Stocking Recommendations?

[pigeon toe]

I just bought 2 pairs of Magnolia stockings (the full-fashioned seamed ones), size small, and they are so unbelieveably long I don't know what to do with them! And I'm about 5'3", short, but not tremendously so.

I haven't tried them on with a girdle yet, but they are about a half an inch below where my thigh meets my groin, way higher than my usual stockings reach (about mid-thigh).

Is this normal for Magnolia? Or did I just get some extra long stockings by mistake? If all their stockings are like this are there any comparable brands that are a bit better for shorter gals?

 

[ShrinkingViolet]

I ordered six pairs of stockings from Magnolia about six months ago, and when they arrived it turned out that some of them were 'opera lenght' (according to the label), while others were regular length. Others were extra long although they didn't have the opera lenght label ... so it does seem a bit random what you get and it's strange that you don't have the option to choose what lenght you want when placing the order ...
Cervin (French brand) make stockings that come up shorter on the leg. I like their 'Capri' 20 denier RHTs, they're affordable and quite durable. The FFs (called 'Tentation') are rather expensive compared to Magnolia's prices, though.

 

[KittyT]

ladies, ladies, ladies.....

i can get unworn vintage FF stockings (usually nude, self-seamed) for $5/pair in various sizes (lots in the 10 range). please PM me if you want me to hook you up and i will send them to you at my cost + shipping.

kitty

 

[sheeplady]

Ok- so I searched and searched the forums and couldn't find a post about this. I really liked Sear's "Nice Touch" garter stockings, but they appear to be discontinued. They were 3 dollars a pair in my local store, making them the cheapest stockings I've seen made in the USA. I'm looking for a hard-wearing stretch stocking that is made in the USA (or really any other country that has decent labor practices, but I prefer USA made), with no backseam, and resists snags. Something that is equivalent to the nice touch, even if they are more money, but they have to wear for a long time.

The idea of a pair of stockings costing $15 a pair (when I had a source for $3 pairs) is a little disturbing to me, but I'll get over it.

I looked at the website for silk stockings. Are they more mendable than the nylon ones? How do the mends look? Do they wear better (longer) than nylon?
I have never been able to mend a run in a nylon pair, but if I could mend the silk stockings and get a lot more wear out of them, I would be up for it.

 

[LizzieMaine]

How successfully a stocking can be mended depends on how heavy it is, in my experience. Anything sheerer than about 30 denier (walking-sheer) is nearly impossible to inconspicuously mend in the leg unless you have very steady hands and very good vision. I think this is true no matter what the material. I have only one pair of silk hose, and they're service weight (60 denier), and so far the mends I've done in them have been successful. You can see them, but they're in places where they aren't especially conspicuous.

A good choice for inexpensive stretch stockings is National Hosiery

 

[sheeplady]

Thanks for that website Lizzie, they are the price range I was hoping for, and they look a lot like my old dependables.

I haven't had any luck finding any providers of the service weight silk stockings, but I will keep an eye out. I have a very steady hand but very poor eyesight, so I doubt I could mend very well at the lighter weights as you mentioned.