When you are choosing a new pair of plus size tights, or indeed more regular-sized versions, one of your main decisions is going to be between opaque or sheer. That means you need to understand the differences.
What Are Opaque Tights?
Opaque tights are generally thought of as those that are darker and therefore do not allow you to see through to the leg, as you would with sheer tights. More technically, opaque tights are those that have a denier of 40 or higher. Denier is the density of the fabric, based on the mass of a strand of silk over 9000 metres. This would weigh 1g. The equivalent in nylon, as used in sheer tights, would be closer to 20g. If a denser fabric, most often wool, of the same length weighed 60g, that could make opaque tights, though an even higher denier could make them darker and heavier still.
Why Choose Opaque Tights?
In the practical sense, the thicker fabric used in opaque plus size tights is much warmer. This means they are often more suitable for autumn and winter months, when exposed legs would be particularly cold. From a stylistic point of view, sheer tights do not allow you to play with colour and patterns in the way that you can with opaque tights. Any dye or printwork is much more likely to hold and remain vivid on opaque material.
This combination of practicality and style can be seen in the most common opaque material for tights: wool. Wool is naturally thick and warm as a material whilst also allowing the skin to breathe, which is why it is also used in jumpers and other knitwear. Another thing that makes it particularly comfortable is its softness, especially in luxury wools such as merino. Wool clothing can come with many colours and designs.
You may not want to wear opaque tights when the weather is too warm, but at other times of the year they provide a mix of style and comfort that can make them suitable for a wide range of outfits and situations.
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