Going dutch

Legwear's always been a tricky one for me...mainly because my pins are a good two(/three/four) inches shorter than what might be considered 'average'. This makes it extremely difficult to buy trousers from the highstreet. Thank god peg legs have been having a moment for the last few seasons...I can generally convert them into somewhat ill-fitting hareems.

The sad thing is, I LOVE legwear. I understand that bare legs are alluring etc, but for some reason I feel kind of....underdressed without a bit of leg coverage. That's a whole section of my body that could be draped in something fun.

This is where tights come in. They add a touch of interest into an oversized t-shirt or a baggy vest, making lazy day dressing as easy as nomming down houmous. Until about a year ago, I used to settle for the black opaque. Occasionally, I'd venture into something grey. But I've since discovered that tights can be just as exciting as 'real' items of clothing. Patterned, ribbed, coloured, seamed...the possibilities are endless, and moreover one size can just about fit all (with a bit of twisting, ruching and wriggling around like a maniac).

I'm a massive fan of Henry Holland's collection of patterned beauties. So far, I've collected at least one pair from every season. This is pretty much down to my lovely mother, who gave me a couple of pairs at Christmas as well as including a few in little packages that she sent to me whilst I was at uni (yes, she's an absolute angel). His aesthetic ranges from simple, subtely unique patterns to loud, brash, and damn right crazy designs. These are a few of my favourites:

I'd also do a lot of hideous things for the shoes in the second image. Wowza.

These are still on the wish list:Unfortunately, I can't find them ANYWHERE. If anyone manages to hunt them down perrrleeeaaase let me know. I worry my life will be incomplete until they are adopted into my ever expanding draw of deliciously decorated hoisery.