I tried 4 “fixes” for cold legs in a dress. One worked. Here are the 7 reasons.
I want to save you the time and money I wasted.
Eva D.Winter Wise editor · writes about dressing for the cold
I'm always cold. Really. At the office I'm wearing a cardigan by September, and at home I sit with my back against the radiator in the evening.
So every year went the same way. In early October my dresses disappeared to the back of the closet and the jeans came out. Until April. Six winters in the same uniform.
I really did try. Sheer tights, thick wool tights, leggings under my dress and yes, two pairs of tights on top of each other. Four misses. One worked.
That turned out to be the Fleece Tights from Monavida: sheer tights on the outside, fleece on the inside. Why those, in seven points.
From the outside they look like regular sheer tights
This mattered most to me. I just don't like thick, matte tights. Honestly: in a pair like that under a dress I feel twelve.
These look like sheer tights, with that little sheen on your knee. For the photo I only pulled them on halfway. On the left the Fleece Tights, on the right my own leg. You only notice the fleece when you're right on top of it.
Inside there's soft fleece, all the way into the feet
I didn't believe it at first. The evening they arrived, I sat on the edge of my bed and turned them inside out right away. The whole inside is soft fleece. The feet too.
On, they feel like soft leggings, without the itch of wool tights. You look sheer and you're snugly wrapped up. A few weeks in, I still find that the strangest part.
No more thick wool tights that make your dress sag
Attempt two was thick wool tights. Warm, sure. But I stood in front of the mirror and saw my first-grade teacher. My favorite dress completely collapsed on them, so off they came.
Leggings were attempt three. My daughter looked once and just said: “Mom.” I looked like I was headed to the gym. And two pairs of sheer tights on top of each other? Then you've got two waistbands cutting into your stomach. After lunch all I did was tug at them.
The waistband comes up above your belly button
You know the kind: a thin elastic that gets stuck somewhere halfway down your hips. Then you spend all day fiddling with it.
These have a high, wide, ribbed waistband that comes up above my belly button. Under a sweater dress you can't see a thing.
You pick the shade for your skin
There are four shades: Light, Tan, Bronze and Deep. From the outside all four look like dark sheer tights. The difference is in how much of your skin shows through.
My tip: choose for your own skin, not for what you think looks nice. I have fair skin and wear Light. On me they look almost black, and I actually like that.
The Fleece Tights, $29.95 per pair in a 3-Pack
From Monavida, the brand where over 105,000 women have already bought a bra.
- Look like sheer tights
- Fleece inside
- With feet
- High, wide waistband
Honestly, I was skeptical. But with the 30-day perfect fit guarantee I could just give them a try.
See the Fleece Tights →
One pair for the bike, the office and Christmas dinner
Last year I stood at the bike rack at a quarter past eight, rubbing my knees. Sheer tights. This year I bike through the same wind with my coat open.
And they go everywhere with me. Under a skirt to the office, under a sweater dress on the couch on Sundays, and soon to Christmas dinner at my mother-in-law's. It's always drafty there. This year without a blanket over my knees.
My dresses and skirts are coming out of the closet again
I had six dresses. Between October and April I didn't wear a single one. One still hangs there with the price tag on.
Last week it rained. I sat at my desk in a skirt, and my coworker looked at my legs from inside her turtleneck. “Aren't you cold?”
“Nope.” And I just took another sip of coffee.
A few practical things
There are four sizes, from XS/S to 2XL/3XL. I'm 5'7" and wear M/L. The fabric stretches a lot. Stuck between two sizes? Go for the bigger one.
Up close you can tell they're a bit thicker; that's the fleece. My coworker only believed it once she got to feel my knee.
In a laundry bag, so they don't snag on anything.
Then you exchange them or get your money back. That's what the 30-day perfect fit guarantee is for.
Do your dresses hang in the closet all winter too? Then you know what to look for now: sheer on the outside, fleece on the inside, with feet and a high waistband. I found them here:
Save $10 per pair in a 3-Pack · 30-day perfect fit guarantee
