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Suomi Stockings & Hold-Ups
Hold-ups with a silicone band that stays put without a suspender belt, plus classic stockings for a garter. Fine tulle, fishnet and lace tops, in black, red and white. The silicone band works on clean, dry skin and nothing else: body lotion in the morning is the reason a hold-up ends up at the knee by ten. Classic stockings have no band at all and need the belt, which is more reliable over a long evening and the reason they never went away. Denier is the number that decides how sheer it is, and anything under twenty is as delicate as it looks. Roll them up from the toe with your hands rather than pulling from the top, keep your rings off, and keep a clear nail polish in the bag for the first ladder.
Stockings are the oldest thing in this shop and still the most misunderstood. Half the questions are about how they stay up, and the answer depends entirely on which of the three kinds you are holding.
Hold-ups, stockings and tights
Hold-ups stay up by themselves, with a silicone band inside the lace top. Nothing else is needed, which is why they are the most sold of the three.
Classic stockings have a plain or lace top and no silicone, so they need a suspender belt.
Tights are a single piece to the waist, no top band at all, and they are the warm option rather than the dressed one.
Most of what is described here as stay-ups or hold-ups falls in the first group. The product page says whether there is a silicone band.
Denier, the number that tells you everything
Denier is the weight of the yarn, so it is really a transparency scale.
Eight to fifteen denier is barely there, the sheerest and the most fragile.
Twenty denier is the everyday sheer, and the number you see most often.
Forty to sixty denier is semi-opaque, and it evens out skin tone.
Eighty denier and above is opaque, warm, and reads as tights rather than lingerie.
For a night out, fifteen or twenty. For something that lasts, forty.
Why hold-ups slide down, and what to do
The silicone needs clean, dry, oil-free skin. Body lotion on the thigh is the single biggest cause of sliding, and moisturising the night before rather than the same evening solves most cases.
Wash new hold-ups once before wearing. The finish from the factory sits on the silicone.
Position them so the band sits where your thigh is widest going up, not at the narrowest point.
If the band still slides, a suspender belt with a classic stocking is the honest fix rather than fighting the silicone.
Do not use hairspray or glue on the band. It ruins the silicone permanently.
Suspender belts and the six-strap question
Four straps is the standard and works for most people. Six straps distributes the pull better and is the choice if the stocking tends to twist, or if you are sitting down and standing up all evening.
Straps should be adjusted so the stocking is taut but not pulling at the top. Too tight and the top rolls; too loose and it slides.
A suspender belt is worn over the knickers if you intend to take the knickers off, and under if you do not. That is the whole trick.
Seams, backseams and lace tops
A backseam is the line down the back of the leg. It lengthens the leg visually and needs a mirror to line up straight.
A cuban heel is the darker reinforced shape at the heel and is the vintage detail.
Lace tops range from a narrow two centimetre band to a deep fifteen centimetre one. The deeper lace is the one that shows under a short dress on purpose.
Open toe stockings exist for wearing with sandals; the product page states it.
Sizing
Stockings are sized by height and weight together, not by shoe size. A woman of 1.60 metres and one of 1.80 metres need different lengths even with the same build.
Most of what is here is one size or S/M and L/XL, and that covers a wide range because of the stretch.
If you are taller than about 1.80 metres, look for a queen size or an explicit height range. Too short a stocking pulls the band down, and that is a second cause of sliding that has nothing to do with silicone.
Care
Hand wash in lukewarm water, or in a laundry bag on a delicates programme at thirty degrees.
No fabric softener: it coats the elastane and the silicone band, and both stop working.
Never tumble dry. Lay flat or hang.
Cut your toenails and take your rings off. Almost every ladder starts at a nail.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my hold-ups keep sliding down?
Almost always body lotion or oil on the thigh. Wash the leg, skip the cream on the day, and wash new hold-ups once before wearing so the factory finish comes off the silicone. A stocking that is too short for your height also pulls itself down.
What does denier mean?
The weight of the yarn, which in practice means transparency. Fifteen denier is very sheer, twenty is the everyday sheer, forty to sixty is semi-opaque and eighty upwards is opaque. Lower numbers are finer and more fragile.
Do I need a suspender belt?
Only for classic stockings. Hold-ups have a silicone band inside the lace top and stay up on their own. The product page states which kind you are looking at.
Four straps or six?
Four is the standard and enough for most. Six spreads the pull better, keeps the stocking from twisting and is worth it if you are on and off your feet all evening.
How do I make them last?
Hand wash or use a laundry bag, never use fabric softener, never tumble dry, and put them on with your rings off and your nails filed. Roll them up the leg instead of pulling them on like a sock.