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Suddenly, it has turned bitterly cold in New York, making me regret losing my favorite black cable-knit tights a few years ago. I've recently heard of these fleece-lined tights from Plush, though, and am intrigued — but finding them is a bit of a challenge. I can't wait to try them, though! They're generally $35 at: Amazon and ShopBop — and note that they often come in thigh high, footless, and maternity versions as well as (in 2019), plush faux leather legging versions.
2017 Update: Fleece tights have been so popular with the commenters that they're pretty much an inside joke at this point — and the Plush brand of fleece tights are still around and going strong, so we're adding them to our Workwear Hall of Fame — you can find them at a ton of places, including Amazon and the other places listed above. Note that you can often find fleece tights in much less expensive versions at the drugstore or at a department store like Nordstrom, but quality may vary. You may also want to check out our general roundup of the best tights for work.
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lawyerette
Those look awesome! I kind of want to go get them right now….
EM
Does anyone — like the readers from the UK — know where I can get either a customized sign reading “London, 2150 miles” or a sign (authentic or repo) of a train station in Liverpool?
K
Try ebay or etsy.
EM
Do you know if these signs have a special name? I’ve googled–looked on Etsy too, first, and can’t find what I’m looking for.
Lizadoo
Draw or find a picture and etsy alchemy it!
E
I had the legging version of these last year – they were very soft and comfy on the first wear, but after one washing they pilled on the outside and lost their softness on the inside. Do not recommend . . .
luluaj
I got a pair at target for about 12 dollars. I haven’t worn (or washed) them yet.
coco
please share more info – i love the idea of these, but am worried about their sizing – target ones would be great!
luluaj
They are the Merona or the Exhiliration brand. My target only carried black. I sized up to a medium and they fit fine!! They are very thick…it has only been cold enough the past few days to wear them in the Northeast.
coco
will have to go investigate – thanks!
Lisa
I just wore mine for the first time last week. AMAZING! I do hope they wash well (tag says hand wash/line dry). A word of caution: definately size up. I ordered S/M, but had to get M/L and even those are snug (5’3″ and 125lbs).
anonk
Threadjack – any people really well versed in health care plans? In one of those “life throws you fun loops” developments, the day before I planned to quit my job to focus on my side business, I find out I am pregnant. I now need to figure out what the differences are between my employer’s plan and my husband’s plan (which I know we’ll be substantially more for in premiums) to gauge the realistic difference for our family. Any advice would be appreciated… this is our/my first pregnancy; don’t expect it to be high risk.
anonk
drat, I mean PAY substantially more for in premiums — his boss only pays 50%, mine pays 75%.
anon
Check to make sure pregnancy isn’t considered a “pre-existing condition” and therefore not covered. Also check on any waiting periods. I have heard stories of hospitals being included in an insurance plan, but the anesthetist or NICU pediatrician or someone else on your or your baby’s care team not being covered. If coverage and finances are an issue, be very very sure that anyone you think you might come into contact to during pregnancy and delivery are part of your plan. Just because people all work in the same building doesn’t necessarily mean they all participate in the same insurance plans.
E
Sounds like in addition to overall premium costs for your family, you also need to focus on their prenatal/obstetric benefits, which can vary widely. Each plan should have a list (usually on the internet) of what they cover. Some plans charge a flat co-pay per visit, others charge % of fees billed. It can be like comparing apples to oranges, especially because you don’t know what the charges will be. If you need to get granular, figure out which hospital you are planning to deliver at and call up their billing department. It may take a couple of people, but someone knows what the charges are for a typical vaginal birth and delivery for your insurance plans. You may start to see that one plan has better benefits in general in this area and be able to stop looking for such fine details. Other possible charges to consider:
-ICU care for you or your child if necessary
-costs to be transferred to another hospital
– c-section costs versus vag delivery
-anesthesia coverage
It’s a lot to think about. You should be able to call each insurance company (and spend a lot of time on hold) and eventually get a decent idea of what it will cost you.
Congrats on your pregnancy. We got pregnant with my son at a time in our lives that seemed not very ideal, and it has been the most joyous, wonderful thing that happened to my husband and I.
NYC
Congrats! No an expert by any means, but the first thing you should consider is whether your hubby can add you at any point or if there is an open enrollment period. I’m not sure I understand the analysis — are you still going to quit? Or are you considering staying at your job for the health insurance? Both plans should have manuals that list the amount the employee is expected to pay based on the number of people covered, the amount of co-pay, and the pregnancy/childbirth coverage. The benefits/HR person should be able to provide the manuals. They can be tedious to read, but all the information should be there. If you are still going to quit, your hubby’s plan is probably cheaper. COBRA means you pay 100% of the cost of the plan.
anonk
thanks, you guys! yes — the analysis right now is a) quit my job and try to grow my business before baby comes, or b) wait until i have a healthy baby, and then quit and switch to my husband’s plan, and grow the business while juggling a newborn.
i’ve just heard stories about pregnancies that unexpectedly ended costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. there’s an element in risk inherent in life, obviously, but if you’re expecting major surgery/many checkups then it seems like a bad idea to switch from health insurance.
Janie
I just want to say Congrats :)
Anonymous
I too had a choice between two very different plans when I unexpectedly found out I was pregnant. The discovery of my pregnancy happened to coincide with open/life-change based enrollment for me. In my case, it turned out to be a no-brainer as my insurance involved copays and coinsurance to the tune of several thousand ($5k? or more) and pregnancy/related appointments was treated just like an illness. It would have cost me almost 10k to have the baby when the baby’s hospital costs were factored in (if he went on my plan at birth), for a normal birth. The premiums are super cheap but … In my husband’s plan, which is excellent, there is no coinsurance. In fact, all pregnancy related appointments are treated as preventive care, which is 100% covered. I did not even have to pay a copay for my regular appointments, let alone ultrasounds, nutritionist appointments and whatever else I ended up having. The premiums are significantly higher, but I much preferred having fixed costs, with a known total. Plus I never stressed about how much going to the doctor to get checked out, flu shot, etc would cost me.
Midori
Even in a normal pregnancy, Anon at 12:00 has a good point. I just went through a normal, healthy pregnancy, and with my plan (low premium, but copays and co-insurance for everything) it ended up costing several thousand. Having a kid = a LOT of visits to the doctor and poking and prodding. It adds up quickly. If you have a no copay option, it’s probably worth a higher premium.
Preggo Angie
You didn’t give a whole lot of info. While you may more in premium on one plan, you might have a high coinsurance on the other. Plus, actual premium costs are probably different.
Also, my first pregnancy was perfect until the 34th week, when a whole host of issues (that none of my immediate family ever encountered) happened – so take that for what it’s worth. Not that your pregnancy won’t be perfect, it’s just good to be prepared for any “what ifs.”
anonk
i guess the “other info” is the stuff that i’m not even sure to be on the lookout for. high deductibles? is the coinsurance thing just the copay?
Anon
No – coinsurance usually means you a percent of the healthcare expense. Often it is 20%. Like others said, be cautious about whether you can even join hubby’s plan if you quit. Voluntarily departure might not be a trigerring life event to get you around open enrollment requirements. As far as I know, even with open enrollment, you might not be covered for your pregnancy if you were pregnant when you joined.
Be glad you discovered this before you quit so you at least have options!
anonk
thanks! my husband works for a super small firm — i called his insurance broker a few weeks ago and told him that we were trying to get pregnant and also considering my quitting and joining his plan — he didn’t mention anything about open enrollment plan. but i think we need to have another conversation with him today — for some reason it seems easier to lay all the cards on the table with a stranger rather than with my husband’s boss! (we *literally* just found out today. my head is swimming…)
Ellen
I have pretty good coverage at my job with low premiums and co-pays, but Alan does not have good coverage where he is working, and which he is paying alot for not all that much. So I am hoping he will consider this and marry me already so that I can add him to MY health plan.
We are not yet ready for a baby, but Alan says that he wants to be a father, so I have to get ready for that, because once I am out on leave with the baby, I am NOT sure we can all stay covered. Does anyone know about this? If the person going out on maternity leave leaves, does the family keep the coverage? We should figure this out, but I figure that mabye one of you have gone through this.
Anon
And also for potential health problems with baby, who will be covered by your insurance too. Not that you have any reason to expect these — almost all babies are fundamentally healthy. But even my healthy kids have found their way into the hospital for various things, and needed elaborate diagnostic tests, etc. This is not the time in your life you want to have so-so insurance (if in fact that’s what your husband’s is).
Anonymous
Yes, in addition to making sure the coverage will be adequate for a non-routine birth, please check what the post-birth coverage for a new baby is like. Like Preggo Angie I had a perfect pregnancy until late in the game and then they discovered a pretty serious problem that warranted an emergency c-section. We thought we were in the clear after that, but then at my son’s four-month checkup the pediatrician tested him for developmental milestones and discovered several problems (probably due to what happened to him before birth) that we have had to remedy through 4+ years of specialist visits, many hours of different types of therapies, surgery and many, many diagnostic tests. And that’s on top of the normal fevers, coughs, falls, etc. that kids go through, that warrant visits to the pediatrician. I am extremely thankful we have had good insurance through all of this or otherwise, we would have had to make a choice between treating our son’s problems and going bankrupt (we would have chosen bankruptcy, obviously!). Fortunately, aside from a couple of things we’re still working on, he is a normal healthy boy now.
No one thinks, when they get pregnant, about having a child that will have special health care needs, but it does happen fairly frequently. We have friends who have severely autistic children, one whose child suffered a stroke before birth and is partially paralyzed, and one couple whose son was born with a serious congenital brain defect and will require lifetime medical care. I am not saying any of this to scare you, but it does happen. As Kramer once said, Mother Nature is a maaaad scientist and even relatively minor problems like the one my son had can be costly. Unfortunately, many people don’t find out how good their insurance is until they really need it. Make sure you do your due diligence before switching.
Insurance concerns aside – Mazel Tov on the pregnancy and best of luck to you. Sometimes unexpected blessings are the best ones!
kz
my mother recently got a pair of fleece-lined tights similar to these (maybe a different brand?) at I think tj maxx or marshall’s. they look awesome and warm and I definitely want some!
kz
does anyone know if the j.crew stretch wool suits fit about the same as the super 120’s?
Anon
IMHO, comparing j.crew suits is nearly impossible. I own 5, some 120s and some stretch wool, and none of the 5 fit similarly. Some pieces are 4s, some 8s (and I don’t just mean all 4 jackets and 8 pants, I have some of each piece in each size). While I love j.crew suiting, the sizes are super inconsistent. I recommend ordering multiple sizes, or buying in-store.
Janie
Mine were purchased the same year and fit about the same, size-wise, but the styles of the jackets, pants and skirts are different so they all fit -a little- differently. The stretch wool jacket I have is a little shorter and boxier than the 120s, but that might be the style.
EN
I actually just bought a pair of super 120’s pants and the stretch wool pants in my standard jcrew pants size (10, I’m an hourglass 5’8, 155) and found the fit to be similar in both. However, because the super 120’s pants are not lined I didn’t think they were as flattering as the stretch wool (nor would they be as warm for Chicago winters!). I ended up returning the super 120’s and keeping the stretch wool. I haven’t bought the jacket yet but I would agree with the other posters that I have found Jcrew jacket sizing to be unpredictable (I vary between a 6 and an 8 in their jackets).
AEK
I asked one of their sales associates this, and fwiw, she said they are both cut to exactly the same proportions. Still, I don’t think that means they actually “fit” the same way; I imagine the fabrics wear differently. I’ve found my Super 120s pants to stretch considerably in my waist/thigh area. Maybe the stretch fabric would stay truer to size?
Lawgirl
Call me crazy, but before I put something that thick on my legs, I’d just as soon wear pants. Dresses/skirts just don’t mean that much to me!
Sharon
I agree with law girl. If it’s that cold, I’m wearing pants. It is incredibly rare for either my clients or me to wear skirts. I think those of us who came of age in the 80s power suit era were so glad to switch to pants that we never went back to skirts. I do have a few, but not for when it’s truly cold out.
Sharon
Anonk — congrats.
I nearly changed jobs when I was pg and was wisely counseled to stay put as the pg would be preexisting and hence not covered in the new job. I didn’t expect to be high risk either; I was 27 and perfectly healthy. And wound up with serious complications and a half a million dollar hospital bill — of which I only had to pay $2,000 since my insurance was so good. A pg is only low risk in retrospective when it’s over.
Anonymous
How does one “lose” a pair of tights? :)
Kat
ha! that sounds bad. i honestly have no idea — had bought them in college (for the, at the time, super expensive price of $16 at urban outfitters) and i wore them at least into the early 2000s… not sure if i lost them in a move, or they fell to the bottom of the closet somehow, or what, but i haven’t seen those things in years. i keep hoping they’ll turn up!
KS
Sorry, I am venting here in the half-hearted hope someone might read this and avoid or correct the following errors. It is interview-trail time for graduating medical students applying to residency, and I consistently see:
-Applicants who don’t remove their suit jacket or overcoat label OR leave the little thread “x” closing the vent of their skirt or jacket.
-Female applicants who sized their pants as if they wore them clubbing on weekends (the shorter length of women’s jackets unfortunately emphasize this). One applicant memorably paired this look with makeup to match. Close-fitting is fine, but skin-tight is too much.
-In reference to above, very obvious underwear lines due to extremely tight pants.
-Mostly female applicants who don’t realize pants should be hemmed if they are occasionally hitting the floor. Other people may argue with me on this one, but we work in hospitals and this is gross. If you can’t hem by hand (saved me lots of money) this is a $10-20 expense that really makes your suit look better.
Unfortunately, men’s suiting is kinder to mistakes as the worst I can really say I’ve seen there were suits that were a size or so too big. Most of the applicants coming through our hospital are polished and put-together. But if you are buying a suit to interview in, bring along an experienced friend, please.
Midori
Hear, hear. I was in court the other day and saw similar “errors” (as you kindly put it). Mid-thigh or higher is NOT okay for a skirt suit, particularly if you are going bare-legged (and particularly if you are in or beyond your fourth decade–sorry). And no, those pants are not sexy and flattering. They are too tight and too thin (and obviously un-lined), and I don’t need to know the cut of your panties (and neither does the entire courtroom). Check the back of the mirror, too, ladies!
There were men who were dressed poorly, too, but somehow they get away with just looking sloppy, not inappropriate.
govvie girl
Is this a socioeconomic thing or a generational “reality TV/Paris Hilton” thing? Makes me curious. Whatever the case, it’s hopefully mitigated with, as often mentioned here, college professional development “requirements.”
KS
I find it fairly puzzling, since suits are generally a requirement for medical school interviewing so all these candidates likely went through this four years prior.
I think that maybe since we are the legging/skinny jeans generation some women don’t realize that thin, unlined dress pants are generally worn a size looser than the rest of their wardrobe.
Most skirt suits I’ve seen have been the right length, at least. Since they’re generally the more conservative option of the two the women I see wearing them tend to have all the other details right — hose, general presentation.
But I definitely agree that it is unfair men, at worst, look sloppy. Of course interview dress is hard for them to screw up: suit, white shirt, non-ridiculous tie, polished shoes.
chix pix
I have walked many a mile in NYC in every kind of winter weather and I cannot imagine ever needing (or wanting) plush-lined tights. Now Chicago…yes…that’s a different matter!
anon
A friend in my office has the fleece-lined tights–they look great. I just ordered them as well. It’s not just the issue of the trip to work–the office is pretty cold too.
kellyn
I’m intrigued by fleece lined tights… but one question: to they breathe? Because I’m imagining a serious case of swamp ass.
mc
I bought a pair of maroon terry lined tights, just for lounging. They’re ridiculously comfortable – and pretty thick, so they’re forgiving. I’ve worn them out shopping with a patterned tunic and got great compliments.
kellyn
“do,” not “to.” Oops!
Stephanie
Along the line of fleece-lined tights, what do you ladies recommend to keep your face from freezing off on those really windy commuting days. Most days a cute coat, hat, scarf and glove combo keeps me plenty warm on my walk, but today I thought my nose might fall off. Additionally, all that cold wind is really hard on my skin.
anon-ny
Would love to hear the response to this as well. My walk this morning left my face stinging and extremely dry.
rosemary
Stick with the scarves, ladies! Get a thick scarf, wrap it around your neck so it forms a nice ‘seal’ with the collar of your coat, and pull it up over your mouth/nose when need be. This is how I survived winter in Toronto. I no longer live there, but still bundle up this way for chilly bike commutes. I also use a thick moisturizer on my cheeks when I know I’m going to get a good dose of wind, and it seems to be working pretty well so far.
Ru
Ditto this – I wrap my neckscarf around my nose and mouth and leave it like that until I enter a building or train. The cold wind actually aggravates my asthma, so I get the dual benefit of breathing and temperature protection.
Midori
Is there any color tights that works with a knee-length khaki skirt, or do I just need to put the skirt away for spring?
Ru
Depending on your tops, I think gray or brown tights might work nicely.
rosemary
I just bought fleece-lined tights at Macy’s, the brand is Lemon. $14.