Earlier this week I nipped into Boots with the sole purpose of buying some new tights. I seem to go through tights fairly quickly in winter – possibly because I wear skirts or dresses most days and have not yet mastered the art of avoiding putting my nails/engagement ring through them when yanking them up in a bid to make it into the office somewhere near on time!

So, like the good little money saver I am, my first stop in Boots was the advantage points machine. Flicking through the offers I saw I could get an extra 100 points if I bought Boots Boutique tights on three for two. Double whammy – I thought – three for two and an extra £1 back! So off I toddled, voucher in hand, to purchase my tights.

Turns out I wasn’t the only one to have spotted the offer. Being a medium/large makes me a fairly popular size on the old tights scale, and left me with limited options as to choices. Still, I happily picked up a 3 pack of 40 denier black opaques, and two pairs of thick wool tights, one in grey marl, one in a brownish sort of grey that I knew would go very well with a dress I have at home. These, I reasoned, would save me having to pull on two pairs of tights on those uber-cold mornings when the very thought of venturing outside makes your teeth chatter.

Mornings like today.

And now I’m wondering whether the warmth is actually worth it. Because, dear reader, the problem with anything less that very expensive wool mix tights is that they just don’t have the stretch. I’ve spent most of my day so far hitching said tights up at the waist, at the knee, at the thigh (surreptitiously under my desk, of course) – well you get the idea. They are neither comfortable nor elegant. Though, they are warm.

Is it worth it? I’ll let you know tonight, after a whole day of hitching. But I can state that from tomorrow, when it’s cold, I’ll be back in double layers.