Pantyhose, stockings, and leggings: size, material, and preventing runs
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
5 min reading time
The difference between pantyhose, stockings, and leggings, what S/M and L/XL practically mean, and how to prevent new pairs from getting runs when you put them on.
The first cold morning of the season is usually also the morning when a pair of tights gets ruined. You take them out of the drawer, pull them up in one motion, and already see a run forming at your knee. Annoying, and almost always preventable — it comes down to the size, how you put them on, and how you store them.
Below is the practical side: which type to choose for what purpose, how sizing works for items sold as S/M and L/XL, and what you can do to make a pair last longer.
Tights, stockings, or leggings — what's what
The names are used interchangeably, yet they refer to three different things.
Type
Goes up to
Stays up by
Typical use
Tights
Waist
Elastic waistband
Under skirt or dress, all day
Stockings
Thigh or knee
Elastic band, sometimes with silicone
Under skirt, or as part of an outfit
Leggings
Waist
Wide waistband
As pants, under a tunic or dress
Tights are thin and sheer or semi-sheer; leggings are opaque and made of thicker knitted material. Stockings end above the knee or on the thigh and therefore need a band that stays up — we'll get back to that.
Size: what S/M and L/XL mean in practice
Many tights, stockings, and leggings are sold in two sizes, for example, S/M and L/XL, or as one size. This works because the material stretches considerably, but it also means that the size is based on two things at once: length and circumference. If you are tall and slender, an S/M might be too short in length while being ample enough in circumference. You'll notice the consequence at the crotch: the tights will sag all day.
Helpful rules of thumb:
If you're between two sizes, go for the larger one. Tightly stretched tights tear more easily and are less comfortable.
Don't just look at clothing size, but also at your height. If there's a size chart on the packaging, read it.
If you're wearing a pair with a costume or under a short skirt, buy a spare pair right away. They're inexpensive and you'll use them sooner or later.
The thickness of tights is expressed in denier: the higher the number, the thicker and less sheer the yarn. Low deniers are thin and light, higher deniers appear more matte and retain more warmth. For the months when you leave the house with a coat in the morning, a thicker version or leggings are often more practical than delicate tights.
Leggings made of knitted, stretchy material are opaque and more durable: Neon Pink Leggings, Neon Yellow Leggings, and Neon Green Leggings each cost €9.95 and are available in two sizes. Neon colors are particularly popular for theme parties and performances; for daily wear, you usually choose a dark base color.
Stockings that stay up
The classic complaint with stockings is that they slip down. This is rarely due to the stocking itself and usually due to one of these three things:
Body lotion on the thigh. A silicone band adheres to clean, dry skin. If you've just applied lotion, it will slip. Do not apply lotion to the area where the band will sit.
The wrong size. Too loose will slip down, too tight will cut in and then also roll down.
Wear and tear of the silicone. After a few washes with fabric softener or at high temperatures, the silicone strip grips less effectively.
The Lace Top Stockings with Silicone (€7.95) have such a band with silicone on the inside. Wash these types of items by hand or in a laundry bag, without fabric softener, and air dry them.
Putting them on without runs
This is the step where most pairs meet their demise. What helps:
Trim or file your nails and remove rings before you start.
Roll the leg up to the toe, put your foot in, and slowly roll it up — do not pull the fabric.
For tights, pull the last section up evenly from both sides so the crotch sits at the correct height.
Do it sitting down. Standing, you're more inclined to yank.
Wear smooth shoes with them. Rough insoles and Velcro are the biggest causes of runs at the heel.
If a run does occur? A drop of clear nail polish at the end often stops it, at least long enough to get through the evening.
Washing and storing
Delicate tights should not be put loosely in the washing machine with jeans and zippers. Use a laundry bag, a cold program, and no fabric softener. Air dry them flat or hanging — the dryer significantly accelerates wear and tear.
Don't store them crammed into a drawer with other clothes. Fold each pair individually or place them in a separate bin; sharp edges of buckles, pins, and jewelry are why an unused pair can still end up damaged.
When in doubt, choose the larger size, pay attention to your height and not just your clothing size, put them on sitting down and by rolling, wash them cold in a bag, and store them away from jewelry and buckles. That can easily save you two or three pairs in a season.
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