’2″ and 190, and a 12/14 — also because of thighs and butt. My inseam is the same, 28″. Every single pair of tights I own is by Hue, sz. 3. I don’t have problems with them sagging because I’m too short, or anything, and most of my pairs are several years old. I call that a good value!
Stores rarely carry above size 3, but Hue makes up to size 5 and carries them on their website, for any of the larger ladies who are reading this.
Comment by Laura — November 5, 2007 @ 4:37 pm
Oh — PS — I don’t like Hue’s control tops much. They cut in unpleasantly, even though my belly is flat. The non-control top opaques are the way to go.
Comment by Laura — November 5, 2007 @ 4:40 pm
Second the Hue tights. I’m 5’4″, size 20, and they are long lasting and fit well. I haven’t tried the control tops because I refuse to wear control top anything.
Comment by Jezebella — November 5, 2007 @ 5:07 pm
How have I missed the Talbots tights? I’ve been looking everywhere for good brown queen sized tights. Thanks so much for the link Francesca!
I’ll also be checking out the Hue site. Thanks Laura!
~Kim
Comment by kimocean — November 5, 2007 @ 5:08 pm
EG Smith. No question. When they say one size fits all, they’re not kidding … they are kind of pricey, but they last and last.
Comment by lynda — November 5, 2007 @ 5:32 pm
also pear-shaped, size 16 — i like the DKNY opaque black tights. not control top.
Comment by marjorie — November 5, 2007 @ 5:48 pm
third the hue tights and for the big girl on a budget, i have truly enjoyed the merona 1x/2x line at target.
Comment by tanmitch — November 5, 2007 @ 11:02 pm
I am a midsized girl, big in the thigh even when thin, and in a profession where I stand all day. I swear by these –which are support thigh-highs with silicone hold-up bands. Regular thigh-highs roll themselves down my legs when I move. There are non-support versions that also have the silicone bands, thusly.
I wear a split slip for the chub-rub. It’s my slightly more elegant version of the knee-highs/bike shorts, still neatly divorcing the bum-coverage issue from the leg-length issue, and providing superior ventilation.
Comment by persimmon — November 5, 2007 @ 11:06 pm
And, for those of us who are short, thick of thigh, and also live in what can be charitably referred to as Siberia, I have a source for really warm, snuggly, tights. Now this site, mytights.com, also has the cashmere tights, but these particular tights come in size 1,2,3, and 4 – so you can figure out exactly which tights will fit you. I am 5’2, weigh 170 pounds, and I am wearing size 2 right now, in chocolate brown, and they are terrific. The site features regular smooth ones and ribbed ones and ones that have no feets in them at all.
Enjoy.
http://www.mytights.com/mytights/3169.html
Comment by Toby Wollin — November 6, 2007 @ 10:07 am
I am 5’3″ and have big thighs. I’ve found that Target’s queen size tights are great–good quality, long-lasting, and, most importantly, they fit really well. Some Targets carry them; others don’t, and sometimes you have to look in the back of the racks to find the right size. I’ve found some terrific patterns, fishnets, and everyday matte styles there.
Comment by Wol — November 6, 2007 @ 11:46 am
Lane Bryant’s size A/B tights should fit you – think they’re for people only up to 5’5″. If you can dig on the racks for the Super Opaque (which they don’t actually make anymore) – they are the best. tights. ever. I’ve had several pairs for almost 5 years and have machine washed and dried them with absolutely no ill effects whatsoever.
But ONLY the super opaque are like that – the regular ones are not so good. (The Target ones are superior to the LB regular tights.)
Comment by GoingLoopy — November 6, 2007 @ 1:13 pm
What about us gangly 5’10 gals, do the HUE plus size tights work? I have a problem of nearly always ripping my tights because I try to inch them up only to find that the crotch really wanted to be 3 inches lower than what is required by my giraffe legs. Any thoughts?
Comment by teteatete — November 6, 2007 @ 1:46 pm
As a bigassed, medium height pear, I buy tights from Woman Within. They have a large range of sizes – but I honestly haven’t looked for petites. I get the 5x for extra room and no crop rippage and at 5’7″, I don’t have any sag issues either. I would like to note that the same size tights from Just My Size pinch the femoral arteries most uncomfortably. Definitely going to check out Hue!
Comment by sara jane — November 6, 2007 @ 1:55 pm
You. Girls. ROCK. Thank you so much for all the tips. And thank you, Francesca, for printing my question.
I have tomorrow off, so it’s off tight-shopping I go! Hooray!
Comment by Jo — November 6, 2007 @ 10:18 pm
One more tight site: Recycled Threads sells cotton/organic tights, alas in the lower end of the plus range, not meant to fit my bountifulness.
Comment by sara jane — November 7, 2007 @ 11:36 am
And another. . .I haven’t ordered from them yet, so I can’t vouch for the quality/fit, but the selection of colors at this site is amazing! Plus sizes go from 1X (
Comment by Amy — November 7, 2007 @ 2:50 pm
let’s try this again. 1X(
Comment by Amy — November 7, 2007 @ 2:52 pm
Apparently the comments section is having a temper tantrum. Here’s the site
http://www.welovecolors.com/Shop/SolidColorPlusSizeTights.htm
Comment by Amy — November 7, 2007 @ 2:53 pm
teteatete–yes, the Hue 4 & 5 work well for tall women. I’m just under six feet, and I’ve gone from a size 24 (when I wore a Hue 5) to a size 14 (Hue 4) and they’re great. I can even pull the Hue 4 up to my bra and it acts as a control garment. I don’t, however, buy the control top ones, as I hate control top, period.
Also, I haven’t seen anyone mention it, but Berkshire makes some good opaque hose in larger sizes. They actually have gray, which is very stylish. I think they call it charcoal but it’s a medium heathery gray. They may have sizes that fit shorter women, but that’s just a vague memory of mine, I’m interested in the tall sizes myself.
Finally, I really like the selection at stockingirl.com. I’ve only ever bought stockings from them as of yet, but they have a lot of sizes, colors, and styles. They have merino wool tights and leggings that I’m lusting over, but don’t know if they’ll fit. Leggings are great to wear with boots, though, as it doesn’t matter if they’re long enough!
Comment by Pencils — November 8, 2007 @ 1:26 pm
Thanks Amy! The we love colors site is swoonworthy!
Comment by sara jane — November 8, 2007 @ 5:35 pm