Navy tights: what to wear them with, which shoes and what denier
The Telegraph calls navy the chic alternative to black, and Heidi Klum wears it in lace for Calzedonia. Navy tights: which colours and shoes, what denier, and for which occasions.
Navy is the colour you reach for when black starts to feel tired but colour still feels like a risk. From a distance it reads dark, up close it is blue: that is why it works at the office and at night. This autumn both the press and the brands are pushing it. Here is what to wear navy tights with, which shoes, what denier, and where to find them.
Why navy, and why now
On 9 October 2026 the Telegraph published a piece by Alexandra Fullerton on the tights to buy this season. The main advice from John Lewis's accessories buyer, Lizzi Amboule, is chocolate brown instead of black, which we covered in our guide to brown tights. Right after, the paper adds: "Navy also offers a chic alternative if you wish to dip your toe into colour." Among the pairs pictured in the piece is a navy 10 denier from Marks & Spencer, at £10.
The backdrop is black staying first but losing ground: Swedish Stockings told Glossy that black has fallen from about 80% to 65–70% of its sales, as we reported in our piece on Swedish Stockings' New York pop-up. Navy is the shortest step away from black: it is still a dark colour, and it goes with almost everything you would wear with black.
Sheer navy, 30 denier, with shoes in the same blue. Photo: Calzedonia, Soft Comfort 30 denier tights in Blue.
Heidi Klum's midnight blue for Calzedonia
In Calzedonia's Lace Tights campaign, out in mid-October with photos by Rankin Archive, one of Heidi Klum's three looks is midnight blue: an oversized dark blue jacket, black briefs, dark floral lace tights and black ankle-strap stilettos. It shows navy can do evening, and lace. The other two looks are burgundy and chocolate: see Heidi Klum for Calzedonia, look by look.
Heidi Klum in the midnight blue look. Photo: Calzedonia, Lace Tights campaign.
The campaign lace is in the catalogue too: Calzedonia's Floral Lace Tights come in Blue, at $37 (€25.95). In the product photo they are worn for daytime, with beige ballet flats and a sand-coloured knit: the same blue, a completely different mood. For every way to wear lace, see our guide to lace tights.
Navy lace for daytime, with beige. Photo: Calzedonia, Floral Lace Tights in Blue.
What colours to wear them with
| Colour | Effect | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Grey | The easiest, office-friendly | Grey mini skirt, black loafers |
| Camel and beige | Warm, autumnal | Camel coat, brown ankle boots |
| White and cream | Nautical, clean | White shirt, navy skirt, ballet flats |
| Navy | Tonal, lengthening | Navy dress, navy pumps |
| Burgundy | Rich, for evening | Burgundy dress, burgundy pumps |
| Denim | Casual | Denim skirt, white trainers |
| Black | Discreet, if the blue is dark | Black dress, black shoes |
These are our suggestions, built on the campaign and product photos.
- Grey. This is the pairing in Calzedonia's 50 denier photo: grey mini skirt, grey knit and black loafers. Grey bridges the blue and the black of the shoe. If you like grey on the legs too, there is our guide to grey tights.
- Camel and beige. Dark blue and warm neutrals are a classic pair, as in the photo of the navy lace with a sand-coloured knit. A brown shoe or bag keeps it soft.
- White and cream. Navy with white always has a nautical feel: a white shirt or a cream jumper makes it look fresh even in winter.
- Tonal. Tights, dress and shoes in the same blue, as in the 30 denier photo with navy pumps: the leg becomes one line.
- Burgundy. Blue and wine together are dark without being gloomy: the most evening-ready pairing after black.
- Black, yes or no? Yes, if the blue is dark and opaque: next to black it looks like a softer black, the way brown does. A light, sheer navy next to black can look like a mistake: tie the two together with a black shoe rather than wearing black only on top. For a black dress, all the alternatives are in what colour tights to wear with a black dress.
The shoes
- The same navy. Navy pumps or ballet flats lengthen the leg without a break.
- Black. The safest choice: it sharpens the navy and brings it closer to black.
- Brown and tan. Brown loafers, boots and ankle boots warm the blue up for daytime and weekends.
- Burgundy. A wine-coloured pump over navy tights is the detail that makes it evening.
- Beige and nude. Beige flats or pumps lighten the blue, as in Calzedonia's lace photo.
What denier
Navy changes with thickness more than black does. In opaques, from 40 to 50 denier up, the colour is solid and reads as blue even from a distance: the choice for daytime, the office and knitwear. In sheers, from 15 to 30 denier, the skin shows through and the blue turns into a dark shadow, very close to black: the choice for evening, when you want a softer black. A glossy opaque, like Swedish Stockings' 60 denier Sanna Glossy, makes the blue show more in the light. The full scale is in our denier guide.
Four occasions
- Office. Opaque 50 denier navy, grey flannel skirt, grey or cream knit, black loafers: the formula in Calzedonia's photo.
- Weekend. Opaque navy, denim skirt or knitted dress, brown ankle boots, camel coat.
- Evening. Sheer 15 to 20 denier navy, navy or burgundy slip dress, pointed pumps.
- Lace. Navy lace tights, oversized dark jacket, black stilettos: the Heidi Klum look.
Where to find them
Calzedonia's Soft Comfort tights come in Blue, a navy, in two weights: 50 denier opaque (90% polyamide, 10% elastane) and 30 denier semi-opaque, both £9.99 ($17, €7.95). The Floral Lace in Blue is $37. Wolford makes the Velvet de Luxe 50, an opaque, in a dark blue it calls admiral, at £40 (€38). Heist sells two pairs in Midnight Navy: The Sixty, a 60 denier opaque in recycled yarn made in Italy, at £37, and The Fifteen, a 15 denier sheer, at £33. Swedish Stockings has the Sanna Glossy, a 60 denier semi-opaque with a shine, in a limited-edition Navy created for its collaboration with Reformation, at €43. Prices as shown on the brands' sites on 28 October 2026. Watch out for sites that imitate the brands' own: Calzedonia's official site is calzedonia.com.
If you want more colours than navy, here are four colours to wear instead of black. For an even darker blue with a monogram, there is the midnight blue in the Gatta x Maciej Zień collaboration.
The photos
The photos of the navy Soft Comfort tights and of the navy floral lace come from Calzedonia's product pages; the Heidi Klum image is from Calzedonia's Lace Tights campaign, photographed by Rankin Archive. The Telegraph piece was read in the version syndicated by Yahoo; its photos are not reproduced here.
Frequently asked questions
What colours go with navy tights?
Grey, camel, white and denim make navy look deliberate; navy itself gives a tonal look; burgundy takes it into the evening. Navy with black works when the blue is dark and opaque, ideally with a black shoe to tie the two together.
What shoes go with navy tights?
Shoes in the same navy lengthen the leg, like the navy pumps in Calzedonia's product photo. Black is the safest choice, brown and tan warm the blue up for daytime, and burgundy makes it feel like evening.
Sheer or opaque navy tights?
Opaque, from 40 to 50 denier, if you want the blue to show: the colour stays solid from a distance. Sheer 15 to 30 denier lets the skin through and the navy turns into a dark blue shadow, closer to black, which suits the evening.
Are navy tights in style?
Yes. On 9 October 2026 the Telegraph called navy a chic alternative to black for anyone dipping a toe into colour, and Calzedonia put midnight blue among the three colours of its Lace Tights campaign with Heidi Klum.
