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Mapale
Women's Sheer Lace Top Stay-Up Thigh High Stockings – Mapale 1108
Starting at $12.38Unit price /Unavailable-
BeWicked
Women's Lace Garter Thigh High Stockings – What U Need 1939
$19.45Unit price /Unavailable-
BeWicked
Women's Lace Top Silicone Stay-Up Thigh High Stockings – Lace Over It 1919
$18.83Unit price /Unavailable-
BeWicked
Women's Diamond Pattern Thigh High Stockings – In Your Mind 1938
$19.45Unit price /Unavailable-
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BeWicked
Women's Sheer Lace Back Seam Thigh High Stockings – Keep a Secret 1912
Starting at $14.45Unit price /Unavailable-
BeWicked
Women's Sheer Strappy Garter Harness Thigh High Stockings – Cross Your Path BWH806
$18.20Unit price /Unavailable-
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BeWicked
Women's Crotchless Sheer Pantyhose Tights – Everyday Wear 1927
$14.45Unit price /Unavailable-
BeWicked
Women's Sheer Back Seam Pantyhose Tights – Walk Right Out 1926
$16.95Unit price /Unavailable-
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BeWicked
Women's Fishnet Lace Garter Belt Thigh High Stockings – Hands on Me 2300
Starting at $19.45Unit price /Unavailable-
BeWicked
Women's Fishnet Pantyhose Tights – Up All Night 2302
+2Starting at $15.70Unit price /Unavailable-
BeWicked
Women's Oversized Fishnet Pantyhose Tights – Can't Back Down 2303
+1Starting at $16.33Unit price /Unavailable-
BeWicked
Women's Wide Fishnet Pantyhose Tights – Can't Back Down 2304
+1Starting at $15.70Unit price /Unavailable-
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BeWicked
Women's Fishnet Lace Garter Thigh High Stockings – Night Shift 1930
$18.20Unit price /Unavailable-
BeWicked
Women's Opaque Clip Garter Thigh High Stockings – Illusion 1929
$19.45Unit price /Unavailable-
BeWicked
Women's Opaque Clip Garter Thigh High Stockings – Hanging On 1928
$18.20Unit price /Unavailable-
BeWicked
Women's Crotchless Sheer Suspender Pantyhose Tights – Rare Sight 1924
$16.95Unit price /Unavailable-
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BeWicked
Women's Wide Fishnet Thigh High Stockings – Caught in My Trap 1922
$15.08Unit price /Unavailable-
BeWicked
Women's Fishnet Thigh High Stockings – Catch Me If You Can 1921
$14.45Unit price /Unavailable-
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BeWicked
Women's Sheer Micro Fishnet Pantyhose Tights – Grab Me by the Waist 1917
$19.45Unit price /Unavailable-
BeWicked
Women's Fishnet Back Seam Thigh High Stockings – Great Catch 1915
$14.45Unit price /Unavailable-
BeWicked
Women's Fishnet Lace Trim Thigh High Stockings – Kiss Goodnight 1914
Starting at $15.08Unit price /Unavailable-
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BeWicked
Women's Strappy Fishnet Pantyhose Tights – Cross My Mind BW401
$23.20Unit price /Unavailable-
BeWicked
Women's Fishnet Pantyhose Tights – Caught in Your Net BW529
$13.20Unit price /Unavailable-
BeWicked
Women's Fishnet Lace Garter Thigh High Stockings – Here to Stay BW613
$19.45Unit price /Unavailable
BeWicked
Women's Criss-Cross Lace Garter Thigh High Stockings – BWH805
$20.70Unit price /Unavailable-
Mapale
Women's Diamond Fishnet Thigh High Stockings with Plaid Bows – Mapale 1128
$12.38Unit price /Unavailable-
Mapale
Diamond Fishnet Rhinestone Thigh High Stockings – Mapale 1127
$12.38Unit price /Unavailable-
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Mapale
Women's Sheer Mesh Lace Top Thigh High Stockings in Nude – Mapale 1101
Starting at $22.38Unit price /Unavailable-
Mapale
Women's Sheer Mesh Lace Top Thigh High Stockings – Mapale 1094
Starting at $22.38Unit price /Unavailable-
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BeWicked
Women's Opaque Bow Top Thigh High Stockings in Black – BW519B
$36.83Unit price /Unavailable
Hosiery: Five Garments, and What Holds Each One Up
Hosiery covers everything worn on the leg in a knitted fabric, and the names get used interchangeably when they shouldn't be. The practical difference is simple: where the garment ends, and what stops it falling down.
Below: the five types side by side, when a garter belt is needed and when it isn't, and how to measure so stay-ups actually stay up.
What is hosiery?
Hosiery is the category of knitted legwear covering the foot and leg: tights, pantyhose, stockings, thigh highs, hold-ups and socks. The garments divide on two questions. First, where does it end? Tights and pantyhose run from the waist to the toe in one piece; stockings and thigh highs stop partway up the thigh. Second, what holds it up? A one-piece garment holds itself; a thigh-high needs either a silicone lace band, which grips the leg, or a garter belt with four or six straps. Everything else, sheer or opaque, plain or fishnet, is a variation. HauteFlair's edit spans all of it. Shop hosiery at HauteFlair.
The five types
Where each one ends, and what keeps it there.
| Type | Where it ends | Held up by |
|---|---|---|
| Tights | The waist, one piece including the foot | Itself. See Tights |
| Pantyhose | The waist. The American word for sheer tights | Itself, same garment |
| Stockings | Mid to upper thigh, separate legs | A garter belt. See Garter Belts |
| Thigh highs or hold-ups | Upper thigh | A silicone band inside the lace top. See Thigh Highs |
| Bodystocking | Shoulders to toe, one piece | Itself. See Bodystockings |
The distinction that matters most: thigh highs and stockings look the same on a product page. Check whether the lace top has a silicone strip. If it does, you need nothing else. If it doesn't, you need a garter belt.
Getting the fit right
Most hosiery complaints trace back to one of these.
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Thigh highs roll down | Thigh measurement, not the stocking. Silicone grips skin, not air | Measure the thigh where the band will sit and size by that, not by dress size |
| Tights sag at the crotch | Height, not width. Tights are sized by height as well as hip | Check the height band on the packet, not just the size letter |
| Garter straps ladder the stocking | Strap clipped over a bare nail or clipped too tight | Clip through the welt, the reinforced band at the top, and leave slight give |
| Waistband rolls | Garter belt sitting on the hip rather than the natural waist | Wear it at the narrowest part of the torso |
| Ladders on the way on | Fingernails and rings | Gather the leg to the toe and roll up. Rings off first |
Find your hosiery
Pick by what you need it to do.
Thigh highs do not slip because they are the wrong brand. They slip because the band is sitting on a part of the thigh wider than the band was cut for.
The HauteFlair StandardHosiery FAQ
The questions shoppers ask most.
What is hosiery?
Hosiery is the category of knitted legwear covering the foot and leg: tights, pantyhose, stockings, thigh highs, hold-ups and socks. They differ by where the garment ends and what holds it up.
What is the difference between stockings and tights?
Tights are one piece from the waist to the toe and hold themselves up. Stockings are separate legs ending on the thigh, and need a garter belt or a silicone lace top to stay in place.
Do thigh highs need a garter belt?
Only if they have no silicone band. A stay-up thigh high has a silicone strip inside the lace top that grips the leg and needs nothing else. A plain stocking without that strip needs a garter belt.
Why do my thigh highs keep rolling down?
Almost always the size. Silicone grips skin, so the band has to sit snugly. Measure your thigh where the band will sit and size by that measurement rather than by dress size. Moisturiser on the thigh also stops silicone gripping.
What is the difference between pantyhose and tights?
Nothing. Pantyhose is the American term, usually for sheer versions, and tights is used for all weights. They are the same garment.
How many straps should a garter belt have?
Four is standard and fine for most wear. Six straps distribute the pull more evenly and hold better under a fitted skirt or for a long day, since no single strap carries all the tension.
What is a bodystocking?
A one-piece sheer garment covering the torso and legs from shoulder to ankle. It is hosiery in fabric but lingerie in use, and it needs no garter or separate top.
How should I wash hosiery?
Hand wash in cool water, or use a mesh bag on a gentle cycle, and air dry. Heat breaks down the elastane that gives hosiery its stretch, so never tumble dry. Wash silicone bands gently and avoid fabric softener, which stops them gripping.
Fit and care guidance here is general and varies by style and brand; always check the size chart and any stated height or thigh measurement for the specific piece you are buying. Style and size availability reflect current stock. Last reviewed September 2026.
Shop hosiery
Tights, pantyhose, thigh highs, fishnet, garter belts and bodystockings, from one size to queen.
