He’s big, he’s needy, and he loves to cuddle (Pictures: Aidan Milan / Getty)
Welcome back to Bargain vs Bougie, Metro.co.uk’s series pitting products at varying price points against each other.
This week, we’re looking at tights.
It’s very much that time of year again, and I don’t know about you, but my tights rotation needs a refresh for winter 2023.
I know that tights are always going to be more delicate items of clothing, but I’m so over having to replace them after roughly three wears because they run at the first sight of trouble.
And now that I’ve got a needy 25-kilo dog who struggles to keep all four paws off of me when I get home, trouble’s in sight pretty often.
So, not sure where to look first, I decided to literally make it my job to find out whether bargain or bougie tights have what it takes to get me through the winter.
Looking at various brands ranging from £2.60 to £59 for one pair, I investigated whether it’s really worth splashing the cash on a pair tights, if it means keeping ladders and snags at bay.
So let’s get into it…
M&S — £8.00 for three-pack (£2.60 each)
Wow, my hair was really on one that day (Picture: Aidan Milan)
These tight are comfy and definitely on the sturdier side, if not absolutely indestructible — a close encounter with a sharper part of my nail made that clear.
Still, at this price point, I was pretty impressed.
My only reservation is that they haven’t been put to the ultimate dog-jumping-up test yet…
Score: 9/10
Asos Design — £10 for two pack (£5 each)
That’s one of the marks left from wearing a satin skirt for half a day (Picture: Aidan Milan)
I wasn’t expecting a miracle with these very budget-friendly 40 Denier tights, but this was still the pair I was least impressed with.
Not only did they snag on my (admittedly not perfectly smooth) bedroom floor within the first few minutes, but they also couldn’t withstand the evidently rough treatment of the satin skirt I wore that day. So I doubt I’ll be buying these again.
Score: 2/10
Pour Moi — £11.40 for one
I was pretty happy with the Pour Moi pair (Picture: Aidan Milan)
You get a lot of bang for your buck with these Definitions 40 Denier Shaping Control Tights. At £12, they cost a scooch more than the average supermarket pair, but they work harder too.
Designed to ‘smooth, lift and contour’, they’re not the most comfortable in the world, but such is the nature of shapewear, I guess.
I do feel like my bum looks particularly good when I’ve got them on, and, when it comes to surviving my dog’s paws and claws, they’ve made it through sofa cuddles so far, but at the time of writing, there haven’t been any jumping incidents yet…
Score: 9/10
Wolford — £28 for one pair
I liked the slight shine these Wolford Satin Opaque 50 Denier Tights gave off, and they felt stronger and sleeker to the touch than some of the cheaper pairs I tried, so I had high hopes.
But interestingly, unlike the famously sturdy Sheertex (which we’ll get onto in a second), they felt quite smooth light on my legs when I had them on, which I liked, although it might not be best for when the weather is at its coldest.
The criminal (Picture: Aidan Milan)
The crime (Picture: Aidan Milan)
Sadly, even though they felt tough, my dog’s scratchy little paws didn’t quite leave them unscathed.
Score: 8/10
Sheertex — £59 for one pair
The much-hyped Sheertex brand promises ‘rip-resistant’ tights, with the website boasting that they test for burst strength, abrasion resistance, yarn strength, and tensile strength. They’re also pretty expensive, so my expectations were high.
The Sheertex tights lived up to the hype (Picture: Aidan Milan)
Such was my trust in this pair of their Classic Sheer Rip-Resist Tights that I wore them for my much-anticipated 30th birthday party, and they more than survived the night.
The price tag takes a bit of getting used to, but they’ve definitely lived up to the hype so far.
Score: 10/10
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It’s that time of year again, so which tights measure up?
