Wondering how to wear statement tights without looking silly? Or bored of wearing trousers all the time now the weather has (finally) turned wintery? MyTights.com were featured in a handy how-to guide in the press this week, so we thought we’d share their top 5 ways to work statement tights…
1) Colour blocking
With the 60s revival still going strong, colour blocking is going to be around for a while longer yet, and what easier way than to buy a simple pair of coloured tights? A simple, cheap and cheerful addition to your wardrobe, they start from a teeny tiny £4.10, so you really can afford to match them to everything in your wardrobe!
2) Embellished
Spots are hot at the moment, but try a twist on the trend with the Charnos 75 Brigitte Tights (the actual tights in the feature, supplied by MyTights.com) which feature glittering Swarovski crystals up the back of the leg for a sparkling addition to a glamourous black dress.
3) Texture
Different textures can work really well as long as you don’t go OTT. Try leg lengthening ribbed tights with cotton skirts or silky shirts.
4) Stars
The stars trend last year was begun by designers like Christopher Kane, and planetary movement have dictated they’re set to last well in to 2010. Snap up a pair of the Henry Holland Superstar Tights, available with either classic black or spangly multi-coloured stars.
5) Elaborate Girly Lace tights and girly designs like bows and floral motifs are the order of the day. Use them to glam up your party frock, or add a sweet edge to a tough biker look.
Fearne Cotton is back, and her hosiery’s better than ever!
It’s been a bit quiet on the Fearne front recently. We got used to seeing her in gorgeous hosiery all the time, and then, fickle as we are, we got distracted by all things Jessie J related. But a couple of weeks ago she was photographed in an outfit so gorgeous we sat up and took notice.
Teaming a cream, ruffled, lacy skirt with a black jumper over a buttoned up shirt, Fearne rocked the cute look to perfection, toughening it up with a leather jacket, black bag an army boots.
But the best bit was, of course, her embellished spotty tights. Matte black mock suspender tights with dainty pearl embellishments, the Henry Holland Pearly Suspender Tights have been incredibly popular since they hit the shelves a few weeks ago. Rock them like Fearne with a slightly longer skirt to cover up the mock hold up tops for a sweet look or make the most of your legs with shorts cut high up your leg to show off all the detailing.
We seem to see new pictures of Jessie J in a different standout style of hosiery every day, so image our surprise when she was spotted wearing the same pair of tights with a selection of eye catching outfits! The superstar must have taken a real shine to her Henry Holland I’m Laddered Tights – and as the face of Pretty Polly we’re sure she’s got a huge selection to choose from!
So what makes these so special? Well, as well as a gorgeous slight sheen that will give your pins a healthy glow AND an on trend mock hold up top, they also feature a sexy back seam with a quirky twist- it spells out the words “I’m Laddered” at the ankle and up the back of the calf!
And no wonder Jessie’s been wearing them over and over again – as proved by the pictures of her style choices, they really can be worn with anything. They look super cool with Jessie’s casual “rave sailor” look – although the hat might not be ideal attire for the real world, most of us will be able to dig out our army boots from last season and give them another whirl.
Perhaps more surprisingly, her glam disco look also sets them off to perfection! To get a similar look whilst remaining real-world appropriate, team with black cocktail shorts, heels and a gold sequinned top or blazer.
We’ve been rooting for X Factor winners Little Mix right the way from the beginning, and so we were absolutely thrilled when the girlband stormed their way to victory on the show at the weekend. Fiesty, cool and endearingly normal, we instantly fell for their quirky style (not JUST their love of hosiery, we promise!).
The best thing about the band’s fashion choices were that they shunned the traditional “sexy” girlband choices of teeny tiny skirts and sky high heels, preferring trainers and high street apparel – choices accessible to us mere mortals. Or so we thought.
Enter Henry Holland, hotshot Brit designer and style icon, who made no secret of the fact that he was a huge Little Mix fan from the off. The girls had already been spotted in various Henry Holland designs (including the All Over Bones Tights, pictured right,and the Superstar Tights)on the show. But at the end of November, Jade was spotted wearing a very special pair of tights indeed (which you can see here), and wore them again for the X Factor final. The customised Henry Holland tights looked like his bestselling Alphabet Tights, but on closer inspection, the letters, which on the original design spelt out “HENRY” on one leg and “HOLLAND” on the other, they spelt out “LITTLE” and “MIX”.
Let us just say right now: we still love Little Mix. We would forgive them anything. We will accept their fancy new bespoke designer clothes. But we can’t deny it: we want customized Henry Holland tights so badly we could cry…
Shop the whole Henry Holland Collectionfor a slice of Little Mix’s style – from just £12 (AND with an exclusive MyTights discount of 25% on a different Henry Holland product every day until Christmas!)
Let’s face it, with such stiff competition from the hot-shot New York designers and the classic European design houses, when Britain produces a designer as talented as Henry Holland, we want to shout about it. And finally the US is starting to take notice, with several celebs spotted in Henry Holland tights and the US press going crazy for his quirky designs.
Seventeen magazine cited the magical outfit-enhancing properties of both the Henry Holland Superstar Tights and the Alphabet Tights (seen recently on Kourtney Kardashian!). Not only are these eye-catching styles perfect for adding a fun twist to everything you already have in your wardrobe (meaning they are also budget friendly fashion, fyi), they also both come in twinkling versions – the Alphabets in silver and the Superstar in multi-coloured glitter, which are perfect for the festive season.
Star magazine, meanwhile, noted the dramatic entrance of our old favourite, suspender tights, and featured a “who wore it best” segment after Rihanna, Kimberly Wyatt and Jessie J were all pictured wearing the Super Suspender Tights. They declared Rihanna as the star who rocked them the best, but we love Kimberley’s sequin and short tux combo – very, VERY chic.
And the New York Post used the Henry Holland Crochet Tights as part of a clashing prints fashion shoot. The Crochet Tights, featuring a super-cute patchwork multi-coloured design, work for both day and night. They sold out for a while but are now back in stock – so grab them while you still can!
In the fickle world of fashion, one thing is for certain: designer Henry Holland has arrived – and is here to stay.
The three remaining X Factor girls (we miss you, Sophie Habibis) joined Now magazine for a chat and photoshoot last week, and glammed up in a selection of red hot tights. Showing us exactly how to work the trend for statement tights that seems to be everywhere this season, they’ve given us some great ideas for our festive party outfits.
Mischa B pulls off opaque hot pink tights with style. Teaming them with multicoloured sequins and natty accessories, she looks fierce! They’ll look great on pale redheads and darker skin tones, but a word of warning: steer clear if you have pink toned skin, and blondes should be careful they don’t end up looking like Barbie.
Amelia Lily wears star print tights just like Henry Holland’s Superstar tights in black with her showgirl ensemble. These tights are perfect for capturing the trend for stars that we’ve caught glimpses of throughout the season, and the black ones are even classic enough for the office… or for a truly twinkling festive look, check out the multicoloured glittery version! Henry Holland tights have also been spotted on the last remaining group, Little Mix, who have previously worn his Superstar and All Over Bones tights. The designer himself has made no secret of his love for the group, tweeting a picture of himself with the band yesterday with the caption “Life. Made. #littlemixforlife”.
But the real fashion kudos goes, perhaps unexpectedly, to Janet Devlin for working two styles perfectly. Love her or hate her, there’s no denying that she’s got the hosiery situation spot on. Working the trend for stars with a sparkling black dress, the adding of opaque purple tights turns a pretty dress into an outstanding outfit! The plum colour is perfect for winter and works as great with biker boots, like Janet, as it does with heels. As if that wasn’t enough, Janet came back for more fashion points in a second striking style. Chic black cocktail shorts and a cropped jacket let the twinkling bustier and star pendant take centre stage. The addition of Henry Holland’s Suspender Tights gave the outfit a sexy, tailored twist that made her look more funky and less “put together”.
Choose your favourite today or check out the entire range of statement tights!
Super-Sloane and Made in Chelsea star Caggie Dunlop has been spotted looking very chic indeed in Henry Holland’s Super Suspender Tights, hot on the heels of celebs like Rihanna and Selena Gomez. We never thought we’d see the day that such a funky design became part of a Chelsea girl’s wardrobe, but it seems that if you haven’t already got a pair, you need to get some, and quick! Suspender Tights are having their second coming at the moment and Caggie is just the latest in a long line of celebs to be spotted in hers.
Thanks to their renewed place in the hearts of fashionistas everywhere, they’ve had a bit of a redesign and now there are tons more styles to choose from, including Henry Holland’s Pearly Suspender Tights and the Trasparenze Aukland leopard print style.
But for the classic, and frankly really rather high end look; Caggie’s your girl. Giving everyone a lesson in how to be cool, not trashy, she dresses hers down with 80s style baggy denim and a chunky scarf. The best bit is, if you’ve held on to key pieces from last season and last winter, you won’t need anything else new!
Dressing her tights down has proven to be a stroke of genius and makes the ensemble look polished and high end. Roll up the sleeves of a baggy denim shirt (if yours is too tight for this look, borrow your boyfriend’s and cinch in with a tan belt), and team with black shorts and a chunky knit scarf (you can get these from practically anywhere).
Finish with a slouchy bag (real leather, obviously), bedhead hair (that takes three hours to painstakingly craft) and a friend named Binky.
Check out the new video of Jessie J at her first shoot as the face and legs of House of Holland for Pretty Polly. Featuring exclusive chat with Jessie, designer Henry Holland and the shoot stylist, the video shows all the behind the scenes action from the sizzling superhero themed shoot.
Wearing the new Henry Holland for Pretty Polly Mock Fishnet Super Suspender Tights, Jessie displays her trademark wit and confesses to her love of tights (and Whitney Houston!), and tells us that she even wants to see her nan in the Henry Holland designs!
Jessie has said: “Ever since I started out as a singer, tights have been my statement. When you put on a pair of tights, you feel sexy and powerful. I have been wearing House of Holland for Pretty Polly tights for ages”. She has made a name for herself with her hit songs, individual style and feisty attitude, and now she’s set to stun us with her amazing legs too!
David Hinchcliffe, Brand Director for Pretty Polly, agrees:
“Jessie J was the only choice for this campaign – there is no one else who can capture the essence of the House of Holland for Pretty Polly tights quite like she can. She is amazing – her style, talent, unmistakable attitude make her the perfect choice for the collection.”
In the video you also get to see her wearing the quirky Henry Holland I’m Laddered Tights – but the entire Henry Holland for Pretty Polly collection is set to be HUGE, so quick – get the look now!
In a collection that Henry Holland reportedly described as “pastel punk”, the House of Holland has again exhibited another critically acclaimed collection this London Fashion Week. The House of Holland catwalk show is always the one to watch in the MyTights office – it isn’t often that we get a catwalk show that shows us EXACTLY what we will be selling next season!
Hosiery was again an integral part of the show with some interesting layering of distressed fishnet tightsin pastel colours. Wide net fishnet tights were ripped to show off smaller nets underneath – this is probably about as “pastel punk” as it gets! Fishnet socks were also teamed with feminine pastel skirts and snakeskin clogs.
I’ve remarked before that fishnet seems to be having a bit of a revival. Henry Holland is a designer with his finger firmly on the fashion pulse so I guarantee if you haven’t yet succumbed to the lure of the fishnet you will have before 2012 is out.
The rest of the collection was dominated by a bold and interesting print that is part cow and part oversized animal print. I’m not doing it justice but I would like to register my plea to Henry Holland to put this print on some tights!
I love this collection that is changing my preconceptions of how to dress tough and streetwise. Keep an eye out in the months ahead for the Spring Summer House of Holland Designs. In the meantime, we’ve still got Henry Holland’s current collection of funky Bingo Balls, Crochet Prints and Alphabet Tights to keep us occupied until then.
It’s become something of a MyTights.com tradition to pour over the catwalk images from the House of Holland catwalk shows to see if we can spot the styles we will be stocking next season. Ever since Henry Holland started designing his range of hosiery for Pretty Polly, they have been best sellers and office favourites. What’s more, the fashion press heaped praise on Henry Holland’s Autumn Winter 2011 collection. It is always exciting when you can get your hands on something lifted straight from the catwalk at such a great price but it is even sweeter when you know your accessories will be thoroughly approved of by the ladies at Vogue!
We’ve just received a delivery of the two most exciting pieces in the collection and the others will be arriving in the next few days but I just couldn’t wait to give you peek at the new collection.
First up, and my personal favourites are the House of Holland Bingo Balls Tights. It sounds anything but glamorous but, for his Autumn Winter collection, Henry Holland was inspired by grannies. Somehow though, it was glamorous. He mixed fine tweeds, silk dresses, scarves and pearls to create very ladylike silhouettes. But the famous Holland humour meant that his collection was anything but staid – and the Bingo Balls print was at the centre of the show adding a quirky colourful, witty touch to proceedings. After all, if you are going to celebrate granny style you should give a little nod to granny pastimes as well. These Bingo Balls Tights are perfect for brightening up those 60s style shift dresses that are everywhere this season. Alternatively you can copy the girls on the catwalk and team with a pretty silk dress and a belted cardigan.
Another key part of the collection were the House of Holland Crochet Tights (as seen pictured on the catwalk above) – inspired by knitted blankets and shawls beloved of grannies and 70s hipsters alike. The obvious thing is to wear this print with loads of warm, complementary colours and big jewellery to get the 70s bohemian look, but I can also see these worn with a classic knee length navy dress, a skinny brown belt and matching shoes for grown up days out.
The Alphabet Tights are probably the most wearable pieces in the collection. These sheer black tights feature scattered opaque lettering which spells “HOUSE” and “HOLLAND” down each leg. This clever use of sheer and opaque fabric is characteristic of the House of Holland collection for Pretty Polly and we are expecting them to be really popular.
We are also looking forward to the latest take on the Super Suspender Tights. This year’s version has a fishnet top to the now classic mock suspender design. It’s a new twist on Henry Holland’s signature piece and if you are a fan of the original House of Holland Super Suspender Tights then you surely need to add these to your collection. If you are a mock suspender first timer, we promise you you cannot fail to turn heads in these sexy, funky tights.
Always quirky and original, House of Holland is one of our favourite brands. The collections are always cutting edge and as a result they are really popular with our fashion loving customers. Shop with us to snap up these limited edition styles early – they are going to be huge this winter!
