Silkies Microfibre Opaques

by Geraden

A few months ago, I allowed myself to be talked into going back on the Silkies hosiery plan. I said then that I had enough tights to last me a long time, so they deferred the date of my next order.

Well, it arrived yesterday. I thought I had changed the order on the Silkies website 'manage your account' page, but obviously that had not worked. So instead of getting the sheers that I thought I had ordered, I got four pairs of opaques, plus a free pair of Ultra Control Top.

It has worked out for the best, really, because I got the opportunity of trying out the new Silkies Microfiber Opaques, and I really like them!

The packet is still not very inspiring but it does look less like a shapeless plastic bag and more like a tights packet, thanks to the inclusion of a cardboard insert.

Silkies MF Opaques

Previous Opaque style

The previous opaques were very good; but these are even better. They have a slightly higher lycra content (14.4% instead of 10%) and are sheer to waist, with an invisibly reinforced toe. There is an elasticated band at the top of the leg, which probably doubles as ladder guard. (Some Activskins, e.g. A869s, have this feature as well.) It grips above the thigh muscle and helps in holding the hose legs up. Not that there should be any difficulty with these staying up, as they have a (lightish) control top and medium leg support.

Like the previous opaques they look denser than the advertised '50 denier appearance'. Being microfibre (or as they call it microfiber) they are also a little bit warmer than they were before.

Fit is excellent. I get the XL size (they go up to XXL) and they fit perfectly, even on my over-long legs, without being too stretched. The waist is high, which I know some people do not like, but I do. There is an oval cotton-lined gusset. They feel good to wear, quite soft but not silky, as the finish is matt. My only criticism is that the seams are not flattened.

They cost £4.49 to subscribers. The cost of p&p works out at 48p a pair. So basically you pay just under £5.00 a pair. Not a bargain price, but for a quality pair of opaques, not a bad price. I expect durability to be at least as good as the previous opaque style, which was very good.

Overall verdict:

Not quite as good as Activskin A869s (£11.49), but at less than half the price they are the next best thing. They are better than Evona Fred (£6.49) and Lida Man's World (£8.99) both of which cost more, and they are appreciably better than M&S 60 denier Opaques which admittedly cost less (£10 for 3 pairs). They are much better than Levee WoMan Sensations (£8.99), which despite the claim that they are designed for up to 6'7", come far short of that in length.

If you want a matt opaque tight, I would say that these are, all things considered, the best option. I know some men prefer not to buy tights marketed for women, but my guess is that Silkies, being an on-line business, have a high proportion of male customers and that they size their products accordingly.

But be aware if you do buy Silkies, that they do not arrive in plain packaging – the package says Silkies Hosiery on it and it has some advertising blurb for the company. If Silkies want to build up their male customer base, they need to re-think this approach.

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links: technorati