This is one matter of etiquette we’ve been puzzling over for a while now: Is it appropriate to wear tights with all those strappy sandals you lavished so much money on in the warmer months? The alternative – packing them away for a non-rainy day – is certainly a sad one. But as open-toe shoes have reached record levels of popularity, women have been wearing them with tights even when it’s cold, as we saw at the Oceana benefit on the Upper East recently.
Good news: Net-a-Porter, one of many shopping sites to add editorial content, has given tights and strappy sandals their official “fashion seal of approval” in their latest magazine. They may just be trying to move shoes, but the fact that Net-a-Porter founder Natalie Massenet got her start as a fashion editor at Tatler, W, and WWD (and made millions selling her own good taste), gives the proclamation some credence.
This development may horrify fashion etiquette hardliners like Kathleen Turner’s famously strict character in Serial Mom. What’s next, white shoes after Labor Day? Actually, these Marni two-tone sandals ($865) on Net-a-Porter sure look good with gray tights.
Email 
Twitter 
RSS 
Facebook
bellastraniera
a.k.a. Marcy Swingle - obsessed with food and fashion.
But what if your shoes are not black or black white, my open toes are a rich burgundy, nice for Fall, but it is cold in my office and I’m wearing like grayish black hose and I do feel worried I look dumb. Do the tights/hose have to match the open toe shoe? The rest my outfit is gray and navy, I wore the shoes to add pop of color. I dunno how else to wear colorful shoes, I don’t like to get all matchy matchy.
Personally I think the tights should match the skirt/dress and contrast with the shoe, so you are probably doing the right thing! Neutral tights like black, gray and navy are best unless you’re a master mixer-matcher who can handle all kinds of colors in one outfit.