Warm tights are having a moment again, and they are the easiest way to keep your legs covered under winter dresses and skirts. In cotton blends, wool, silk and more, they come in thicker, hardier knits, often lifted with a statement pattern.

Here, warm burgundy tights and grey openwork patterned tights, both from Max Mara.

Legs in burgundy opaque tights under a grey wool skirt
Rich opaque colour brings warmth to a winter silhouette

Girly pink and a crochet pattern: this is the Wolford tight that is anything but ordinary.

Crossed legs in pale pink crochet-pattern tights
Girly pink and crochet knit: the tight that stands out from the crowd
Legs in floral and geometric patterned tights with a plain dark outfit

Twisted grey wool leg warmers, designed to be worn over leggings or tights and slouched slightly over a pretty pair of heeled shoes. Max Mara.

Legs in dark tights with opaque lace floral motifs
Opaque lace: tights with a lingerie streak

Opaque leggings with a sparkly openwork tulle trim at the ankle, chic and trend-led, from Wolford. Wear them over the shoe or ruched at the ankle.

Sheer lingerie-style tights finished with opaque floral motifs for an ultra-sexy look, plus stockings with scalloped suspender details and subtle antique motifs. Both from Max Mara.

Legs in brown opaque tights printed with small blue motifs
Blue on brown wakes up the whole outfit

A real favourite: these patterned lycra tights play on contrasting colours, with blue motifs on a slightly opaque brown base. Max Mara.

Black opaque leggings with a sparkly openwork tulle trim at the ankle
An openwork trim at the ankle is all it takes

Long socks and leg warmers are back, too. Sitting just above the knee, these white, thick patterned versions from Max Mara work well with a little grey dress, for instance.

Leggings are branching out as well. There are coloured pairs, and at Max Mara, rhinestone-embellished leggings for a more luxurious take on legwear.

Detail of black tights with geometric openwork motifs on crossed legs
Black openwork makes the most of the legs

Tattoo-effect tights from Wolford, printed with chocolate geometric motifs on a sheer white base.

Easier to wear, chic and original, black or brown openwork patterned tights flatter the legs and dress up a simple little skirt. Wolford.

Opaque tights with a satin sheen on standing legs
Satin sheen makes opaque tights glow

Also at Wolford, opaque tights shine with a satin sheen.

Legs in leopard-print tights with simple suspenders
Opaque leopard and suspenders for legwear with attitude

Opaque stockings with a definite growl: an opaque leopard print and simple suspenders, from Wolford.

Seated legs in dark tights with a winter jacquard print
Winter jacquard sets the tone at the first cold snap

A wintry jacquard print from Dim sets the mood.

Legs in lace-print tights with a suspender effect
Lace print and suspender effect: the two-in-one
Woman walking in twisted-knit leg warmers over leggings and ankle boots

Lace-print tights with a suspender effect for a devilishly sexy two-in-one. Pierre Mantoux.

Legs in design-led tights with a wide black band running down the leg
A play of opacity and clarity down the leg
Hands touching thick winter knit tights folded on a table in natural light

And to finish, Pierre Mantoux's design-led tights, which play with opacity and transparency via a wide black band that runs down the leg and winds around the thigh.

Design-led tights with a wide opaque black band wrapped around the leg
A black band that wraps and redraws the leg

So there you have it: rather than giving up on little skirts, shorts and dresses in winter, you can adapt your outfits to the biting cold by leaning on your beloved tights, leggings, stockings, leg warmers and gaiters. These pieces dress the legs in lycra, cotton, silk, wool and other materials, chosen according to the finish you want. And the good news is that, as well as warm tights coming back into fashion, what the industry calls “legwear” is going fancy... whether you go for a little, a lot or all-out. Coloured, patterned, trompe-l'oeil and design-led tights... exactly what you need to polish winter looks and wake up outfits that feel too plain.

What to budget

For tights, expect to pay roughly £10–£30 for a mid-range pair, and up to around £80 from premium legwear houses, where finer yarns and finishing also feed into the price. For wool leg warmers and gaiters, budget around £15–£45 depending on material and length; for leggings, think around £20–£55. You’ll find them on the high street, in lingerie departments and online, depending on the label and range.

What pushes the price up? The fineness of the yarn, the density of the knit and the complexity of the pattern — a jacquard or openwork design costs more than a plain pair, and a designer name costs more than a basic style. The January sales and end-of-season reductions remain good moments to stock up without overspending, and second-hand can help refresh a winter wardrobe too.