I love brightly colored tights… in theory. They’re a nice alternative to the thick, opaque black tights that are everywhere in winter, but although some people can pull them off, I always feel like an overgrown Rainbow Bright. Which is why I’m so happy that the trend is moving away from bright hues and towards tone-on-tone patterns in neutral colors.

Because they’re tone on tone (ie, an opaque black mixed with a sheer black), they’re much easier to pull off. Even an animal print is doable if you keep the rest of your outfit basic–black skirt, black pumps, white button down shirt–though my favorite are these sheer chevron print tights from Sculptz. They’ll jazz up an outfit without calling an inordinate amount of attention to your legs, so they’re easy to wear, even at the office. The big bonus? They’re slimming, too.

Shapewear moved out of the realm of grandma girdles a while ago, and Sculptz is a fantastic line (find ‘em at QVC) that sucks everything in while allowing you to do other things like, say, move and breathe. They make sheers, opaque tights, patterns and–for the daring!–colors, so you can ditch those nude control-top pantyhose and have a little fun.