Do I have to have perfect thighs to wear stockings?

December 4, 2006 1:24 PM

Does one have to have perfect thighs to properly wear thigh-high stockings?

I've worn thigh-highs before - Victoria's Secret and another anonymous department store-type brand - and every time the top band ends up rolling into a tight torniquet-style roll. It's pretty uncomfortable. I'm not overweight per se, but do have a little extra chub on my thighs (who doesn't?), which seems to be the only cause of the problem. This wouldn't be a huge problem except for the fact that I know someone... who quite likes the look... and they DO feel very sexy, and I like them a lot in theory. So my question is, am I destined to not wear stockings unless I find a way to banish the cellulite? Can only people with perfectly slim thighs pull these off, or am I wearing the wrong types?

posted by anonymous to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (23 answers total)

I'm assuming you mean you wear the garterless kind with the sticky band at the top--maybe stockings with a garter (who doesn't think a little garter action isn't sexy?) where the fit doesn't need to be so snug would do the trick?

(For me thigh highs are vastly more comfotable to stocking with a waistband that leave a big old indent from the seam.)
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 1:41 PM on December 4, 2006

My thighs are fairly small and the thigh highs I've worn have been pretty uncomfortable. I think they need to be tight to stay on, and they'll be tight on big thighs or tight on small thighs. They might look slightly better if there is less fat, but I don't think they're much more comfortable.
As a disclaimer, though- I haven't tried upscale brands, only department store off-brands. Maybe there are some magical $50 thigh highs out there.
posted by ohio at 1:42 PM on December 4, 2006

Wider bands are better. Look for stockings that have a very wide lacy band at the top--those bands aren't purely decorative.
posted by padraigin at 1:42 PM on December 4, 2006

I can avoid rolling if there is a wide enough elasticized band at the top and the stockings are large enough. Try going up a size. Or use garters!
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 1:43 PM on December 4, 2006

Fear not, anonymous. I only wear thigh-high stockings because I find normal pantyhose egregiously uncomfortable. The lycra that exists to keep most thigh-highs in place is going to create a slight roll even on the slimmest of thighs. However, you may wish to opt for a garter belt that has attachments for the stockings (although these do take a bit longer to put on in the morning). Since garter belts and the stockings designed for them do not use lycra to suction-cup to your legs, you will have less worry about creating a thigh-tire.
posted by melangell at 1:43 PM on December 4, 2006

I think it depends a lot on the brand, and how the plastic stay-uppy bits are located and designed. It also seems to matter where on my thigh I put the top; they sometimes stay up better when I don't pull them up past mid-thigh (doesn't work with some outfits, of course).

Also be sure you're buying a big enough size, or a brand that offers a big enough size -- some of them claim to be one size fits all (or close to it) and I think they're designed for pixies.
posted by occhiblu at 1:44 PM on December 4, 2006

Garter belt, all the way. They're quite comfortable (no more thigh roll from stocking, no more waist roll from pantyhose), airy, and it's fun to have a secret something kinda sexy on under your clothes.
posted by mostlymartha at 1:52 PM on December 4, 2006

I'm a stick-thin chick, and the ones with the rubbery stuff on the top band do that to me too. They do that on everyone, and as far as I can tell, it doesn't matter how much you spend on them either. Cheap or expensive, skinny or not, that kind of stocking just DOES that. Your best bet is to get a garter belt and wear regular stockings rather than the stay-up-by-themselves kind. They are way more comfortable anyway, and the garter is just plain sexy.

Garter belts can feel odd at first, but once you get used to them, they far outweigh the rolling problem of stay-ups or the waistband aggravation of pantyhose. At least in my opinion.
posted by Orb at 1:55 PM on December 4, 2006

I also find that having well-moisturized thighs helps keep the bands in place, but that's probably more about slippage, not rolling. But yes, look for wider bands.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 1:55 PM on December 4, 2006

Even more comfortable than a garter belt: garter hose. The downside is that when you run one side you have to toss the whole rig.
posted by Lyn Never at 1:59 PM on December 4, 2006

I'm seconding those people who suggest no elastic, and get a belt. It is far less uncomfortable this way, and I have quite imperfect hips and thighs.
posted by cobaltnine at 2:49 PM on December 4, 2006

Garter belt, garter belt, garter belt -- comfortable and practical and flattering.

Those "stay up by themselves" stockings, in my experience, don't stay up, are uncomforable, and make the scrawniest thighs look a bit chubby. And leave an elastic mark when removed. Bleh.
posted by desuetude at 3:47 PM on December 4, 2006

If you're in England or have a friend who is, I have had very good results with Marks and Spencer stay-ups. They don't pinch, the bands are wide, and they've lasted through multiple wearings and washes and still stay up. And they come in sizes up to XL! I'm wearing some right now and I love 'em.
posted by Pallas Athena at 4:48 PM on December 4, 2006

I'm surprised you had that problem with Victoria's Secret thigh highs. I've had great success with them, and my thighs have a little extra flab on them. I do make sure I get the ones with a very wide elastic band at the top.

Garters are good too (and super sexy). Be sure however to put on your underwear after the garters, otherwise you'll be unsnapping the garters every time you go to the ladies room.
posted by Nathanial Hörnblowér at 5:30 PM on December 4, 2006

I'm gonna second a million people out here - go with the garters or garter stockings. Whoever it is who likes the look is going to like it a million times better when there's a bit more to take off and work with.
posted by universal_qlc at 5:37 PM on December 4, 2006

IMHO, thigh-high stockings only look good after liberal air-brushing. They just land at the wrong place on the leg. That said, if you still want to wear them, my advice to you is: garter belt and candlelight. :-)
posted by GIRLesq at 6:33 PM on December 4, 2006

I love thigh highs and I never have th rolly problem even though I'm short and have and "athletic" build, meaning I have thick thighs. I think this has to do w/ the fact that I never wear the kind w/ the sticky stuff. If you're willing to do fishnets, you can find ones that are flattering w/ out being uncomfortable nor needing a garter belt. I'd recommend actually going cheaper, like the ones found here.
posted by lannanh at 7:20 PM on December 4, 2006

"a little extra chub on my thighs"

I think that's hot. Go for the thigh-highs. Seriously. My girlfriend wears them and I have problems keeping my hands off of her. So to answer your question, NO, you do not have to have perfect thighs.
posted by drstein at 10:34 PM on December 4, 2006

All you need is a little pastie glue. Or another glue option. This last website by the way has awesome socks, including several for those of us with thicker thighs.
posted by nat at 11:11 PM on December 4, 2006

I have legs like a hen and thigh-highs roll on me, too. I wear a variety of brands with a wide range of prices, so it's not your legs, my friend.

I'll raise my hand to the forest of them in agreeing with the garter idea. Just make sure that a) the brackets that clip to the stockings are a solid metal, or at least a heavy plastic. It'll make them easier to attach; and b) the garter belt needs to be a wee bit snugger than a comfortable pair of undies. The stockings will pull at the belt over time, and if it's too loose the whole shebang will start to slide down.
posted by Jilder at 4:56 AM on December 5, 2006

I suggest a higher end brand than Victoria's Secret before giving up on thigh highs.

I've worn Wolford's and Agent Provocateur's all day and even on flights and they were perfectly comfortable and stayed up. I know a different someone who also very much likes the look and both brands have stayed up during activities.

I've tried garter belts and I feel like I need a science degree to get the back ones hooked in securely/correctly. I always do it wrong and I end up with droopy elephant ankles and constant fidgeting to get it to feel/look right again.
posted by spec80 at 10:22 AM on December 5, 2006

I wear thigh-highs, not stockings, and the trick is that extra-wide band, like padraigin said. I usually buy these, and they do not roll. And I am by no means skinny, or lean in the thighs.
posted by timepiece at 11:33 AM on December 5, 2006

My guy has a thing for stockings too, and while I'd like to comply, I've had the same problem -- and in my case I'm tall and also have some extra weight. I also find garter belts w/stockings to be miserably uncomfortable, and the garters can show through skirts or dresses which bugs me no end. What worked for me was buying very tall size stay-ups (sometimes listed as "extra long"). This meant that the stocking band rested at the very top of my legs -- right where the leg joins the torso. I think for most body types, even being heavier -- the leg tapers in a bit before it meets the torso, and the band being there was really comfortable and it didn't roll. The wide band is also very important. These were great (I was a size 4, and I'm 6ft tall) and this is another great site. Good luck!
posted by bluemoonegg at 2:12 PM on December 5, 2006