Garter belt and stockings with lace garter belts and thigh highs

How to wear a garter belt

Put the garter belt on first, at your natural waist or slightly below. Then sit down and roll each stocking up the leg, attach the front clips, then the back ones. The panty goes on last, over the straps, so you can take it off without undoing the clips.

The Lace Garter Belt ($28) is wide and flat, so it does not roll and the six clips stay put. For a harness line, the Strappy Garter Belt ($32) adds crossing straps on the hips and holds stockings with four clips.

Choosing thigh highs

Lace top thigh highs have a silicone grip, so they stay up alone. Back seam stockings need a belt to keep the seam straight.

Denier tells you how sheer a stocking is: lower numbers are more transparent. Fishnet has no denier because it is open, which is why it adds texture rather than a smooth finish. Black reads strongest on camera, while bare shades lengthen the leg quietly.

Stocking sizes

Thigh highs come in two sizes. One Size fits from 4'11" to 5'9" and up to 160 lb. Queen fits from 5'5" to 6'0" and 160 to 240 lb. If you are tall but light, pick by height so the top band reaches mid thigh. Garter belts follow the letter sizes in our size guide, from XS to 3X.

Stockings that are too short pull the garter clips into a V and look strained in photos, while stockings that are too long wrinkle at the knee. If your height and weight fall into different sizes, choose by the one closer to the edge of the range.

Building a full look

The easiest route is the Lace Garter Belt ($28) with a pair of lace top thigh highs ($18) in the same shade, $46 for the whole base. Add one of our lingerie sets on top, or go straight to a corset for a hotel night. Shade matching matters on camera, so keep belt, straps and stockings in one color.

For photos, adjust the straps so they run straight down the front of the thigh. Crooked straps are the first thing a camera picks up. A pair of heels lengthens the leg line and keeps back seams straight when you stand.