Category: Solidea

None of us knew what to expect from Solidea’s range of fashion support hosiery; least of all Miss Saba, who had never worn any sort of support tights before. She was an instant convert, describing these as the most comfortable tights she had ever worn.

Solidea tights generally come in two weights, 30 and 70 denier. We expected this to be heavy and very heavy. Still, We were pleasantly surprised to discover that the Naomi 70 tights did not feel heavy at all. So we approached this 30 denier style full of anticipation.

There are 6 sizes to choose from 1 to 5XXL, the sequence from S to XXL has to be watched with some care as 4 is L, then 4XL is XL and 5XXL is XXL, so 4 is in their twice. The range of heights and weights catered for is vast, so everyone should have a perfect size. Our test pair in size 4 was an ideal fit and perfectly sized.

Whereas the Naomi style had a lace panty design, the Venere is sheer to the waist. Detailing is first-rate with a lightly reinforced toe and a textured area under the foot to stimulate blood flow and massage the fall of your foot. Flat seams and a cotton-lined gusset combine with a soft waistband to ensure the best fit and a high comfort level.

These tights have all the characteristics of premium brand sheer hosiery. Indeed it is premium quality sheer hosiery with the bonus of graduated compression to keep your legs light and happy. Everyone who has tried our test pair has loved how they look and how they feel. So much quality really should command a premium price, so the £13.95 price tag is a big plus. If you like the semi-opaque look with a hint of sheen, you will struggle to find a better example for the same money.

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There was a time when £21.25 was right at the very top of the price range for tights. Support hosiery also came from your doctor and was as sexy as leprosy, but times change. Now £21.25 is barely more than you would pay for some mid-market fashion tights, and you get top quality hosiery for that money from Solidea.

Flat seams in the panty, sheer to waist, a cotton-lined gusset, a textured sole to put a spring in your step and aloe vera to keep your skin moisturised. There is nothing more that we could ask for at any price. We do get more, though because, of course, these are medical-grade support tights too.

There are five sizes to choose from. Solidea provides an excellent size chart that lets you consider height and weight and the ankle, lower thigh and upper thigh measurements. The sizing is spot on. As everyone who has ever tried compression hosiery knows, it isn’t easy to get on, and you feel constricted. Well, prepare to be surprised. Saba described these as easy to put on and about the most comfortable tights she had ever worn.

Graduated compression means you are slimmed at the ankle, and blood flow is encouraged to make your lower legs feel lighter and fresher. Graduated compression also means that the panty is well-fitting but not controlling.

As for how they look, you can see for yourself that they match any opaque with perfect even colour. There has seldom been as much competition to take our test sample home as we have had for these tights; whether you need the compression or not, you should try them. And if you are standing or sitting a lot of the day, you really should try them. They could save you from needing them in the future.

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We like to think that we have learned a little about tights over the years we have been reviewing. But compression hosiery is something we do not see much of. For most brands, if they do support or compression styles, they are a tiny part of their business for older customers alongside their high volume fashion and sheer styles. For Solidea, their compression range is their sheer and fashion range.

Sizing is critical for this type of hosiery, and three are no fewer than 6 sizes to choose from. Sizes are based on a combination of height, weight, ankle size, calf size, and thigh size. Our test sample came in size 4, so we recruited a new model to help with the testing, which in theory, at least was the perfect shape and size.

Although 70 denier Naomi 70 are not opaque, semi-opaque at most. Fibre weight is constant from hip to toe, but the knit constantly varies such that once on your leg. You have even finished and colour and compression that graduates from quite firm at the ankle to almost nothing at the top of the thigh.

 

Solidea tights are complex pieces of engineering design and beautifully made fashion garments. The foot features a sheer toe with a run stop feature from covering for the unlikely event of a hole developing in the toe; under the ball of your foot, there is a textured patch to massage your foot and provide grip in your shoes. Unlike some other Solidea tights, the Naomi style has a complete control top. Bikini cut features flat seams, a cotton-lined gusset and a medium pressure tummy control panel.

As soon as you put your foot into these tights, you start to feel refreshed. There is no doubting their value as support tights for tired legs. Our new model, who had never tried this type of hosiery before, was blown away by how wonderful they felt. Fit and sizing are simply perfect, and the finish is flawless. The control top not only helps to flatten your tummy. But it is opaque enough to be worn without underwear when you want a smooth silhouette with no VPL.

The look on the leg is like a top-quality 30-40 semi-opaque. There is no clue that these are both 70 denier and compression tights. It is highly recommended whether you need the compression or not.

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Compression hosiery is just for old ladies with oedema, and varicose veins, isn’t it? Well, no, actually it isn’t! What is true is that very many of those old ladies would not have those conditions now if earlier in their lives they had worn some sort of compression hosiery to help their circulation. Compression hosiery can help men, but Solidea aims its designs firmly at the female fashion market. They aim to give you the benefits of compression tights without anyone looking at your legs to tell you that that is what you are wearing.

So who should be wearing compression hosiery? Well, if you spend a large part of your day either sitting or standing still, or you regularly fly long haul, or if you find your legs feeling heavy at the end of the day, then you should try compression tights; you will be amazed. There are several choices in weight and degree of compression. Naomi 30 is a semi-opaque style offering relatively low levels of compression. From a fashion perspective, 30 denier is one of the most flattering weights of hosiery.

Detailing is first-rate. The panty is cut high on the hips and is designed to control and shape your tummy; it has flat seams and a cotton-lined gusset for optimum comfort and freshness. The feet feature a pad under the ball of the foot for comfort and a reinforced toe for durability. Compression tights are hard to put on. Well, not really if you follow the instructions on the card in the packet and take things slowly. The other advice would be to roll them back to the ankle and start again if they come up short, never pull, leave them on for 10 minutes, and try again after your body heats warms them up, so they stretch better. One more thing; for maximum benefit, put them on as soon after you get up as possible.

Even with the relatively light compression, you can feel energy surge up your legs when you put these tights on. You do feel lighter. The fit is excellent and the sizing accurate, although you can steal a few inches of length if you have slim to average legs. As compression tights, these work, but what of their fashion credentials? As you can see in the photo, the colour density is very good and perfectly even. The look and feel are right up there with the very best fashion brands.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is the price. The pricing is very competitive compared to similar quality fashion brands, sufficiently so that we would recommend these as a top choice in semi-opaque tights whether you need the compression or not.

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At first glance, you could be forgiven for seeing Solidea as another Italian fashion hosiery brand. But a closer look at the packet pictured above soon tells you it is not. Firstly, the word “compression” and then little symbols on the picture show the compression levels up the leg. Of course, you can also see that these are patterned tights, so we have fashion and compression together. The “12/15 mmHg Class A” label confirms that these are not just any old support tights. They are serious tights with a medical function.

The tights themselves give no immediate clue as to their therapeutic capabilities. Look and feel are just like any other good quality patterned opaque tights. Detailing is first-rate with flat seams and a cotton-lined gusset in the panty and legs patterned from the plain waistband to the plain reinforced toes.

Only when you start to put them on do you notice how firmly they resist your attempts to stretch them, particularly in the area of the ankle. The size chart details 5 sizes designed to cover heights from 125cm to 180cm (4’10” – 5’10”) and weights from 45kg to 105kg (100lb – 220lb). In addition, a range of circumferences is specified at the ankle, lower thigh and upper thigh. We have never seen a depth of sizing detail before, which makes perfect sense in a compression garment.

A cartoon on the card gives step by step instructions for putting these tights on; we suggest you follow them too, as any flaw in your technique will leave you struggling. Surprisingly, given the patience and technique required to get these tights on, you feel a lightness of the leg rather than a squeeze once they are in place. This depends very much on correct sizing, of course. Solidea makes their tights exactly in accordance with the size chart. You need to read the chart carefully to get the right size for your legs.

As compression tights, they work, and they feel like they would give months or years of wear. As fashion tights, they work too, a match for any pure fashion brand. If you spend a lot of time on your feet and need support tights, or your doctor has advised you to wear compression hosiery for circulatory problems, this style is for you. Nobody will have any clue that you are not wearing pure fashion hosiery. Not cheap, at £19.99 but great value.

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