Hosiery including Stockings and Pantyhose are made out of delicate fabrics and should be treated with extra care and love so that you can extend the life of this slinky leg wear. To help you put hosiery on successfully we have listed some guides for you.
Check your hands, feet and legs. Prepare your legs and feet so that you have a smooth base to put your hosiery on.
- File your fingernails and toenails so there are no hangnails.
- Look for snags on rough feet and exfoliate to make them smooth.
- You may like to shave or wax your legs to show off a better look
- Scrub dry skin on feet and legs away and use a moisturizer to soften them.
- Take off any jewelry that may catch on the nylon material and damage the pantyhose while putting them on.
Look at the front and back of the hosiery. Check for the tag and position of pantyhose so that you'll be putting them on with the tag or back seam in the back. The foot on stockings should show you the direction of the foot and if not then the seam in the top should be at the back.
Gently gather one leg of the hosiery to the toe. Starting on one side, hold the waist of the pantyhose or the top of the stockings and gently bunch the leg so that the inside of the toe is exposed. The point is to create an easy pathway for your foot, so that you can place it inside the length of the hose leg without tearing the fabric.
Point your toe and gently slip your foot inside. You might need to stretch the opening a bit to make sure your foot can fit inside without catching on the fabric. Pointing your toe will help prevent your toenail from snagging the hose. Put your whole foot inside and arrange the bottom of the leg so that the seam at the toe runs across the tip of your toes.
- Make sure the leg isn't twisted when you put your foot inside. If twisted, it will be difficult to pull the hosiery up your leg.
- You can be in either a sitting or standing position when you put on your hosiery. If you find it difficult to balance on one foot, you might want to sit!
Carefully pull smooth the fabric up your leg. Ease it on carefully and slowly letting the gathered material roll out as you go up the leg, making sure the fabric doesn't pull or rip. Keep the hose leg centered and pull it up until you reach your knees for pantyhose, then do other leg to match OR thigh for stocking then repeat with other leg. If the fabric is twisted or bunched at the knees, straighten it before proceeding.
PANTYHOSE - Finish pulling the pantyhose up. You should have enough fabric left to easily finish pulling your pantyhose up to your highs and then around your waist. If you've been sitting, stand up and pull up the pantyhose so that the elastic at the top sits around your waist.
- As you finish pulling the pantyhose up, you may need to alternate legs to ensure that the fabric is evenly distributed and doesn't twist.
STOCKINGS - Adjust the height on the stockings. Look in a mirror to check where you want the stockings to sit on the leg thigh and adjust to where you like to have them. You can wear them to the height that suits you, high on the leg or lower down depending if you are wearing by themselves (stay up styles) or with a garterbelt.
- Stockings with silicon tops have a sticky insert to grip the leg to help prevent them falling down.
- Back seam stockings should have the line running down the back of the leg.
- If wearing them with a garter belt, gently clip to clasps and adjust straps to match the height of the stockings.
- Stockings with fancy lace tops may take a little extra effort to put onto you garterbelt.
Take a look and make necessary adjustments. Check for areas where the hosiery is bunched, or places where your skin feels pinched. They should feel snug, but not uncomfortable. If you see a place where they're twisted, it's worth it to take them off and repeat the process more carefully - especially if you'll be wearing them all day long!
- If you're wearing patterned or seamed hosiery, try putting on a pair of rubber gloves to make small adjustments for a flawless finish, rather than pinching the hose with your fingers and risking a tear.
Stop a run from getting longer. You're going to get a snag now and then, no matter how careful you are. If you see the beginning of a run, dab a bit of clear nail polish over the spot and then trim off the pulled thread. This should keep it from running all the way down your leg.
- If your run turns into a hole, you can repair it so you can wear it again. However, small imperfections tend to show up in pantyhose, since they're made of such fine material. If you're prone to getting runs, try buying opaque hose which are stronger or stocking up on several pairs so you have an extra one handy just in case.