By: Ariana Rodriguez
If you are like me and love wearing tights with miniskirts, then at some point, you have encountered the main issue that all tight wearers face. Rips. I devised the idea for this article because I ripped one of my favorite pairs of tights while getting dressed today. So now I'm faced with a question: do I throw them out, or do the rips have some benefit? Recently, I participated in our school's GFI Pop-up Shop, whose theme was grunge this year. After that experience and from what I've seen in the media, I would describe ripped tights as grunge. So, would it be a good choice for me to commit to the grunge trend and take these rips as an unexpected opportunity, or should I keep the look clean?
Lately, on my Instagram, I've been receiving a lot of advertisements for a tight brand called Sheertex. These tights are interesting to me because they have a no-rip guarantee. The screenshot above is taken from the Sheertex website; it shows their product description and lists the no-rip warranty. To prove their claims, their website has a section that evaluates the tights' strength under a series of tests. Those tests are for burst strength, abrasion resistance, knit stress, tensile strength, and tensile strength at the seams.
The above image is an example of how Sheertex measures the burst strength of their tights. This test was one of the most impressive to me, seeing as the number one way I rip my tights is when I pull them on. My only criticism was that this 3D-printed thumb lacked the same nail length as some people, namely me. I like to keep my natural nails long, often creating massive rips in my favorite tights. However, they try to make up for this by including a demonstration of 150 household nails stabbing the fabric. This, of course, breaks the tights, as I don't think much can handle the incredible force of nails being driven downwards; but they make a point to say that Sheertex stockings were twice as durable compared to competitor tights in this test.
Would you take a chance on these tights? The prices range from $12-$99 based on which ones are on sale and which are not. For example, one of their bestsellers, the “Classic Sheer Rip-Resist Tights,” is listed for $35. Your selection depends on how much you are willing to spend based on how much you will wear the tights. Overall, these tights present a good option for those who don’t want to buy one cheap pair of socks after the other.
Before writing this article, I saw fellow Fashion Merchandising and Management major, Jasmine. I asked her if she thought a report on tights would apply and be trendy today. Then she pulled out a pair of tights from the bag she was carrying. I was shocked and glad; now I knew what to write about. I asked her why she bought the tights and where they were from. She replied that she wanted new tights and went to Walmart for a cheap pair. This is something that I would do and have done too.
I usually buy the cheapest pair of tights that will work for me. The rip will either come on the third or the thirtieth wear; it depends on your chances and how careful you remember to be. So now my question has changed into three: should I buy more durable tights, keep buying cheap ones that will break, or rock the rips?
One of my favorite influencers, Ashely @best.dressed, posted a while back wearing a pair of ripped tights. In this particular image, what she is wearing is from a paid sponsorship with Tommy Hilfiger and is also related to the tommyxmiffy(miffy is a classic children's character FYI) collection. I love this look, but I could be biased as I love everything Ashely wears. Also, here are some more fun tight moments below I got from her Instagram page. I like the boldness of the red tights and the whimsical vibes the white tights with bows gives off.
In the end, of course, it doesn’t matter what other people do or think about what you wear. I’m a firm believer in wearing what you want. I love seeing people live confident lives in what they are most comfortable in. So, my answer to my previous question would be… yay rips. Because why not? If I make a rip in my favorite pair of tights and this new trend says it's cool to keep wearing them, I will. Even if this trend didn’t exist, wearing them would still be fun because they add another dimension to the outfit, making it look tougher. Those rips took a destructive action to get there, so I understand why they are a staple of the grunge movement. Tights are already a little something extra that adds to an outfit. Putting on one more layer is another ounce of effort that goes into a look. So, why ignore these fun additions, whether they are ripped or not?
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