Fleece Lined Tights: What to Buy and How to Wear Them

Fleece lined tights are tights with a brushed fleece layer on the inside, and they let you keep wearing dresses from December to February. Buy a sheer-look pair if you want a dress to look the way it did in fall, and an opaque pair for knits and boots.

Below are both styles, footless and plus-size pairs, sizing, and what to wear them with. Every product is an Amazon listing, and the details come from each listing rather than from wearing them.

Sheer-look or opaque

Fleece lined tights that look sheer

Fleece lined tights that look sheer have a skin-tone layer under a thin black outer knit, so from a few feet away your legs look like they're in sheer black tights. Listings call this fake translucent. In sheer fleece lined tights, the sheer look comes from that skin-tone layer, not from your own skin, so up close the effect depends on how near the inner shade is to your skin tone. Pick that shade from the listing's color menu if it offers more than one.

The HONGTEYA tights come two pairs to a pack, with a single-line crotch seam, in X-Small to XX-Large; the listing says hand wash only. The KBVOT pair has a fleece lining the listing gives as 250 g and goes up to 3X-Large.

The ATHVOTAR listing is less clear. Its title says both opaque and sheer, and its details list a fake-translucent leg, so treat it as a sheer-look pair. It comes in three size bands rather than single sizes.

Opaque thermal tights

Thermal tights is a name you'll see on fleece pairs of both kinds; the opaque ones have fleece inside and a solid knit outside. Opaque pairs look like ordinary thick tights, so they suit sweater dresses, knit midis and anything you wear with boots. The EVERSWE tights are 120 denier and opaque, in polyester with a little elastane, from Small to XX-Large Plus.

Footless and plus-size fleece tights

Footless fleece tights stop at the ankle, so you can wear them with ballet flats, loafers or your own socks inside boots. The KBVOT footless pair is sheer-look, with a 220 g lining per the listing, in X-Small to 3X-Large.

For plus sizes, the UISLII tights come in two bands, X-Large-XX-Large and 3X-Large-4X-Large, and the listing mentions an invisible crotch seam. Both KBVOT pairs also reach 3X-Large. Dresses, coats and wide-calf boots to go with them are in plus size winter outfits.

Warm tights for dresses

The right warm tights for dresses depend on the dress. A party dress or a dressy midi looks right with a sheer-look pair; a sweater dress or a wool-blend work dress looks right with opaque.

• Sweater dresses and knits: opaque fleece tights with knee boots or ankle boots.
• Party and cocktail dresses: sheer-look fleece tights with pumps or heeled booties.
• Midi work dresses: either style, with knee boots that close the gap under the hem.
• Mini dresses: opaque for the day, sheer-look for a night out.

Flat knee boots finish the outfit on cold days. The Modatope boots are faux suede on a 1.1-inch heel with a side zipper, sizes 6 to 11, and the listing gives a 15.92-inch shaft circumference. Fleece adds a little bulk at the calf, so measure over the tights you plan to wear. For dresses warm enough to go with all this, see winter dresses for women.

How to size fleece-lined tights

Size by the chart on the listing, not by your dress size. Tights charts usually go by height and weight, and a lined pair has less give than thin nylon, so if you fall between two sizes, take the larger one.

Check the care line before you buy, too. The HONGTEYA and EVERSWE listings say hand wash only; the KBVOT, ATHVOTAR and UISLII listings say machine wash.

When fleece is too much

Fleece is warm, and indoors it can be too warm. In an office with the heat turned up, at a crowded party that runs late, or on a mild day in the 50s, regular tights are more comfortable. For a dressy evening spent mostly inside, sheer black tights under a long coat may be all you need.