How to wear fishnet tights (and make them look modern)
Micro, medium or wide mesh: what changes, which shoes and occasions they work for, the sheer-underneath trick and the mistakes to avoid. A practical guide, with examples from the runways.
Fishnet tights are the only tights that hide nothing and pretend nothing: the skin shows, the mesh shows, and everything depends on how wide it is. This guide answers the practical questions: what the difference is between micro, medium and wide mesh, which shoes and occasions they work for, what to wear underneath, and which mistakes we see most often. The examples come from the Milan spring/summer 2027 runways, where fishnets came back almost everywhere.
The three mesh sizes
The size of the mesh is the first choice, and the most important one.
Fendi's fishnet knee socks with the jewelled sandal: under the mint slip and under the white lace-trimmed one. Photo: Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana.
- Micro mesh. The mesh is so tight that from a metre away it reads as a sheer with a texture. It is the daytime and office version: Calzedonia describes its micronet tights as "a delicate fishnet pattern for a refined yet contemporary finish", sheer to the waist with an invisible toe and a comfort waistband, "ideal for pairing with open-toe shoes"; the declared composition is 86% polyamide and 14% elastane. You will find it in our glossary as micro-fishnet.
- Medium mesh. This is the classic fishnet, with clearly visible but close diamonds. It works in the evening, with a black dress or a skirt, and with a closed shoe. It is the one that walked on Fendi's knee socks.
- Wide mesh. The diamonds are large, the skin is the protagonist. It is the fishnet of the 1980s and of punk: wear it with intent, with simple pieces around it and a shoe that covers the foot.
A rule that almost always holds: the wider the mesh, the quieter the rest of the look must be. And the slimmer the leg, the better wide mesh holds up; on a fuller leg, micro and medium mesh draw a cleaner line.
Where fishnets come from
According to the English Wikipedia entry, fishnets spread in the 1920s among showgirls, because they were "more revealing than typical regular stockings of the day"; in the 1940s and 1950s they became a sign of pin-up culture, from Bettie Page to Marilyn Monroe; in the 1970s and 1980s punk adopted them "often worn extra torn up with huge holes", as a reference to BDSM subculture. Three different lives, which explain why the same hosiery can look elegant, retro or provocative depending on how you wear it.
On the runway now
At Milan Fashion Week in September, fishnets came back above all at the knee. At Fendi black fishnet knee socks were worn with jewelled sandals, under silk boxers, slips and bodysuits, and fishnet also appeared under the lace dresses, sheer over sheer. At Dolce&Gabbana the knee socks and over-the-knee stockings were openwork crochet, always with a flat pointed shoe. And the net is a material too: Swedish Stockings makes tights from nylon regenerated from fishing nets.
Fishnet under dresses: with the brocade skirt and sandal, and under the black lace dress. Photo: Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana.
The message from the runways is simple: fishnets no longer live only with a mini skirt and a heel. They live at the knee, with a sandal, under a piece of lingerie or under a transparent dress.
The sheer-underneath trick
This is the advice worth more than all the others. Under fishnet tights, a light sheer pair, 8 to 15 denier, nude or black. It does three things: it evens the skin, which through the diamonds can look blotchy; it adds a layer of warmth, because fishnets alone do not keep you warm; and it stops the mesh from marking the skin after a few hours. With a nude sheer the effect stays "bare skin"; with a black sheer the leg becomes uniform and the net becomes a texture, more discreet. If you are not sure which density to choose, our denier guide explains the difference between 8, 15 and 20.
Winter variant: black opaques under wide black fishnets. The skin disappears, the pattern stays. It is the easiest way to wear wide mesh in daylight.
How to wear them, occasion by occasion
- Office. Black micro mesh, a knee-length skirt or a sheath dress, black pumps or loafers. The net only reads up close.
- Evening. Black medium mesh with a short or knee-length black dress and an ankle boot or a closed pump. Kaia Gerber's look in Wolford polka-dot tights works on the same logic: one patterned element, everything else black.
- Weekend. Medium mesh under shorts, as in the street style of London Fashion Week, with a boot or a lace-up shoe. Or under a denim skirt with a jumper.
- Halloween and parties. This is the moment for wide mesh, in colour too: red, white, purple. With a simple dress and a closed shoe it stays an elegant costume; with a mini skirt and a stiletto it becomes just a costume.
- With sandals. Only micro or tight mesh, and only with thin-strap sandals: on a wide mesh the toes push through the diamonds and the result is messy. The exception is fishnet knee socks with a jewelled sandal, Fendi style, where the sock is short and the sandal is the protagonist.
At Dolce&Gabbana openwork knee socks with a leather waistcoat and shorts; openwork over-the-knee socks with a lace edge under the lace tunic. Photo: Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana.
The mistakes to avoid
- Everything at once. Wide mesh, mini skirt and stiletto in the same look: each of the three works, together they weigh.
- The wrong size. Fishnets that are too small pull: the diamonds stretch, distort and break sooner. The same rule as any other tights applies: height and weight, and when in doubt the larger size.
- The wrong shoes. White sneakers with black fishnets is a contrast that rarely works; pumps, loafers, ankle boots and tall boots do.
- Accessories that snag. Rings, bracelets, velcro fastenings and studded bags catch on a net more than on any other tights. Take them off before putting the tights on, and take care when sitting down.
- A shiny sheer underneath. Under the net, the sheer must be matte. A shiny sheer doubles the reflections and disturbs the pattern.
How to make them last
A net is sturdier than a 10-denier sheer but it ladders the same way: one pulled loop opens a hole. Wash by hand or in the machine in a laundry bag at 30 degrees, with a mild detergent, no tumble dryer, and store them rolled and apart from your other tights, because wide meshes catch on each other. The glossary explains what a ladder is and how it forms.
In short
- Micro mesh for daytime, medium mesh for the evening, wide mesh for parties and for those who want to be noticed.
- Under the net, a light nude or black sheer: it evens, warms and protects the skin.
- A closed shoe with wide mesh; sandals only with tight mesh.
- One strong element per look: if the net is there, the rest stays simple.
- The right size, smooth accessories, gentle washing.
The complete guide to tights gathers all our guides, from deniers to sizes.
