Colored socks, the coordinated look trend is back in spring

Colored and matchy-matchy socks, the return of the coordinated look

Remember when “matched” was a pejorative expression? Bottega Veneta’s fault, or perhaps Barbie’s fault, but head-to-toe color coordination is no longer an indication of someone trying too hard, in fact it’s right on trend. Just ask Kendall Jenner, who sported an all-burgundy Bottega look in February, thus contributing to the rehabilitation of such a mistreated garment: colored tights.

Once upon a time, the bare leg was always the preferred option for fashion girls, even in February. Even the opaque black tights, probably harmless, to some (including the team at Vogue) were anathema. But last winter, once again with the help of the Jenner sisters, he saw a change.

First Kylie, who attended the Loewe spring summer 2023 fashion show in Paris last October wearing black tights, then her older sister Kendall who came out with a simple Bottega sweater, black tights and stiletto heels. And it wasn’t just that they were wearing pantyhose, but that they were wearing Alone pantyhose: there was no trace of skirt or pants under Kylie’s baggy coat or over Kendall’s Bottega Veneta panties.

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The Gen-Z queens’ decision to highlight hosiery (a rebellious look pioneered by Warhol muse Edie Sedgwick in the 1960s) reflects what’s happening on the runways, with brands like Valentino to Victoria Beckham – among others – who presented authoritative stockings. But before we go all black tights, it’s worth noting that subsequent celeb outings suggest it might be time to consider brighter hosiery.

Colored socks: total white

Until recently, perhaps the most famous fan of white pantyhose was Rudolf Nureyev… or the nurse Ratched (the villain of the new Netflix thriller series, also appeared in the 1975 film by Milos Forman One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest). That all changed in February, when supermodel Gigi Hadid strolled through New York wearing white tights with a matching white blazer, Mary-Janes as snow-white as her sunglasses. For the past few weeks, Victoria Beckham has swapped out her vinyl pants for white fishnet stockings from her spring collection.

Colored socks: total red

The rainbow of colors continued with American actress Anya Taylor-Joy, who sported a scarlet minidress by Magda Butrym, paired with a shiny red trench coat, red shoes and tights. Last week, Anne Hathaway hit a party in Tokyo wearing a bold purple Valentino minidress with matching pantyhose and platform sandals, and she’s just the latest in a string of celebs eager to dive into the extravagant pantyhose trend.

“There’s something so satisfying about pairing tights with your look,” says Julia Hobbs, senior fashion projects editor at Vogue Club, which recently tested the trend of extreme coordination with a total look by Valentino, tights with logo included. “It’s a lot of fun to wear, a little Amber style from Girls in Beverly Hills. I recently showed off the complete look from Valentino’s Unboxing Collection for an evening and I don’t think I could have worn more patterns than that”, adds Julia, who points out the influence of Barbiecore outfits as one of the reasons for the trend to cover up more , or a “mood that wants to distance itself from the nude style”.

Colored tights are increasingly popular, proof of which is that they have also made their way into royal circles, starting with Princess Charlotte, seven years old, who wore blue tights to match the dress and with her mother’s cobalt coat, the Princess of Wales, signed Catherine Walker, for the Easter Sunday service.

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This article was originally published in British Vogue