Holey Tights!

Hooray...

What a beautiful May we've been enjoying in Suffolk

With the warmer weather upon us, I've happily ditched my thick, comfortable "40 deniers" for the more flirty "7 denier barely there" number... just in time for our friends' wedding this weekend (which was perfect by the way).

But BOO...

I'd forgotten about those darn ladders!

You know the ones....

They appear in the wrong place at the wrong time and cannot be fixed easily, not even with clear nail polish!

Yes, I'm talking tights, nylons or pantyhose!

Aside from the more heavy-duty winter thickness type, lighter denier tights can suffer from such a short "shelf-life", they could be more associated with disposable items than reusable objects....Just take the two pairs that I managed to ladder at the weekend for example!

At least hope is on the horizon with a new material that has been developed that might extend the usability of tights.

Before I started The Rubbish Diet, I'd never given much thought to such things. I'd just buy, wear, ladder and then throw them away, all in that particular order, which sadly didn't even include a single visit to the washing machine.

But I now realise that just because they are laddered, tights shouldn't automatically be sent to landfill, especially as they don't biodegrade.

Fortunately I have discovered other options enabling them to be reused, from stuffing cushions to using them for plant ties. In fact you will find a whole host of ideas at the websites Self Sufficient-ish and Recycle This.

However, despite best intentions, I'm not sure if I've got enough space around the house to keep hold of my tights for such opportunities, which is why I am delighted to have found an alternative option, where they can be put to much better use.

The great news for nylon laddering offenders like me is that the people at the online hosiery store Tightsplease are collecting old clean tights for their charity appeal, to support women in Ethiopia who have suffered a fistula injury due to complications in childbirth. All tights will be sent to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital, where they can use the panty element of the hosiery to secure bandages in place. The remaining material will be woven into rugs, so there is no waste. Even holey, laddered tights come in useful.

So, if you have some old tights knocking around that would be better suited to a new home, please support this worthwhile cause by sending them to:


Ethiopia Tights Appeal, Tightsplease, 2nd Floor Albion Court, 18-20 Frederick St, Hockley, Birmingham, B1 3HE.

More information can be found at the Tightsplease website, so please check for latest news. If you would like to support the work of the hospital directly, please see the hospital's website for details about financial donations.

Finally, if you think that hosiery is just for ladies, be prepared for the news that apparently hosiery sales for men are on the increase. You don't believe me? Then check out www.tights-for-men.com, which claims to be the first UK online store dedicated to men's legwear.

I just hope that men in tights are much better at looking after their ladders than me!

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