Only One Right Shade of Tights Makes Seamless Color Connection From Skirt to Shoe

Autumn’s traditionally the season of colored hose. But now that women can find tights in hundreds of shades, there’s the issue of finding a pair that matches your long skirt. You can see how hard it is to match tights by seeing how many women wear hose that don’t quite go with what they’re wearing.

“On the long, popular squaw skirt, you want those tights to match the skirt,” says Joey Simms of Chez Joey Designer Consignment Clothing in Laguna Niguel. “Get them to match a color in the skirt and have shoes that match also. What you want is a ‘seamless,’ continuous line look.”

The long skirts look best when worn with flats or boots. Heels are OK, as long as they’re not too high. Remember that the squaw look is basically casual, and dressy shoes will make you look out of place.

Big and loud: When the “preppy” look was in, back in the early ‘80s, the bright argyle pattern was on sweaters. Because argyle is a pattern that never goes completely out of style, many of the sweaters you wore a decade ago can probably be worn today, except, of course, those bright blue, green and white patterns.

“Today’s argyles are more muted, more subtle,” says Mark Schell of Mark Schell Designs for Men in Corona del Mar. “You’re seeing more colors like charcoal and teal.”

If you have loud socks that you just can’t bring yourself to toss, hang on to them. Bold socks, partially hidden, are a little more acceptable than a sweater.

Color me blah: You know the feeling. You walk into your closet and get that sick sense that nothing is going to look right. You even see it every day as thousands of women walk around wearing clothes that just don’t flatter them. The possible solution: a new reading of your “colors”--shades that complement your skin tones and hair color.

“Women often have their colors done and they stick with those shades,” says Stephanie Grani of Stephania in San Juan Capistrano. “But as styles and fashion colors change, you may find that your colors aren’t seen that much.”

Once you’re afflicted with the color blahs, the only real solution is to spend lots of hours in lots of dressing rooms trying on outfits you like in as many shades you can find. Look for subtlety. A “cool” red with a hint of blue may look great with your complexion, while a “warm” red with an undercurrent of yellow could make you look frumpy.