If you are as old as our webmaster, it is quite likely that as a child, you had a Fairisle pattern pullover in your childhood.

Of course, the tradition goes back much further than the 1960s. To bring the style to 21st Century hosiery is a bold move by Jonathan Aston. As you can see in their packet, these tights look remarkably like a pair of socks. This is also reflected in the fibre mix.

The impression of socks is not lost when you take them out of the packet. It is only when you open them out that is finally clear that the two straight legs are joined by panty at the top.

The panty is finished with flat seams there is a comfort gusset (rear v-shaped panel) to help with fit. Like the panty, the toes are finished to a good standard.

Any thoughts of socks are dispelled once you put these tights on, they fit very well, they feel very comfortable and most important of all the look very stylish too. Whatever length you wear your skirts and whether you prefer boots or shoes in the colder months these tights will add that little something extra to your look. Wearers of essential opaque tights will be begging you tell them where you got them.

The cotton in the mix ensures that although these tights are warm, they will not make you hot and sweaty. Our only reservation is that the pattern stops mid-thigh. Going a little higher would have given a better look with the very shortest skirt and shorts.

Buy some before the weather gets too hot! Snow forecast for Easter by the way.

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Jonathan Aston has had a few misses with their designs over the years. But recently they got their act together and are matching the House of Holland Collection from Pretty Polly both in terms of style and quality. This style revisits the theme of tights styled on stockings and suspenders, and the picture is full of promise, only a little less bold than Trasparenze.

The good news is that there are three sizes to choose from covering the full range of heights from 4’9” to 6’0” and weights from 90-205 lbs. (124-183 cm and 40-95kg). As for colour, all we have seen so far is black/black; so black they thought it worth repeating!

40 denier is the predominant weight of these tights. The straight lower leg and the high leg panty and suspender are this weight with the 15 denier parts being the upper thigh as you can see in the picture above and small panels on each hip between the “suspender belt” and the waistband of the “panties” below.

The panty section has flat seams and a cotton-lined gusset. The whole garment has a quality look and feels to it.

Sizing is accurate but not exceptionally generous. Some careful stretching will be required if you are a leggy 6’0”. You need to take care because it would be easy to carried away stretching the 40 denier lower leg and suddenly find you have put a thumb through the 15 denier part. Once on, the fit is excellent, and they are as comfortable as any 40 denier opaque.

We love the panty, suspenders and stocking top detail. It doesn’t try to look like the “real thing” it just takes styling tips from it. The result is that you get the allure without feeling you are being fobbed off with some imitation. Clever design well delivered. On the subject of the design. Although there is no label to tell you which is which these tights do have a front and a back to them. Make sure you look carefully before dressing!

Colour is right and even throughout. The panty is opaque enough that you do not need any other underwear.

A great fun alternative to 40 denier opaque tights that deserves a place in your hosiery drawer. Like when you want to feel a little sassier.

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When we first saw these tights, we remembered we had seen Houndstooth Tights from Jonathan Aston before. So what is the difference? Well, it seems that these dogs have smaller teeth!

Two sizes are available and four very bright colours Ochre (yellow), Peacock (Green), Jewel (Pink) and Velvet (Purple). Quite a change from the one size back & white houndstooth.

There is some question about the denier of these tights, the packet says nothing, UK Tights say 40 and My Tights say 60 denier. These tights feel quite heavy. This is in part because two colours of yarn are used and there is a texture to the fabric. Quite smooth on the outside but noticeably “fluffy” on the inside. We would say the look and feel more 60 denier.

Construction is straightforward with straight legs and an unlined gusset. The pattern runs from the toe seams to the plain waistband.

If ever there was a pair of tights that needed to be on your legs to be fully appreciated, then this is it. They feel warm and comfortable and fit very well. The pattern is knitted in rather than printed on maintains definition and intensity of colour when stretched. The Peacock shade that we tested looks particularly sophisticated and being less vibrant than the other colours is suitable for wear anywhere and anytime.

For just a few pennies short of £10 we would have liked to have seen flat seams, but that is a small grumble. One of the best products that we have seen from Jonathan Aston. It is one that promises to be a wardrobe regular throughout the winter.

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All we can tell from the picture is that these are sheer tights with opaque knees; judging from the size of the packet the woolly socks and military-style boots are not part of the tights.

Jonathan Aston makes these tights in 3 sizes which are differentiated by height, weight and hip size. Sensibly they say “up to” for each measurement, it would be down to your judgement to decide whether you could trade a little on one to exceed another. More on that later.

First impressions on opening the packet are that of sheer tights with straight legs and a boxer style brief that look much longer than typical tights of such basic construction. Unfolding the legs reveals that the foot part is 40 denier as is the band around the knee, the panty although darker than the legs is not of the finish and quality of the opaque part of the legs.

There is no additional reinforcement to the toe area, and the seam is well finished. The panty features an unlined gusset, the seams in the panty are well finished but not flat.

The look is what a style like this is about, and it is here that we found a problem. It must be said, however, that we tested the largest size of someone taller than the recommended maximum of 5’10” with above-average length feet and legs. The overall fit was no problem at all with gusset and waistband sitting comfortably precisely where intended. The foot piece, however, only just reached the ankle bone, only just covering the heel; the knee strip didn’t even hit the top of the calf.

The sheer piece between the foot and knee was just 9” (23 cm) deep. The sheer upper section between knee band and boxer brief was 17” (43 cm). Sizes measured on the model. 35” legs are not unusual with girls of 5’10” however.

By our estimation, the opaque band at the knee is in the wrong place, the upper edge being pretty well where the lower side is intended to be.

The look is exciting, and the calf may also be a better place to draw attention to than the knee. The tights are well made and look good on the leg. The boxer style brief is a bit of a let down on tights at £8.00 though.

An exciting design let down my curious manufacture.

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Jonathan Aston has been inspired recently offering some great designs, and this season with names like Freeze and Arctic tights. They have been inspired in the naming too. Perfect for the weather.

The presentation of these tights is smart too. They are in an open packet but rather than some complicated piece of cardboard around the outside there is a big ribbon with a Jonathan Aston motif; the ribbon has a sticky strip to allow you to rewrap your tights should you wish.

Cotton is the dominant fibre, so it is no surprise that there is a sock-like feel to these tights; not always a good sign when it comes to fit with tights.

There is a choice of three sizes to fit up to a maximum height of 5″10 (182cm) and hips of 48″ (120cm). Setting aside the inconsistency in unit conversion this is generous sizing.

Unlike socks, these tights have no shaping at the heel. There is a plain reinforced toe then the pattern runs straight to the waistband. The panty is well finished with flat seams and a gusset.

There is considerably more stretch than the fibre content would suggest, and the maximum height is easily accommodated. The styling in the hips is quite slim so we would recommend perhaps 44″ as a maximum, not 48″.

The cotton-rich material is warm rather than sweaty. One word of warning though if you plan to venture out in cold, wet weather; cotton won’t keep you warm if you get it wet.

The patterning gives an impression of colder climate and cosiness while the vertical elements emphasise the length of your legs are visually slimming. If we were pedantic, we would have liked legs knitted left, and right-handed for symmetry. But that is perhaps a detail only a pedant would notice.

Warm, well made, comfortable, perfect styling for the season. Another triumph for Jonathan Aston.

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Jonathan Aston added a new dimension to their range of tights in the summer of 2012 by introducing the “JA Collection”. To quote the packet notes; “The JA collection of legwear from Jonathan Aston is specially designed to be of the moment. All the styles and colours have been selected to reflect the current fashion trends”.

At the risk of appearing cynical, we would have to say that we can’t see the difference between this range and their standard output. And indeed quite a few of our partners are not mentioning which styles are in the JA collection. But that may be the point. With designer collections like that inspired by Mark Fast (he is the designer knitwear) coming through soon perhaps JA is looking for an identity for their standard fashion offerings.

Anyway, these are one size tights to fit up to 5’10” and 42” hips, made in Italy. As well as one size there is one colour, nude with a contrast black back seam. A different combination of what we saw when Jonathan Aston last produced contrast seam tights.

JA presents these tights with a white card down the leg to show off the seam detail. But, in the packet, unfortunately, this made it all too clear that there were knitting faults in the sheer material even before we opened the box. Not good at just pennies under £9 a pair.

The design is well considered, the legs are made unshaped with the toe and sole reinforced and in the contrast black colour. An ingenious use of the double layering knitting to add design as well as strength. The reinforced foot runs into a pyramid heel detail that gives a transition to the seam. The seams run to the waistband.

Mostly sheer to waist, these tights have T-band reinforcement in the panty; that is heavier, stronger material either side of the central flat seam, around the lined gusset and as a finger band. The T-band detailing is in the contrast colour, as is the waistband. 

Sizing is frequently the Achilles’ Heel of one size tights. At first, we thought JA had failed to put the idea off with this style. However, with patience, we did manage to get our test pair to fit a model right at the top end of the size range. See our page How to Put Your Tights On for details of how.

Once on all our previous doubts were dispelled. The knitting faults were thankfully not visible on the nude material. The seam ran straight and was very well defined; the contrast detailing in the panty was a suitable alternative to panties. Only one grumble remained, the reinforced toe was longer on one foot than the other. But we would wear this style with closed-toe shoes anyway.

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