Solutions to tights lines?

[KelMo]

Doing my first adult competition this year and I just tried on my dress to make sure it still fits (does, whew!)

What I did notice, though, that I didn't like, was that when I wear two pairs of tights (one under and one OTB) they team up on me and pinch an unattractive line into my waist.  When I only wear one pair it's barely noticeable and therefore acceptable, but with two I start to get weird belly rolls.

Does anyone have a solution for this? Do I buy one pair in a bigger size? If so, which one? Is there some sort of bodysuit thing that I could wear instead of one pair? Something way more exciting that I haven't thought of yet?

Thanks

[FigureSpins]

What about wearing knee-high, trouser socks instead of the footed tights?  That's what my girls do for Synchro, which requires matching OTB tights.

You can find them in the hosiery departments at stores like Sears or JC Penney.  They're a heavier weight than pantyhose, closer to the thickness of a regular pair of tights.  They only come up to the knee, but you can fold them over the hooks of your skates so that the OTB tights don't get snagged if you think that'll look wierd.  It's not noticeable at all. 

(Packing tape over the hooks keeps your laces tied and protects the OTB tights, too.)

[Kim to the Max]

I usually hike mine up to right under my bra...we used to do that as kids and it does the trick I even do that for practice...if I don't, I feel like I'm going to moon everyone...

[Sierra]

Mondor sells Knee-high nylon stocking thingies. My proshop sells them for about ten bucks. They come in nude or black. I switched from socks to these. They're basically footed tights that stop at the knee. If you pull them up to the knee, they leave a visible mark. I pull mine over my hooks and laces and wear footless for competition, pulling the footless tights over the top of my skates. They're like the trouser socks I guess, but made for skating.

I just fold the waistband down over my hip bones, because I hate it when it's pressing into my stomach. Maybe that would eliminate the pinched line, since it would be resting over bone and not soft tissue. The tights still stay up fine (they should, with that industrial strength elastic band.)

[Isk8NYC]

Mondor $10/pair, Department store $5/pair - same thing, half the price.

Ah to be skinny enough to pull up/fold down the waistband of tights, lol.

[retired]

Cut the waistband off one pair and sew it to the other pair.  It makes one waistband.   Or cut the waistbands off altogether and sew the tights to the dress.  There's many a competitive skater that has their wedgie butt sewn to their tights.   Also, someone has low rise tights, that puts the waistband under the skirt line usually.
 

[Skittl1321]

I wear a pair of bodytights and a pair of OTB tights.  That way there is only one line to squeeze the midsection, and I'm small enough that the bodytights act as a bra.

[Skate@Delaware]

i either cut the waistband off completely or slice the waistband & seam vertically (making a 'v') so it doesn't dig in. Not sure why they think a "plump" adult woman needs a waistband 20" smaller than normal!!!!

[KelMo]

Lots of good responses!  Thanks guys.

I think I'm going to try either sewing two pairs together (and cutting off one waistband) or getting a bodysuit if they're not too expensive.  Where do you get those, Skittl?

While in theory knee highs are a good concept, I really do like having two layers of tights on all the way up... helps smooth things out a bit

[Kim to the Max]

Cut the waistband off one pair and sew it to the other pair.  It makes one waistband.   Or cut the waistbands off altogether and sew the tights to the dress.  There's many a competitive skater that has their wedgie butt sewn to their tights.   Also, someone has low rise tights, that puts the waistband under the skirt line usually.
 

The Capezio skating tights have started to be lower waisted. I ended up switching from those to the Mondor evolution footed tights because low waisted anything annoys me...

[aussieskater]

I always cut off the bands of all my tights and use my sewing machine to zigzag on a (larger) replacement band of folded beige cotton lycra about 5cm finished width.  The longer and wider band eliminates all waistband lines, which I hate with a passion.

When I need to wear overboot tights, I do what skittl does - wear a skin bodystocking then the overboot tights (with their new lycra band) on top.  The bodystocking has the happy added bonus of smoothing the back-fat lines of my bra, which I can't afford to go without!  I got my bodystockings from Danny's Warehouse at $7 each, and at the time I got mine, they went to XXL (Danny's size E).  Not sure if they still keep them, but might be worth a try for the price.

[FigureSpins]

My standard-issue synchro tights are a little short-waisted for me, so I could extend them with a replacement waistband.  How long do you make the new waistband: the same width as the original waistband or do you stretch-gather it a bit smaller/larger?  By 5cm finished width, the actual fabric is cut to 10cm and folded, correct?

I bought a "bodyslimmer" (like a bodysuit, not a body stocking) at a high-end department store about three years ago - it has a built-in underwire brassiere, so I don't have to fuss with undies.  (Got to keep the bouncing in check.)  I'll have to try out wearing it underneath the tights, that's an awesome idea!  It would keep the bottom of the suit from showing, too, since it can be tucked and positioned up and out of sight.  My bodyslimmer has hook fasteners in the crotch, so bathroom breaks wouldn't be any worse than having the tights underneath. 

I hate to say it, but all my internet searches for "bodystocking" came up with adult lingerie sites.  (Crotchless! Cross Dressing!)  A search of Danny's Warehouse came up empty, as did Capezio's site.  Is there another term that those are called?

[Kim to the Max]

Would putting "dance" in your search help since most of the bodystocking are made for dance?

[Isk8NYC]

Much better - now the raciest thing the search picks up is bellydancing, which is acceptable.

[aussieskater]

My standard-issue synchro tights are a little short-waisted for me, so I could extend them with a replacement waistband.  How long do you make the new waistband: the same width as the original waistband or do you stretch-gather it a bit smaller/larger?  By 5cm finished width, the actual fabric is cut to 10cm and folded, correct?

Yes, I cut the cotton lycra band about 10cm wide (so folded is finished 5cm), and about 5-8cm smaller than my waist - in other words, it's significantly longer than the original band!!  I zigzag overlap the short ends by about a cm to make a tube of the new band, then mark eighths on both the band (now a circle) and the tights - because of the amount of stretching needed, quarters aren't enough!  Mark both long edges of the band, as you'll need to match the marks when you sew the second edge.

Then I zigzag the first long edge to the tights, matching eighth marks as I go, then fold the new band in half and zigzag the second long edge to the other side of the tights, matching eighth marks again, to encase the tights within the two edges of the lycra.  Don't worry if the tights aren't completely encased as the tights fabric doesn't seem to run.

I hate to say it, but all my internet searches for "bodystocking" came up with adult lingerie sites.  (Crotchless! Cross Dressing!)  A search of Danny's Warehouse came up empty, as did Capezio's site.  Is there another term that those are called?

Re the bodystocking: looks like Danny's still have them and they're still $7 (good to know.) Here's the link:
http://www.dannyswarehouse.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=Danny&Category_Code=adult_tights

Better than the other sites you found!  

Edit to add that I just clicked right through the link I gave, to check it still works and wasn't an old link somehow archived on my machine.  The site gives the option of "pink" or "black" - I have a feeling that when I ordered last time, their "pink" bodystocking was what is pictured now (ie: tan), but would check that before you order.

[Skittl1321]

Where do you get those, Skittl?

Sorry- late to reply... I get mine at Discount Dance.com.  They are about $14, and thinner than skating tights- so I only wear them as my 2nd pair

http://www.dannyswarehouse.com/ had them once for $2 a pair, so I got a few there, and like them, but the ones from Discount Dance have clear straps, which I really like.

[ChristyRN]

Ah to be skinny enough to pull up/fold down the waistband of tights, lol.

Amen!