I must have spent a ridiculous amount of money trying to find stockings that fit my curvy thighs! I carry all my weight on my backside and thighs and a lot of stockings just don’t cater to my shape. They usually cut into my legs, making them look unflattering and uncomfortable which is not fun.

I know that I can’t be the only pinup suffering from this problem so I thought I’d share which brands have worked well and have become my go-to’s for vintage style stockings.

*I wanted to really show how each pair of stockings fit me but as you will see, I have not included any full back shots. That just felt a bit too exposed for the worldwide web and I don’t want to encourage any weirdo creepers! But you should be able to get a great idea of each style from the photos provided*

What Katie Did

The first, and probably my favourite, are the What Katie Did Retro Seamed Stockings. I didn’t bother trying these for months after buying the very similar looking Leg Avenue ones first. The Leg Avenue stockings most certainly DID NOT flatter or fit me well, despite me ordering the Queen size.

The What Katie Did Stockings however, are a totally different story. They fit really well around my thighs, the stretch of the stockings is ample enough for them to not cut into my thighs too much.

The colour of the nude shade are great for us fair skinned ladies! They don’t look too unnaturally tanned or have too much of a gloss. I love the contrast seam and use them a lot for photoshoots.

Zandy J Photography

Made from a stretch nylon and elastane, these 15 dernier stockings give the vintage style but with modern materials and fit. The traditional non-stretch Fully Fashioned stockings can be a little strange to those not used to them!

These stockings sell for US$18 on the What Katie Did website and for Auckland ladies, you can get them from Rita Sue Clothing in St Kevin’s Arcade. They come in a S/M and a M/L size which is what I wear.

Levante Stay Ups

Next on my list of favourites is actually a stay up! Having previously sworn off lace-top stay ups due to the unflattering bulges they created, I now love the Levante Sheer Fantasy Stay Up Stockings. I buy the X-Tall ones, and because I can bring them right up to the top of my thighs, they don’t create any unsightly rolls. (for reference, I am 168cm tall)

These Levante stockings are 12 dernier and the lace band has silicone for grip and are a little thicker than other lace tops that I have tried. This also helps in not creating bulges! I buy these stockings from Farmers for NZ$27 so they are definitely on the pricey side.

Unfortunately, as these are very modern stockings, they are seam free! But they are a great staple stocking to have in my drawer and I especially love the sheer black ones too.

Gio Fully Fashioned

Last but definitely not least, are my favourite Fully Fashioned stockings! Recently I’ve placed a couple of orders with Stockings HQ and decided to try the Gio Stockings that they have. Because Fully Fashioned stockings don’t have any stretch, they come in a lot more sizes than just S/M/L/XL like modern nylons.

These stockings start at size 8.5 and go up in .5 increments up to 12.5. The first ones I ordered were a 9.5 and they fitted but I had to wear them a little lower down on my thighs that I would prefer (pictured below). The next time, I went up to a 11 (pictured below) and they come right up to nearly the top of my thighs which I do like! The only problem now is, they are a little big around my ankles.

Photography By Zandy J Photography

Stockings HQ stock these Gio ones in a range on colours and also in a cuban heel. I love the look of the point heel so that’s what I’ve always ordered.

So these are the stockings that have worked well for me! There so many on the market, it can be quite overwhelming! I think that if you are worried about the width at the top, try Fully Fashioned as you have a wider range of size options.

I will try to bring you more reviews of stockings in the future and try different brands to see how they fit

x Miss Victory Violet