Swiftmay Fleece-lined Tights Review

Fleece-lined tights are a great winter fashion option.

While this has been a usually kind Tokyo winter, we are still getting ready to move into the coldest month of the year. If you are like me, and don’t want to sacrifice being cute for the sake of staying warm, fleece-lined tights (or in Japanese “fake tights") are a great option. 

WHAT ARE FLEECE-LINED TIGHTS OR FAKE TIGHTS?

As I’m sure you’ve probably seen, fleece-lined or fake tights are tights that are made to give the illusion of being normal low-denier stockings, when in actuality they are not just thick, but actually fur-lined. They achieve this by having a normal stocking layered over-top of skin-colored tights that have a heavy fleece or light fur-lining inside. 

In contrast with heavy denier stockings (my current go-to winter stockings are 200 denier) they are still quite a bit thicker with heavier lining, providing a better layer of warm in the winter, while actually looking thinner. 

The inner lining of my normal 200-denier black winter tights and those of Swiftmay's fleece-lined tights.

Fleece-lined stockings first came on the scene a year or two ago, and there are a lot of different companies making and supplying them. This is particularly true here in Asia, where cuteness is key and not something to be compromised; even during the harshest winter.  (In Japanese there is actually an expression, 「可愛いは正義」 meaning “Cuteness is Justice”. 

While it’s easy to find and order a set from shops on instagram, nowadays, for the indiscriminate shopper, a reasonably priced pair of fleece-lined tights can be picked up locally at stores like Don Quijote. 

WHY I ORDERED SWIFTMAY FLEECE-LINED TIGHTS

I was happy to find that Swiftmay's Fleece-lined tights not only shipped to Japan, but came in larger sizes and shades for people of color.

For myself, despite the fact that fleece-lined or fake tights are available locally, for myself, I didn’t see this as an option for two reasons: 

1. Because at over 180cm, I’m 30cm taller than the average Japanese woman, so my size is almost never available at any local stores. 
   

2. As a person of color on top of it, most of the fleece lined tights available locally just don’t match my skin tone at all; making the “illusion” of being stockings impossible. 

SwiftMay in contrast, carries their fleece-lined tights in both larger sizes and in colors appropriate for people with darker skin tones. Additionally, unlike other brands I had looked into, they actually ship to Japan as well, making them a winner. 

UNBOXING AND TRYING OUT SWIFTMAY FLEECE-LINED TIGHTS

The first thing I noticed in getting my tights was that they came in minimalist packaging (concern for the environment and waste prevention is a big thing for me). 

I got the largest size they had (2XL-3XL) and the tights themselves fit well. They were a bit snug for my size, but nothing that was a deal-breaker. I paired them with a black mini-shirt and knee-high long boots, and they looked great. In the sun, they were gloriously warm✨🔥 Even without the sun however, they were still warmer than my 200 denier black tights making very cold weather manageable. 

OTHER ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF FLEECE-LINED OR FAKE TIGHTS

One things I didn't expect from Fleece-lined tights is that they can be used to cover tattoos, and they round-out and smooth out your legs to give a softer and more feminine look.

Another advantage that I found out after trying on the tights is that they are not only warm, but they smoothed out the shape of my legs as well. I’ve got lean muscular legs, and the thickness of the lining worked well to round out the hard edges to give my legs a softer and more feminine look. I was worried that I would overheat while I was indoors, I didn’t find that to be the case at all. They were still comfortably warm but not crazy hot even while indoors. 

The only disadvantages I really found in these were the following three things:

1. I wished that I wished they had a separate 3XL size instead of the 2XL-3XL, as I would have preferred that they were just one size bigger. 
   

2. I found that when sitting wrinkles behind the knees can give away the fact that they are not just regular tights.

   
   

3. I wish that the toe was reinforced, as I caught a toe on something and still ended up with a small run in it. I am assuming that the toe is not reinforced so that:
   

   1. There isn’t extra thickness in the toes that would make your shoes tighter
   

   2. They still look like normal stockings when the shoes come off

So given these factors, the thinner toe isn't necessarily a bad thing; just be aware of it and keep in mind that in that regard to have to be as careful with them as you would with normal stockings. 

Folding the legs while sitting can cause wrinkles that "give away" the fact that fleece-lined tights are not sheer; but that's a very minor complaint on an otherwise great product.

CONCLUSION

All in all, I paid about 7000 yen for my Swiftmay fleece-lined tights and thought it was a worthwhile investment. While I do wish that they had one size larger and more reinforcing in the toe, neither of these things is really a deal-breaker, (especially because I never plan to wear these with any open toe shoes) and I would still consider picking up another pair once these ones begin to wear out. Particularly since they are made to last, and you can still wear them next winter as well👍🏾