Sorry to tell you, but colourful tights are back

If the celebrities are to be believed then colourful tights are the next big thing in fashion, again.

If it seems like just last winter we were questioning whether tights as a category had faded out of fashion completely, that’s because we were. That’s trend circularity for you.

So why are the stars clambering to hoist noisy nylons over their kneecaps? Has the trend for bright opera gloves just moved south to the next set of limbs?

Like other hard to swallow fashion trends of the past decade, we have a Kardashian family member to thank. In February fashion darling Kendall Jenner was photographed in a maroon Bottega Veneta dress with matching tights and the style rehabilitation train started to gather steam.

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Could the re-current popularity of statement hosiery put it in the same category as those other recession index fashion items. There’s certainly no easier way to breathe a bit of vitality into an old outfit than pulling on a cheap but cheerful pair tights.

It’s not just models in their twenties trying statement hosiery on for fit though, earlier this month Next In Fashion host Tan France stepped out in New York in that other trending clothing item, shorts, over a pair of fetching lilac tights.

Perhaps France was influenced by the styling choices of a certain seven-year-old who is third in line to the throne. When the royals made a public visit to church at Easter the Wales family all wore complimentary shades of blue, with Princess Charlotte pairing her floral print dress with forget me knot blue tights.

The return is likely unsettling news for elder millennials who associate colourful leggings with the messy indie sleaze era, think Lily Allen pairing coloured tights with whimsical on-stage costuming or Patience Hodgson, lead singer of Australian band The Grates bounding about in a quirkily colourful outfit visually akin to something pulled blindly from a dressup box.

Luckily this latest revival comes with more refinement than their previous showing, or the one before when aerobics fans in the 80’s donned bright leggings with leotards, sweatbands and ankle warmers.

How to style coloured tights, so they don’t read as infantile or retro athleisure-wear? Here are four celebrity approved styling ideas:

Monochrome

Make like Gigi Hadid and match your pins to the rest of a monochrome outfit. Elevate the look by pairing with heels, rather than sneakers or choosing a richer shade, like this textural cream, rather than a highlighter hue.

Take off your pants

Get the most out of your tights by showing all of them off, as Emma Corrin did in October and Miuccia Prada did on the AW 23/24 Miu Miu runway in February.

Abide by the rules of decency by making sure your overgarment is long enough to cover the gusset. This is definitely one to try out before the bite of winter really sets in.

Maximalism

Somewhat nonsensically, bold tights won’t appear quite so jarring if they are part of a full on patterned look. More is more.

Go mod

When in doubt, go back to the source material.

Lean in to the energetic 1960s mod look popularised by the late Mary Quant and pair primary coloured leggings with a mini skirt and Mary Janes in complimentary shades.

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