15 Patterned Pairs Inspired by Dynasties, Courts and Folk Art - Tights Around the World
Chloe ZEvery pair of patterned tights tells a story, if you look closely enough. Some of ours carry the court ladies of Tang Dynasty China, others the cobalt blue of a porcelain vase, the embroidered roses of Elizabethan England or the tartan of the Scottish Highlands. Put them on and you're wearing a small piece of design history, one that happens to go very nicely with a black skirt and a pair of Mary Janes.
Inspired by the way traditional dress keeps a culture's stories alive, we've gathered 15 Grainvity tights whose prints come from different countries and dynasties. For each pair you'll find where the design comes from, what the motifs mean and how to wear it today.
What are history-inspired tights? History-inspired tights are patterned tights whose prints borrow from a specific culture or era, such as Chinese blue-and-white porcelain, Japanese kimono textiles, Tudor embroidery, Scottish tartan or Aztec geometric design. They are modern legwear that let you wear a piece of design history with everyday outfits.
A very short history of tights
Tights are older than most people think, and for centuries they were menswear. In medieval Europe, men wore woven wool or linen hose, two separate leg coverings tied to a belt or doublet. By the 15th century the two legs were often sewn together into a single garment, the distant ancestor of today's tights. Tudor and Elizabethan noblemen showed off their legs in knitted silk stockings, which were a costly status symbol.
Women's legwear changed fastest in the 20th century. Nylon stockings went on sale in the United States in 1940, and in 1959 the American company Glen Raven Mills introduced pantyhose, which joined stockings and briefs into one garment. Opaque, printed tights followed in the 1960s, and they turned legs into a canvas for pattern. That is where the pairs below come in.
East Asia
1. Tang Dynasty court ladies: Ladies of the Court Chinoiserie Tights
Era: Tang Dynasty (618–907) · Origin: China · Motifs: court ladies, flowers, flowing robes · Wear it for: dinners, gallery days, Lunar New Year
The Tang Dynasty was one of China's great golden ages, and its painters loved to show elegant women of the imperial court. A famous example is Court Ladies Adorning Their Hair with Flowers, attributed to the painter Zhou Fang, with its high hairstyles, peonies and silk robes. These tights borrow that graceful mood. The word "chinoiserie" describes the European fashion for Chinese-style decoration in the 17th and 18th centuries, so this pair sits between two traditions: This Chinese famous painting of Tang Court Ladies, seen through the eyes of European decorative art.
How to wear them: let the print lead with a silk or satin skirt in a solid colour, or a simple black dress.
Shop the Ladies of the Court Chinoiserie Tights
2. Blue-and-white porcelain: Blue and White Porcelain Tights
Era: from the 14th century · Origin: Jingdezhen, China, then Europe · Motifs: cobalt florals and scrolls · Wear it for: spring days, brunch, creative offices
Blue-and-white porcelain was perfected in Jingdezhen, China, during the Yuan Dynasty in the 14th century, using cobalt blue painted under a clear glaze. It became one of the most traded luxury goods in the world. When it reached Europe, potters raced to copy it, from the Dutch makers of Delftware in the 17th century to the porcelain factories of France. Our Blue and White Porcelain Tights take their inspiration from this European porcelain tradition, which itself began with Chinese blue-and-white.
How to wear them: stay in the same colour family with a white shirt and a navy or white dress for a crisp, gallery-fresh look.
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3. Koi in Chinese art: Chinese Vintage Style Koi Fish Tights
Era: traditional Chinese painting and folk prints · Origin: China · Motifs: koi carp, water · Wear it for: Lunar New Year, gifting, everyday colour
Fish are one of the luckiest symbols in Chinese art. The word for fish, yu, sounds like the word for abundance, which is why fish appear on New Year prints with the wish "may you have plenty year after year". Carp also star in the old legend of the fish that leapt over the Dragon Gate and became a dragon, a story told to encourage hard work and ambition. These tights bring those vintage-style koi to your legs, so they make a cheerful choice for Lunar New Year or a lucky gift.
How to wear them: try them with a qipao-style dress, or keep it simple with a plain black skirt.
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4. Kimono textiles of Japan: Japanese Kimono-Style Tights
Era: Heian period (794–1185) to Edo period (1603–1868) · Origin: Japan · Motifs: kimono fabric patterns · Wear it for: weddings, theatre, everyday elegance
The kimono goes back to the Heian period, when noblewomen layered silk robes in carefully chosen colours. It became everyday fashion in the Edo period, when kabuki actors and merchants set the trends, and today it is mostly worn for weddings, festivals and coming-of-age ceremonies. Kimono patterns often follow the seasons, with cherry blossom for spring and maple leaves for autumn. These tights take their patterns from classic kimono fabrics. For a spring version, the Sweet Sakura Tights carry a delicate cherry blossom print.
How to wear them: pair them with a wrap dress, which echoes the kimono's crossover neckline, or a plain black skirt.
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Europe through the ages
5. Medieval Europe: Medieval Patterned Tights
Era: Middle Ages (about 500–1500) · Origin: Europe · Motifs: medieval-inspired ornament · Wear it for: Renaissance fairs, cosplay, autumn layering
This is where tights began. Medieval hose were worn by men and women across Europe, and the decoration of the period lives on in illuminated manuscripts, stained glass and tapestries. These tights bring a medieval-inspired pattern into the present, with stretchy fabric that is far more comfortable than wool hose tied to a belt.
How to wear them: wear them with a corset dress or a cloak at your next fair, or with a plain mini dress and a chunky knit on an ordinary day.
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6. Tudor and Elizabethan England: Elizabethan Floral Tights
Era: reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603) · Origin: England · Motifs: embroidered garden flowers · Wear it for: Renaissance fairs, spring weddings, everyday florals
Elizabethan England was obsessed with gardens, and that love spilled onto clothing. Wealthy women wore jackets, sleeves and caps embroidered with roses, honeysuckle, pansies and vines, often in coloured silks or in blackwork, a style of black thread embroidery on white linen. The Tudor rose, which combined the red and white roses of the houses of Lancaster and York, became a national emblem. Our Elizabethan Floral Tights take their florals from the patterns of 16th-century England.
How to wear them: pair them with a corset dress at a fair, or a velvet skirt and a square-neck top for everyday Tudor charm.
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7. Renaissance and Baroque tapestry: Baroque Tapestry Printed Tights
Era: Renaissance to Baroque (15th–17th centuries) · Origin: Italy, France, Flanders · Motifs: filigree, scrollwork, illustrated figures · Wear it for: evenings out, fashion-forward looks
In Renaissance and Baroque Europe, a great tapestry was worth more than a painting. Workshops in Flanders and, from 1662, the royal Gobelins manufactory in Paris wove huge wall hangings full of figures, scrolling leaves and gilded borders, all designed to show wealth and power. These tights recreate that opulence with Renaissance filigree, ornate scrollwork, botanical flourishes and classic illustrated figures on a muted beige base. If you prefer flowers, try the Baroque Floral Print Tights.
How to wear them: let them be the statement under a black or beige mini skirt, with simple heeled boots.
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8. Rococo France: Rococo Tights
Era: 18th century (about 1730–1770) · Origin: France · Motifs: cherubs, clouds, pastel romance · Wear it for: birthdays, tea parties, date nights
Rococo was the light, playful style of 18th-century France under Louis XV. Painters such as François Boucher and Jean-Honoré Fragonard filled their canvases with chubby cherubs, pastel skies and lovers in gardens. It is the dreamy, romantic look later linked with Marie Antoinette's Versailles. Our Rococo Tights carry angelic artwork inspired by that painting style.
How to wear them: go full romance with a pastel dress, a lace blouse and Mary Janes.
9. Paisley, from Persia to Scotland: Red Paisley Tights
Era: from ancient Persia to the 19th century · Origin: Persia, Kashmir and Paisley, Scotland · Motifs: the teardrop boteh · Wear it for: the office, autumn evenings
Few patterns have travelled as far as paisley. The curved teardrop shape, called the boteh, began in Persia and was woven into the fine shawls of Kashmir. When those shawls became fashionable in Britain in the late 18th century, weavers in the Scottish town of Paisley began making cheaper copies, and they made so many that the pattern took the town's name. We cover the print in more detail in our guide to paisley tights.
How to wear them: pair the rich red with a black pencil skirt or a camel coat. For a cooler tone, the Blue Paisley Tights have a Victorian-style feel.
10. Victorian Gothic Revival: Victorian Retro Patterned Tights
Era: Victorian era (1837–1901) · Origin: England · Motifs: Gothic Revival ornament · Wear it for: dark academia, winter workdays
The Victorians fell in love with the Middle Ages all over again. The Gothic Revival brought pointed arches, tracery and rich ornament back into fashion, most famously in the Palace of Westminster, rebuilt after a fire by Charles Barry and A.W.N. Pugin from 1840. These tights take their intricate motifs from the patterns of Victorian-era English architecture.
How to wear them: lean into dark academia with a black velvet skirt, a checked blazer and Oxford shoes.
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11. Victorian painting: Victorian Oil Painting Tights
Era: Victorian era (1837–1901) · Origin: Britain · Motifs: oil painting scenes · Wear it for: museum dates, smart-casual days
Victorian Britain was a golden age for oil painting. Crowds queued for the Royal Academy's summer exhibitions, and in 1848 a group of young artists including Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais and William Holman Hunt founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, with its rich colours and romantic heroines. These tights carry prints reminiscent of Victorian oil paintings, so they pair beautifully with the Gothic Revival pair above.
How to wear them: wear them with a black dress or a tweed skirt for a gallery-ready look.
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12. The Arts and Crafts spirit: Striped Floral Print Tights
Era: late 19th century · Origin: England · Motifs: stripes and country flowers · Wear it for: weekends, countryside walks
At the end of the Victorian era, the designer William Morris led the Arts and Crafts movement, which rejected cheap factory goods in favour of handmade beauty. His company, Morris & Co., produced wallpapers and fabrics full of English garden flowers, birds and climbing stems, including the famous Strawberry Thief print of 1883. Our Striped Floral Print Tights share that love of country flowers, with a rustic striped floral print that would feel at home in a Morris-style cottage.
How to wear them: pair them with a linen dress, a chunky cardigan and boots.
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The British Isles: tartan and knitwear
13. Scottish tartan: British Plaid Flower Bird Tights
Era: recorded from the 16th century · Origin: Scottish Highlands · Motifs: tartan with flowers and birds · Wear it for: autumn, winter, Burns Night
Tartan is woven into Scottish identity. Highland dress was banned by the Dress Act of 1746 after the Jacobite rising, and when the ban was lifted in 1782, tartan came back as a proud national symbol. Different tartans came to represent different clans. Grainvity has a soft spot for it, because our founder started the shop in 2022 while studying for a master's degree in Scotland. These tights mix classic tartan with delicate flowers and birds. For colder days, the Women's Tartan Thermal Tights are a thick wool-blend knit. See all our checks in our tartan tights guide.
How to wear them: pair them with a tweed skirt, a cardigan and brogues.
Shop the British Plaid Flower Bird Tights
14. Fair Isle and 1920s knitwear: Folk Print Tights
Era: 1920s · Origin: Fair Isle, Shetland, and Scotland · Motifs: stepped tree band, diamond checks · Wear it for: winter weekends, preppy outfits
Fair Isle is a tiny island in Shetland, famous for knitting in bands of colourful repeating patterns. The style took off in the early 1920s, when the Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII, wore Fair Isle jumpers on the golf course. At the same time, diamond-patterned argyle socks, based on the tartans of Argyll in western Scotland, became a golfing classic. These tights play with that 1920s look: a stepped tree band and a purple stripe sit above the knee, and green diamond checks fade to blue below, so it looks as if you're wearing knitted over-the-knee socks over ivory tights. It's a print, not a real knit, so you get the look without the bulk.
How to wear them: wear them with a short pleated skirt, a knitted vest and loafers. Love the sock look? Read our guide to wearing knee high socks.
The Americas
15. Aztec Mexico: geometric tights inspired by 16th-century Aztec design
Era: Aztec Empire (1325–1521) · Origin: central Mexico · Motifs: stepped frets and geometric bands · Wear it for: festivals, boho outfits, everyday pattern
The Aztecs, or Mexica, founded their capital Tenochtitlan in 1325 on an island in Lake Texcoco, where Mexico City stands today. Their carvings and painted books were full of bold geometry, such as the stepped fret, a zigzag-spiral motif found across ancient Mexico. The most famous carving is the Sun Stone, made shortly before the Spanish conquest of 1521 and now in Mexico City's National Museum of Anthropology. These tights take their intricate geometric pattern from 16th-century Aztec prints. They're a design inspired by that art, not traditional dress.
How to wear them: they're a striking finish for boho and festival outfits, layered under a denim skirt or a plain shift dress.
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How to style culture-inspired tights
- Let the tights lead. Keep the rest of the outfit in one or two solid colours, and pick one shade from the print for your top or bag.
- Choose simple shoes. Black Mary Janes, loafers and ankle boots work with almost every pair here.
- Match the mood. Rococo and Elizabethan florals love soft pastels and lace, while Victorian and Baroque prints look best with black, velvet and tweed.
- Wear them with respect. These are modern designs inspired by historical art, so wear them as fashion rather than as a costume of someone else's culture.
For more ideas, see our Ultimate Guide to Women's Tights.
Caring for printed tights
To keep the colours of your prints bright, hand wash your tights in cool water with a mild detergent, or put them in a mesh laundry bag on a delicate cycle. Skip the tumble dryer and dry them flat. Our step-by-step guide explains how to wash tights so they last longer.
Wear a little history
From Tang Dynasty court painting to Fair Isle knitwear, each of these pairs is a small museum piece you can actually wear. Pick the era that speaks to you, and start there. We ship from the UK to the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Singapore and beyond.
Frequently asked questions
What are chinoiserie tights?
Chinoiserie tights are printed tights decorated in the chinoiserie style, the European fashion for Chinese-inspired art that peaked in the 17th and 18th centuries. Typical motifs include court figures, pagodas, flowers and birds. Grainvity's Ladies of the Court Chinoiserie Tights are inspired by Tang Dynasty court painting.
What did people wear before tights were invented?
In medieval Europe, people wore hose: separate leg coverings of woven wool or linen, tied to a belt or doublet. By the 15th century the two legs were often joined into one garment. Knitted silk stockings followed in the Tudor period, nylon stockings in 1940 and modern pantyhose in 1959.
Where does the paisley pattern come from?
The paisley teardrop, called the boteh, comes from Persia and was woven into Kashmir shawls. It is named after Paisley in Scotland, where weavers mass-produced paisley shawls in the 19th century.
What is the difference between tartan and plaid?
Tartan is a pattern of crossing horizontal and vertical stripes with deep roots in Scotland, where different tartans came to represent clans. In American English, "plaid" is often used for any checked pattern, while in Scotland a plaid is a large piece of tartan cloth worn over the shoulder.
How do I style patterned tights without overdoing it?
Keep everything else simple. Wear solid-coloured clothes, pick up one colour from the print and choose plain shoes such as black Mary Janes or loafers.
Are Grainvity's patterned tights warm enough for winter?
Most of our patterned tights are 80 denier, which is opaque and warm enough for a British autumn and winter. For the coldest days, our thermal wool-blend tights, such as the Women's Tartan Thermal Tights, add extra warmth.
Related guides
Paisley Tights: How to Style the Vintage Print
Tartan Tights for Women: 18 Plaid, Checked & Thermal Styles
The Ultimate Guide to Women's Tights
Funky Tights for Women: 14 Bold Printed Tights (Gothic, Anime & Art)
Or browse every style in our women's tights collection.