Sports Bras for Busty Gals

Some large breasted women may shy away from sports or physical activity due to the sheer weight of their breasts bouncing around. Alternatively, gals with big boobs might double (or triple) up on sports bras to strap those puppies down. And neither of these strategies is good for you.

“Girls in multiple bras are in the wrong size,” says Claire Dumican, owner of the Butterfly Collection, Canada’s first DD-KK cup online bra boutique.

Why You Need to Wear a Sports Bra

Bouncing around without adequate breast support leads to irreversible stretching of the ligaments which keep your breasts perky, and once they’ve stretched, your boobs will sag.

Claire explains that eighty-five percent of breast support comes from the bra’s band (not the straps), and wearing multiple bras causes uncomfortable constriction around ribcage. Mainstream compression sports bras don’t work for bigger busted women since full-busted ladies need a sports bra that comes high up under the arms, has thick material to absorb impact, and has extra thick straps. It’s also an added perk if a sports bra is made of a fabric that wicks moisture away to keep you (and the girls) dry, cool and comfortable.

A final word of advice from Claire to keep in mind when shopping for a sports bra for your big boobs?

“A painful bra is one that doesn’t fit you.”

Tips for Keeping Big Breasts Perky

• Keep your breasts firm, toned, and perky, and your skin elastic (which is ultra important for women with big boobs) by using moisturizer daily, the thicker the better. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream is an extra thick, super-emollient (non-greasy) formula that absorbs quickly into the skin while providing ultra hydration for your skin. Made for sensitive, chafed and super dry skin, this cream will keep the skin on your breasts soft, supple and elastic for years to come.

• Wear a proper fitting sports bra when exercising to prevent damage to Cooper’s LigamentsCooper's Ligament suspends the breast from the collarbone and the underlying connective tissue of the upper chest, effectively supporting the breast in its normal position and maintaining its normal shape. When the ligament becomes damaged the breast tissue will sag under its own weight, losing its perky shape and curve. Boo!, which hold up your breasts.

• Strengthen your pectoral and other chest and back muscles which help support your breasts and maintain good posture.

• Breast size changes throughout a woman’s life, not just during puberty and pregnancy, so have a bra fitting regularly: once a year on average, every two months if you’re dieting or losing weight, during and after pregnancy and nursing, and after any time of great stress.

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Panty Style Guide

Our underwear drawers are as complicated and varied as we are, and lingerie shops are filled with everything from laundry day briefs to sexpot Brazilians, in fabrics including simple stretch cotton, pretty lace, racy mesh, seamless microfiber and high tech materials. Here’s a handy guide to help figure out which style of panties offers the best fit for you.

Brief Panties

Briefs have a classic silhouette that covers all your bases, literally. With full coverage concealing your bottom and stomach with a higher riseLow rise panties typically have a rise between 3 and 5 inches from gusset to waistband. than most other styles. Brief panties are a comfort lover’s favorite, however they may ride up if they’re not a good fit, resulting in the dreaded wedgie.

TC Fine Intimates Hi-Cut Brief is a simple-looking brief specifically designed to solve these problems: they’ve been laser cut for no visible panty lines, and silicone edges prevent the panties from riding up. For tummy control, briefs are your best underwear option; SPANX Slim Cognito Control Panty Shapewear and other compression panties are a perfectly slimming fit.

Bikini Panties

Comfort and style collide in this most popular of all panties. A must-have for every panty wardrobe, the bikini panty gives modest amount of coverage, a little less than a full brief, but more than a thong or cheeky panty.

Bikini panties are available in full fabric options — mesh, lace, microfiber and cotton — as well as sexier string versions where the front and rear portion of the panty are connected by a string instead of a continuous band of fabric.

 

Boyshort Panties

The boyshort is the modern, flirtier take on the brief, giving you a full-coverage option with a whole lot of cute. The waist band falls at the hips and the leg openings hug the bottom of your toosh and upper thigh.

Unlike their brief cousins, boyshorts leg openings tend to stay in place and rarely ride up, cutting down on unsightly adjustments.

Sporty boyshorts are typically available in soft stretch cotton, microfiber, and for a more romantic option, look for mesh or take a cue from the lacy and feminine Panache Andorra Boyshorts Panty.

Classic Thong Panties

The Classic Thong is the ultimate in practicality and sex appeal. The thong gives full- to minimal coverage in the front and barely-there coverage in the back. With its thick band, the classic thong stays put and doesn’t gather or pull. If you don’t mind a little extra fabric in places that might not be used to it, then this panty is the choice for you.

In a seamless microfiber like the laser cut “naked” construction of Commando Low Rise Thong Panty the classic thong will disappear under light fabrics and body-hugging garments and put the spotlight on your fabulous derrière when you’re in the buff.

G-String Panties

The G-string takes the classic thong and sexes it up. The band is replaced with three strings that meet at a “T” in the back, delivering a smidge less coverage than a traditional thong. The result: the tiniest of all panty designs that’s only a few square inches away from your birthday suit.

G-strings are surprisingly comfortable, and can be purchased with adjustable straps to expand or tighten according to your body type.

Under thin or filmy materials, you’ll want to choose a g-string that has seamless of fabric which sit flat against your body in order to avoid the not-so-classy around the hips.

Brazilian, Tanga, or Cheeky Style Panties

Brazilian panties (also known as tanga or cheeky panties) are our top pick for sexiness while remaining surprisingly comfortable. The Brazilian band, usually in sensual lace, sits ultra-low on the waist with leg openings one-quarter to one-half down your derriere. The result: hot damn.

The leg openings stay in place and the waist band doesn’t cut in, and the cut in the back of this panty makes any toosh look impeccable. From barely-there to a perky bubble, the Brazilian will give you a top-notch behind.

Hiphuggers Panties and Hot Pants

Another fusion style popping up at retailers like Victoria’s Secret is the hiphugger or hot pant style, a panty which resembles the fusion of a boyshort and a bikini panty. The look is typically a low rise style with a waistband that runs around or just below your hip bones.

Hiphuggers have more coverage than cheeky or Brazilian panties, since the panty doesn’t actually go in between your bum cheeks, but they show a tiny bit more cheek than a classic bikini. The leg holes on hiphuggers are cut slightly higher than boyshorts.

Bras for Full-Figure Breasts

Breasts. Like women, they come in all shapes and sizes. So you’d think that bras of all sizes, shapes and styles would be readily available to meet women’s needs, right? Not so; like a lot of things in the world of fashion, there are seem to be fewer options available to the entire diversity of real women’s body shapes and sizes.

Bra & Lingerie Options for Women with Large Breasts

Most bra and lingerie boutiques to cater to women who wear a size D or smaller, which leaves a significant proportion of women feeling (literally) unsupported, and with little choice in the way of well-fitting, attractive lingerie.

It’s quite ironic that the group of women who most need the support of a well-fitting bra have the fewest options when it comes to size and style, no?

Enter Claire Dumican. Claire knows breasts. After moving to Canada, only to discover a sorry lack of lingerie options for women with large breasts, this British-born, big busted, blonde, former technology communications specialist made it her mission to help full-busted women everywhere get into the right size bra and feel fabulous about themselves.

What is “Full Bust?”

Claire explains that there are three distinct groups in media for women to identify with:

• Skinny models (who resonate with very few real women)
• Plus size (who have a band size 40 inches and greater)
• Mainstream, women who wear dress size 4 to 10 with a band size between 28 to 38 inches, and up to a size D cup

Full-busted women have traditionally been left out in the cold, so to speak: “What if you’re a dress size 6 and you have ad 32 H bust – who and where do you look to for your body type?” asks Claire, “It’s all them and real and they want to be able to dress properly and it’s not available.”

What about fake boobs? Fake boobs don’t need as much support as real boobs, she explains, which are very heavy and bounce a lot.

The Butterfly Collection: Bras for Big Boobs in Canada & Around the World

In 2010, Claire’s passion for getting big boobs into beautiful bras led her to launch the Butterfly Collection, Canada’s first DD-KK cup online bra boutique.  And following a perusal of her website and a thoroughly enjoyable Skype conversation, it was evident that Claire is truly living her passion and is excited to communicate her immense wealth of knowledge about breasts and bras.

In addition being an online retail source of superior quality, supportive, pretty and sexy bras and lingerie for large-breasted and plus size women, the Butterfly Collection website also serves as an important educational resource.

While the Butterfly Collection’s retail section caters exclusively to women above a D cup, a lot of the information on the site is of value to women of any bra-size, offering essential tools to help women learn to measure their own bra size accurately and determine which style of bra is most appropriate with different outfits or activities, as well as informing women about the importance of breast health and the role that wearing a supportive, beautiful bra plays in back health, and overall physical and emotional well-being.

Challenges Faced by Full-Busted or Plus Size Women in Finding the Right Bra

One obstacle large-breasted ladies typically face is the embarrassment factor; consider that most brick-and-mortar boutiques don’t even carry cup sizes above a size D, combine that with employees who may not be particularly adept at fitting bras, and you’re often left with large-breasted women being told that their boobs are too massive.

“It’s crushing to hear that your breasts are too big,” Claire says. “They buy off-the-rack bras that their boobs don’t fit into, and it’s a killer of self esteem.”

Smashing Your Boobs into Bras That Don’t Fit (The Smaller Cup / Bigger Band Trick)

One tactic stores may use to get a woman to “fit” into a bra is to try to squeeze large breasts into a smaller cup size by going up in the band size. Claire warns, “A bra should fit you, not the other way around.”

Unlike women with smaller bosoms, full busted women have a significant amount of breast tissue under the armpits, so it is critical for women with large breasts that all of their breast tissue fit into the cup.

As Claire so poignantly put it, “The more boob you have, the wider it spreads.”

Get Those Boobs Up & Out

The smaller-cup and larger band mash-up may lead to issues of discomfort, and will also lead to a less flattering look since the breast tissue will spread out to the side instead of being pushed up into a nice perky rack out front. Lift those ta-ta’s to reveal your waist and amp up the va-va-voom factor of your curvy figure.

So, You Think You Know Your Bra Size?

The truth is, most women are in the wrong bra size. Some of the Butterfly Collection’s customers have never previously been fitted or actually measured themselves for their bra size (yes, you can do this all by yourself!), while others haven’t had a fitting in 12 to 15 years.  For some reason, we’re brought up to believe that our boobs aren’t our own; we’re afraid to measure our own boobs and think that we need someone else to tell us what size we are, when in reality, it couldn’t be simpler.

Nonetheless, for many women the idea of measuring and fitting a bra is daunting, so Claire makes herself available to talk women through the fitting process with the Butterfly Collection over the phone.

“This is your body and you can reclaim it. You don’t need to be told by somebody else what you are or aren’t.”

Claire believes women need to take responsibility for their bodies and breasts. Measure yourself before you go bra shopping to make sure that you get a proper fitting, “It is about owning your boobs; they’re not there to annoy you, they’re there to make you look fabulous!”

Keep Your Big Boobs in the Right Size Bra

Breast size changes throughout a woman’s life; you should re-measure your bra size regularly:

• Once a year on average
• Every two months if you’re dieting or losing weight
• During and after pregnancy and nursing
• After any time of great stress (divorce, bereavement, etc.)

Besides getting to go shopping for a fun and flirty new bra, when you’re in the right bra size, you get your waist back; and the further your boobs are from your knees, the better you feel.

What a Difference a Bra Makes

To put Claire’s advice, measuring guide, and beautiful bras to the test, we had one of our own full-busted ladies (my mom) try out Claire’s tips and one of her most popular bras, the Grenier Easyfit Bra.

I was astonished to learn that my mother had been squeezing her ample bosom into 38C bras; she had always shunned underwire, because she found it “uncomfortable.” Well, no wonder! After measuring, using the guide from the Butterfly Collection, it turns out that she belongs in a 38E (DD); underwire from a C cup would cut badly into her breast tissue.

Amazed at the change in look and feel (and more definition to her waist), my mom compared being in the right bra size (and this lovely bra in particular) to having had “work done.” She stands taller and looks free and confident.

Figure-Flattering Swim Suits

As a general rule, patterns, bright colors, details and embellishments (like frills) will draw attention to and exaggerate an area, whereas solids and darker colors will minimize trouble spots… which is why you can never go wrong with deep jewel tones or basic black!

Also, vertical stripes will create the illusion of a longer, leaner shape, and horizontal stripes (or even just the horizontal band of a waistline) will make an area look wider.

Now, let’s put these principles to work for each body type:

Swim Suits for an Inverted Triangle Body Shape

The inverted triangle body shape has narrow hips, wider shoulders and/or large breasts and is most flattered by suits that balance narrow hips, and support and minimize the bust.

• Do look for bathing suits with details at the waist and hips to draw the eye away from the breasts and shoulders. We love the  super cute contrast ruffle on the Side Shirred Skirted Swim Brief from Profile; the pop of pink and flirty skirt draw the eye away from a larger upper body and do wonders to enhance narrow hips.
• Don’t choose bathing suits that have wide-set straps, creating the look of broader shoulders. And definitely steer clear of skimpy bathing suit tops that draw more attention to the bust line.

Swim Suits for a Rectangle Body Type

The rectangular body shape has a boyish waist; that is little difference in size between bust, hips, and waist. This body type looks best in swim suits that add shapeliness, define curves and balance a smaller bust.

• Do look for bathing suits that create the illusion of curves with details at the waist and bust.
• Don’t wear square necklines or vertical stripes which exaggerate a boyish figure.
• With exaggerated fluttery frills and front tie at the bust and a flirty ruffle along the front and at the hip, Ella Moss’ Bandeau Top and Skirted Strip Bottom are exactly what gals with boyish figures should look for to add the illusion of a little extra curves. The perfect fusion of cute and sexy!

Swim Suits for a Pear or Triangle Body Type

The triangle body shape is one where the hips are the widest part, and looks best in bathing suits that draw the eye up, balancing fuller hips and thighs.

• Do wear dark bottoms to visually narrow the hips, or a suit with a skirt bottom for coverage.
• Don’t wear bottoms with busy patterns or those whose waistline sits at your widest part, exacerbating hips.
• Ladies with a little less up top than they might like should give Fashion Forms Bikini Buddies a try; these triangle cup sets deliver instant cleavage — hallelujah! Just apply silicone adhesive to the cups and position inside your swimsuit top and you’re ready to go.

Swim Suits for an Apple or Circle Body Type

The apple or circle body shape is one whose waist or belly is the widest part; people with this body type look best in suits that conceal and define the waist with the newly available, beautifully slimming fabrics for a down-sizing effect.

• Do try concealing, control fabrics used in draped and shirred styles.
• Don’t wear large patterns; instead look for solid colors or smaller or geometric patterns. Athena’s Maldives Enhancer Tankini promises to make you look a size smaller thanks to ruched fabric and Slim-power lining. Combine that waist-defining power with split underwire, removable push-up pads, molded soft cups and adjustable straps and you’ve got a super slimming, curve-loving swimwear superhero!
• Check out the collection of SPANX® bathing suits with tummy control, compression fabrics, and side boning for the smoothest, trimmest summer silhouette.

Swim Suits for an Hour Glass Figure

The hour glass figure is a curvy one where the waist is the smallest part, balanced by a roughly equally proportioned bust and hips. This body type is flattered by most bathing suit styles, fabric, colors and patterns.

• Go va-va-voom! in the ridiculously fantastic retro-style Sequin-Embellished Leopard Print Swimsuit by Manoush; paint your toenails red, and you’re ready to wow!

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Does Your Bra Fit?

Did you know that most women are wearing the wrong bra size?

Wearing undergarments that fit properly is about more than just accentuating your attributes and concealing trouble areas; as the foundation of every outfit, a properly fitting bra affects your posture as well as the health of breast tissue.

A bra that is too loose will allow breasts to sag and cause back problems due to strain; if it’s too tight, the elastic and underwire can pinch and poke sensitive areas leading to discomfort, bruising, and even breast health problems, such as blocked milk ducts.

Most Women Wear the Wrong Bra Size

Up to 85 percent of women are wearing the wrong bra size. That means, if you’re a woman who wears a bra, you’ll, most likely one of the boob offenders, treating your breasts badly by squeezing them into too-small cups or letting them swing haphazardly due to lack of support.

How to Measure Your Bra Size

Follow these steps to finding the correct bra size, as explained by Le Mystere founder and CEO Michael Rabinowitz, with band-sizing tips from Claire Dumican, founder of the full-busted online bra boutique the Butterfly Collection:

Step One: Measure Band Size

1. Measure yourself while wearing an unlined or thinly lined bra.
2. Using a soft measuring tape measure around your rib cage in inches – just beneath the bust. Ensure that the tape is snug, smooth, and level in the front and back.
3. If your measurement is even,  this is your band size; if your measurement is odd, add one inch to get your band size.

Step Two: Measure Cup Size

1. Keeping the measuring tape straight and snug, measure around the fullest part of your bust.
2. Subtract this measurement from your rib cage measurement.
3. The difference is the basis for your cup size; each inch of difference is equal to one cup size.

Step Three: Look Up Your Cup Size in this Bra Cup Size Chart

Difference between fullest part of you bust and rib cage measurement is:

• less than 1 inch = AA cup
• 1 inch = A cup
• 2 inches = B cup
• 3 inches = C cup
• 4 inches = D cup
• 5 inches = DD cup (E)
• 6 inches = DDD cup (F)
• 7 inches = DDDD cup (G)

Get Fitted for the Right Bra Size

Not into the calculations and charts? No problem. Your lingerie retailer should have professional staff equipped to provide you with a complimentary bra fitting consultation. In addition to measuring you for your accurate size, the staff should also be prepared to help you find bra styles for specific outfits or occasions.

Just because you have a bra fitting once doesn’t mean you’re finished. No, the experts at LaSenza say that women’s bra sizes change up to six times during their lives, and the lingerie retailer’s national online survey results revealed that 45 percent of women surveyed have never had a professional bra fitting and 64 percent of respondents have been wearing the same bra size for up to five years. Puberty, pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight gain, weight loss, menopause, and variations in fit between different brands and styles… there are many reasons why you should regularly go for a bra fitting to ensure proper fit and comfort throughout your life.

Bra Troubleshooting 101

Comfort, demi-cup, support, push-up, athletic, strapless, convertible – who’d think there could be so many ways to support your bosom?

While there is a virtually endless selection of bras to choose from, there are a few basic tips you should remember to keep “the girls” perky and get the perfect fit, style and bra size.

Are You a Victim of Double-Boobs?

If your cup size is too small and you spill over the top or sides of your bra you develop bulging, and part of your breast actually swells out of the top, giving you two contours of breast (a.k.a. the double-boob effect).

This is especially noticeable and unattractive under tight clothing.

Lumpy Bumpy Bosom?

When your cup size is too big you get loose, wrinkled cups with unsightly ripples and bumps that look terrible under snug clothes. Go down a cup size or choose a demi-cup style that flatters your cleavage.

Is Your Bra Cutting In?

Your bra’s underwire shouldn’t be uncomfortable; in fact, underwire can be a girl’s best friend when fitted properly. Another serious pain in the chest is the digging-in of your bra’s underwire, which occurs when your bra is too small. Underwire should sit snugly under the breast to create a firm cradle to assist the cup in lifting and supporting the breast.

Is Your Bra Riding Up?

You might be surprised to learn that bra straps only account for 20 percent of support; the cup design and band take care of the rest of the uplifting magic. Going up a band size delivers a larger cup as well as back strap; as a bra’s band size increases, so does the cup size. So a 36C has a larger cup than a 32C.

Ever wonder what causes annoying ride-up in the back? When you choose a bra whose cup size is too small you have to compensate by increasing the band size to get a better fit. Unfortunately, this extra looseness around the back causes your bra to ride up over your shoulder blades, triggering a chain reaction of severe discomfort: the front of your bra droops and you get absolutely no support – so then you tighten the shoulder straps, which consequently jab into your skin and increase strain on your shoulders and back. Sound familiar?

Avoid this irritation by ensuring that your band sits level across your back at all times – do whatever it takes (a little jig in the change-room if you have to) to make sure you get perfect support. If the cup fits too tightly but the band is level, increase the cup size not the band length. Don’t compromise: If the bra you are interested in isn’t available in a larger cup size, look for another style or special order the bra size you need.

Is Your Bra Giving You Bulging Back Fat?

Avoid unflattering back bulge by making sure your back strap isn’t too tight.

Are Your Breasts Lopsided?

Don’t be ashamed! Most women have one breast that is slightly larger than the other, leading to uncomfortable pressure on the larger breast. Fit the cup to the larger breast, then adjust straps individually, tightening the strap a bit more on the smaller side.

The Breast & Bra Bottom Line

Did you know that the average pair of D-cup breasts weigh 16 lbs? That’s a lot of weight to throw around! Even if your size is a little closer to the beginning of the alphabet, make it the sexiest, best supported, most comfortable bosom possible.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions; sales associates are there to assist you in getting the best fit possible. This may mean inviting them into the change-room to ensure your girls are getting the lift and support they need.

Remember these tips on your next lingerie shopping spree; not only will you have phenomenal cleavage and lift, but you’ll reduce your chances of developing back, shoulder and neck pains.

Bra Fitting Tips

Just because you wear a bra every day doesn’t mean you know how to put one on correctly.

If like most women you put on your bra by hooking it underneath your breasts and spinning it around so that the closure is in the back, you’re putting on your bra incorrectly.

According to the experts at Figleaves.com, the correct method of getting into your bra is as follows:

1. Adjust the straps to the maximum length.
2. Lean forward into the cups and rest your breasts into the supports.
3. Reach behind to hook the bra on the middle hooks of the closure.
4. Put the straps on your shoulders.
5. Position your breast in the cup by slipping a hand into the cup and lifting the breast while aligning the underwire on your ribcage along the natural crease of your breast to prevent pinching of the breast tissue.
6. Tighten the straps so that they support the breasts lightly without cutting into the skin or putting too much strain on the shoulders.
7. Adjust the straps every time you put on a bra.

Signs that Your Bra Doesn’t Fit or Needs Adjusting

When helping women find the right bra, lingerie specialists at LaSenza, Victoria’s Secret and Figleaves.com most frequently troubleshoot these problems for their customers:

Bra’s Front Band Falling Down
Bra’s Back Band Riding Up
Asymmetrical Breasts
False Back Fat
Bulging Breasts
Bumpy Bust
Red Marks
Sliding Straps

Bra’s Front Band Falling Down

The center front of your bra should lie flat against your breastbone. If the underwire is being pulled down far below the crease of your breast, this is a sign that you are wearing too small a band size.

Bra’s Back Band Riding Up

This common problem happens when a band is too big, and in an effort to compensate for the lack of primary support, the straps are tightened too much. Remember, it is the band that provides 80 percent of the bra’s support; it should sit firmly against your body so that it does not slide or move away from the chest during your daily activities.

Asymmetrical Breasts

Most women are at least a little bit asymmetrical, with one breast being larger than the other. If this is the case, fit the bra to the larger cup, then adjust straps individually, tightening the strap a bit more on the smaller side.

False Back Fat

Also known as boobs in the back, unsightly false back fat occurs when the band is too tight. Fix this problem by loosening the back strap or choosing a wider band size.

Bra Cups Runneth Over

When your cup size is too small, your breasts bulge or spill over the top or sides of the bra. Fix this problem by going up a cup size or choosing a style that offers more coverage.

Bumpy Bust

Loose wrinkled cups with unsightly bumps that show through your shirt occur when your cup size is too big. Remedy this faux pas by going down a cup size or choosing a more flattering demi-cup style.

Seeing Red Marks

If you’ve got red marks on your shoulders and back after you remove your bra, your straps are too tight. Get over this pain in the back by loosening your straps or choosing a more supportive bra with wider, padded straps.

Slip and Slide Straps

If you find that your bra straps are always slipping off your shoulders, you should either tighten your straps or choose an alternative style, such as racer-back or convertible styles that can be worn traditionally, crossed in the back, or as a halter style.

Get a head start at fixing all of these problems by finding your correct bra size.

Tights & Stockings

Textured, printed, opaque, sheer and footless tights and leggings, fishnet stockings, and panty-hose… you’ve got tons of options when it comes to hosiery, but all that lingerie jargon — hold ups, control-top, knee-high — can get a little confusing.

Hosiery can be lumped into three basic categories: tights (opaque or sheer, footed or footless), sheer or fishnet stockings (hold-ups or with garter belts), and leggings or footless tights.

The latest leg wear trends support keeping tights and hosiery fresh and fun, so if you’ve got the personality to go with it, go ahead and get funky.

Footed Tights:

• Sheer & Opaque Tights
• Colorful Tights
• Textured Tights

Sexy Stockings:

• Garter Belts
• Thigh High, Hold Up Stockings
• Fishnet Stockings

Leggings & Footless Tights

Footed Tights

Sheer & Opaque Tights

Before shopping for tights, familiarize yourself with the term, “denier.” This refers to the sheerness of the tight. The lower the denier, the sheerer the hosiery will be on your leg. A high denier is of course more opaque, and will result in a thicker tight with more saturated color.

Denier less than 10 is barely there. Such tights are perfect for warmer weather or at formal occasions. Tights with a denier between 10 and 20 are the most popular sheer hosiery because they are practical, durable, and still leave your legs looking only lightly covered. Denier between 25 and 35 is semi-opaque and above 40 is totally opaque.

Colorful Tights

With not a glimpse of your skin visible through the tights, 40-plus denier is perfect for colder weather and bright, vibrant colors like red, burnt orange, purple, burgundy,  hot pink, ballet pink, turquoise, textured nude black, brown and striped. But I don’t just wear those blasts of color with anything. It’s quite simple, really. If you’re wearing color, keep your legs neutral with black, gray, or brown.  If you’re wearing neutral tones and feel like having a bit of extra fun, go ahead and jazz up your stems with an eye-popping pair of tights.

When deciding what color you’re going to tint your lower half, anything goes… almost. Pick deeply saturated shades in season-appropriate colors. Deep burgundies, reds, purples, browns, grays and black are your top picks for the colder months, and eye-popping, vibrant tints such as turquoise and magenta fun warmer weather choices. Always avoid lighter tones like peach, beige or pale yellow, unless you’re layering with a fishnet over top.

Textured Tights

If you’re not a fan of intense color, or if you just want to change it up, slip on a pair of sheer tights in neutral tones or patterned textures to beautify your legs. Keep denier in mind and splurge for a top-quality pair that won’t snag before you’ve even put them on.

Sexy Stockings

Stockings look best in sheer neutral tones, opaque black, and, of course, fishnets.

Garter Belts

If you want to spice things up, pick up a pair of sexy stockings and an understated garter belt instead of full hosiery. With luxurious lace tops, sexy back seams and undeniably irresistible straps, stockings are easily the hottest undergarment you’ll ever put on. Avoid unintentional peepshows by making sure that your hemline is long enough to prevent flashing innocent colleagues or other bystanders whilst crossing your legs. You don’t want to look like a hussy, so reserve such racy peeks for that special someone.

Thigh-High, Hold Up Stockings

If you can’t be bothered with a garter belt, thigh-high hold ups are your best bet. The elasticized top, combined with a silicone band, keeps this stocking snuggly in place mid-thigh. Avoid common recommendations to slather your legs with moisturizer – the added product will only make the top slip annoyingly all day long. If you’re wearing hold ups for a formal occasion, do a test run first to make sure you’ve got the right fit.

Fishnet Stockings

Fishnet stockings, tights, and textured hosiery are an updated, more fashionable replacement old fashioned nylons or pantyhose. Check out Fishnet Stockings for advice on the size of the mesh, the shade of the stocking, and the footwear and clothing best paired with your choice hosiery.

Leggings & Footless Tights

Cropped or footless tights are a fantastic option for casual looks, and are best worn under a mid-thigh skirt paired with a pair of flats or pumps in warmer months. Cropped tights and leggings are most flattering on ladies with longer legs, as cutting the leg at this place can have the visual effect of shortening the leg, so if you desperately want to lengthen your legs, stick with footed tights.

Getting Creative with Tights

Don’t be afraid to layer! Fishnets topped over opaque, colored tights can result in a leg wear look as unique as you are. A look as intense as this one is best presented with a skirt and boot so only a few inches of your colored creation is visible. Less is indeed more.

Discard Damaged Hosiery

No matter what hosiery you stock up on, your tights, stockings or leggings have ripped, snagged or run, they only belong in one place – the trash bin.