Repairing tights?

[karne]

Okay, so in the practice thread I posted that I kicked my calf with my toepick and there were no holes in my tights. There still aren't btw. The problem is those were my Danskins - too dark in colour for competition, but also extremely hard to find now. (I'm not sure Danskin still makes them.)

So in July I ordered some Mondors from Rainbo Sports, the thin ones, for competition. And I have to say I'm not happy. One pair already has a giant run at the back of the thigh, and I just discovered a hole at my big toe in the "good" pair.

Anyway, I'd like to know (before I go ordering more tights  ) is there a way to repair the hole in the toe? I'd really rather not buy new tights if I didn't have to. Or is this normal for Mondors?

[sarahspins]

You can dry a drop of fray-chek or clear nail polish to keep it from running more.

[Skittl1321]

A small hole can be repaired by darning, or if you are lazy like me, just turn them inside out and whip stitch it closed.  I sew holes up in my expensive tights pretty much everytime I wear them...always get blade nicks on otb tights.

Runs are hard to.fix, so prevention is the best cure.  Fray check will help stop them from getting bigger, but it can discolor too, so test it somewhere unseen first.

[aussieskater]

karne - sadly you won't find the danskins any more as I believe they've gone out of business    I have found capezios to be a good substitute though.  As far as the Mondors go, the Evolutions (style 3337/3338) are OK quality but I really don't like the colour.  The Mondor 3310 ("opaque footed") are thin and nasty, and run really easily, and I still don't like the colour    I haven't tried the Mondor 3350 (opaque OTB).

Re darning them - they can be darned quite easily.  I do what skittls does - turn inside out and whipstitch closed.  I usually wear 2 pairs for a competition, and it's pretty unlikely that I've managed to hole two pairs in exactly the same place, so the darn really doesn't show from a distance.  I have found that the cotton I use can show against my pasty white legs ( ) if it's too dark, so if you're fair, I'd suggest using cotton one shade lighter than you think you need.  Also the tights fade with repeated washing, so using cotton one shade lighter means the darn won't suddenly show up later.

[tazsk8s]

I have the worst luck with Mondor tights.  I always seem to get runs in them after only one or two wearings, as well as holes in the Evolution over the boot ones.  The thicker OTB ones last longer before I get holes, and they're fine for practice, but they make me look klunkier than I already am. 

Unfortunately Mondor seems to be about the only brand I can get my hands on around here.  I love, love, love the Capezio microfibers but have a terrible time locating them.  Anyone have a good online source for them?

[kiwiskater]

Sorry karne, Aussie is right - I'm told by the lady at the dancewear shop who sells Danskins that they went bust & are no more...you'll have to settle to another brand...if you're keen on shopping online I hear the US has a few more options

[sarahspins]

I haven't tried capezio tights, but I adore my euroskins (I like the 215 footed tight, and also the 95704 body tight even though it has a convertible foot)

They're a good replacement for the Danskins I used to like that had the knitted and not sewn-in elastic waistband.

[Sk8Dreams]

I recommend Jenskates.com for their own brand tights.  They are on sale now for under $5/pair.  My only complaint with them is that the waistband is a little tight, but I do have an age-expanded waist, so it may not be a problem for the younger and slimmer skaters.  My solution was to cut two slits through the waist band.  I also ultimately cut the toes out when I began skating barefooted.  This tells you how strong they are, as I got no runs from either procedure.

[karne]

Has anyone here tried the new Rainbo tights? It's alluring when the description makes them sound like the perfect tight! 

[Skittl1321]

I have a pair, but haven't tried them yet.  I should do that soon.  The material feels just divine.  Another friend said they thought the waistband was bit tight for the size though.  And the color is quite dark.

Will try to wear them this week, so I can report back.

[Clarice]

Has anyone here tried the new Rainbo tights? It's alluring when the description makes them sound like the perfect tight! 

I have a pair, and I really like them.  The fabric is very smooth and comfortable, and my leggings slid over it very easily.  It seems a little more substantial than other brands somehow.  I don't normally wear footed tights, but I got a pair on purpose so I could check out the toe seams, which usually bother me.  These were significantly more comfortable than my other tights.  I haven't worn them enough yet to know whether they'll resist runs better than other brands, but given how the fabric feels, I suspect that they will.

[karne]

Thanks all for the sewing advice - I whipstiched closed the hole in the toe this morning and it worked perfectly. Cheers!


(May succumb to temptation and get a pair of those Rainbo tights, though.)