It's one of those fashion editor discussions that is repeated year after year especially in the run-up to party dressing and a change of weather. Are sheer tights a yes or a no? As ludicrous as it sounds, I would rather go bare-legged in the height of winter than cover up in the wrong shade of nude.

There's either that fake Californian tan shade or that "natural" which never quite matches your own skin colour. But it seems that the nude hosiery trend is on the turn with sales of sheers on the rise. Michelle Obama, Beyoncé and Samantha Cameron are often seen wearing them. But the real movers and shakers are the Middleton women. The Duchess of Cambridge has put sheers back in the spotlight making them a big hit with both young and old. It seems that the generation divide with under-30s thinking of their mum's or grannies' legs has disappeared, for now anyway.

It's all about achieving leg perfection while keeping warm too. Blemish-free, toned with a hint of colour. Though it's the finish that is the real deciding factor. Just a touch of gloss looks tacky and unrealistic. A matte finish is more chic but anything more than 15 denier may start to look too surgical and leaning on the in-flight- sock-look. The secret is to wear the finest denier you dare. Here are my favourites.