Help Me Find The Perfect Stockings
April 5, 2014 10:25 PM Subscribe
Here's the deal: My SO finds stockings to be a significant turn on. He has in mind a very specific type of stocking that I'm finding impossible to track down. I've spent literally hours searching to no avail. Hope us, please.
The specifics: Stockings must be very high, coming to the absolute top of the thigh. I am not particularly tall at 64 inches but my legs are long for that height. They must be plain, without any ostentatious lace bands; the plainer, the better. They have to be slightly opaque. not too sheer, and here is the kicker: They have to be light blue. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
The specifics: Stockings must be very high, coming to the absolute top of the thigh. I am not particularly tall at 64 inches but my legs are long for that height. They must be plain, without any ostentatious lace bands; the plainer, the better. They have to be slightly opaque. not too sheer, and here is the kicker: They have to be light blue. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
These? They're plain, quite tall and come in two shades of blue.
posted by MadamM at 10:32 PM on April 5, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by MadamM at 10:32 PM on April 5, 2014 [2 favorites]
Would these work?
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 10:32 PM on April 5, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 10:32 PM on April 5, 2014 [1 favorite]
I have an acquaintance who swears by Music Legs for this kind of thing (and without knowing your body type, I have a sneaking suspicion that his legs are longer than yours).
posted by not the fingers, not the fingers at 11:22 PM on April 5, 2014
posted by not the fingers, not the fingers at 11:22 PM on April 5, 2014
"Do they have, have to be stockings? Could you buy some light blue tights and cut the top off?"
I've tried this - they don't stay up.
H&M has some pretty nice/inexpensive ones :)
posted by rhythm_queen at 11:29 PM on April 5, 2014
I've tried this - they don't stay up.
H&M has some pretty nice/inexpensive ones :)
posted by rhythm_queen at 11:29 PM on April 5, 2014
OP, can you clarify if you are looking for stockings (worn with garters) or thigh highs (that have strong elastic at the top to stay up on their own).
If it's stockings, I've made quite a few pairs by cutting off tights and nylons, folding over a little hem and doing a quick zig zag stitch around the top which meets the requirement of no lace band at the top. The other benefit, besides color options, is that you can make them as long or as short as needed.
posted by Beti at 12:10 AM on April 6, 2014
If it's stockings, I've made quite a few pairs by cutting off tights and nylons, folding over a little hem and doing a quick zig zag stitch around the top which meets the requirement of no lace band at the top. The other benefit, besides color options, is that you can make them as long or as short as needed.
posted by Beti at 12:10 AM on April 6, 2014
Response by poster: Oh, they have to be stay ups. Garters make them not 'plain' enough. He's really specific about this. I like the Music Legs ones linked to above but they only look like they make it halfway up the thigh, not all the way to the butt.
posted by alltomorrowsparties at 3:04 AM on April 6, 2014
posted by alltomorrowsparties at 3:04 AM on April 6, 2014
It might be easier to find white/light ones that meet the requirements, and then using dye to get the color match.
posted by rewil at 4:00 AM on April 6, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by rewil at 4:00 AM on April 6, 2014 [4 favorites]
Have you looked at Sock Dreams to see if they at least come close? Here are their blue thigh highs.... The Extraordinary Extra longs will certainly, certainly be long enough, though they may not be the right shade. They're so long they'll probably stay up, though, no drag to pull down. So if they're the right hand/fabric/transparency, maybe get them in white and dye?
Edit: These are the ones certain to be long enough and in fact so long they'll stay up.
posted by Sublimity at 4:20 AM on April 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Edit: These are the ones certain to be long enough and in fact so long they'll stay up.
posted by Sublimity at 4:20 AM on April 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Bonus, they are cotton and will take dye like a dream.
posted by Sublimity at 4:24 AM on April 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Sublimity at 4:24 AM on April 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Seconding Sock Dreams - email them and they will be able to help!
posted by corvine at 4:47 AM on April 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by corvine at 4:47 AM on April 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Would this be high enough? (Etsy, not the design you want)
Because that is a regular "L" size on a woman with very slim thighs.
It will be harder to pull up stay ups (which have quite a strong elastic) that high if thighs are shaped rounder, like here.
How about cutting off a pair of tights and using double sided body tape? Should fulfill all your requirements about plainness and length. It would most likely not hold up all day, but for that special bedroom moment....
posted by travelwithcats at 5:17 AM on April 6, 2014
Because that is a regular "L" size on a woman with very slim thighs.
It will be harder to pull up stay ups (which have quite a strong elastic) that high if thighs are shaped rounder, like here.
How about cutting off a pair of tights and using double sided body tape? Should fulfill all your requirements about plainness and length. It would most likely not hold up all day, but for that special bedroom moment....
posted by travelwithcats at 5:17 AM on April 6, 2014
Are these the right height? There are several shades of blue, too.
posted by mibo at 6:12 AM on April 6, 2014
posted by mibo at 6:12 AM on April 6, 2014
I suggest haunting eBay and Etsy, because: virtually everybody has in recent years cleared out their old stash of still-in-the-package pantyhose and dumped it in thrift stores. This means lots of thrift store bins of very cheap "suntan"-coloured nylons for stewardesses and I don't know who else. In the depths of the bins are the wonderful 1980s coloured stockings, and profiteering jerks like me are happy to ferret out the coloured/interesting stuff and re-sell it to you at a mark-up. Blue nylons were not uncommon in the 80s; I am proudly wearing a pair, with blue high-top sneakers, in my grade five class picture. There is a "saved search" function on eBay that will alert you to new listings...
Quickly browsing I see purported 1950s, with seam, an awful lot of modern stuff that might fit the bill except for this or that (mostly: lace at the top, or too short, though the last picture is promising, hmm, on the opaque side)
This is a very fun question.
posted by kmennie at 6:59 AM on April 6, 2014
Quickly browsing I see purported 1950s, with seam, an awful lot of modern stuff that might fit the bill except for this or that (mostly: lace at the top, or too short, though the last picture is promising, hmm, on the opaque side)
This is a very fun question.
posted by kmennie at 6:59 AM on April 6, 2014
Seconded: I've said it before and I'll say it again, but the answer to any and all sock-related questions is always Sock Dreams! :) I had a friend who worked there for several years and through her (and shopping at headquarters) met several of the staff/the owners; they're extraordinarily nice, their customer service is awesome and personal, and I'm sure they'd be quite happy to help you out. If they don't have something perfect in stock I bet they can help you track it down. Also, free shipping in the US!
posted by spelunkingplato at 7:38 AM on April 6, 2014
posted by spelunkingplato at 7:38 AM on April 6, 2014
You may find that buying a plus size will give you extra length (if you are not actually a plus size).
posted by SLC Mom at 10:30 AM on April 6, 2014
posted by SLC Mom at 10:30 AM on April 6, 2014
Response by poster: Thanks for all of the suggestions. The length is really important, and kmennie's last link was the closest but I don't know if they'll be long enough. Not socks ie or leggings, some of these are more like socks, especially the Sock Dreams ones. FWIW, I'm fairly slim and yes, I'd thought of going for plus size to make up the length. Even white ones would be okay, I'd probably buy a couple of pairs and try dying them but they have to be loooong.
posted by alltomorrowsparties at 11:14 AM on April 6, 2014
posted by alltomorrowsparties at 11:14 AM on April 6, 2014
If you find something in white nylon, it's easy to dye too. Koolaid or food coloring will work on that. It wouldn't be permanent on cotton. This site is a good reference for colors and instructions. Wool and silk can be permanently dyed using this method too. For cotton, you definitely want Dylon Rit, or another brand meant for dyeing cotton.
This place has extra tall stockings.
posted by annsunny at 1:58 PM on April 6, 2014
This place has extra tall stockings.
posted by annsunny at 1:58 PM on April 6, 2014
These ones don't look too sheer and they have two different lengths. From the third pic, they look like they might work in terms of the length. Does that color blue qualify?
posted by dancinglamb at 5:36 PM on April 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by dancinglamb at 5:36 PM on April 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
We Love Colors have a super plain thigh high stockings in pretty much any colour you need.
If you are worried about things staying up, Hollywood Tape will hold things in place from the inside without messing up the sleekness of the stockings. This will also be true if you wind up cutting the legs off some tights.
Plus size on standard size legs works best the lower the denier (ie, how sheer they are). Super opaque stockings don't have the give required to stretch quite the right way, whereas lighter ones are more forgiving.
Be careful with dying. Are blue legs also a turn on? Nylon can be persnickety about taking a colour.
posted by Jilder at 6:15 AM on April 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
If you are worried about things staying up, Hollywood Tape will hold things in place from the inside without messing up the sleekness of the stockings. This will also be true if you wind up cutting the legs off some tights.
Plus size on standard size legs works best the lower the denier (ie, how sheer they are). Super opaque stockings don't have the give required to stretch quite the right way, whereas lighter ones are more forgiving.
Be careful with dying. Are blue legs also a turn on? Nylon can be persnickety about taking a colour.
posted by Jilder at 6:15 AM on April 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by quincunx at 10:31 PM on April 5, 2014