One of the best purchases I’ve made in the past year has been this James Perse, A-line, 3/4 sleeve, jersey dress. I wear it to work at least once a week, and one of the reasons I like it so much (in addition to the fact that it never needs ironing), is because it goes with all of my stockings. Today, I wore my James Perse dress with my Aristoc 5 denier Sheer Hold-ups.
The hold-ups are composed of 87% nylon and 13% spandex. They are available in two sizes (small/medium and medium/large) and, according to the package fit a maximum height of 5’8″ or 173 cm. The hold-ups also come in three colors: nude, bare gold, and black. I purchased black in size medium/large.
To me, the most important question you can ask for hold-up stockings is “Do they stay up?” and these most certainly do. These stockings have an extra wide (at least 3″), texturized welt with one thick silicone band at the top which does not move. I wore my Aristocs for 12 solids hours, and they were in the exact same place at 8 p.m. as they were at 8 a.m…quite an accomplishment.
Now, because these stockings are only £6 (roughly $9.70 USD),
they’re not made of the softest nylon. In addition, I think Aristoc is overstating the 5d designation; on my legs, these stockings look more like a 10 denier. However, they are perfectly wearable and certainly work appropriate. The legs have a nice sheen which is neither overly glossy nor too matte and therefore masks imperfections well. Finally, these stockings have good stretch and do not run or tear easily. However, I would not recommend purchasing these hold-ups if you’re much taller than 5’8″ or weigh more than about 160 lbs.
One other interesting note–there’s a discrepancy between what’s advertised on the back of the package and what’s actually on the hosiery. The packaging says the welt is made of “breathable satin” but, as you can see in the photo, there isn’t an ounce of satin anywhere on these nylons.
At less than $10, these stockings aren’t a bad buy. Still, I prefer the Pretty Polly brand. Not only was Pretty Polly’s nylon softer, sheerer, and closer to my skin tone, it was also a couple of pounds cheaper. The Aristoc Ultra Sheer Hold-Ups are available from Figleaves or MyTights.
