Hidden Assets: Stockings, Holdups, Tights and Lingerie

Stockings are hosiery that fit over the foot and leg to thigh length,.  They can be made from different materials, such as nylon, more stretchy nylon/lycra blends, or silk.  Most stockings (with the exception of Hold Ups) need to be worn with a suspender belt (known as a garter belt in the USA), which is worn around the waist just below the navel and has straps that attach to the stocking top (or 'welt') to hold them up on the leg.  See the advice on putting on stockings and suspenders if you are new to wearing stockings.

A suspender belt should be substantial enough to hold up stockings comfortably - beware narrow banded suspender belts that are really designed to look good in the bedroom rather than for the practical job of holding up a pair of stockings.

Good suspender belts are near impossible to find on the high street - we stock a range of vintage style suspender belts that are perfect for the job - they will make you feel comfortable as well as looking gorgeous.  Each has a minimum of 6 straps (to hold stockings in place and keep seams straight) and metal clasps (that won't ping open like their plastic counterparts do).

Fully Fashioned stockings are sometimes referred to as Vintage Style and are usually made of 100% nylon - which means they are less stretchy.  They are shaped to leg proportions and have a reinforced foot, with the heel 'fashioned' up the ankle forming a rectangle, Cuban heel or pointed French heel.  From the heel a seam runs up the entire length of the leg, inlcuding the welt, where a keyhole loop is formed in the underside of the welt in the seam.

RHT, or Reinforced Heel and Toe, do pretty much what you might expect of them.  These are also often 100% nylon, with reinforced areas at the heel and toe giving protection against laddering.  RHT offer vintage styling without the seam and heel of fully fashioned stockings.

Hold Ups or Stay Ups are stockings that can be worn with or without suspender belts because they have silicone bands in the welt that hold onto the thighs.  They stay up comfortably on  their own.  Hold Ups come in all sorts of different styles: lace tops, fishnet, seamed, seam free.  (And these particularly gorgeous ones from Falke with the peacock patterned welt, shown in our picture)

Fishnet stockings are woven in small diamond shapes - literally like a fishnet.  The closeness of the pattern will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, and also according to the size of the leg that it's covering.  This can be a very flattering pattern as it defines the natural curves of the legs.  A bigger diamond shape is sometimes called a Whale or Fence net.

Everday / Sheer and Shine stockings are terms used on this site to mean nylon/lycra blend, stretchy stockings.  These are not fashioned or reinforced (unless otherwise stated in the product description), and due to their stretchiness are not shaped - they accommodate the leg shape.  They come in all varieties, with plain, patterned, or lace welts.

These stockings require a suspender belt.  Because of their stretchiness they accommodate different leg shapes and sizes more easily than nylon stockings.

 Hopefully that gives a flavour of the varieties of stocking available - enough to help you decide what it is that you want to wear.

But maybe you don't want to wear stockings and prefer to wear tights.

Tights are also called pantyhose, because they are essentially a pair of stockings (hose) attached to a panty made from the same material. 

They come in all colours, patterned and unpatterned, fishnet, plain, seamed and unseamed.

Many people prefer to wear stockings for aesthetic reasons - stockings are often seen as looking sexier and making the wearer feel sexier.  However, tights are quick and easy to put on, and are often preferable when wearing a short skirt or dress so that stocking tops and suspenders aren't on show (but we'll leave that for you to decide!)

The right colour can really flatter your leg, giving shape, evening out skin tone and giving you that healthy 'glow'.

There are no hard and fast rules here - how you wear your stockings or tights is a matter of your own personal style and taste, but if you're not sure what to buy then the following might help.

Match stockings or tights to the colour of the clothing they will be work with.  An exact colour match isn't necessary, but you could go for darker shades with dark colour, and light with light.

Alternatively, match stockings or tights to the colour of the shoes they will be worn with.  Again, dark shoes, dark stockings/tights: light shoes, light stockings/tights.

So what happens if the stockings/tights are going to be worn with a dark clothing and light shoes?  Match them to your skin tone.  This will obviously mean different shades for different individuals - pink tones don't usually work wll with darker skin tones, and a strong tan shade is never at its best on a pale leg.

Our advice is - if in doubt stick to black or neutral shades and you're unlikely to go wrong.  But if you want to make a bold statement then there are plenty of options - go for it!!

'Denier' is a technical term that has to do with the weight of the yarn used to make stockings or tights.  We don't need to be too technical here, because what is of interest is what the hosiery looks like on the leg.

Low denier hosiery - under 10 denier - are ultra sheer, sometimes called gossamer weave.  These are the least durable because they are the most delicate.  They're fantastic in summer because their low weight means they are cool to wear (particularly stockings), but they are there to even out skin tone and flatter your legs.  They are also fabulous for dressing up at any time of the year.

10-20 denier hosiery are sheer.  These have more durability than low denier and so can be a more practical option, but maintain the cosmetic effect of evening out skintone and flattering legs.  The right colour can be better than any fake tan option.

25-35 denier hosiery are semi-opaque.  These are much harder to ladder than their lower denier rivals.  While not sheer, you can see skintone through them.  The semi-opaques tend to have a much stronger colour.

40 denier plus hosiery are the opaques.  You can't see the skin tone through these, the colour completely disguises the leg.  So they're fabulous as a cover up.  They are also great for keeping your legs warm in the winter without having to resort to covering up with trousers all the time.

 

Stockings

Suspenders

Hold Ups

Tights

Vintage

Bigger Sizes

Boudoir

Lingerie