
The Best Options For Black & Asian Skin
Let me tell you a little bit about my relationship with the colour ‘nude’. Most of the time as a child I didn’t even realise that my ballet shoes and plasters were even supposed to be skin-coloured. They were never anywhere close to my hue and therefore seemed like a bit of a random beige choice (if you need any more evidence of my naivety, I only just realised this last year). The mainstream definition of nude is probably a whole other post in itself…
I’d managed to avoid the stresses of finding nude tights for a while, purely because I was in my crazy brights phase and didn’t even contemplate going for a bit of a minimal look. When that day did come however, I did the thing I always did when it came to anything shade-related and asked my Mum. She probably said something like ‘You can either buy this really specific M&S pair that you have to order online or make do with the generic ‘nearly black’ shade.’ Cue me buying my pairs four at a time whenever I remembered and even getting my Nan to hunt down the colour ‘Cocoa’ in her local branch.
Nude tights tend to get a bit of a bad rap when it comes to the fashion magazines, but it seems they’re rarely referring to darker skin tones. There’s a certain American Tan association not to mention Nora Batty. I however swear by them in times of freezing or confusing weather and they’re a practical option if you want that ‘fashion’ look but don’t have unlimited Uber funds. The key is to find a decent sheer quality that matches your skin tone and since a few new companies have popped up, I thought I’d share a few options I swear by (for your reference I’m a Mac Matchmaster 8.0, YSL B80 and Nars Polynesia). Most of the time people can’t even spot them, so I get weird looks if I appear bare-legged in February (when in reality I’ve got three pairs on).
Bianca Miller
Price: £12
Where can you buy them: Online, Topshop & Little Black Dress
How many shades: Of 8, 4 are for darker skin tones
I tried: Chocolate
Denier: 15
So I championed this Apprentice finalist back in 2014 and now I’m wearing her tights! I’m so glad that Bianca Miller managed to secure funding and get the right balance of skin tones for the final range. I decided to pop into Topshop to work out my shade and spent a good few minutes trying to decide between Chestnut and Chocolate.
My tip is to go slightly darker if you’re stuck, as a lighter colour tends to look a bit ashy. These are perhaps a little darker than I’d like but a lovely quality nonetheless with that all-important reinforced toe (I did manage to get a hole in the heel on the second wear though). This is probably a brand worth trying if you’re one of those ‘in-betweeny’ shades regardless of race (they go from a Dita Von Teese powder shade to gorgeous Lupita).
Verdict – I had high hopes but have found better shade options elsewhere
M&S
Price: £6
Where can you buy them: M&S, obvs.
How many shades: 4, but only Cocoa is suitable for my skin tone
I tried: Obviously Cocoa
Denier: 7
Good old M&S. This is the pair that I’ve probably been wearing for the last few years, they come in at a cheap and cheerful £6 and they boast a unique fabrication that prevents ladders forming when you get a hole. They’re pretty tough, but slightly darker than my skin tone. It’s not in a super-obvious way, it just looks a bit like me with a bit of a tan.
My only gripe is that I have found them hard to track down in store, plus they have such a specific, long-winded name that you could quite easily end up buying the wrong pair. Cocoa in any of their other styles is a completely different colour. There’s only one generic shade for darker skin tones, which you could probably get away with it if you’re darker than me but forget it if you’re more of a Beyonce.
Verdict – Great value but please make them easier to find! A reinforced toe would be nice too. Please.
Nubian Skin
Price: £8.50
Where can you buy them: Online, Figleaves, ASOS, Amazon, Fenwick Bond Street, Selected House Of Fraser stores
How many shades: 4
I tried: Cinnamon
Denier: 10
Founded by Ade Hassan, this Nubian Skin is probably the brand that has received the most worldwide coverage thanks to them also producing underwear for darker skin tones. I was pleased to find them on ASOS (though stocks seem to be dwindling, please don’t leave), which is handy if you’re a fan of last-minute Premier Delivery plus they have a fair amount of IRL stockists.
This is probably the most accurate colour match and the airbrushed effect makes my pins look like the best version of themselves (it helps that my beloved YSL foundation is listed as a colour match). I have bought a few pairs in the past though and ended up chucking them after the first wear after getting holes in the toes. Perhaps this was just me having several bad days. They are one of the few brands that offers plus sizes, which has to be applauded.
Verdict – The perfect colour, I just need to be very careful and keep those talons trimmed
Ownbrown
Price: £9
Where can you buy them: Online
How many shades: 4
I tried: Kimya (not quite Kimye, but close)
Denier: 20
Ownbrown is probably one of the more little-known brands but there’s a really nice sisterhood kinda message that comes through on their branding and social media. I believe that these are made in the same Italian factories as high-end brands and they’re a whopping 20 denier, which makes the British Winter a little more bearable.
Again, these are a great colour match and probably one of the more durable pairs. They can be a little harder to track down though, I did order a fresh pair for this post but there was a bit of an issue with delivery. Fingers crossed for more stockists!
Verdict – Good quality but can be tricky to track down
So I’ve shared all of my secrets with you now! Does anyone else have the struggle too? In a similar way to foundation, your success with some of these will depend on your undertone and personal preference. It can also be tricky to try some of these styles if you’re not based in London and can’t see an exact foundation shade match (all brands deliver worldwide but be sure to factor in the shipping costs). I’m pleased that there are more options out there and I wish these independent brands well, but plenty more can be done when it comes to mainstream retailers.
Which pair do you prefer? I’ll probably be stocking up on Ownbrown with M&S as a backup and praying for no holes in awkward places…
Thankyou so much for this! I’ve been trying to find tights in my shade for a while but it felt like such a minefield, glad I’ve got some reliable advice to go on!
This was such an interesting read! I’m glad you’ve been able to track down some tights the suit your skin tone 🙂 Sophie x
sophiehmstewart.com
This is so helpful, thank you so much for sharing!
Anika | anikamay.co.uk
Great post and outfit, Kristabel! As a darker skinned girl myself, this was super helpful 🙂
About bloody time. I cant believe we are only getting these in 2016!!! Companies need to start doing better. Better late than never, I guess.
I can’t thank you enough for this post. It’s well written and very informative. Love the celebrity colour chart too. From a Dita to a Lupita.
I’ve tried the M&S one but because of the issue of finding the right shade, I’ve been hesitant to get Nubian Skin or Brianaca Millers (fear of looking ashy)
Ah I’m glad it was useful! My tip is to go a little darker if you’re unsure, as ashy seems to be synonymous with wearing something that’s too light. Good luck!
Amazing shoes!!!
https://fromalbawithlove.com
Great post! So informative for us with darker skintones, it’e easy to end up being a slave to one brand because there appears to be no alternative! John Lewis do tights in the colour Sable, super cheap (15 denier, 3 in a box for £6) but those also need toe reinforcements. It’s a common affliction. Thanks for sharing, I will try others!
Hi have you tried Gypsy Ultra sheer (blue/purple Packet) in chocolate they are not easy to find but they are £2.25 direct from the supplier Gypsy or online tights retailers
This brand of sheer tights are also great for darker skin tones.
https://www.pendeza-pantyhose.com/
Thanks for sharing, I wasn’t aware of this brand!
This brand has been around for a few years. You should try them. They have 5 skin tones and a black tone in several different sizes. They are sheer and comfortable to wear.
There’s another UK brand called Skin Hosiery! I’ve been wearing them for about 2 years now and they are definitely my fav! I believe they have 4 or 5 shades and go all the way to XXL so I didn’t have to do the whole pulling up in public thing 🙂
http://www.skinhosiery.com or instagram.com/skinhosiery
There is also another brand of tights for women of colour in 5 skin shades 15D with the encolor tights range for more information you can check out sales@encolorfashions.com
Thats cool
ENCOLOR Fashions are proud to present five shades of hosiery for darker skin shades, women of colour have always had trouble finding the right tights to suit their skin colour, with the encolor tights range they can now choose the right skin tone tights to match the colour of their leg.
As said before encolor tights, colours are good, with reinforced toes. check out http://www.encolorfashions.com. I will personally send you a pair in your colour shade for your review
“I didn’t even realise that my ballet shoes and plasters were even supposed to be skin-coloured”
Oh God. I didn’t even know they were meant to be flesh-coloured until…right now.
Have you heard about Encolor tights, which are in 6 coloure check out http://www.encolorfashions.com