Geraden goes DIM
by Geraden
It is about time I reviewed something new!
In the chat room my friend and fellow blogger Pantyhose sang the praises of the DIM brand that are one of the most popular brands of tights in France. DIM are not usually available over here but they more or less occupy the niche that Pretty Polly have in Britain.
However you can sometimes get less common things at TKMaxx, and recently TKMaxx have had a couple of varieties of DIM tights. These were the Sublim 20 denier sheer to waist and the Diam's 40 denier opaques.
First I tried the 40 denier opaques. They are boarded and feel nice as you take them out of the packet. They were pressed with the crease at front and back, making it obvious that the tights had one silly design fault - the toe seams are 90° from where they ought to be. Why good manufacturers do this I really cannot think! However a second pair of Diam's that I bought (in the 'nuit' colour) had the toes seams orientated correctly.
The flat seams remind us that these are quality European tights. The toes are reinforced, but then tights have no reinforced panty (that is what sans démarcation means. The packet illustration conveys the impression that there is a panty, but I think the model is wearing black lycra shorts or a biketard). There is a gusset/extra panel (at least in the size that I bought). As the tights have no heel, I was able easily to wear the panel at the front, which is often a good way for men to wear the panel, unless there is some good reason not to.
The colour I bought was 'beige naturelle' which is an accurate despription, and the appearance is fairly matt. I chose the largest size, size 4 (XL). I am way off the size chart: they are supposed to fit up to 6'3", but only if you are no more than 154lbs (11 stone). I am 6'4" and although I am slightly overweight, there is very little fat on my legs. So they fitted me, but not well. I need something to hold them up. I would say that for a person of average build they should fit OK up to 6'0". The waistband is not very high, almost like a hipster.
The lycra content was unsually specified to a decimal place, namely 10.7%. Some opaques can feel a bit harsh, but not these. My overall verdict is that they are very nice and a pleasuere to wear.
The 20 denier Sublim tights proved to be just as good. Most of what I have written above applies to these too, so I will just run through the differences. (Sorry, 'run' was a bad choice of word!) The Sublim are silkier than the Diam's and they have no extra panel, though there is a gusset in the crotch. The lycra content is 10% (no decimals this time!) The colour I chose was glacé, which is quite an attractive colour somewhere between natural tan and taupe. They are just as good to wear. Whereas the Diam's are soft, smooth and matt, the Sublim are silkier with a little more shine, but not too much.
My local store had all sizes available and a variety of colours, including beige naturelle, cappuchino (brown), glacé and nuit. The latter is a deep indigo colour, nearly black. Both varieties of the DIM tights cost £2.99, with no indication being given of the 'normal' or RRP price. However, based on the quality and the feel, this seems good value for money and I will be buying some more.
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Hey, what a coincidence! I just got back from France and I also got some
DIM tights: 15D black Sublim. They're quite lovely, but they have to be put
on every so carefully. I've already had to "paint over" a small ladder near
the right knee with nail polish, but at least that seems to have worked. I
bought them in a French drugstore, so I wasn't aware how good they were,
but they seem alright. I bought my pair of DIM in "taille 2" (size 2) when
I should have bought a 3, but they still survived a 4-mile run without
major damage occurring.
Cedric
I dunno, I'm certain the packet said 15D. I can't recheck the package
because I threw it in the paper recycling bin last night, but I'm pretty
sure my pair of DIM was 15D. Sorry for any confusion at any rate!
In the Finnish department stores there is a good selection of Dim tights,
and I have many experiences of them. I love their smoothness and the
refined finish, the slight lustre of the fabric and the subtle nuances of
the colours. There is one negative thing with the sheer ones: they get
ladders very easily, and that’s why I don’t buy them so often. When you buy
Dim’s it is better to choose one size larger than ordinary. Too small
tights are a frustrating thing.
Kaj
It's interesting that you have only DIM 2 styles available in Britian. I
live in Canada, where there are several DIM styles in 2 different major
department stores {The Bay, & Sears}. Maybe Brits tend to have a preference
for another brand. After all, I've never ever seen Pretty Polly in Canada.
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