The short answer: there isn't really one. "Nylon stockings" names the material. "Tights" names the length. Tights can be made of nylon, and most are. The two words describe the same thing seen from two different angles.
What actually separates one product from another is not the word used. It is the length, the sheerness and the durability.
Why people still say "nylons"
Nylon arrived in hosiery in 1940 and the name stuck. In Quebec, plenty of people still say "des bas de nylon" for what a shop would call tights. That is not a mistake, it is simply a generation of vocabulary.
At Signé Sarah, our unbreakable tights are made of nylon. Saying "nylons" or "tights", in our case, means the same product.
The real distinction: length
This is what matters when you buy.
| Type | Where it stops | Ours |
|---|---|---|
| Tights | Waist to toe | Deluxe Unbreakable, Classics, Prima Durables, Mama |
| Thigh-high stockings | Upper thigh, self-holding | Mi-Cuisse Prima |
| Knee-high stockings | Below the knee | Midi Prima |
| Sheer ankle socks | At the ankle | Mini Prima |
If you are looking for "nylons" and you want something that comes up to the waist, tights are what you need. If you want something that stops at the knee, that is a stocking.
The second distinction: durability
An ordinary pair runs at the first fingernail. That is the problem we set out to solve.
Our Deluxe Unbreakable tights are made with Italian textiles, a breathable cotton gusset and knitting technology that resists runs and tears. They are not invincible: something sharp, or poor care, can still damage them. But they do not run where an ordinary pair runs.
Our Prima Durables are finer and sheer. They last far longer than an ordinary pair of nylons, without being the run and tear resistant formula of the Deluxe range.
The third distinction: sheerness
- Semi-sheer: the leg shows through softly. This is the finish of the Deluxe Unbreakable and the Classics.
- Sheer: lighter, more discreet. This is the finish of the Prima range.
- Opaque: the leg no longer shows. The Classics add an opaque shorts effect across the seat while staying semi-sheer down the leg.
So which one?
Ask yourself three questions, in this order:
- How far up does it need to go? Waist, thigh, knee or ankle.
- How sheer? Sheer, semi-sheer or smoothing.
- Will you wear them often? If so, durability becomes the factor that decides the real cost.
On that last point: a $15 pair worn twice costs $7.50 per wear, while a $35 pair worn twenty times costs $1.75. The sticker price is not the real price.
Read more
- Compare our three styles on the Our Tights page
- Find your size with the size guide
- See the Deluxe Unbreakable tights
- Our stockings: ankle, knee and thigh-high
