If life teaches you one thing over the years, it’s that trends always come full circle. This applies to home decor, hairstyles (remember velcro rollers?), and even clothing. While some fashion trends, like neon shoulder pads, are better left in the past, others are making a comeback and bringing fun back into our wardrobes.
This year, a bold, color-focused fashion trend is making a comeback from the 1960s and 1980s: colorful tights.
The History of Colorful Tights
This trend is far from new, tracing back to the 1960s when mod outfits were paired with bold red, purple, or orange opaque tights for a vibrant pop of color. It also resurfaced in the 1980s and early 1990s, with sheer brown, burgundy, and even white tights adding the perfect finishing touch to outfits.
Princess Diana of Wales, a renowned fashion icon of the 1980s and beyond, was one of the most notable fans of colorful tights. Known for setting trends, she often made bold statements with vibrant tights in shades like red and white, even at official royal appearances.
In the 1960s, the mod aesthetic—famously embraced by Twiggy—often featured mini dresses paired with bright opaque tights. However, the colorful tights trend from the 1980s and 1990s is more aligned with what’s making a comeback today.
How To Wear Colorful Tights Today
While bright shades like yellow, orange, and green tights aren’t dominating the current fashion scene, shades like red, burgundy, navy, dark purple, and metallic grey are trending. These stylish options are gaining popularity on Pinterest, social media, and among top tastemakers.
If you love the simplicity of dark, neutral winter outfits, colored tights are a perfect wardrobe upgrade. They can instantly elevate an all-black look or make a bold statement with a trendy monochrome outfit—think all red, all brown, or all winter white, tights included.