Pantyhose & Tights

The Short Answer

Tights are one garment that covers you from the waist to the toes. Leggings are stretchy pants that stop at the ankle. Stockings are two separate pieces, one per leg, that stop at the thigh. Everything else follows from that.

• Tights: one piece from waist to toes, sheer to opaque nylon, worn under skirts, dresses and shorts.
• Leggings: stretchy pants to the ankle, always opaque, worn on their own or under a long top.
• Stockings: two separate pieces that end at the thigh, sheer nylon, for dressy looks and warm weather.

Tights: One Piece From Waist to Toe

Tights, called pantyhose in the US, are the hosiery most people mean. They are knitted from nylon and elastane, they have a built-in waistband and a foot, and they are made to be seen through, at least a little. How sheer they are is measured in denier: under 20 is barely-there sheer, 20 to 40 is semi-sheer, and 50 and up is opaque. Because they are hosiery, not pants, tights are meant to go under a skirt, a dress or shorts, like the sheer pair here with white shorts, where they polish the outfit without hiding your legs.

Opaque Tights Are Still Tights

Push the denier up to 60 or 80 and tights stop being see-through, and that is the point where people start calling them leggings. They are not. Opaque tights still have a foot, a soft knitted feel and a shape that is meant to stay under a hem. They are the cold-weather option: warm, solid in color, and easy to pair with ankle boots, like this burgundy skort and knit sweater look in autumn.

Leggings: Pants, Not Hosiery

Leggings are closer to trousers than to tights. They are cut from thicker stretch fabric such as cotton, spandex, polyester or a coated wet-look finish, they stop at the ankle and they usually have no foot. They are always opaque, so they are worn as pants on their own, under a long shirt or tunic, and they do not need a skirt over them. That is the main practical difference: tights are an underlayer, leggings are the outfit, as in this pair with a long yellow shirt and a leather jacket.

Stockings and Thigh-Highs

Stockings are the oldest of the three. Each leg is a separate piece that ends at the thigh, with no waistband, so they are held up by a garter belt, suspenders or a grippy lace or silicone band at the top. Modern versions, often sold as hold-ups or thigh-highs, are what most people wear now. Because they stop at the thigh, they are cooler than tights and less bulky under trousers, and they are the dressier choice. Thigh-high socks are the casual cousin: the same length, in a thicker knit, and often layered over tights as in this look.

Mock Stockings: The Best of Both

If you like the look of stockings but not the fuss of holding them up, faux stockings are tights with the stocking top printed or knitted on, so it looks like a thigh-high with a garter detail but it is a single piece with a waistband. Nothing can roll down or slip, which is why they are popular under short dresses like this one.

So Which One Should You Wear?

Wear tights under skirts and dresses when you want warmth or a finished look. Wear leggings when you want pants that stretch. Wear stockings or hold-ups when you want a lighter, dressier leg, or when tights would be too warm. And if you cannot decide, faux stockings give you the stocking look with the comfort of tights.

Featured Products

Hanes Silk Reflections Control Top Sheer Toe Pantyhose, Barely Black

A classic sheer tight, the everyday under-a-skirt option

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EVERSWE Women's 80 Den Soft Opaque Tights

80 denier opaque, for cold weather and ankle boots

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CHRLEISURE Women's Fleece Lined Tights – Fake Sheer Warm Pantyhose

Looks sheer, feels like leggings: the warm in-between

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Yilanmy Faux Thigh High Stockings for Women, Mock Black Thigh High Tights

The stocking look in a single pair of tights

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