Hosiery is the cheapest thing in lingerie that changes an outfit most, and the terminology is a genuine mess. Stockings, hold-ups, tights, pantyhose and thigh highs are not interchangeable words, and denier is a number almost nobody can interpret. Here is the whole subject in plain terms.
The formats
- Stockings are separate legs that need a garter belt to stay up. The classic, and the reason garter belts exist.
- Hold-ups are stockings with a silicone band at the top so they stay up on their own. More convenient, and the band can show under thin fabric.
- Tights and pantyhose are joined at the top. Warmer, simpler, and the crotchless versions bring them into this conversation properly.
- Thigh highs is used loosely for either stockings or hold-ups. Check which you are buying.
Denier, decoded
Denier measures yarn thickness, and it is the single most useful number on the packet once you know the scale:
- Under 10 is ultra sheer and barely there. Beautiful, and it will not survive a fingernail.
- 10 to 20 is the classic sheer range. Elegant, still delicate.
- 20 to 40 is semi opaque. The practical everyday range and considerably more durable.
- 40 to 60 is opaque, warm, and hard wearing.
- Over 60 is winter tights territory.
For lingerie purposes, 10 to 20 is the sweet spot: sheer enough to look like lingerie, sturdy enough to survive being put on.
The picks
Handmade and specialist pieces from independent makers on Spicerack. Free discreet shipping.
Hosiery and Garters
8th Sin
Nylonty
NUBE Lightwear
Nylonty crotchless and open crotch pantyhose
Mock hold-up styling in pantyhose form, unisex, with an open crotch. Twenty dollars, and they solve the practical problem the crotchless category exists for while looking like ordinary hosiery.
NUBE Tabi Stockings, sheer black with seam
The design piece here. Split-toe tabi construction with a back seam, which is a genuinely unusual thing to own and photographs beautifully.
8th Sin garters
Handmade garters in heart ring and corset lacing designs, in several colourways. Worn with stockings, or alone as leg jewellery, which is increasingly how people actually use them.
Putting them on without destroying them
- Check your nails and rings first. This is where most stockings die, before they have been worn once.
- Gather the whole leg and roll it up rather than pulling from the top. Pulling stretches the knit unevenly and causes runs.
- Sit down to do it. Genuinely easier and less likely to snag.
- Clear nail polish stops a run from spreading. Dab, do not paint.
- Hand wash, air dry. A washing machine destroys sheer hosiery even in a mesh bag.
Garter belts, briefly
If you are wearing true stockings you need one. Four straps is standard, six is more secure and sits better under a dress. Wear the belt over your underwear rather than under, which is counterintuitive and the thing everyone gets wrong the first time. It matters for practical reasons that become obvious later in the evening.
Styling
Hosiery is the layer that ties a lingerie set together, and it works with almost everything in the department: crotchless panties, corsets, and harness pieces. Seamed stockings do more for a silhouette than any other single item at this price.
FAQ
Stockings or hold-ups? Hold-ups for convenience, stockings for the look and for anyone whose thighs defeat silicone bands. Both are correct.
Why do my hold-ups fall down? The band is too large, or moisturiser is on your legs. Skip lotion where the band sits.
How do I stop runs? Nails, rings, jewellery. That is nearly all of it. Higher denier helps too.
Do men wear these? Constantly, and several pieces here are cut unisex. See our femboy lingerie guide for fit considerations.
Browse all stockings and hosiery, garter belts, or the full lingerie department.
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