Month: February 2020

There is an old joke that you can wait an hour for a bus and then two come along together. It seems the same is true of ultra-sheer pantyhose. The Wolford Individual 10 Tights were the first pair of 5 denier tights we had seen in years. Today we find a pair of 5 denier sheers from Levante.

The first things that we notice are that these are specially designed so as not to run. Whereas the Wolfords used quality to stop threads failing, and these are 75% cheaper! So the question is, are four pairs of Levante Resitanza 5 Tights better value than one pair of Wolford Individual 10?

First impressions are good. Sheer to waist with flat seams and a cotton-lined gusset. Lightly shaped at the heel and finished with an entirely sheer sandal toe. The panty has T-band detailing, that is reinforced material either side of the seams and then slightly heavier a finger band to give a strong transition to the waistband.

You have a choice of three sizes. Medium, Tall and Extra Tall and four colours, black, grey and two natural shades. We tested the paler of the two natural shades, which is called “Enhance” as it is the closest to the tan shade for most ladies in the UK.

Even the largest size does not look overly big. But the sizing was accurate. Although if you are long in the leg, you may find they come up slightly short.

The look and fit on the leg are both perfect. Indeed, Levante has also managed to produce run resisting tights that feel soft to the touch too. As to the price, very competitive in the current market, but we can’t score them well for value for money.  

The critical thing about these tights is their resistance to running and not for the first time with ladder resisting tights we had a catastrophic failure. Our model got the tights on OK. When bending and stretching afterwards to see how comfortable the tights would be through an active day, there was a pop around the gusset. The hole extended through the reinforced strip and into the sheer top of the leg.   

True there was no actual run but the tights were entirely ruined, after taking them off we measured the horizontal hole where a single line of thread had failed at 8cm.

So 25% of the price of a pair of those gorgeous Wolford tights spent and we never got past putting our tights on. Our tip: forget run resisting tights and buy tights from a manufacturer who uses top quality yarns. If you can’t afford the top brands, buy traditional mid-market like Falke. Also, carry a spare pair for when you do get a run.

For more Levante Tights, click here. For more reviews, click here.

Support tights do not form a large part of our collection. Still, as the medium support version of Levante Relax was one of the few pairs of tights from Levante that we were unable to give a positive rating, we thought we would look at this firm support version to see if it could redeem them.

Sizing in this style goes from small to XX-Tall. The size chart suggests buying a larger size if in doubt. As soon as you open the packet, you can see the contrast between the heavy crepe finish support brief and the more sheer leg.

Unwrapped from the card these tights look big, particularly in the panty area, although the feet look very short. In the XX-Tall size, these tights have a rear panel rather than a gusset. There is no indication on the packaging as to which size the change occurs. Seams are well made, but not flat. The heel is a proper shaped (pendulum) heel, woven in and reinforced. Despite our initial concern, the heel was correctly placed even on a larger foot.

Fit is perfect, aside from the back panel in brief, unless you are very large in the bottom you will get very little support in this area because of the size of it. We tried these tights on a model with 44” hips, and they said the panty was too big. If you want some support in the brief area, we suggest you buy based on height.

The legs feel good, but we would rate the support as light to medium only. Notwithstanding the comments above these tights are very comfortable and look very lovely on the leg with right even colour. We were put very much in mind of Falke Vitality by the look and feel on the legs. The Falke tights are more expensive but are sheer to waist.

For more Levante Tights, click here. For more reviews, click here.

It seems like an age since we reviewed a new sheer style from Levante. With all the patterns and opaques that are currently in vogue, it is easy to forget that sheers are still the foundation of the hosiery business. We were particularly pleased to see the Platino name appear as previous styles under this name were much requested.

As is usual for Levante, the sizing is based mainly on height. In this case, there are three sizes, medium (up to 5’7”), tall (up to 5’9”) and x-tall (up to 6’1”). Although the size chart also suggests increasing weight and hip measurement as you go up the sizes. Our test pair was a tall pair.

The “fine-weave” mentioned in the packet notes is evident as soon as you open the packet. The very finely knit legs are shaped at the heel and finished with a sandal toe. Sheer to waist, the fine sheer material extends up to a shallow finger band that gives transition to the 3cm deep waistband. In the panty, there are flat seams and a cotton-lined gusset. You will notice that we said sandal toe, not for the first time Levante packet notes and contents don’t quite match; in this case that is a good thing as the sandal toe is far more suitable for summer.

Sizing is accurate but not generous. The Lycra gives a perfect fit from hip to toe. Colour is perfectly even with just a slight sheen in the right light. Our test pair was in the shade called “enhance”. Correctly named as the effect of these tights is to enhance the look of your legs rather than to dress them fully. They feel as good as they look, and if you cross your legs, they sound very near as good as they feel. Excellent value at £4.45, highly recommended.

For more Levante Tights, click here. For more reviews, click here.

When we first looked at this style some years ago control hosiery and shaping panties were something that nobody admitted to wearing. In recent months, however, shaping has become chic with many celebrities endorsing their particular secret. What nude control tights should do for you is to shape, but keep your secret a secret even from your very closest friend.

Since we last looked at these tights, there has been a change in packet design and a slight change in the fibre mix. So have the tights changed for the better?

The first thing you notice is that these tights feel quite light, much lighter than typical control tops. Opening them out, they look just like any other good quality sheer to waist tights. The brief is finished with flat seams and a cotton-lined gusset. There is only a narrow strip of reinforcement either side of the seams to increase durability. The support continues around under the waistband providing a shallow finger band.

The legs are shaped at the heel and finished with sandal toes. There is no hint of the control and support as you start to put these tights on. But once you get them above your knees, you realise that the brief is very slim fitting and quite shockingly not in the least bit invisible. The control top is visible and is in a boxer brief style. Levante has either had an aberration in redesigning these tights or the pair we have been in the wrong packet.

The legs look great and provide gentle support, and we love the sandal toes. The fit is perfect if a little slim fitting in brief. But nude control that is not nude is a bit of a problem. As regular control top tights, we would happily recommend these, but if you want the “invisible control” look, you would be much better with Aristoc Invisible Toner Tights.

Some design ideas come around time and again, and tights with spots are one of the oldest and most recurrent; a pair in blue from the early 1980s springs to mind for some reason. There are certainly times when the spot pattern works very well. We are not going to linger on the design, just the quality, as with any classic it is how it is delivered that counts.

Full marks to Levante for continuing with their three size system of medium, tall and extra tall. But we do wonder why it is that medium and tall are both intended to fit up to 5’9”. Not that the name matters, and 5’9” (175cm) is tall. We tested the extra tall size to fit up to 6’2” or 185cm.

Levante’s packet notes tell about the values of the collection but nothing about the tights. Perfect for us as it gives us lots to say. We were expecting sheer tights, but these are a kind of Micronet style made with plain reinforced toes and unshaped legs. The net with spot pattern runs to the narrow finger band below the waistband. The panty is finished with a cotton-lined gusset and flat seams flanked by thin plain strips for strength.

As well as the height and weight Levante suggest a range of hip sizes for each size, in our experience a more reliable metric than weight when sizing tights. The sizing is accurate, but we would suggest that if you are borderline on the hip measurement, you go up one size for optimum comfort. The hip sizing is as below:

• Medium 38”-40” or 77-102 cm
• Tall 38”-44” or 97-112 cm
• X-Tall 42”-48” or 107-122 cm

The spots do look effective on the Micronet background, and Levante has managed the trick of keeping the spots circular pretty well everywhere. If you like spots, then you will struggle to find a better made and more sophisticated example.

For more Levante Tights, click here. For more reviews, click here.

So here we are in the second week of February approaching the beginning of the English spring. So what are we reviewing today? Of course, tights that suit the weather, 60 denier opaques! The satin-smooth nature of these tights is apparent as soon as you take them from the packet. There is something far more exciting about smooth opaque tights rather than microfibre.

These are sheer to waist tights, or should that be opaque to waist tights, normal weight from the seam at the toe, up the slightly shaped legs, through the panty and up to the waistband. The panty is finished with flat seams and a cotton-lined gusset. There is a general air of quality.

The fit is perfect; these tights are accurately sized and give no hint of bagging or sagging. Colour is perfectly even, but we did notice that although the panty feels like the legs, it is noticeably darker. Fortunately, the line is high enough up that it would only be visible with the most indecently short shorts or skirts.

The look on the legs is satin rather than glossy and as Levante say you can get a hint of skin tone through them. For a bit of fun, we tried our black test pair over a pair of bright orange Fiore Sandra Tights. The glossiness and bright colour did shine through and transformed the look. The moire pattern caused by wearing two pairs of tights was eye-catching.

Everyone should have a few pairs of Levante Luxury Satin Tights in their wardrobe, warm and durable, and so much more.

For more Levante Tights, click here. For more reviews, click here.

Back in the early time of Tights Fashion, Levante alone were making unique fashion hosiery, and cheap and basic sheers and opaques dominated the declining hosiery market. So now with exciting designs and top quality from around the World, how do Levante stack up?

First off, great to see that they have stayed with a three size sizing scheme, and retained medium, tall and extra tall as their sizing. Levante continues to be an excellent choice for tall girls. Everything we expect from a quality Italian maker is here, flat seams in the panty, a cotton-lined gusset and a neatly seamed toe with no reinforcement.

Denier is quite hard to judge, but we estimate that the panty and side of the legs is 15-20 denier and the opaque parts of the leg are 40-50 denier appearance.

Sizing is spot on with plenty of lengths, and the fit is excellent from hip to toe. Visually these tights are stunning. The heavier parts are matt finish and have perfectly even colour density. The pattern is well defined and draws the eye while enhancing the shape of your leg. The sheer panty means that there is almost a hold-up stocking look to the effect.

When tights have a boxer brief on sheer legs, we caution you to wear a skirt or shorts long enough to cover the brief. Here with a sheer boxer shaped brief on top of fashion tights give in to the temptation to go short!

Certainly a match for any fashion tights on the market, better quality than House of Holland from Pretty Polly and more wearable (safer) than Trasparenze.

For more Levante Tights, click here. For more reviews, click here.

We can’t help but feel that in early February we should be reviewing ultra-thick tights. Or debating whether hold up, stockings (or even tan tights) are suitable alternatives. However, here in England at least, we are started to see a bit of the Sun. So unless you have been on holiday, you will probably have seen very little of the Sun. So, always keen to match hosiery to the season, we are looking at a fashion net design from Levante.

There are just two sizes to choose from small/medium and tall/extra tall. We have long (literally) been a fan of the extra tall size from Levante, ideal for the leggier lady. Here we can forgive the reduction to two sizes as net tights, particularly those with 12% or more Lycra have masses of stretch. As well as suggesting combinations of height and weight for each size, the chart gives guidance on hip sizing too.

Construction is relatively typical of net tights. The straight legs are finished with a small plain reinforced toe for durability and comfort, and there is a plain waistband. We might have expected a gusset from Levante, but these tights are closed with a small seam (around 2cm long) between the legs.

Sizing is accurate, and Levante has managed to make net tights where the waistband sits on your waist rather than seemingly heading up to your armpits. To wear the feel is typical of fishnets.

The look, however, is not typically fishnet. The design provides a much lighter effect than the uniform coverage of the standard fishnet. The inclusion of some grey fibre in with the black adds to this. What we have here are very soft tights that will cover up your lack of tan. Works well with darker fashions all year round and even replace standard black fishnets for wearing at parties in the colder months (the ones meant to be cold).

Our only reservation with Levante Gigi tights is the price, £14.00 seems a little steep.

For more Levante Tights, click here. For more reviews, click here.

Class is a style that endures from season to season, or more correctly a set of styles as Levante class tights are made both in sheer to waist and in regular “boxer” brief style. Mostly they have reinforced toes, but some are made with a sheer sandal toe. Read the packets carefully as they use the same picture on all styles.

In previous years we have looked at the sheer to waist version, this time we are looking at the regular brief version in the new packaging. Construction is quite basic, boxer-style brief as expected, finished with a cotton gusset as expected, but the flat seams of earlier years are gone. The legs are completely straight and finished with reinforced toes.
Sizing is in line with the published chart, but not overly generous in length.

Fit is excellent with no bagging or sagging, the finish on the leg is slightly glossy with perfectly even colour. Quite smooth to the touch on the leg. The matt finish brief is quite unremarkable, but these are not tights for occasions when anyone sees. Good everyday tights, but not the same class as the sheer to waist version we reviewed previously.

Levante Class seems to cover quite a variety of styles. The standard available as of now is the version with a boxer brief and a reinforced toe.
They are not the basic style but a variation that is sheer to waist, although still with a reinforced toe.

It seemed to take ages to get a pair of these for review. The problem was that Helen had them on for work almost as soon as they were bought. The first impression on opening the packet is of quality, smooth, soft yarn, shaped heel, flat seams and a cotton gusset. The finish is smooth and glossy, and the fit is perfect. The classy look gives a glossy sheen to leg. So sheer, they are crystal clear.

Levante Class seems to cover quite a variety of styles. The standard available as of now is the version with a boxer brief and a reinforced toe. This pair purchased from UK Tights only cost £1.99 in Tall. They are not the basic style but a variation that is sheer to waist and a sheer toe.

The first impression on opening the packet is of quality, smooth, soft yarn, shaped heel, flat seams and a cotton gusset. The finish is smooth and glossy, fit is very good in the right size.

For more Levante Tights, click here. For more reviews, click here

Since we last looked at this style, the packaging and price have changed, but the fibre mix and design features have not. We must say that we love the picture on the new packet. It is proof if ever that, even if it was the hot look for 2008, it still works today.

We described these tights as “not exceptional” in the past, which was a little unkind. It is apparent as soon as you take them out of the packet that they are good quality. They feel light and soft in hand, and the black pair we tested had the look of classic nylons. The dark look is perfect for any sort of smart evening wear. It works best with evening gowns, so try them with those long black dresses.

Entirely sheer to waist with no reinforcement either at the toes or either side of the flat body seam and only small cotton-lined gusset, these are perfectly detailed tights for evening or day wear with the shortest of skirts or shorts. The 3 cm deep waistband and 2 cm deep finger band below it should ensure a good fit and improve durability.

Sizing is not overly generous. Even with 16% Lycra, there is not enough stretch to go beyond the sizes on the size chart. Stay within the sizes Levante quote on the packet, and you will be rewarded with a near-perfect fit. No bagging at the knee or ankle and excellent even colour.

Quite soft to the touch with just enough texture to give a little “swish” when you cross your legs. Very nice tights that we are happy to recommend for work and play. Helen, one of our good friends, wore a pair to an evening event. They looked stunning with her black evening dress, and they stayed comfortable all evening.

For more Levante Tights, click here. For more reviews, click here.