Pantyhose & Tights

We first came into contact with the tights as top trend through the DIY video by fashion blogger Raye where she demonstrates how to properly cut the tights in order to correctly transform them into a top and showcases two different styles of tights. One is a pair of semi-opaque black tights and the other a pair of sheer tights that loosely fit her arms.

If you want to try this yourself, the trick is picking the right denier for what you’re going for. Thin, sheer 10-20 denier tights drape and stretch the most, so they’ll hug the arms and shoulders closely and show a bit of skin through the fabric, which is the look Raye goes for with her sheer pair in the video. A heavier 40-70 denier opaque pair, like the black ones she also demonstrates, holds its shape more and reads as a proper top rather than a see-through layer, closer to a fitted turtleneck.

Whichever weight you pick, cut generously rather than tight the first time; nylon and elastane blends stretch more than you’d expect once you’re actually pulling the waistband over your shoulders, and it’s much easier to trim a little more off than to fix a cut that’s already too short. Finishing the raw edges with a quick zigzag stitch or a dab of fabric glue stops nylon from laddering at the cut line, which is the main thing that makes a DIY tights-top look homemade instead of intentional.

It’s a genuinely good way to get a second life out of a pair with a small run or hole higher up the leg that would otherwise make them unwearable as tights, rather than throwing them out.

Beyond the cutting advice, it’s worth thinking about what kind of top the finished piece is actually replacing before you commit a pair of tights to the project. A sheer pair repurposed this way behaves much more like a lightweight mesh or fishnet top than a t-shirt, so it layers best over a bralette or camisole rather than being worn entirely on its own, while a heavier opaque pair holds enough shape to work as a standalone fitted top the way a turtleneck would. Sleeve length is the other variable worth planning for before cutting: leaving the legs long and simply cutting armholes through the crotch and waistband area gives long sleeves, while trimming the legs shorter first gives a more cropped, short-sleeve silhouette closer to what’s shown at the start of Raye’s video.

It’s also worth noting this only really works well with tights that have some stretch recovery left in them, an older pair that’s already gone baggy or lost its elasticity around the waistband will sag rather than hug once repurposed as a top, so it’s better suited to a newer pair with a small flaw than to hosiery that’s already reached the end of its natural stretch.