What's on Top - Bras, panties, garter belts, slips, & stockings

[C-dot]

I just bought a white lace garter belt from La Vie en Rose for $25.00 - and it was a buy-one-get-one deal, so I got a body shaper too

Then, on my way to the cash, I happened by a pair of long white-silk gloves, Cinderella style. I've been wanting to replace an old pair I gave up for ages, and these were perfect. Yay!

 

[LizzieMaine]

The best place to find plain white everyday garter belts used to be JC Penney, which carried them up until the late '90s under the "Adonna" brand. These were made with elastic girdle-type fabric and strong, adjustable straps with metal clips. They turn up on eBay fairly often as new-old-stock, and are well worth grabbing when you see them. I can generally get two or three years' wear out of one before it's stretched out, and when it's finally worn out the clips can be salvaged for replacements on girdles and such!

 

[chanteuseCarey]

Thanks for the link here Medvssa. Oh my gosh, I just perused their site. I think I need a Sailor overbust corset and frilly knickers!!

I recommend Kiss me deadly "Van Doren" suspender belt. ETA: available here with free shipping anywhere (I am very happy with the service of this shop): http://www.lamagia.co.uk.

 

[maybelaughter]

As I'm eagerly awaiting fall, I'm also dreading the chill of winter. Last year I bought a ton of thigh-high socks to weir in lieu of tights, as tights tend to drive me crazy. I love the warmth, but they never would stay up on my thighs, and would tend to fall down to knee-length and scrunchy once I walked any sort of distance.
Will garter belts hold up socks? Are the clips sturdy enough, will they hold the thicker amount of material?
I don't own a garter belt, but I think I might need to get one before it cools down, any suggestions for something that will work with warm-thickish thigh-high socks? I know enough to stay away from the hip-line lacy things, but other than that, I'm clueless!
Also - could I sew my own, and have it be tough enough? - if so, where would i find the right sort of trimmings(clips or whathaveyou), the local fabric stores have nothing.
Thanks!

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

The best way to hold up thick thigh-hi socks and OTK's is with metal, toothed clips. At Sock Dreams, you can see a variety of garter belts, as well as sock garters with clips, and sock garters that work by elastic tension.
http://www.sockdreams.com/_shop/pages/accessories_cat_CategoryID_73.php

http://www.sockdreams.com/_shop/pages/accessories_cat_CategoryID_74.php

 

[LizzieMaine]

As I'm eagerly awaiting fall, I'm also dreading the chill of winter. Last year I bought a ton of thigh-high socks to weir in lieu of tights, as tights tend to drive me crazy. I love the warmth, but they never would stay up on my thighs, and would tend to fall down to knee-length and scrunchy once I walked any sort of distance.
Will garter belts hold up socks? Are the clips sturdy enough, will they hold the thicker amount of material?
I don't own a garter belt, but I think I might need to get one before it cools down, any suggestions for something that will work with warm-thickish thigh-high socks? I know enough to stay away from the hip-line lacy things, but other than that, I'm clueless!
Also - could I sew my own, and have it be tough enough? - if so, where would i find the right sort of trimmings(clips or whathaveyou), the local fabric stores have nothing.
Thanks!

I'd think the average garter-clip would be thick enough. I wear mine with cotton and cotton-wool stockings, with no problems.

If you really want to get hold of some heavy-duty garter clips, go to the homewares department and buy a pack of sheet-straps. These are elastic bands with a garter clip at each end made for holding a flat sheet in place on a mattress, and they're a bit bigger and considerably stronger than the average modern garter clip.

Metal clips are even better, but they're harder to find unless you salvage them from an old girdle.

For a good general-purpose garter belt, an eBay search for "Adonna garter belt" would be a good start. I posted about these earlier, and they're really very sturdy.

 

[*martini*time*]

lol lol lol lol lol

Cutest. Analogy. Ever!

I'm actually wondering about the girdles that look like little briefs and have the garters attached. Do those show a panty line in dresses or skirts? I don't care what era we're in, in my opinion panty lines have never been "in."

Also, is there a trick to keeping the garters from being seen in skirts that aren't puffed up by a crinoline? I have a beautiful green skrit that's very twirly, but if I sit down, you'd be able to see the garters resting on my thighs. (Does that make sense?) Is there such a thing as a flat garter/garter clasps?

I have this problem! I just thought that my dress was too tight. From old pictures i've seen, and the women are wearing stockings, how come you can't see their clasps? I mean, back in 1940, i don't think that photoshop existed...

fftopic: i've recently become addicted to your blog! It's great!

 

[PS]

You'd be amazed at what a slip can camouflage. It really isn't that awful that garter belt clips can be seen, dare I say sexy...if that is what you want..maybe not.
It also seems that my vintage skirts are lined where as my modern ones are not and the lined skirts seem to hide the clips a little better.
Besides KittyT says its ok to see the clips and I tend to take what she says to be the gospel.

 

[Emer]

fftopic: i've recently become addicted to your blog! It's great!

Thank you!! My little heart swoons when I hear stuff like this!

@ PS--I have no problem with them being seen, I just wasn't sure if it was a no-no. I know that it is considered rather alluring when a glimpse of a garter is caught. My husband says he loves seeing my seemed stockings hanging up in the bathroom! lol He says it feels like he's in an old 40's sitcom.

 

[*martini*time*]

Thank you!! My little heart swoons when I hear stuff like this!

I'm glad i could give your little heart a flutter. I am a military girlfriend (hopefully will be wife someday!) and it's cute all the sweet things you do for your Marine. (he's very handsome in his uniform too...those men in uniform...no wonder ladies love them!)

My man loves a glimpse of a garter, or lace, or a stocking top. Before we leave the house and i'm sitting at my vanity primping, he's always trying to lift up my dress to catch a peek of my garter. Naughty boy!

 

[Delia's Gone]

My apologies if this has been addressed in this thread - my searching capabilities may not be up to par - but does anyone know of a resource for plus-sized slips? I'd love a full slip and a few half slips - especially so I don't have to line all my skirts - but I have a hard time finding them. I am a 14-16-18 in ready to wear sizes (depending on the manufacturer).

 

[Inky]

My apologies if this has been addressed in this thread - my searching capabilities may not be up to par - but does anyone know of a resource for plus-sized slips? I'd love a full slip and a few half slips - especially so I don't have to line all my skirts - but I have a hard time finding them. I am a 14-16-18 in ready to wear sizes (depending on the manufacturer).

I just purchased a full slip in my size (40 bra, I wear a 14/16 in RTW) from Herroom.com. The service was very good and quick. The specific slip I purchased is here.

 

[Delia's Gone]

Thank you, Inky!

 

[Inky]

This weekend I went to our local Bali/Playtex/Etc. outlet store to see if they had "granny panties." Why yes, yes they did, in nylon, solid cotton and flowery printed cottons. Strange look from young sales lady, no matter, I know what I want.

While I'm perusing my selections, with hubby in tow, three ladies of a certain age come in and are wandering around the panty area. One says to the other, "oh, you can't buy those, those are GRANNY PANTIES."

Her response: "I am a Granny, I can wear them." It was all I could do not to laugh out loud and my husband was giggling so hard he had to leave the area.

Finally, at age 49, I own six pair of granny panties. I've given in for the sake of a nearly proper silhouette. But I'm not a granny, I just play one with my underpinnings.

 

[*martini*time*]

This weekend I went to our local Bali/Playtex/Etc. outlet store to see if they had "granny panties." Why yes, yes they did, in nylon, solid cotton and flowery printed cottons. Strange look from young sales lady, no matter, I know what I want.

While I'm perusing my selections, with hubby in tow, three ladies of a certain age come in and are wandering around the panty area. One says to the other, "oh, you can't buy those, those are GRANNY PANTIES."

Her response: "I am a Granny, I can wear them." It was all I could do not to laugh out loud and my husband was giggling so hard he had to leave the area.

Finally, at age 49, I own six pair of granny panties. I've given in for the sake of a nearly proper silhouette. But I'm not a granny, I just play one with my underpinnings.

I find that no matter what, when i wear any sort of dress, my underpants seem to wiggle into my butt crack. I feel like a lady but when i constantly am digging my underpants out from my butt i don't feel so lady like.

Well, i bought those hanes underpants that promise to be "wedgie free" they actually sit UNDER the cheek unlike all those "fashionable" ultra super low rise boy short ones that just migrate up. I cannot say enough positive things about these underpants! Mine are also a boy short cut but when they are worn with dresses no wedgies...tragically, the nude ones are the ones that best match my garter belt and my boyfriend calls them "granny panties" but i would rather look like a granny under my clothes then be picking at my ass all day.

Edit: http://www.hanes.com/Hanes/Products...Hanes/Women_Panties_NoRideUp-Hanes/20645.aspx

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

Yes! I got some guaranteed wedgie-free Hanes and love them as well. Though I was after the low-rise boyshort style, there were none in my size, but I found a bonus bag in low-rise briefs - two extra pair at no extra cost. Not quite as sexy as my old knickers, but not quite granny pants either, and sure enough, no wedgies at all. Hooray!

 

[Jenniferose7]

I'm going out to get some of those wedgie free panties immediately! I love low rise boy shorts so much but they're always designed to show cheek and eventually ride up. Ugh!

 

[C-dot]

Yes! I got some guaranteed wedgie-free Hanes and love them as well. Though I was after the low-rise boyshort style, there were none in my size, but I found a bonus bag in low-rise briefs - two extra pair at no extra cost. Not quite as sexy as my old knickers, but not quite granny pants either, and sure enough, no wedgies at all. Hooray!

My mother will only wear Hanes wedgie-frees. I bought her a pack as part of her birthday gift this past April, and she was so happy!
As comfortable as they may be, regular boy shorts serve my purpose, and they're much cuter. I guess my bum must be the right shape for them

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

Another thing about the wedgie-free Hanes - they seem generously sized. I'd been wearing mostly a 5 in other knickers, and when I couldn't find the style I wanted in that size at the Hanes display, I considered moving up to a 6. After all, maybe that was my problem - just enough bum increasage over the years, that I hadn't paid attention to, and I was wearing my panties too small. I did end up finding one package in size 5, and talked myself into it. Good thing too, 'cos they're plenty big, especially for a 'small'.
So I suggest for any first time experimenters, don't think you're doing yourself any favors by sizing up.

 

[Delia's Gone]

Ladies,
Could you recommend a "starter kit" to someone who has never worn a garter belt/stockings before? There are so many things to figure out, different styles of girdles/belts/whatever, plus I don't want to spend a zillion dollars or buy vintage until I'm sure I like wearing stockings better than pantyhose. I'm a size 16/18 in RTW and carry my weight in my butt & thighs so plus sized resources would be appreciated. Thank you!