Ugh, I hate tights.
You can – if you’re brave – often make it up to the end of the year without pulling on a pair of nylons, but come January, in the bleak mid-winter? You’ll be caving and dusting off your old pals, for those dull, dry legs of yours will want an extra layer of warmth against the bitter cold.
Now, the reason many people hate tights is because they’re uncomfortable – they ladder easily, they cut into your skin, or they go saggy and fall down.
So when I saw a target ad on Instagram for Heist tights, I was intrigued, as they were marketed as ‘the tights for people who hate tights’. It me!
I dug a little deeper to find out what’s so great about Heist tights.
How Heist say their tights differ from other brands:
1. An endless waistband
‘Regular waistbands pinch, fall down, dig in, twist, roll. Not ours.
‘We make ours using a luxury sportswear technique meaning our waistband adapts to your waist, instead of fighting it.’
2. 5k spiral yarn
‘For once, you’ll be itching to get into your tights – it’s all thanks to our super stretchy and super smooth yarn.
‘5000 spirals of nylon are wound round every inch of elastane (most ordinary tights have about 500 spirals. Heist doesn’t do ordinary).’
3. Seamless design
‘There’s a reason ‘gusset’ is one of the most hated words in the English language. And that wiggly, pokey, skin-printing centre seam? Ugly and uncomfortable.
‘The answer was simple – we removed both. Instead, we use a 3D technique to knit a single tube, from toe to toe.
‘No more tricky seams and no more gusset.’
4. Obsessive detailing
‘We spent hours wondering why the last part of the tights is always the first to ladder (not to mention the uncomfortable rubbing).
‘Our solution – we tucked our toe seam underneath your foot. Small change, big difference.’
Heist are marketed as ‘intelligent tights’ and were created after working with 67 women over the course of a year, and going through 197 samples before settling on a design which fixed all the issues they had with regular tights – namely itchy legs and waistbands that dig in.
The range includes 18 denier nude, 30 denier black, 50 denier black or fig, and 80 denier black, and you can choose a low (to sit on your hips) or high (to hug your waist) waistband in all designs.
Tights come in sizes 4, 6-8, 10, 12-14, 16-18, 20-22 and 24, and cost between £19 – £24 per pair, arriving in a cute presentation box with a little cloth bag to store them in, to keep them nice.
We were sent pairs of the 50 denier tights to try.
Four journalists on the desk tried them out.
Here’s what went down.
‘I was a big fan of the heist tights. Usually I wear my tights somewhere around my bra so having them on my hips was a bit of an adjustment, but they were supportive and didn’t fall down at all.
‘Plus the packaging was lovely and felt very luxe. The only complaint I have is that the sizing was a bit weird.’
‘I am a noted hater of tights.
‘I wear them all the time (I prefer dresses to trousers), but I hate them. I hate how they ladder, I hate how they sometimes feel weirdly scratchy, but most of all, I hate how their judgemental elastic-y waistbands cut into my delicate tummy flesh.
‘I tend to wear body control tights because the waistbands are a little thicker and less slice-y, but these have the “benefit” of crushing my stomach and thighs into a socially acceptable shape. Not a fan.
‘When Heist tights claimed they could convert tights-haters into Heist fans, I was sceptical. Extremely sceptical. I figured maybe the tights wouldn’t ladder as easily, or would perhaps be a little softer, but would otherwise be as demonic as any other hosiery.
‘Pals, I was wrong – Heist tights are soft. They ease on to your legs like a silky embrace. The waistband is wide and stretchy.
‘Wearing a pair, was able to breathe, to sit without holding in my stomach, to eat a full meal without feeling like I was being guillotined. They’re comfy, allow for range of movement, and they feel great, too.
‘I only have two qualms: My tights have a massive hole in one leg (I think I leant on a nail, so the tights are not destined for failure), and the Heist range is fairly pricey. You have to be really confident in LOVING a pair of tights before spending £20 on one measly pair – especially when you can pick up a pack of three pairs for £8 from M&S.
‘My suggestion: Borrow a mate’s pair to see if you, like me, fall madly in love with Heist tights. Only buy them if your current tights cause you misery and despair. They’re worth the investment for someone who wears a lot of skirts and dresses, does not have washboard abs, and likes to sit with their legs crossed. Meaning me.’
‘I hate tights. I am a bare legs girl. But I also get cold. So winter is a conundrum for me. Usually, I grab a mulipack of 40 denier tights from M&S, but they do tend to go bobbly and less flexible over time, before needing replacing.
‘The Heist tights have a lovely waistband – supportive yet comfy at the same time. They’re also a dream to put on – super stretchy but fit like a dream once on.
‘However, I realised I wasn’t a Heist girl when I lost the tights after their first wear. It was pretty distressing as they’re a lot nicer than the other tights in my drawer (maybe they got jealous and bullied the Heist ones out? I just don’t know) but I clearly cannot be trusted to own tights that cost a lot of money.
‘Also, while the box was pretty and felt super luxe, I couldn’t help but think that it was a bit wasteful.
‘Plus, I agree with Rebecca – the sizing options are different to normal. I’m used to an 8-10, not a 6-8.’
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‘I sort of hate wearing tights because I have massive feet and they always end up saggy around the bum and tight on the toes. And most tights have horrible seams that dig into the skin under your toenails. Heist tights, however, do not.
‘They hold you tightly around your waist as the waistband is thick which is absolutely how all tight tops need to be.
‘They don’t rip when you pull them up, they don’t snag and they don’t have seams that leave track marks when you taken them off.
‘Probably the best pair of tights I own which is why I wash them in the bath so keep them going longer/to avoid waiting weeks until the laundry is done to wear them again.’
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