Do silk stockings run easily?

November 11, 2006 11:02 AM

Are silk stockings less likely to run or snag or be otherwise damaged through regular use than nylons?
posted by lisaj32 to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (14 answers total)

In my experience, no. I've only ever had one pair, though (briefly).
posted by ruby.aftermath at 11:21 AM on November 11, 2006

No I don't think so. They don't stretch in the same way so any little snag usually means a run. I also find them to be intolerably baggy around the ankles. I have a few pairs I've never evn taken out of the package because IMO, they're just not worth bothering about.
posted by oneirodynia at 12:17 PM on November 11, 2006

Response by poster: I probably should have elaborated. I was doing laundry today and, looking at my nylons, it occurred to me how eco-unfriendly and expensive they are, especially when you can only get a few wears out of them. I'm looking for an alternative.

If we can put a man on the moon, surely we can make hose that don't run?

Too bad about the baggy ankles thing. That would make me nuts. Maybe a silk/spandex blend? I have no idea.
posted by lisaj32 at 12:31 PM on November 11, 2006

Wanna here something crazy? They CAN make hose that don't run. (I saw this on an episode of 'Venture' or some other show about entrepreneurs, if anyone can find a source for what I'm talking about, that would be great.) Turns out that none of the major manufacturers or retailers want to sell it though - because then you'd be one or two pairs of stockings a year instead of 10 or 15. Evil capitalists!
posted by Kololo at 3:12 PM on November 11, 2006

yeesh, i'm having tiping prablims.

That should be "hear something crazy" and "you'd be buying one or two pairs"
posted by Kololo at 3:16 PM on November 11, 2006

The thread is so fine that it is still going to snag. Doesn't really matter what fiber it is at that point. Silk is a very strong fiber, though, but silk stockings are just really fine.
posted by litlnemo at 3:31 PM on November 11, 2006

Response by poster: Kololo, that doesn't surprise me. But you would think, with people becoming more and more eco-aware, that SOMEone would take it on.

I mean, I can't imagine nylon is biodegradable. . .
posted by lisaj32 at 3:58 PM on November 11, 2006

I bought a pair of thigh high stockings at Victoria's Secret many years ago, and they have held up better than any other stockings I've ever had. Spend a little more money on nylons and they'll last longer.
posted by Nathanial Hörnblowér at 4:19 PM on November 11, 2006

I second the thigh highs. First, when you get a run in one leg you don't have to throw away the other. Second, they seem less prone to snag (and I buy Hanes Silk Reflections - nothing too expensive).

Best of all, your guy will adore them, guaranteed.
posted by timepiece at 6:15 PM on November 11, 2006

I think one of the saving graces of thigh highs is that you aren't constantly pulling them down and up every time you go to the ladies room. I'd tend to snag my fingernail on regular pantyhose the more I had to handle them during the day.

And yeah, guys dig 'em.
posted by Nathanial Hörnblowér at 7:21 PM on November 11, 2006

I know you don't mean tights, but in the late 90s, Donna Karan was making black opaque matte-finish tights several pairs of which I'm still wearing almost ten years later. They have discontinued the line, probably for the nefarious money-grubbing reasons they don't make long-lasting nylons. I just want another five or so pairs to put me into the next decade...
posted by eve harrington at 8:21 PM on November 11, 2006

oh, and, to your question: I agree that silk stockings are intolerably baggy. after an hour or so, you can feel them delicately flapping in the breeze.
posted by eve harrington at 8:23 PM on November 11, 2006

"... I mean, I can't imagine nylon is biodegradable. . ."
posted by lisaj32 at 6:58 PM EST on November 11

Actually, when it was first introduced, nylon was billed by Dupont as "rot proof," but bacteria and mildew have learned to eat it, since. It's still advertised as "rot resistant," but unless special additives are incorporated into the resin mix during manufacture, nylon exposed to water will degrade noticeably in a few years.
posted by paulsc at 10:14 PM on November 11, 2006

I tend to wear tights in preference to sheer stockings as often as I can. They're far more durable, and you can even mend them.
posted by orange swan at 5:58 AM on November 12, 2006