Snag Tights- Inclusive, Practical and Body Positive!

For many years I worked in retail, for a very busy technology company. While most of my colleagues wore jeans I was known as the one who was always in a skirt and would draw surprised comments on the odd day that I did turn up in trousers. It being the UK though, and cold even in summer, tights have aways been an essential part of my outfit. But this didn’t come without problems. I am a short, very small person, and as the hosiery industry seemed hell bent on sticking to impractical sizing options, getting a pair of tights that really fit seemed impossible. At best you might get to pick between small, medium and large options, at worse, the dreaded one size fits all. One size fits all? We all know we aren’t all one size and no matter what material you use myself and my short little legs are never going to fit into the same size of tights as my very tall, long limbed friend. For me, the limited options would see me standing on the shop floor with a customer, uncomfortably aware that my tights were, yet again, starting to slide south. Cue another mad dash to the stairwell out of view of the public for the tenth time that day to root about down the waste band of my skirt to try and readjust the things, always knowing it wouldn’t be long before they started to slip again. Days out were equally as uncomfortable. It’s not easy walking down the high street having to constantly yank up your tights as you go, because there is no discreet way to do this and you will get some funny looks.

Bunching at the knees and ankles, waist bands that dig in unpleasantly when you sit down, fabric that feels like it’s stretched far too thin, sagging crocthes, legs that are too short or too long- for years it seemed all of this was just something to be accepted. It’s just the way it is, it’s how tights are made, and we as women are used to our clothes being uncomfortable (we all know the joy of coming home and rushing upstairs to take of our bra ,or slipping our feet out of those high heels we’ve had on all day). So why should this be any different? But I was wrong. It seems there is another way. 

UK based snag tights are relatively new to the scene, starting life in Scotland in 2018, but it’s no exaggeration to say that discovering them changed my life! I found out about them relatively early on when I saw a social media campaign for the brand with the tagline ‘tights that fit’. Excited that this could be the answer to all my prayers, I rushed to the website to find out more. I was immediately struck by how different this brand was, and that was before I even got to the vast array of sizing options. I was used to the usual type of branding and styling found on hosiery sites- tall, thin, beautiful women in sexy poses with their legs draped over the arms of couches, airbrushed and with looks few of us could ever dream of having. But there on the snag website were models who looked like everyday people. There were bodies of all shapes and sizes and ethnicities. It was a beautiful rainbow of diversity. I felt included, because the models showing off the products looked like me and my friends. It was truly a new experience.

If I wasn’t already sold then the sizing chart sealed the deal. No one size fits all! No small medium or large! There were choices! Choices based first of all on body shape. You get to pick if you have an athletic build or a more curvy build and from there you choose your size based on your dress size and your height. It was amazing, I could actually pick a pair of tights that were designed for a short person of my build. In fact there were eight different sizing options to choose from in total. The whole thing really was a game changer and I immediately put in an order.

When my first delivery arrived I wasn’t disappointed. Before I even got to the tights themselves I was stuck by the pretty, simple packaging. There was no plastic. None at all. Each pair was wrapped in a delightfully whimsical paper bag, brightly coloured with varying patterns of stripes or dots, they looked exactly like the paper bags you get in sweet shops. There was something so lovely and personal about it, as if each pair had been hand picked and wrapped just for me. Now, I always take the claims made by brands when they are trying to sell you something with a pinch of salt, but in this case, they did exactly what they promised. The tights fit. For the first time ever I had a busy day running about after customers without any discomfort and without having to dash away to constantly hike up my sagging tights.

It’s four years later now and I no longer work in the hectic retail world, but I remain an avid fan of snag’s products. I’ve watched as the company has gone from strength to strength and I’ve only come to love them more. Their inclusive marketing campaigns are a breath of fresh air. They’ve built up an online community of fans who are affectionally known as ‘snagglers’. They sometimes get some heat from trolls on social media over their use of larger models but they never back down, making sure everybody feels represented, always pushing the boundaries of what is considered ‘beautiful’, and in a world where young girls are bombarded with unrealistic standards we really do need more of this body positivity.

Ok, you may be thinking, it’s all well and good to have found tights that fit, that promote a positive image of our bodies, but at the end of the day, I still want something that looks good. Well, you won’t be disappointed on that front either. Over the years snag have introduced a dazzling array of designs. On their website you can find an endless choice of colours and patterns from the sensible to the wild. There’s truly something for every occasion and every taste. They all have fabulous names too. Two of my personal favourites, both in name and in colour, are ‘hit the bottle’ and ‘raspberry pie’. If you’re feeling really crazy you can even get care bear (below) and my little pony designs. One particular lovely design, which is perfect for this time of year, is the daffodil pattern which is sold in aid of Marie Curie cancer care. It’s safe to say that style has not at all been comprised for comfort with these guys, proving you really can have it all. 

Often now, when I find myself on my feet all day, I will still think back to those days of walking down the street, feeling my tights gradually slipping down my waste, wondering with mild panic if I’d have an opportunity to discreetly fix them before the waste line made it past my bum. Those were the bad old days. I’m relieved I can now stride out in comfort.

Raven Taylor 

 

and another thing...

Raven obviuosly loves the Snag brand, but as a reminder, here's what some of the other reviewers said about them...