What Is the Difference Between Tights and Leggings?
- Written By: B. Miller
- Edited By: Andrew Jones
- Last Modified Date: 23 May 2013
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2003-2013 Conjecture Corporation
Tights and leggings are two very similar types of clothing. Both are very tight, form-fitting pants, often worn under another piece of clothing such as a dress, skirt, or even jeans. There are some differences between tights and leggings that may make them more suited for one style over another.
The first difference between tights and leggings is the material used to make them. As a general rule, tights are slightly thinner than leggings, and are not intended to be worn alone. Leggings are made of thicker material, and though it is not often recommended in fashion, they may be worn alone and are often used for working out. Tights may also be made of thicker material, however, and once worn with a dress and boots, can be impossible to tell apart from leggings.
The next difference in tights and leggings is length. Tights generally stretch over the feet and all the way up to the waist, entirely covering the legs. Leggings usually end at the ankles, and do not normally cover the feet. Leggings may come in varying lengths, from knee-length or capri-length leggings all the way up to pant-length leggings. For this reason, tights are often worn in the winter for warmth, whereas leggings may be worn during virtually any season, even with open-toed shoes.
Shorter leggings may be referred to as cropped leggings. These work well for working out, and are also very popular to be worn under dresses. Though black is a common color, both tights and leggings may be available in many different colors and patterns for different outfits.
Leggings may be made out of materials such as wool, nylon, silk, or cotton, typically with a stretchy material such as lycra to give them their distinctive look. In general, tights tend to be made out of a more transparent material than leggings. Previously, some leggings were made with stirrups that went over the bottom of the feet to prevent the leggings from riding up. These are no longer commonly worn.
Tights may be worn with shoes that cover the whole foot, such as boots or ballet flats. Leggings tend to be more versatile and can be worn with sneakers, open-toed shoes, or sandals, as well as boots and flats. There are some jeans that are now designed to look like leggings, because they are so tight and form-fitting. These are sometimes referred to as "jeggings" in a combination of the two words.
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Discuss this Article
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anon335762
Post 5 |
I love to wear tights. Microfiber opaque tights are my favourite. |
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anon205087
Post 4 |
"I always thought of both as almost the same and just now know the difference." Sometimes they are the same, it just depends on who you're talking to as the definitions of different varieties of hosiery can differ from continent to continent, and even person to person. There's still a lot of people who call tights "stockings", even though they're really two different things, and there's lots of people who mix up "tights" and "leggings". There is no single authority on the English language, so popular usage is what dictates correctness. To throw in some more confusion, many manufacturers sell what they call "footless tights", which are basically the thinner tights material but with no feet, like leggings. Don't forget that in UK English, what we call "pantyhose" are commonly referred to as "tights", and there's no distinction between the sheer and opaque styles.
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anon189403
Post 3 |
I always thought of both as almost the same and just now know the difference. nice article. Tight leather pants leggings and skinny leather pants are booming all around these days. Very informative. --James |
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SauteePan
Post 2 |
Moldova-I know in the 80’s stirrup tights and leggings were all the rage. These were usually worn by dancers as was the footless tights.
But as the tights became more popular a series of fashion tights and leggings came out on the market. Lace leggings, printed tights and leggings and patterned tights and leggings were more common.
Women were wearing these as part of their fashionable attire and the advent of lace also became a staple of the eighties fashion trends.
I now only use leggings to exercise with because they are so comfortable and form fitting. They also allow your skin to breathe properly while you are working out making this the ideal workout clothes for any women.
I know that stars like Madonna and Cyndi Lauper made the leggings a fashion staple for women's wardrobe at the time. |
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Moldova
Post 1 |
Opaque tights are most often used with dresses. I always buy either opaque black or white tights for my daughter to wear with her dresses.
Opaque tights are not sheer and are solid in color. They are usually a little thicker than the sheer tights and they do not run as often.
The opaque tights are ideal for little girls who might get their tights caught on something and then get a run on them and ruin them.
I usually buy the microfiber opaque tights because they are soft to the touch and appear very comfortable. Comfort is important especially when wearing tights.
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