The question ‘Why won’t my stay-ups stay-up?’ is a common one. Hosiery is notorious for causing wardrobe malfunctions. Here’s what you need to know before looking for thigh highs that will stay up!

Are you looking for hold-ups, thigh-highs, or stay-ups? Have no idea? We’re not surprised. Women’s hosiery is a confusing world. One of the reasons shopping for hosiery is so confusing is the use of different terms in different countries. While the terms describe different styles, some names colloquially mean the same thing.

What’s the difference between hold-ups, stay-ups, and thigh highs?

Hold-ups, thigh highs, and stay-ups are similar items, but not interchangeable terms for the same item. They are all, by definition designed to stay up by themselves. But, they don’t cover the entire leg, bottom, and hips like pantyhose, leggings, or tights do.

The terms hold-ups and thigh highs refer to stockings that stay up through the use of built-in elastic. Hold-ups and stay-ups are two terms which are popular in Europe and the United Kingdom. While thigh highs are the term most often used in the United States.

Stay ups and hold-ups are stockings with an elastic or silicone band around the top. The stockings are meant to stay above your mid-thigh. They are designed to hold the stockings up without the use of a garter belt.

Stockings are the general term or refer to the kind of stockings that need a suspender belt (known as a garter belt in American English).

Why don’t hold-ups stay up?

If all these styles are designed to stay up on their own, why don’t they? Thigh-highs, stay-ups, and hold-ups often fall straight to your ankles! Unfortunately, this often happens at the most inopportune time, often ripping on the way down. Women come in all different sizes, and our thighs can be thin, thick, or in-between. The narrow sizes available for this type of hosiery just isn’t versatile enough to fit many bodies. That’s why your so-called stay-ups either roll down the thighs, dig into the skin, or fall to thinner parts of your legs. You can try using Hollywood Tape or trying out different sizes. Or, you can try an alternative, like Bandelettes® Thigh Bands.

How to wear hosiery

Decades ago hosiery was an everyday essential. Women wouldn’t dream of leaving the house without their hosiery. In the 1940s during WW2 nylon for stockings was so scarce women simply couldn’t buy them. Rather than go bare-legged, women took to drawing stocking seams up the backs of their calves.

Nowadays, few dress codes require women to wear hosiery. But some women still choose to do some for extra warmth or coverage when wearing skirts and dresses. However, for many women, hosiery like hold-ups is a special occasion item. We pull these out to pair with our sexiest lingerie or a saucy little Halloween costume. Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and anniversaries are all popular occasions for thigh highs. The sex appeal from these styles focuses on the lace band that encircles a women’s thigh. If you’re looking to wear these styles purely for sex appeal, and not for warmth, then Bandelettes® Thigh Bands are a great alternative!

What can I try instead? Thigh high alternatives:

Bandelettes® Thigh Bands come in lots of sexy designs so they look like a garter or the top of stay-up stockings. Bandelettes are different than stay-ups, our thigh bands come in a wider variety of sizes and are made to stay up – on thighs of all sizes! What’s even better is they are specially designed to prevent thigh chafing. No more painful rubbing – even for girls with thick thighs!

Check out our range of sexy Bandelettes thigh bands today and see for yourself why we have thousands of raving reviews!