This article appears in print in the December 2018 issue. Click here to subscribe.

For some, finding a pair of tights that balances comfort and style can be a daunting task, but Darrah Christel, founder of locally designed hosiery brand Loho, is hoping her line of high-fashion tights will allow women to put their best foot forward while offering an innovative solution to this problem. “One night before going out dancing, I cut off the elastic band on my tights in an effort to feel more comfortable, but they would not stay up,” says Christel, who realized that creating a pair of tights with the same waistband as her underwear would be more comfortable.

The former Zulily and Brooks Running fashion copywriter spent the next five years doing just that: creating a waistband designed to fit “like your favorite lace underwear.” She released her first collection of nylon and spandex tights featuring a patented Italian lace waistband ($40/pair) last fall. The tights are available in a wide range of sizes, from 0 to 22, with body positivity being an important message of the Wallingford-based brand: “My tights are designed to complement a woman’s body and make her feel empowered and sexy,” Christel says.

Available at select boutiques and loho.us.