Prefer video instead? Check out our video on The Lingerie Addict YouTube Channel – “How to Buy a Garter Belt.”
This post was inspired by a conversation I had with a friend over wine and cheese (or, in my case, tea and cheese) about what kind of stockings and garter belt are good for a novice to buy. Though neither of us is new to hosiery, a friend of hers is and, unfortunately, had received a bit of misinformation from other sources–at least in my opinion.
Her question got me to thinking…what is important when it comes to buying stockings, garter belts, and other hosiery related items (like girdles or tights)? What should you look for? Who should you buy from? Is there a certain way you should wear your purchases? I may not be able to address all those questions in this post, but I’ll try to cover a few.
“Why do I need these?”
Not only is this the very first question you should ask, it’s also the most important because the kind of garment you purchase is determined by its purpose.
For example, if you only want a garter belt to wear in the bedroom then a simple, four strap model, with a thin belt, thin garters, and one or no adjusters may suffice (example to the left). After all, you’re not likely to wear it for more than a few minutes.
However, if you’re buying a garter belt to wear stockings on a daily basis or have reason to believe you’ll be in your stockings for an hour or more or will need to do anything remotely physical while wearing stockings (like walking), then four straps just won’t do. If you want maximum support and maximum comfort, you’ll need at least six, wide, elastic, adjustable garters straps with a wide garter belt that has at least three hook and eye adjusters at back. Some people prefer the security of eight garter straps. A few even like ten. When it gets that high though, you’re getting into the realm of fetish and that’s not what this particular post is about.
Why does the width of the belt and the number of the straps matter?
Put simply, because your
stockings are always trying to fall. Even if you don’t think they’re about to fall, believe me, they’re trying to. Having more straps not only provides more anchoring points on the nylons to hold them up, they also keep your stockings from twisting, wrinkling, and bunching.
Having straight stockings is not only more aesthetically pleasing (particularly in the case of backseam hosiery), it also prevents unnecessary wear and tear of the fine, nylon threads. The wide garter belt gives the garter straps something firm to hang on to and provides countertension against gravity.
Adjustability is important because garter belts which are too large or too small do a poorer job of supporting the garter straps which anchor the hose. A too small garter belt could pinch your belly after extended wear, resulting in discomfort. A too large garter belt might work its way down your hips as the day goes on. In other words, please don’t underestimate the importance of good fit.
Whew…I’ve already typed more than I thought I would! I think I’ll address one more part of the garter belt question and talk about stockings in a separate post.
What material should your garter belt be made of?
I don’t have to tell you that people make garter belts out of lots of materials among which are satin, cotton, powernet, lace, vinyl, leather, faux fur, nylon, and so on. If your garter belt is just for the bedroom, then go right ahead and get that leather 12-strap contraption with the leopard fur and diamante accents.
But if you plan on wearing your garter belt for awhile and especially if this is your first one, then I highly recommend purchasing a simple belt made from nonstretch satin, powernet, or even cotton. Not only will those materials last longer against your skin (let’s not be dainty–people sweat), they’ll also be more comfortable and allow those intimate areas to “breathe.”
I won’t lie. Good, quality garter belts cost a bit of money, but I’d much rather buy one $40 garter belt and have it for years, than four $10 ones that I have to throw away after one wear.
How about you? What do you look for in a garter belt?
Thank you for this. I’ve been guilty of going for the cheapy cheap rather than the quality.
Me too, when I first started buying garter belts. Then I realized that cheap is as cheap does and if I wanted my stockings to stop drooping around my ankles by the end of the night, I needed to get a nice garter belt.
related post:
http://katarashop.blogspot.com/2009/05/sale-sandy-duftler-beltworks-gold.html
best regard
katarashop
Very well put. I only miss a comments about metal versus plastic clasps (or clips, whatever they are called in proper English).
I learned that metal clasps are better because the plastic ones tend to break more easily (after a few washes, when the husband is a bit clumsy or too enthousiastic, etc).
Alexa
@Alexa
You're absolutely right. How could I have left that critical piece of information out? :-)
Thanks for stopping by!
Finally, some PRACTICAL information in garter belts! You're so correct about the importance of fit.
This article seems very informative. Good job!
I realize this question is coming along time after the post but I have a question. If you wanted to wear a four strap garter belt outside of the bedroom would it be possible to wear it with thigh-high pantyhose instead of stockings? So that way they would fall down, just a thought.
Katherine,
What would be the use of wearing a garterbelt with pantyhose ?
If you decide to wear a belt, you should go all the way and wear it with stockings.
Alexa
I wear mine with fishnet hose, more for the aesthetic than practicality. But then, I also wear underpants on the outside of stockings for coverage.
Treacle – have you ever seen a garter belt that has alligator style clips, rather than the typical hook and bump type mechanism? I've seen a few like this and I imagine they'd stay put very well, but I'm also worried they'd tear up the tops of my stockings, and I wondered if you had any experience.
Katherine, if by "thigh-high pantyhose" you mean stay-ups, the silicone/rubber seal at the top that helps them stay put tends to make them too thick for the garter clips to grasp properly. I've worn stay-ups with a garter belt for appearances' sake in the bedroom but for actual long-term wear they bunch and wriggle and pinch.
Thank you so much for this article! I have bought and worn many garter belts over the years, mostly to please hubby, but I also like the esthetic and mostly the fact that my lady bits are not stifling in silk/nylon/lycra. I have often wanted to wear them on a daily basis, especially in the warmer months (for comfort), but have always had problems with fit and the stockings staying up properly during extended wear. I have an hourglass figure (curvy hips/thighs and a small waist), and I am fairly short to boot. Fit has always been a problem and now I know what to look for. The biggest problem I've had was that the stocking would roll down on the sides and twist, and eventually the whole flimsy belt would start trying to slide down to follow them. :-(
I always give up and the things end up living in a drawer and see the light only on 'special occasions'. Now I know that it is NOT my fault or that my body is just 'not right' for these lovely things. Now all I need is to find some of the good ones! I have never seen any like the ones you describe for sale in retail stores. Any online suggestions?
In your post regarding stockings, I'd like to request a discussion about the placement of the panties. I'm wondering about your take on the over or under the straps issue. This is possibly a topic for a single post.
@Katherine–I don't recommend wearing thigh highs with garter belts. While it may seem more secure, the thicker welt on thigh high stockings will warp your garters and render them useless over time.
@Diane–I definitely wouldn't suggest alligator clips with stockings unless you're wearing a specialty material (like rubber…mayyyybe). I just can't imagine a scenario where the alligator clips wouldn't wreck your stockings.
@Mouse–Take a look at the "boutiques" page. What Katie Did, Kiss Me Deadly, and Secrets in Lace sell 6 strap garter belts and they're all excellent quality.
@Jennas–Panties over straps. Always.
I’ve often thought about the panties over straps situation. In a tighter fitting skirt or dress, how do you keep panty lines from showing ? I would assume that at that point you’ve got a few noticeable lines.
If you’re going to wear a tight skirt or dress with a garter belt, then you should also be okay with the garter straps showing…at least a little. Depending on your knickers, you may or may not get panty lines, but the tighter the garment, the more likely something is going to show.
Being a lover of such an utterly feminine garment as garter belts and wearing them to my full enjoyment on a daily basis, I favor fit and comfort much more than looks. However, beauty is definitely not in conflict with functionality and the time taken in order to carefully select such an important wardrobe item is really worth the effort and pays back handsomely. This is something I discovered after many years of trials and a throwing away a lot of good money in fancy flimsy bedroom types. That's why I currently own several pieces of six-strap garter belts. In my opinion, the wide straps (5/8 to 3/4 inches) with fine metal clips and adjusters are just about the best. The build must be wide which helps ensure it will keep in place throughout the daily toil. A wide garter belt worn together with control panties provides extra support and feels just right. Should size be an issue, I recommend going for the next-lower size because the feel of this garment slipping-down is a real nuisance. As for material, I've found that a good-quality nylon-spandex fabric is the best because the stretch doesn't pinch and provides so much comfort that I've actually been capable of sleeping while wearing them. I sincerely hope my insight proves valuable and interesting to all of you lingerie lovers. Kindest regards, VickyBelle.
I know this post is a few years old, but it was a goldmine find for me. I want to start wearing garters (as dailywear, though I’m sure they’ll make an appearance in the bedroom). There are great tips on here, but I’m having trouble finding a garter in the online shops listed that fits all the suggestions given (number of straps, quality fabric, etc). I’m hoping someone can give me some direction–any specific recommendations for a comfortable, quality belt for someone who’s never worn one before?
Try What Katie Did’s garter belts. They’re the ones I go to again and again and, as I’m sure you can imagine, I’ve tried a TON.
Great article, vey informative. Not only is it hard to find decent garter belts but finding good quality garter belts in plus size’s is almost impossible. If you know of any plus size garter belt manufacturers I would love thier details.
Hips and Curves sells several plus size garter belts made my Rago (which has a very impressive size range in all their products). I’d try them.
I know this an old article, but garter belts never go out of style. I have been wearing garter belts for about 10 years now. Started wearing them mainly to thrill my husband, but now wear them every single day without exception! I learned the hard way as I started with cheap 4 strap garter belts with plastic clips. As can be expected, the clips would pop off the stockings or, worse yet, break at the most embarrassing time and place. I got away from the cheap ones and went with 6, 8, and even 10 strap garter belts. More straps, more secure and no more sprung garter straps. I bought some nice satin 6 strap garter belts from The Stocking Store and my leather 6, 8 and 10 strap garter belts from either How Cool. com, or Spartacus of Oregon. Lastly, I always buy garter belts with only metal clips and only with the latching metal strap adjusters. I like to wear my stockings as high as possible, with the straps short, and have found that the non latching adjusters, sort of a friction type, tend to loosen up on me. I just love wearing those garter belts!
Just ones more comment in regards to those cheap 4 strap, plastic clip garter belts. The final straw for me wearing them is when I wore one on the day of an important meeting. While walking into the building the rear straps popped off the stockings. I stopped in the ladies room, re-fastened and adjusted them and was almost to the meeting room when they popped again. Ran back to the ladies room, re-fastened and went to the meeting. Sat down and was greeted with snap!, snap! I was mortified, they sprung again. I felt like crying. I found out later that they didn’t just pop, the plastic clips shattered! The next day I instantly converted to wearing better ones.
Where is there a quality online shop? Every time I look I end up on sleazy sites and the product doesn’t look like anything you would wear outside of a trailer park. Anyone willing to give some details on some quality shops? Thank you
Well, Sarah, you can find quality garter belts on line from Secrets in Lace or The Stocking Store. They have very good quality garter belts and stockings. I have purchased many from them and have received nothing less than excellent quality, functional garter belts. I purchased some from HowCool.com, mainly my leather ones with more than four straps. Believe it or not, I use these for my everyday use as I find that having more than four straps is more secure and my stockings stay up where they belong. I would tend to think that anything sold on those sleazy sites is not meant to be worn anywhere else other than the bedroom and for not much longer than a few minutes and, if you attempted to use everyday, you would be extremely frustrated and disappointed. Let me know how you make out in your search.
What a great post! I had no idea they made garter belts with more than four straps! That’s good to know for my next purchase. I recently bought a new set of metal clasps (14$) and had them replace a plastic set on one of my garter belts (at a tailor, 7$). I know this is sort of out season (and probably not directly related to this post) but I’m looking for a garter belt that I can wear with wool stockings for the winter time. Have any ideas?