Friday 16 December 2011

Reviewed: Gipsy 300 denier tights

Gipsy Tights are one of the most common brands of tights in the UK. It is common see them on sale both in high street stores and in more specialist fashion shops, as well as corner shops and pharmacies. Gipsy tights are not high end hosiery, but good value everyday tights. The breadth of their range is pretty impressive.

I have been testing a pair of Gipsy 300 Denier Tights.



Materials and features

These Italian-made  300 denier tights come in a card enclosure. As soon as you take the tights out of the packaging you can feel the weight of the fabric. These are some serious opaque tights for cold weather wear.

The fabric used in these tights is 96% Nylon and 4% Elastane.

The fabric is soft and comfortable. There are conventional seams and no gusset. The waistband is about 3cm wide and also very comfortable.

These tights are very opaque with even coverage throughout when worn. The appearance is very matt and therefore they are great for wearing instead of socks.

Fit and sizing

The tights come in five sizes: Small, Medium, and Large. I tested the Large size which, as can been seen on the size chart, goes up to 5'10".

The fit was excellent for me, but I don't think the large size would stretch much further for anyone above 5'10".

The brief/panty area could also have been a little more accommodating - I would like a little more depth in the brief with the waist coming up slightly higher.

The tights stay up really well and don't need pulling up frequently. I wore them to work under trousers for a whole day and the they stayed in place.

Colour range
These tights are available in Black, Steel (Grey) and Brown. I tested a pair in Black.

Price and availability

These tights cost £8.50.

They are available to purchase online from the Gipsy website. Shipping is an additional £1.95.

Gipsy tights are also available very widely from many retail outlets. The Gipsy website provides a useful Find A Store search facility.

Conclusion

These are really thick, warm tights and are perfect in cold weather. They would fit men well who are up to 5' 10" in height. It would great if Gipsy offered an Extra Tall size - not just for men but also for taller women. 

3 comments:

  1. I have been there, done that. I am a man and know how tricky it can be to find something good. It seems that the ideal is no less than 50 and no more than 200 denier. First place I started was with regular Hanes thermal underwear but that waistband just would not stay up. The 300 denier may turn out to be too much material to be able to stretch a few inches. Right now I am awaiting the thick and glossy 150 denier Cecelia de Upsala tights, which go up to 6 feet 2 inches. They don't offer an extral large for some reason. So far that is the only brand I have been able to find that resists pilling when wearing regular shoes, {I don't recommend a shoe with harsh rough nylon backing on heels on the inside]-It may turn out to be the eventual replacement for the Mstevens milliskin brand for men--a still good brand but maybe for monetary reasons they went with the less durable nylon lycra instead of the heavier, glossier and better nylon fabric. It is a tough, competitive world, and the good brands always sell out first--right now there is a wait on the Cecelia brand.I didn't like the Capezio brand and the Baltogs brand was found to not fit well--finally someone came up with the all in one Cecelia brand which is smooth, durable, and by Jove, something you'd actually want to wear. I am keeping my fingers crossed right now and hope the fit is good. If it is, it is bye bye to ALL the other major brands I have ever tried.

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  2. UPDATE!!!!

    I found an even better brand than the Cecelia. The Cecelia wore out rapidly at the heels and did not go up high in the waist. It wouldn't stay up either. I am now currently using the Platino Luxe Fata, though they only come in black, brown, or steel. (good enough for a man but really shiny) They are comfortable, and the heels don't wear to a see thru...just one thing though, don't use either brand for running, especially with shoes with a non smooth leather insole!!!, also, avoid sandals with any rough edges and cupped heels that cause the heel material to move back and forth wearing the heel out too fast. I had ran with them with the shoes having a canvas insole, and the friction wore a bunch of large thin spots on the ball of the foot!!!! I was a bit upset as this is money lost. If you must use them in an activity that may have you run, try with black nylon dress socks over them, or cotton socks, or with a shoe with smooth insole. Also, if the rear heel seam wants to be off center on both heels, remember how it wants to be next time and put them on that way. Also, put them on at the heel by gathering the material at the heel, do not pull! Also, remember to reinforce the inner upper 1/4 inch top of the waistband. This is more opaque than Mstevens brand, you get these at Shapings.com. There isn't much for you males out there, I understand how tough it can be to find something good. Hint: the glossier and shinier and more opaque it is, the more comfortable it tends to be.

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  3. love glossy tights but why do mens tights have to be the same drab and dreary colors

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