Care Tips to Prevent Pilling and Make Your Tights Last Until Next Year

Tights are an essential part of women's fall and winter fashion.

Of course warmth is a top priority, but

depending on the color, pattern and knit, there are basic styles,

and there are styles that become a key point of an outfit—there's quite a variety.

On the other hand, compared to knitwear or coats—also fall and winter items—

not that many people pay close attention to caring for their tights.

Since tights aren't as affected by trends, people often wear the same pair again the following year,

only to find, when they finally go to put them on, that they're covered in pills and wrinkles.

Tights with pilling are technically still wearable, but they simply don't look good,

and many people have probably found themselves buying a replacement pair before they know it.

Here, we'll introduce the points to keep in mind to prevent this kind of wear—pilling and wrinkles—

so that you can wear your tights carefully and enjoy them again next year. 

It's usually only once pilling or wrinkles become noticeable that people start thinking about how to care for their tights.

If that sounds like you, first, do you know the correct way to put on tights?

Honestly, it's not something most of us have ever thought much about.

The correct way to put them on means putting them on in a way that doesn't strain the fabric,

and there are a few points to keep in mind. 

・Be careful not to snag the fabric on your nails or rings.

・Using both hands, gather up all the fabric of the leg portion,

and put your toes in on both sides first, pulling the tights up alternately, one leg at a time.

At this point, make sure the toe and heel are fitted into the correct positions.

・Once you have them on, check whether the fabric is bunched up in any particular spot,

or whether it feels uncomfortably pulled anywhere, and gently adjust it by hand. 

The thinner the tights, the more vulnerable they are to snagging on nails, rings, or the metal fittings of a bag,

and a single snag can cause a run to spread instantly.

The reason to gather up all the fabric of the leg with both hands before putting the tights on is to prevent the fabric from stretching out.

What you should never do is put them on the way you would put on pants—

leaving the fabric hanging down, putting your leg in, and pulling it up.

This is the first step toward making your tights last a long time.

Pilling is a concern that arises after you've worn the tights a number of times,

but if holes or loss of shape occur before that, your tights are ruined regardless.

If your legs don't fit into the tights properly and there's no sense of fit,

it can also lead to tearing or stretching out, so please be careful.

Tights: MONDOR／WOOL BASE cable

Bag: REN／KITE Shoulder

Dress: C.T.plage／WOOL COTTON Crew Neck Dress

Shoes: dansko／Ingrid Black Oiled

Even if you're extremely careful when putting on and taking off your tights,

pilling gradually appears over time.

Since tights are often a dark color, the white

pills that form at the toes and heels really stand out.

Leaving them as they are looks unsightly, but trying to remove them with your hands or a blade also

damages the texture of the fabric. To enjoy your tights for a long time,

you also need to take proper measures against dust and pilling.

Dust and pilling are caused by friction and static electricity.

As the fabric of the tights rubs together, static electricity builds up and attracts dust,

and friction frays the fibers of the tights, causing them to fuzz up and eventually curl into pills.

Wool and synthetic fibers are inherently coarse and vulnerable to heat (friction),

which is why they're naturally prone to pilling.

Most tights are a blend of wool and synthetic fibers.

In other words, given their material composition, tights are an item that's simply prone to pilling. 

Anti-pilling measures shouldn't be reserved just for bigger items like sweaters and coats—

if you pay proper attention and care for your tights as well, you'll find that they can last much longer than you might expect

as an item you can keep using.

That said, preventing the friction and static electricity that occurs while you're actually wearing tights is difficult.

There are also methods like plucking pills off with your fingers, or scraping them away with a razor-like blade or a rough sponge,

but

these inevitably damage the fibers of the tights themselves,

so it's best to avoid them as much as possible.

Wearing shoes means the fabric rubs against the inside of the shoe, and it's unavoidable that a long coat or bag will

brush against your legs from time to time.

So what you should really focus on is minimizing friction during washing. 

With a mindset of "wearing them with care," preventing pilling should be your top priority.

Tights: MONDOR／WOOL BASE

Top: Letroyes／LAURENT Turtleneck LT505

Bag: CINQUANTA／【Special Order】Leather Mini Tote AVORIO×BLU

Shoes: DIEGO BELLINI／Side Gore Boots Black

If you truly want to take good care of your tights, we recommend hand-washing your tights and stockings.

This avoids unnecessary friction and tangling with other clothes, and takes less time overall.

If you wash them in a washing machine together with other clothing, the washing and spin-drying time

ends up being far too long for tights, wearing them out a little more with every wash.

When washing in a washing machine, the key points are:

・Turn the tights inside out completely

・Place a few pairs at a time in a fine-mesh laundry net

・Don't over-wash or over-spin

Put them in the washing machine together with other tights or delicate fabric garments,

and choose a "gentle" or "delicate wash" course,

or set shorter wash and spin times.

Tangling with other garments is a cause of stretching and abrasion in tights,

so it's important to always use a laundry net and to keep the number of tights washed at once to a minimum. 

Also, depending on the material, tights may shrink,

and using a dryer can damage the texture of the tights themselves,

so please avoid using a dryer and instead dry them in a shaded, well-ventilated place.

1. Spread out the tights and smooth out any wrinkles

2. Fold in half lengthwise

3. Roll up starting from the toe

4. Store standing upright

Storing tights tied in a knot will cause them to stretch and develop wrinkles.

By rolling them up and storing them standing upright,

you can keep them from getting flattened under their own weight. 

MONDOR is a brand that began by developing high-performance tights and

competition legwear to meet the needs of athletes specializing in dance, figure skating,

and gymnastics.

To help athletes move smoothly during sports and perform at their very best,

the brand has developed cutting and stitching techniques for a fitted, stretchy garment,

along with materials excelling in breathability and moisture release to maintain comfort,

and quick-drying properties.

Today, MONDOR also produces fashion tights that combine all of these functional qualities.

With a three-dimensional construction that allows the body to move naturally,

and carefully selected materials from around the world along with original blended fabrics,

the brand continues to offer tights that fit well, feel comfortable, and are easy to move in. 

One of the distinctive features of MONDOR is its use of materials.

The wool type is based on soft merino wool,

blended with nylon and Lycra® Elastane to enhance stretch,

combining this with a stretch quality that adapts naturally to a wide range of movements.

These materials feel comfortable to wear, and because they stretch to fit the body without strain, they are also durable. 

In addition, the wool tights feature a three-dimensional panel at the thigh,

enhancing the fit while avoiding excessive tightness and reducing marks left on the skin.

Tights that don't fit well around the hips and gradually slide down are

uncomfortable to wear, but with MONDOR tights, this concern is greatly reduced. 

Unless you play a sport that requires tights,

for most of us, tights are simply a fashion item.

Tights developed through research into sports movement for such everyday use,

with stretch, fit, and comfort refined to the highest degree,

are sure to become a staple item you won't want to be without in winter.

Precisely because tights are such a staple item, it's easy to start thinking of them as "consumable goods,"

but if you master the right way to wear them to prevent pilling, and a washing method that reduces friction,

you'll be able to enjoy your favorite tights for much longer.

Putting on tights makes you feel that the cold season has arrived.

Enjoy autumn and winter fashion, so different from summer.