EVELYSS / Guides / Fashion Sense

What Colour Tights to Wear With a Navy Dress (and Which Shoes)

“Tights are the quiet decision that makes or breaks a winter dress. My rule is simple: carry the dress colour down the leg, or carry the shoe colour up it. Anything else should look like a choice, not a guess in a dark bedroom.”Her take

The quick rule

Match your tights to the dress for one long, unbroken column of colour, or match them to your shoes so the leg and foot read as one line. Either way the eye travels smoothly from hem to floor.

Problems start when the tights match neither. Mid-navy dress, black tights and brown shoes gives you three dark colours that are almost but not quite the same, which looks accidental. Check the combination in daylight, not just under bedroom lighting, because navy and black can look identical indoors and very different outside.

Navy tights: the easiest answer

Navy tights with a navy dress create a tonal look that's elegant and lengthening. The tights don't have to match the dress exactly; a shade close to it looks deliberate.

This is also the most flexible base for shoes. Navy shoes continue the column, nude or pale gold shoes lighten it for daytime, burgundy shoes or boots add warmth, and silver or metallic shoes work for evening.

Black tights with navy

Black tights with navy is a long-standing debate, and the answer depends on the shade. With a very dark, inky navy, black tights and black shoes look sharp and modern. With a brighter or mid navy, black can look like a mismatch.

It also helps if the dress has black in it, such as black buttons, a black belt or a black pattern. Then the tights pick up that detail rather than fighting the navy.

Nude, sheer and grey tights

Sheer tights close to your skin tone suit dressier daytime occasions such as weddings, christenings and interviews, when opaque tights can look too casual. Choose a shade that matches your legs rather than one that's noticeably darker or more orange. Pair them with nude, pale gold, silver or navy shoes.

Grey tights, in charcoal or a soft mid-grey, are a relaxed option with navy knit dresses and jumper dresses. They look best with grey, black or tan ankle boots and are better for weekends than formal events.

Shoe pairings at a glance

Use this as a starting point and check it in a full-length mirror.

• Navy dress, navy tights: navy, nude, burgundy, tan or metallic shoes.
• Navy dress, black tights: black shoes or boots only.
• Navy dress, sheer nude tights: nude, pale gold, silver or navy shoes.
• Navy dress, grey tights: grey, black or tan ankle boots.
• Navy dress, burgundy tights: burgundy or navy shoes, for a bolder look.

Choosing the denier

Denier is the thickness of the yarn. Lower numbers are sheerer and dressier; higher numbers are opaque, warmer and more casual.

Around 10 to 20 denier is sheer and suits weddings and evening. Around 30 to 40 is semi-opaque, a good middle ground for the office. Around 60 and above is opaque and best for cold days, knit dresses and boots. Brands draw these lines a little differently, and dark colours look more opaque than pale ones at the same denier.

Burgundy and green dresses too

The same rule works for other dark winter colours. With a burgundy dress, burgundy tights give the tonal column, black tights are a reliable classic, and sheer nude suits a dressy day event. With a forest or bottle green dress, black tights work well, and chocolate brown tights with brown boots give a warmer, autumnal look.

For a navy patterned dress, take the tights from the darkest colour in the print.

Questions people ask

The takeaway

Match the tights to the dress or to the shoes, check navy against black in daylight, and choose the denier for the occasion.

Read next