This week I received this question on Formspring:
What do you think of people wearing peeptoes with tights (in winter)?
This is a really good question, and it’s one I get asked fairly often (espeically at this time of year, when the weather is getting cooler, but the peep toes aren’t getting any less cute), so I thought it might be interesting to open it up to the floor, so to speak, and find out what everyone else’s take is on the growing trend for hosiery with open-toed shoes.
Now, it used to be the case that tights and open-toes were one of those big style “don’ts”. Interestingly, though, this hasn’t always been the case: I grew up with the idea that wearing any kind of hosiery with sandals or peep toes was a huge fashion faux-pas, for instance, but I often find that women who’re a generation or so older than me were taught the exact opposite: that bare legs are unladylike, and that, other than in the most causal of situations, you should always wear hose.
These days, of course, the tide seems to have turned yet again, and we’re starting to see more and more people pair peep toes, or other kinds of sandals, with tights and socks of all descriptions. The fashion world is in flux again, and it seems to me that while some people are happy to embrace the trend, others still have that instinctive, “But tights and sandals are just so wrong!” reaction that many of us grew up with.
So, who’s right? Well, no one is, really. This one depends totally on your own personal taste and comfort level, which means you should wear whatever you like (common decency permitting), regardless of the “rules” or what anyone else thinks. For myself, I’ve found my opinion on tights and peep toes changing over the years, and while I used to feel that ANY kind of hosiery with ANY kind of open shoe was just plain wrong I’ve actually come to really like the look of tights and peep toes, particularly when the tights are an interesting pattern or a contrasting colour. I think it’s a great way to make peep toes work in cooler weather, and I it’s a look that’s very fresh and modern, too.
This applies, however, only when the tights are opaque, and reasonably thick, and when the shoes are peep toes, not strappy sandals. I also think tights look better when worn with shoes which have a reasonably thick heel. What I don’t like, and probably never will like, is sheer tights – particularly flesh coloured ones – worn with sandals, but I know many people who disagree with me on that, so I will say again: it all comes down to personal taste.
(Oh, and to answer the “in winter” part of the question above, where I live, this is a look that would only really work in Autumn, or early Spring, for purely practical reasons. In winter the cold would probably be too much for a pair of tights to handle alone!)
What does everyone else think of this look? Yay or Nay to tights with peep toes?
I have seen a couple of women who can pull off the look (and not only with peep-toes, but also sandals), but most of the time it just looks… wrong.
I seldom wear peeptoes or sandals but I quite the look on other people. However, like you, I am not keen on sheer fleshtoned tights with sandals. I’d much rather see bright opaque tights in contrasting colours.
Just because the weather is getting colder, doesn’t mean I’m going to pack away my peep-toes until next summer! I can’t afford a different selection of shoes for summer and winter so the same shoes get worn year-round, just with thick tights in winter.
I agree, the tights have to be reasonably thick and interesting to pull this off. ‘Nude’ tights would just look awful in my opinion. I did always think it was a huge ‘don’t’ as well, but I am coming round to the idea of it.
Sometimes I wear tights with peep toes, but only opaque tights. No sheers!
I’m with you. It’s only OK if at least the shoes are peep-toe (NEVER sandals), and the tights are opaque and not nude-colored.
To me wearing tights with peep toes is in the same category as men wearing sandals with socks. In other words a big NO!
My thoughts exactly! I think it looks gimmicky and when done very badly, looks quite horrid.
i love it…providing there is no visable toe-seem
I agree with this.
Additionally to me it totally depends on the shoes and tights in question. I do not like the combination pictured above (too many different patterns for my taste), but with solid colours it can work well.
Exactly. The toe-seam can kill the look in no time.
Love it!
Oh, you need to have an option that says “only if opaque and only if the peep-toes are shoes”. (I don’t include boots because the only pair of PTBs I’ve ever seen that I didn’t hate had lots of little holes and so reminded me of sandals, and sandals shoes.)
Argh, the HTML tag-eating monster took away my “not-equals” sign between “sandals” and “shoes”. What I meant to say is that sandals aren’t shoes so boots don’t… oh well, you get my drift.
I’m not too sure about this issue. I’ve always thought that it was more appropriate to wear stockings to work & formal events than not to, but in the Australian summer I have to admit that I don’t usually do it! About 90 percent of the shoes I own are peeptoes, but thanks to toeless stockings I’ve been able to continue wearing them this winter. Best invention ever! I would probably not wear the toeless stockings with sandals though, as they only really work with peeptoes.
I love the look – reminds me of 1940s looks when women wore their stockings with their peeptoes. Many women – especially in Italy – wore thick knitted socks with any kind of shoe, including heels. A look that is huge today but most would have gagged on 8 years ago. Come and say hi!
Hate it! In my opinion, tights, socks, and hose are UNDERWEAR. I can’t wear socks and shoes with shorts or capris (because it breaks up the leg line and draws attention to the sock), so the thought of tights exposed at the toe just grosses me out.
They are better than peep-tights.
Love it with closed peep toes since it helps in getting more wear out of peep toes in colder weather! Hoisery shouldn’t be worn with sandles though
Mine is a cold and unfriendly climate in the winter, and unfortunately I adore my peeptoe sandal collection more than just about the rest of my modest shoe collection put together. Boots can only go so far in a very overheated office. With that said, opaque tights with minimal pattern to detract from your shoes are a *must*. Nude or seamed hose/nylons: NO! As so many others have said. Also, sandals and thongs (! Ugh!) belong to the realm of bare feet in summer. No socks, no way, no how!
I wore hose with every type of shoe until I was about 20. I still remember my mother’s oldest sister asking me where my stockings were one Easter, and then telling me I looked “tacky” without them. Yay generational differences!