Shopping for tights:

Styles - these can be split into normal ranges and fashion ranges.

Normal ranges cover a limited set of colours and styles. The colours are usually shades of brown from nude to 'barely black' plus navy and black. The normal styles are usually a standard tight with reinforced panty and toes in sheer (15/20 den), semi-opaque and opaque, perhaps with a glossy or matt finish to some and perhaps some control tops. They tend to be 'one size' plus perhaps 'extra-large'. They are intended for everyday wear.

Fashion ranges include a wider variety of colours, patterens, textures. They include sheer to waist, flat seamed and gussetted styles. They tend to come in a range of sizes and cost more!

Brands:

Aristoc - good range of sheer tights

Charnos - nice opaques

Elbeo - range of support tights now owned by Pretty Polly.

Pretty Polly - wide variety. Basic range plus various fashion ranges.

Fogal and Woolford - high quality fashion tights beyond my price range!

DIM - French - tend to get fashion tights in the UK occaionally.

Levante - Italian hosiery, again they tend to be fashion hosiery occasionally sold in the UK.

shops own label:

BHS - good basic range, usually in four sizes, plus some fashion tights especially at Christmas. Also a range of body-free suspender tights at a reasonable price.

Boots - own brand now tends to be a basic range. But they do sell some 'tall' sized.

Debenhams - good basic range, plus fashion tights, some of which seem to have been made in Italy.

Woolworths - tend to be a basic range

Where to shop:-

Department Stores - like House of Fraser, Debanhams, Littlewoods, BHS, Alders

Chain Stores - like Boots, Wilko : they tend to only sell basic ranges.

Large Supermarket Chains - Tesco, Sainsburys. Tend to sell their own brand;usually a basic range.

Supermarkets - tend to sell cheaper basic ranges such as Glamourlegs or the basic ranges of Pretty Polly or Golden Lady.

Specialist shops - like the Sock Shop with their own basic and glamour ranges and limited editions.

"Adult" Shops - e.g. Anne Summers. Tend to sell more exotic tights and body stockings: particularly fishnets, suspender tights and crotchless.

Local ladies-wear and lingerie shops.

Remaindered stock shops - sell last year's range of qulaity fashion tights. Try T K Max for remaindered imports. Or occasionally you can find bargains from discontinued fashion ranges in "pound-shops".

Charity shops may sell old packs that have been donated.

Mail order - from clothing catalogues - these tend to have a small range in Autumn/Winter catalogues only or from "Adult" catalogues which tend to sell more exotic tights and body stockings: particularly fishnets, suspender tights and crotchless.

Internet - Some Department Stores sell over the World Wide Web, and there are some specialist lingerie and hosiery web-sites (see LINKS) and also "Adult" web-sites.