What’s the difference between stockings and hold ups? 

Stockings are held up with a suspender belt. Hold ups (called ‘stay ups’ in the US) have a silicone band (or two, in the case of our holdups) on the inside of the thigh band, to make sure they stay up by themselves. And ours really do – with no rolling or slipping. 

Some people still like to wear a suspender belt with hold ups as they love the look, but you don’t need to. You’ll want sturdy clips on your suspender if you wear one, as they’ll need to hold the slightly thicker silicone.

What size should I choose?

You’ll notice we’ve changed how we size our All Woman holdups. We reckon giving a dress size for holdups is as irrelevant as giving a shoe size! So we’re sizing them now by the measurement around your thigh at the widest point at the top, just below your bottom. It’s best to measure your thigh whilst standing.

You’ll see there’s an overlap in thigh sizes with our sizing. If your thigh measurement fits into two of the size brackets
• Go for the smaller size if you’re 5’4” (163cm) or less 
• Choose the larger size if you are 5’5” (165cm) or more 

Please note that these are plus sized, so if your thigh is smaller than 24 inches you might experience some slippage, which nobody wants on date night. We’d recommend you check out our Prague holdups instead – which fit to smaller sizes.

If you can’t find a tape measure (or if measuring a thigh would spoil the surprise of a gift) the sizes translate roughly as follows, but as people’s bodies and proportions are all different, this is a less accurate guide:
24-30” thigh (61-76cm) – roughly UK14-20
28-34” thigh (71-86cm) – roughly UK20-28
32-38” thigh (81-96cm) – roughly UK28-40

If you’d like further advice on sizing just give us a call on 01326 373 268 (in the UK), or email hello@thebigbloomerscompany.co.uk, and we’d be happy to help.

Any tips for wearing them?

To put them on don’t just pull them up. Roll them up in your hands, with your thumbs in the toe, and your fingers on the outside, then pop them onto your toe and unravel slowly up towards your thigh, feeling very sexy and retro as you do it. Roll them down from the thigh when you take them off.

To keep the silicone holding well in place on your skin, avoid oils or heavy creams on your thighs. These can stay on your skin and prevent the silicone from sticking. If the weather is hot you could use a little deodorant or talc around the area the silicone band sits to help it stick.

How do I care for my holdups?

Wash by hand in lukewarm water not hotter than 40° C, making sure you clean the silicone and rinse the soap off properly so it doesn’t affect the ‘stickiness’ of the silicone. Do not tumble dry or iron, as heat will reduce the band’s elasticity. 

Store your stockings and hold ups in a mesh or cotton bag away from your other lingerie, to prevent anything snagging on them.

We hope you enjoy your hold ups!

You’ll find them here.