How to Put on Tights

Co-authored by Jordan Stolch

Last Updated: November 19, 2021

Tights are a stylish addition to many of today's fashions. Not as sheer as pantyhose, tights can be worn beneath dresses, skirts and jumpsuits to cover legs while being less bulky than pants. Putting on tights for the first time can be tricky, but you can easily slip into them without causing a tear by following a few simple steps.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Preparing to Put on Tights

1
Choose the right size of tights.^{[1]
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Research source} The most important step in putting on tights is to start with the correct size. Otherwise, you're going to have trouble no matter how you try to get them on.
- Tights are often sized according to weight and height. Check the packaging that comes with the tights to determine what size matches your weight and height range.
- If you are uncomfortable when your tights are too tight, go ahead and move up one size. Your tights usually will fit well enough still to stay around your waist.
- If you are taller than average or have longer-than-average legs, choose a size marked "tall."
- If your measurements fall in between sizes, always choose the larger of the two.
2
Prepare your hands and feet.^{[2]
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Research source} Once your tights get a tear, they are more or less useless. Make sure you aren't wearing jewelry that could snag the material. You'll also want to buff any rough edges from your fingernails, toenails, hands and feet.

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3
Remove packaging from your new tights. Unfold your tights carefully and take out any cardboard backing tucked inside of them. To ensure you don't accidentally tear the tights, gently fold the cardboard in half so you can ease it out the top of your tights.
4
Stretch the tights gently lengthwise. Stretch enough to create some give in the tights before you start putting them on. Be careful not to pull too hard and risk tearing them.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Slipping Tights onto Legs

1
Hold the tights in front of you. While sitting, be mindful to hold them with the front facing forward. You can check for tags inside the waist band that will signify the back.
2
Gather one leg of your tights to the toe. Starting on either the right or left side, hold the waist of the tights and gently bunch the leg, gathering the fabric until the inside of the toe is exposed.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Jordan Stolch
Image Consultant & Style Advisor
Expert Interview. 3 November 2020.}
- Be careful as you do this—your fingernail could snag the tights, or they could get a run if you pull too hard.^{[4]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Jordan Stolch
  Image Consultant & Style Advisor
  Expert Interview. 3 November 2020.}
3
Ease the foot of the tights over your foot, from toe to heel. Point your toe and slip your foot inside the tights. Put your whole foot inside and arrange the bottom of the tights' foot so that the seam at the toe runs across the tip of your toes. Make sure the foot of the tights fits nicely around your toe and heel.
- Keep your thumbs inside, pointed downward and the nail-side against you to avoid senselessly snagging your tights.
- You might need to stretch the opening a bit to make sure your foot slides inside without catching on the fabric. Pointing your toe will help prevent your toenail from snagging the tights.
- If either the toe or heel of the tights is crooked, you'll want to make sure it's straightened or you'll have trouble with later steps.
4
Pull the tights up your leg. Gently stretch the material of the tights, and unroll it up your leg to above your knee, near your mid-thigh. Ease it on carefully and slowly so the fabric doesn't pull or rip.^{[5]
X
Expert Source

Jordan Stolch
Image Consultant & Style Advisor
Expert Interview. 3 November 2020.}
- If the fabric is twisted or bunched at the knees, straighten it before proceeding.
- Repeat these steps to pull the tights up your other leg. Gather the waist and toe of the other leg to create an easy pathway for your foot. Point your toe and insert your foot, lining up the toe of the hose so that the seam runs across your toes. Gently pull the tights leg up over your calf and knee to your mid-thigh. Make sure the leg of your tights isn't bunched or twisted.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Completing Your Look

1
Pull up the tights. Once you've partially pulled the tights up each leg, stand up and continue gently unrolling the material. Continue to pull up the tights further, until the waist band is positioned around your natural waistline. You'll have the best luck if you pull the material up on one side, then the other, before finishing with the hips and waist.
- If there are areas left rumpled or baggy, or if the legs don’t seem to be long enough, roll the tights down to the knees again. Just sit down, gently stretch them out and roll them back up. Be careful not to yank them back up from the top or they will likely tear.
2
Make necessary adjustments. Check for areas where the tights are bunched or places where your skin feels pinched. Your tights should feel snug, but not uncomfortable.
- If you see a place where your tights are twisted, your best bet is to take them off and repeat the process more carefully.
- Use the flats of your hands to adjust any wrinkles.
3
Perfect your pattern. If you're wearing patterned or seamed tights, you'll want to ensure that the design is placed appropriately on your legs. Try putting on a pair of rubber gloves to make small adjustments for a flawless finish instead of pinching the tights with your fingers and risking a tear.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How can I keep from getting runs in my tights?

Jordan Stolch
Image Consultant & Style Advisor
Jordan Stolch is an Image Strategist, Style Advisor, and the Founder of MiKADO - a concierge personal styling firm. With over a decade of experience, Jordan specializes in helping people eliminate the confusion and insecurities associated with how to dress in order to build a powerful image and use clothing to their strategic advantage. Jordan trains entrepreneurs, business leaders, and corporate executives in the foundations of "power dressing", from some of the country's preeminent companies such as Morgan Stanley, Deloitte, Berkshire Hathaway, Universal Music Group, Starbucks, and Disney. She works with clients both in-person and virtually, teaching them how to take the confusion out of style so they can operate at a higher level. Jordan earned her BA in Psychology from the University of Waterloo and studied Merchandise Marketing at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIDM).

Jordan Stolch

Image Consultant & Style Advisor

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Don't just stick your foot in the tights and pull them up. Instead, bunch or roll them in your hands all the way down to the bottom of the tights. Put your toes into the toe of the tights, then pull them up gently—the run will come from your fingernails or from you pull up the tights with too much pressure or too quickly.
Question

Is it okay for a guy to wear tights?

Community Answer

Absolutely! You should wear whatever makes you feel comfortable. Don't worry about what other people might say or think.
Question

I have tights that don't have a tag. Both sides have one seam, but one side has two thin purple lines on both sides of the seam. Which one goes in front and which one goes in the back?

Community Answer

The side that has thin purple lines goes in front and the one that has just the seam goes in the back.