How to wear a garter belt and stockings

A garter belt looks complicated and takes about three minutes once you know the order. Most of the frustration people have with it, clips popping, straps twisting, stockings sliding, comes from doing the steps in the wrong sequence or wearing the wrong size. Here is the full routine, then the details that keep everything in place for a whole evening.

What you need

• A garter belt with clips. Four clips is the minimum, six holds more securely.
• A pair of stockings or thigh highs with a plain welt (the wide band at the top) for the clips to grip.
• Underwear, usually a thong or brief, worn over the straps.

If you are starting from nothing, pair the Lace Garter Belt, six clips, with lace top thigh highs in the same shade, $46 for both.

The order to put it on

1. Belt first. Hook it at the back, then turn it so the hooks sit at the back and the straps hang down evenly. It should sit at your natural waist or on the high hip, wherever it stays flat.
2. Sit down. Gather one stocking in your hands down to the toe, slip your foot in and unroll it up the leg slowly, keeping any back seam straight.
3. Stop the welt mid thigh. The top should land a hand width or so below the end of the strap, so the strap has a little tension.
4. Clip the front straps. Stand up for this. Fasten the front clip of each leg first.
5. Clip the back straps. Reach behind or use a mirror. If there are side straps, those go last.
6. Adjust the sliders. Each strap should be taut but not pulling the stocking into a point.
7. Underwear on top. Pull it over the straps. That way you can take it off later without touching a single clip.

How the clips work

Most garter clips have two parts, a rubber or metal button and a loop with a slot. Push the stocking welt over the button from behind, so a small fold of fabric sits on top of it. Slide the loop down over the button until it locks in the narrow end of the slot. Pull gently to test it.

Why clips pop open

• Too little fabric over the button. Fold more of the welt over it.
• Clipping too low. The welt is reinforced; the sheer part of the stocking below it is not. Always clip into the welt.
• Straps too tight. Every time you sit, tension doubles. Loosen each strap a notch before you go out.
• Belt too big. If the belt slides down, the straps go slack and then snap tight when you move.

Sizing the garter belt

A garter belt is sized by waist, so measure where you plan to wear it, usually the narrowest part of the waist. Then compare with the waist column of our size guide, which runs from XS to 3X. If you are between sizes, choose the smaller size when the belt has several rows of hooks, because it will stay put better, and the larger one if it has a single fixed hook.

Width helps too. A wide lace belt like the Lace Garter Belt stays flat and does not roll over when you sit. The Strappy Garter Belt uses a double strap waist and four clips, and adds a harness line to any thong. For a full look, the Velvet Hour Set builds the belt into a three piece with six clips.

Thigh highs in One Size or Queen

Our thigh highs come in two sizes. One Size fits about 4 feet 11 to 5 feet 9 and up to 160 lb. Queen fits about 5 feet 5 to 6 feet and 160 to 240 lb. Height decides how far up the leg the welt lands, weight and leg shape decide how comfortable the band feels.

If this happens	What it means	Try
The welt lands just above the knee	Stocking too short for your leg	Queen
The band digs in and rolls down	Band too tight for the thigh	Queen
Fabric wrinkles at the ankle and knee	Stocking too long or too wide	One Size
The heel sits above your heel	Foot section too short	Queen

If you overlap both ranges, pick by height when you plan to wear a garter belt, so the welt reaches the strap without stretching.

Stockings that stay up without a belt

Stay up thigh highs have a silicone grip inside the band. The Lace Top Thigh Highs work alone, which is the easiest way to add stockings to a look. You can still clip them to a belt for the look of straps, but clip through the lace, not the silicone. Keep skin under the grip free of body lotion, which makes the silicone slide.

Taking it off again

Reverse the order. Underwear comes off first without touching the straps, then unclip the back straps, then the front ones, then roll each stocking down from the welt instead of pulling it from the toe, which stretches the knit and starts ladders. Unhook the belt last. Hang the belt by its waistband rather than by the straps, so the elastic keeps its tension between wears.

If you want straps without the full routine, try a harness style belt over a bodysuit with no stockings at all, or wear stay up thigh highs with a belt purely for the line. Both give the garter look in under a minute.

Small things that make it look right

• Line up back seams before clipping. Once the clips are on, a twisted seam is hard to fix.
• Match the shade of the straps and the stockings, or go deliberately contrasting.
• For photos, point the toe and turn slightly so the strap line runs up the side of the thigh.
• Hand wash stockings cold and lay them flat, so the welt keeps its stretch.

Stockings and belts are final sale for hygiene, so getting the size right first saves you time. Unopened pieces can be exchanged once for another size within 30 days. Browse every belt and pair on the garter belts page.

Questions

Do you wear underwear over or under a garter belt?

Over. Put the belt and stockings on first and pull your underwear over the straps, so you can remove it without unclipping.

How do I stop garter clips from coming undone?

Clip into the reinforced welt, fold enough fabric over the button and loosen each strap slightly so sitting down does not pull them open.

Should I get One Size or Queen thigh highs?

One Size fits about 4 feet 11 to 5 feet 9 and up to 160 lb, Queen about 5 feet 5 to 6 feet and 160 to 240 lb. If you are in both ranges, choose by height.

Where should a garter belt sit?

At the natural waist or the high hip, wherever it lies flat without rolling. A wide belt with six clips holds best.