Royalty and Fashion Girls Wear the Best Sheer Tights

last updated 9 January 2019

In the colder months, if you insist upon wearing an outfit that doesn't involve trousers or thermals, tights are a must. Of course, we've all braved bare legs in the elements at some point, but I'm no longer here for those kinds of antics. If I'm the teensiest bit cold, I may as well call it a night, as I'll be miserable until the moment I'm reunited with my duvet. Which is why I'm delighted to see that tights—particularly those of the sheer variety—are finally being given the after dark seal of approval.

Alexa Chung has always served as my sheer-tights muse. She's long worn hers with open-toe shoes, thigh-split dresses and miniskirts (basically her entire wardrobe), and it's her hosiery that gives her looks their edge. However, I never connected the fact that Alexa shares her penchant for sheer tights with other stylish women—namely, Princess Diana and Kate Middleton. Of course, royals are known for often sporting beige tights whenever they wear skirts and dresses; as for black tights, though, I hadn't noticed confidently they too pull them off until now.

Now that party season is officially underway, I've begun noticing that lots of other sartorially blessed ladies are wearing sheer black tights with their glamorous ensembles, cementing their cool status. If you still need convincing, keep scrolling to see the fabulous ways both It girls and royals wear their tights. Then, once you're a convert, shop my pick of the best sheer tights on offer…

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Alexa Chung has long championed sheer tights as party attire.

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Princess Diana often wore sheer black tights for her many public appearances. We particularly enjoy them with this tartan two-piece.

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Charli Howard works her sheer tights with jewelled shoes and denim.

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Eni proves sheer tights don't have to be plain in her diamond-print pair.

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Kate Middleton is a firm fan of sheer black tights, much like her late mother-in-law.

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Felicity Hayward ups the retro appeal of her Heist tights with a faux-fur coat.

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Pandora Sykes pairs her polka-dot sheer tights with red Mary Jane shoes and a matching lip.

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Meghan Markle wore sheer black tights on an official engagement in London.

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Evangelie Smyrniotaki wears her sheer tights with a leopard-print minidress and strappy heels—the perfect '80s fashion homage.

Falke

Invisible Deluxe 8 Denier Tights

If your dress or skirt is of the slinky variety, Falke's invisible, minimal-seam tights ensure a flawless finish.

Heist

The Thirty Tights

Heist's renowned tights come in sizes 4 to 22. A total game changer.

ASOS

Metallic Sheer Tights in Silver

These metallic tights were made to be worn with sequins.

Marks & Spencer

10 Denier Ladder Resist Matt Tights 2 Pack

With fabric this thin it pays to buy ladder-resistant tights—Marks & Spencer's reinforced hosiery is our go-to, particularly because they come in a pack of two.

Saint Laurent

Crystal-Embellished Sheer Tights

Wear these tights with metallic heels and a minidress for optimum glam.

Spanx

Invisible Luxe Leg Sheer Tights

If some extra support is what you seek, you won't find fault with this Spanx pair. Just ensure your hemline is kept below the knee sp no one sees the darker panel underneath.

Accessorize

Sheer Pinspot Tights

Pinspot tights add that little extra detail to your look without taking away from the rest of your outfit.

Wolford

Black Sheer 15 Denier Tights

These Wolford tights are the perfect sheer.

All you need now is the perfect party dress to go with your sheer black tights. Which is handy, seeing as we've already found the best ones on offer…

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Maxine Eggenberger is Who What Wear UK’s deputy editor and has over thirteen years of experience in fashion journalism. She been creating engaging and elevated style content specifically for Who What Wear UK since 2018, covering runway reports, emerging trends, long-form features, self-styled shopping stories and columns, including her edit of the best new-in buys. She ensures the highest editorial standards are met across the site, leads the editorial team in their SEO strategy and keyword planning, works closely with the beauty team on content initiatives, represents the brand at industry events, and regularly contributes to social media, including her own Who What Wear UK TikTok franchise, French Style Fridays. Previously, Maxine appeared on ITV's This Morning in her own fashion segment and has interviewed countless celebrities—everyone from Victoria Beckham to Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o.

Prior to Who What Wear UK, Maxine’s career began when, after completing her first-ever internship at Look magazine, she was offered a position on the brand's fashion desk. She accepted, leaving university a year early in the process. Her passion and natural talent for writing and styling meant she swiftly rose through the ranks to become the title's fashion news and commercial content editor, with a stint as InStyle.co.uk’s fashion and beauty writer along the way. She later served as Look’s acting Editor in Chief, overseeing both print and digital, before embarking on a successful freelance career, working with Grazia, The Pool, and Marie Claire amongst others.

Maxine is based remotely from her countryside home near Edinburgh where she spends her downtime renovating her house, walking her dogs, hosting friends and trying to master the art of making Old Fashioned cocktails.