Made for yanking: why you’re not to blame for ladders
28.11.2022
Translation: Julia Graham
Dear tights industry, if you’re going to intentionally keep breaking my nylons, I have to fight back with these five tricks.
This vicious cycle probably sounds familiar: «always giving them a chance in good faith and then forever ending up furious and disappointed». In some cases, you simply can’t do it any differently, because the theory sounds too good. Like tights in winter, for instance. Wouldn’t they just make the perfect plus one at any party or Christmas event? But instead of going along with it and standing by us, they usually just cause problems aka ladders. It’s not fair.
Before the mere thought of it rips a deeper hole in my heart than the stitch does into fine nylon, let me assure you that tights don’t deliberately make your life difficult. It’s not their fault.
The perfect material for parachutes and tents
It’s still a bit suspect. Ever since nylon fibre was developed in the 30s by US chemical company duPont, it’s been known as the hottest thing in outdoor gear. Hard-wearing, tear-proof, and indeed, almost indestructible, nylon is the preferred material for ropes, backpacks and sleeping bags – even parachutes and hot air balloons. It’s fortunate that you rarely hear of this fabric tearing (especially in the case of the latter). But if I grab a pair of nylon tights out the wardrobe and pull them sensitively up my legs with the patience of a saint, it still won’t be long before a disastrous little hole threatens to make an appearance. Not another ladder! How is that possible?
For a start, nylon for tights is obviously only woven extremely thin and therefore not comparable with the likes of parachutes. The actual snag is, however, that the fibres are specifically manipulated. Tights are actually meant to rip at some point. At least, that’s what Nicole Fox says in the Arte documentary «Kaufen für die Müllhalde: Geplante Obsoleszenz» (Buying for landfill: planned obsolescence) (in German). Her father worked at duPont.
When you come to think of it, how many pairs of tights could a company sell if they were designed to last a lifetime. If, on the other hand, your nylon tights make a habit of ripping soon after you’ve got them, you need to keep buying more supplies. It’s the same story with smartphone batteries, software, breaking points on charging cables, shoe soles that come away, the list goes on.
How to prevent ladders in your tights
But back to our plus-one party. If tights material is manipulated by the industry, there’s only one thing for it: to manipulate right back. But how? By using these five tricks to help lengthen the life of your tights, at least for as long as possible.
1. Don’t skimp on size
Most tights packaging indicates the measurements for each size. Make sure to stick to these guidelines. If you try to slip into a pair that are too small, you’ll just overstretch them, making tears inevitable. Equally, with tights that are too big and always fall down, you have to pluck at them so often that ladders are just a matter of time.
2. Moisturise your legs
Dry skin and thin nylon are not a good combination. It’s best to moisturise your legs (and hands) beforehand so your tights go on more smoothly.
3. Always have a back-up
Do your tights tend to rip right under your toes? Socklets let you sidestep around the thorny issue of hard, thickened skin on the base of your feet as well as jagged toenails. The secret is to put a little socklet over each foot and carry on with tip 4:
4. Roll instead of pulling
Tights want you to put them on one leg at a time, as if you had all the time in the world – carefully from bottom to top. What you should do is compress both tights legs into compact rings, put one foot in and slowly start to roll the material up in the direction of your thigh, without tugging too much. Always one leg at a time.
5. Handwash only
What with zips, buttons and eyes, way too much danger lurks in the washing machine for this kind of sensitive material. Instead, it’s best to only handwash your nylons in the sink. This should mean they last considerably longer.
Header image: Cotton Bro via Pexels
Laura Scholz
Senior Editor
Laura.Scholz@digitecgalaxus.chAlways in the mood for good hits, great trips and clinking drinks.
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