What's the difference between leggings and tights?
Quarantine. Lockdown. Shelter in place. Work from home. Business on top, party on the bottom. Pajamas every day.
You can bet purchases for leggings and tights have skyrocketed as we spend more and more hours at home. So what’s the difference between leggings, tights, footless tights, pantyhose, stockings, and athletic activewear tights? (Now that was a mouthful.)
What’s the difference between pantyhose and stockings?
Pantyhose and stockings are often used interchangeably. But pantyhose typically cover the leg — from the foot to the waist. They may also come with a control top feature that smooths the waist area and helps flatten the tummy a bit.
Stockings, on the other hand, cover the leg — from the foot to the thigh. Stockings may be supported or held up by a garter.
Both pantyhose and stockings are generally sheer and made of nylon or silk that are worn under dresses or skirts.
What are tights?
The word “tights” is more commonly used today, whereas our moms might say “pantyhose” or “stockings.” You’ll see different levels of opaque tights in a variety of colors and designs. Nude or skin-colored tights are more old school. We recommend black tights from 40 denier to 200 denier (for when you’re out on a cold NYC winter night).
FYI, denier is basically how thick the fabric is, which also tells you how opaque it is. The higher the denier, the more opaque the tights are. The lower the denier, the more transparent, and the easier for the tights (or pantyhose/stockings) to run (or rip).
Footed tights are usually designed to be worn under dresses and skirts. In other words, they are not pants!
What’s the difference between leggings and tights?
Leggings are footless tights. They are usually thick enough to be worn as pants. But since they are quite form-fitting, I prefer to cover my tushie with a long cardigan, a boyfriend blazer, or slip it under a casual sweater dress, like these:
Some leggings are brushed or fleece-lined, while others are a polyester-spandex blend that hold everything in and up.
Our current favorite legging is the edgy moto faux leather leggings. Target’s brand, A New Day, has a version, as well as Spanx. Old Navy is the mid-point price.
Target doesn’t quite “hold” everything in as much as Spanx does. Don’t get us wrong, it still looks awesome — especially being the cheapest of the three. So, get your normal size for Target but consider sizing up for Spanx. And you will get some stripe marks from the moto design when you take your pants off.
Can you wear your leggings to workout?
Most leggings are made of polyester. Polyester is not a breathable fabric and does not absorb moisture — unless it is manufactured to do so. Enter activewear.
When you exercise, you want your workout clothes to “wick away” moisture from your body. Leggings that are just for lounging won’t do that. And you may end up in a pool of sweat — or even worse, sweat stains.
Other options for loungewear
If you’re going out, but don’t want to compromise comfort, consider some jeggings — basically, if jeans and leggings had a baby.
And if you’re not into bottoms that are tight, we recommend a pair of soft joggers or some wide-leg pants. I’ve also taken some time to upgrade my night pajamas and have been wearing these silk Palazzo wide-leg pants nonstop. (Update: These pants are currently unavailable.)