How old is too old for a woman to wear tights?

“Age cutoff” is sort of BS to me. If you like it and the way you look in it, go for it.

(Unless we’re talking about one of those people who has yet to admit the jeans are too tight, and the shirt is too short, resulting in the most muffiny of muffintops… then I’d say they should probably stick more to “society acceptable” standards. LOL)

I’m really old and I think those tights are adorable. What is wrong with wearing them in the confines of your home if you are stuck on this age thing? Go for it.

@poofandmook muffin top is my mortal enemy!

When her skin looks more like bark than actual human skin.
But I would be more supportive of a weight restriction.

I say if you have the legs, go for it.

Be it tights or fishnet stockings.

Never too old.

Thanks for asking this question @SuperMouse. I was thinking of buying some also, and was considering I was too old for them.

My Beautiful First Wife is 58, and looks great in tights! Still has great legs!

@pdworkin Thanks for not being a “first wife basher”. Very classy.

I think it just depends on how she looks and feels. I was on a cruise a few weeks ago, and I saw a lady that I’d guess is in her mid 80’s wearing a bikini. I thought it was awesome! I hope I feel confident enough about myself when I’m in my 80’s to do that! She rocked!

i don’t think there’s any age where a woman can’t wear tights. my grandma is in her 80s and wears them all the time.

I think the answer might be different for every woman. I’ll bet someone with a personality like Ruth Gordon’s character in Harold and Maude could get away with wearing any damn thing she wanted. It’s the elan more than the age.

I don’t think you CAN be too old for tights. My mom is in her 60s and she looks super cute in tights. I think that if you were to put some kind of restriction on who could and who couldn’t wear tights, it’d be people who are extreamely heavy.

You’re too old to wear tights when you feel too old and awkward doing it and not a moment before.

I think it’s less of an age cutoff than a weight cutoff. Assuming you’re wanting to go out in public.

Depends on the pattern on the tights. If a 90 year old lady is walking around with barbie tights… uh… that’s a little peculiar… not to say she shouldn’t do it if she has the legs for it but… it’s still a little odd.

There really isn’t an age limit on tights. I’ve seen young girls wear some, dress, skirts that were extremely short without tights but it didn’t look bad. Now if an 80 yearold tried to pull that off, I’d beg her to wear tights. I saw an elderly woman wearing an extremly short sweater dress with 4 inch heels without tights going in to vote in november. I don’t care if someone would want to wear an outfit like that, but I would expect to see tights. In short no age limit on tights what so ever!

Well, no matter what your age, or even weight, tights…not necessarily panty hose…but tights, always make your legs look better. They hide a plethora of ugly!

All that matters is what you wear with them. There are age limits on miniskirts. :D

I think it would be really cute, actually, to see an older woman wearing colorful tights. I don’t think there should be an age limit.

I hope never.

Tights are fine at any age. It is what you wear with them that matters. Except maybe fishnet tights – those need to be restricted at all times unless you are in the cast of Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Personally, though, I hate tights because they are too much like pantihose to suit me.

@Darwin I haven’t actually put on a pair of pantyhose or tights in at least 12 years! I have probably blocked out the memories of how uncomfortable they are. Some of the tights linked on the other thread are just so cute!

It’s not age limit but body shape that matters when it comes to these things, and it’s not necessarily about an age limitation but whether if the garment is age appropos. 40 year old women do not belong in a mini skirt nor could they possibly pull off a bright yellow pair of tights, unless they really wanted to be gawked at on the street.

and stilettos?? unless you can physically no longer walk in them, they should never be banned from your closet – no matter how old you are. ;)

@madeinkowloon There are plenty of hot 40 year old women out there who CAN pull off wearing a mini skirt, and look better in them than most 20 year olds!

I don’t think there is an age limit, but I see many young women on campus wearing tights. Which is… unfortunate.

when it doesn’t look good

@Val123 generally, they can’t. I mean, sure, maybe if they want to show up on Real Housewives of (Insert City Here), and if they’re not at some evening cocktail party, then they shouldn’t be wearing them.

If I cl them opaque stockings can I still wear them?

@Judi As long as you add “support” in there! ;D

We’re talking apples and oranges here. With neutral pantyhose or opaque dark tights, the older we are the more we need them to smooth and cover. If we are referring to neon bright, patterned or ombre, the cut off age is 12. Fishnets are for pros. <;P

At my school there appears to be a new fad for women to wear very tight tights with no evidence of anything under them, as if they were trousers. They really look pretty much naked from the waist down, from behind. I don’t find it to be a good look. I hope my daughter never does that.

@pdworkin Those are leggings, I believe. Do they have feet or do they end somewhere on the leg?

Feet. I know what leggings look like. I used to sell women’s clothing for a living.

7.
I’m just not a fan of tights, so this is just my opinion.
I’m all for leggings though.

@pdworkin Do you mean tights without anything over them. As I remember tights/pantyhose have always been panties optional due to the dreaded panty line. And since crack floss has been around for years, you might as well not wear anything under. Back when stirrup pants were popular, if the wearer was 10 lbs overweight you coud make out goosebumps but stirrup pants were thicker than tights. If women are wearing 40 denier tights with nothing over or under, they are looking to get arrested.

To me, it doesn’t make a difference if it’s tights or leggings. You need the right body to carry it off.

This is becoming more important these days, as half the women seem to be wearing tights or leggings without anything else. No underwear, either. As @pdworkin says, they look naked from behind. This is not always a good thing.

I’m too embarrassed to take a closer look. I mean I’m from the swinging 60s and all, but this seems inappropriate to me. My daughter is 12. She is fashion forward, but so far, thankfully, not hyper-sexualized.

I was at the mall and the lady behind me in line had stirrup pants complete with the leather patches on the inside of the thighs and knees. First instinct was to ask if she rides horses. She got pissed off and told me it was in fashion now and that I needed to get out of my “goddamn hick town”.

Do people really wear jodhpurs as an accessory?

@rangerr I would have asked the same question!

@galileogirl That’s a good observation. Just plain tights shouldn’t have an age limit. I mean, they’re just useful for covering up your legs, and accessorizing other clothing, like if you want to wear a dress to work on a cold day, but if you’re doing it strictly for fashion reasons then, yes. One should take one’s age into consideration. If it’s “fashionable” for 18 year olds, then it probably isn’t appropriate for 40 year olds. (I have a friend who is always “borrowing” her 17 and 18 year old daughter’s clothes….it’s like WTH?! Is this denial or what!) But I REALLY like the tie die lookin’ ones!

You guys are talking about the view from behind but there would also seems to be the danger of gigantic camel toe. always a fashion faux pas.

I really have not tried to see if I find camel-toe if I peek around the front. Maybe if these girls were 45 I’d feel comfortable gazing at them.

Now I’m really scared! Very, very scared!!!

I happen to think there comes a time when a girl/lady/woman can no longer get away with NOT wearing tights (with dresses) – orange peel skin is so off-putting!

As for the leggings/tights with regular length tops (not t-shirt/jersey/other dresses), I never find that particularly smart. For some reason I always think of that type of outfit as wearing leggings/tights instead of tracksuit bottoms…...and that’s gym or lounge wear!

So, as long as there’s a decent top/dress to go with the tights, there’s no such thing as too old.

Damn! I’m talking about tights with a dress or skirt that comes to about my knees. No camel toe sightings, no questions of if I do or do not have panties on.

@chyna X2. It would never occur to me to wear tights in place of pants or a dress! That’s just gross!

@Val123 And yet, that is the fashion these days—at least on the campus I work on. See why I say it’s… unfortunate?

@chyna thank you for clarifying how these tights would be worn.

@daloon Is it just me, or is “fashion” becoming more and more unflattering to the women (men’s fashion doesn’t ever change much.) It’s like, it’s suddenly the “fashion” to wear short, spaghetti strap tops, that show your belly and hips, stretch marks and all…. even if you’re 80 pounds overweight. Now “tights” as actual clothing? Please. How many women could actually carry that off without looking like a total ‘tard? 1 in 1000?

Go for it @SuperMouse. Wear those tights.

^Agreed!

@Val123 Well, there are actually a fair number of the young ladies who can carry it off where I work. It’s just that there are a number who can’t, and don’t know that. I think it’s kind of like walking around with a booger sticking out of your nose.

@daloon Thanks for that image.

When I was in junior high the rage was stretch pants. Many girls and women wore them who shouldn’t have. It would be nice if men could answer the perennial question honestly without fear of death or grave bodily harm. You know, the one that goes “Honey, does this make my butt look big?”

No one would ever dare to answer that with the truth.

Thus we will forever be inflicted with the sight of people who shouldn’t be wearing that.

Blame whichever women killed the first 100,000 men who said “Um, well, yeah, honey, I guess, kinda.”

I grew up when your best friend told you when your slip was showing and visible bra straps went with a Schlitz in hand and a Marlboro hanging off the lip…they still do.

@galileogirl Yeah. Can’t do that today boys. It’s all about “You just trashed my self esteem! I’m gonna sue you!” Or some other such psychological temper tantrum.

Brian: “You wear tights?”
Andy: “NO, I don’t wear tights. I wear the required uniform.”
Brian: ”...tights.”
Andy: “SHUT UP.”

Men in Tights?

The Breakfast Club!

I never did see that flick….are we off topic yet?

@Val123 Nope. Still has to do with tights.

@rangerr O….wait….yup

depends on your body shape. if your in great shape at 80, go for it!

I was a willing participant in the leggings craze of the mid-90’s but that was when I was in prime “practice Hapkido 3 hours a day 6 days a week” shape and a long shirt always covered the booty. I am still in decent shape (if I do say so myself), but it just wonder if some styles are best to younger women. The gradient tights are a possibility, but I am still not so sure about walking around with shins covered in peacock feathers at my age – even though I love those tights..

P.S. It make my jelly heart flutter when I write a question that starts such a great discussion.

Is there such a thing as too old? I suppose there may be, but the better answer to when someone should stop wearing tights is when they create a ‘cottage cheese in a plastic bag appearance’. Tights almost never look good and should be reserved for workouts with private trainers. They get paid to look; we don’t. Please refrain, thank you!

If you have good legs and can carry those Tights nicely then age should not be a problem.