01 Office
02 Night out
03 Off duty
04 WeekendSteal These 4 Winter Looks, From the Office to a Night Out, in the Same Tights
The short answer
One pair of sheer black fleece-lined tights can carry you through four winter looks: the office, a night out, model off duty and the weekend. The tights never change. What changes is the hem, the coat and, above all, the shoe.
Every winter there's a week when the skirts go to the back of the closet and the jeans come out. The best-dressed women skip that week. They keep their skirts and dresses in rotation all season and let one pair of sheer black tights do the work.
Sheer black is the most useful thing in a winter wardrobe. It looks polished with a blazer, dressed up with heels and a little undone with a big coat and boots. It works with every color, print and texture you own.
The pair behind all four looks is the Sheer Illusion Fleece-Lined Tights from Irazia. A sheer black layer on the outside, a soft fleece lining in your skin shade on the inside. So they read like classic sheer black tights, but they're fully opaque and made for the cold.
Here are four fleece-lined tights outfit ideas to steal, Monday to Saturday. Each one ends with its shoe, and there's a reason the shoe gets its own line.
Look 1: Office outfits with black tights
The formula midi skirt, fine knit, loafers.
The office uniform has gone softer: fewer stiff suits, more fine knits, skirts that move and a good loafer. Sheer black tights make it feel finished. They're sharper than bare legs and lighter on the eye than flat, matte tights, so the look reads as quietly expensive.
Put it together
A midi or pencil skirt in charcoal, camel or chocolate brown. A fine-knit crewneck or turtleneck tucked in at the front, or a blazer over a fitted knit. Small gold earrings and a structured bag. Keep the colors close and let the black leg anchor everything.
Shoes
Loafers or low block heels. A loafer with sheer black tights never looks like it's trying too hard.
Fit note The high waistband stays up and doesn't dig in, so a tucked knit stays tucked through a long day at your desk.
Look 2: Night out outfits for winter
The formula little black dress, long coat, pointed pumps.
Going out in winter used to mean a trade: the outfit or the warm coat. Now the coat is part of the outfit. A long coat over a short black dress and sheer black legs reads as grown-up and a little glamorous, wherever the night ends up.
Put it together
A little black dress, or a satin skirt with a fitted knit or bodysuit. A long wool coat in black or camel over the top. Then one bold detail: a red lip, statement earrings or a small bag with some shine. Black dress, black tights and black shoes make one clean line from hem to toe.
Shoes
Pointed pumps or heeled boots. A pointed toe carries the line of the leg right through the shoe.
Fit note The tights cover your whole foot, but the fleece lining stops at the ankle. So there's no extra bulk inside your shoe, and your sleekest pumps fit the way they always have.
Look 3: Model off duty winter style
The formula oversized coat, mini, knee boots, big sunglasses.
Model off duty is the look of a woman who just walked out of a fitting and threw on whatever was closest. It works because of proportion: big on top, short in the middle, and a sheer black leg that keeps it sleek instead of sloppy.
Put it together
An oversized leather or wool coat, worn open. A black mini skirt, or swap it for the Faux Leather High Waisted Shorts from Irazia. A fitted turtleneck or plain white tee underneath. A big shoulder bag and big sunglasses, even when the sky is gray.
Shoes
Knee boots for drama, or loafers if you want it cooler and lower-key.
Fit note One length fits a 24 to 40 inch inseam, so the waistband still sits at your waist on long legs. No tugging, even under the shortest hem.
Look 4: The weekend, or how to wear a mini skirt in winter
The formula plaid or corduroy mini, chunky knit, combat boots, socks.
Weekend dressing this winter is a little preppy and a little grunge. Plaid, corduroy, a chunky knit and boots you can actually walk in. It's the outfit for coffee, a market and a late lunch, built around the mini.
Put it together
A plaid mini or the High Waisted Mini Corduroy Skirt from Irazia. A chunky knit, tucked in at the front or worn cropped. Then the detail that makes it: socks pulled over the tights so they peek out above your boots. Try our Knitted Wool Thermal Socks or Fleece-Lined Socks.
Shoes
Combat boots or chunky lace-ups. The heavier the sole, the better it looks against a sheer leg.
Fit note Vanilla suits fair to light skin, Latte light to medium, Caramel medium to deep and Espresso deep to rich. Every shade looks darker in the packet than on the leg, so judge yours once they're on.
The trick
What shoes to wear with fleece-lined tights
Look back at the four looks. The tights never changed. The shoe did.
- Loaferssay office.
- Pointed pumpssay night out.
- Knee bootssay model off duty.
- Combat boots with sockssay weekend.
That's the whole trick. Keep the tights, change the shoe. A corduroy mini with loafers works for a casual Friday. The same mini with knee boots is ready for dinner.
And every one of those shoes still fits, because the fleece stops at the ankle. The unlined foot doesn't overheat inside a boot, either.
How to wear sheer tights in winter
- Play with proportion. Big knit, short skirt. Fitted top, fuller skirt. Oversized coat, short hem.
- Mix textures. Wool, corduroy, satin and faux leather all look richer next to a sheer black leg.
- Dress for both rooms. The fleece keeps you warm in the cold and breathes once you're indoors, so one pair works from the morning commute to the last drink.
- Wear your usual size. They run true to size, from XXS/XS to 4XL/5XL. More on fit and shade in Tall, Curvy, Petite, Fair or Deep: Why One Pair of Tights Never Fit Us All.
Once you've worn skirts through a whole winter week, jeans start to feel like the compromise. For the layers that go on top, read Cold Outside, Dressed Up Anyway: The Winter Layer Stylish Women Swear By. For one more rule worth stealing, read Parisian Winter Style Has One Unspoken Rule. Here's How to Wear It.
Find your pair
Pick a look, pick your shade and order your usual size in the Sheer Illusion Fleece-Lined Tights from Irazia. Wear them to work on Monday and out on Friday. If the shade or size isn't right, the 30-Day Shade & Size Match Guarantee covers a free exchange.
Free 30-day shade and size exchange
FAQ
Can you wear black tights to the office?
Yes. Sheer black tights are one of the most polished choices for work in winter. Pair them with a midi or pencil skirt, a fine knit or blazer, and loafers or low block heels.
How do you wear a mini skirt in winter?
Balance the short hem with a chunky knit or an oversized coat. Add sheer black tights and knee boots or combat boots, with socks peeking over the top for texture.
What shoes do you wear with fleece-lined tights?
Almost any. The tights cover your foot, but the fleece lining stops at the ankle, so loafers, pumps, knee boots and combat boots fit as usual.
How do you wear sheer tights in winter and stay warm?
Choose sheer tights with a fleece lining. From the outside they look like classic sheer black tights. Inside, the fleece keeps you warm in the cold and breathes once you're indoors.