The primary purpose of a garter belt is to hold up your stockings and keep them from moving around (especially if you are wearing stockings with seams.) Unless you plan on wearing it for only a few minutes in the bedroom, you will need a good, high quality garter belt. You can buy garter belts everywhere from discount stores to high-end department stores, to lingerie boutiques, on-line and mail-order houses. The problem is, most of them are junk, certainly not meant to be worn for very long, if at all. Choosing a good garter belt to wear with your stockings is relatively easy if you follow these five simple guidelines.
First and foremost, a good quality garter belt must be comfortable. Measure your waist carefully with the tape measure just snug, but not tight enough to press into your skin. If your waist measurement is between sizes, (and it most likely will be) try a size larger unless you are less than ½” from the smaller size. The waistband should not dig into your waist. It should hold you snugly, but not tightly. It should fit smoothly down over your hips. The best garter belts have an adjustable waist, but pull-on types can work just as well if you are careful when you buy them. The garters should hang from your hips, not your waist. When you get a new garter belt, put it on and wear it around the house for a few hours. If it becomes uncomfortable or if it moves around, it’s the wrong size or cut wrong; take it back and try another. (The Stocking Lady offers a 30 day return policy on garter belts. If you don’t like it, let us help you find one you will like.)
Second, high quality hardware is critical: DO NOT BUY A GARTER BELT WITH PLASTIC CLIPS. You will regret it if you do. Steel garter clasps do not harm your expensive stockings any more than plastic ones do. Plastic ones have the unfortunate tendency to let go of your stockings at the worst possible moment, sometimes in a chain reaction or zipper effect where they all let go, one by one, within seconds of each other. Don’t buy a garter belt with plastic clips. Just . . . don’t.
Third, unless you are planning on wearing your stockings only long enough for pictures to be taken, you will need more than 4 garter straps. Any garter belt that has fewer than 6 straps, regardless of the price, can immediately be assumed to be junk. (Especially if it has a skinny little elastic waistband, and plastic garter clasps.) You need at least 6 garter clips but you can get belts with 8, 10, 12, or more clips. (We've seen as many as 18!) Anything with more than 8 clips is probably over kill. Anything with more than 12 has probably crossed the line between ultra-paranoid multiple redundancy and pure fetishism. (Use your best judgment here.) The more garter clasps, the more expensive the garter belt, all else being equal. Six clips are usually sufficient to keep your stockings snug, and straight. Eight or more clips will provide an extra measure of safety should one of your clips let go. It gives you time to finish whatever you are doing, and allows you to reattach the clasp at your leisure.
Fourth, consider what you will be wearing with your garter belt. If you are wearing a closely fitted skirt or dress, be aware that garter belts with lots of lace or ruffles may show through tight clothing. In this case, it’s better to choose a garter belt made primarily of satin or some other smooth fabric with flat garter straps. Some better quality garter belts have little satin ribbons that cover the clasps. This helps prevent the clasp showing through the fabric of a tight dress or when you sit down. Another thing to consider is the color of the clothing and underwear you will be wearing. Ideally your garter belt should coordinate with your bra and panties, as well as with your dress or outfit. Also consider if you are wearing white or light colored clothing - a bright red or dark colored garter belt will likely show through.
Fifth, garter belts come in a variety of cuts, from low-waisted short bodied styles, to high waisted, longer open bottom girdle styles. Higher waisted styles can help pull in your tummy, but are generally less comfortable for long term wear. What might be fine for an evening out, may be uncomfortable for a long day at the office.
To properly wear a garter belt and stockings, put the garter belt on first when you are getting dressed. Then attach your stockings and adjust the length of the garter straps. THEN slip into your undies and finish getting dressed. Your underwear should be worn OVER the garter belt despite what you may have seen in pictures. If you wear your panties over the garter belt, then going to the ladies room is easy. If you wear your garter belt and stocking over your underwear, you will have to pull down the entire assemblage to take care of necessaries, and then you will have to pull them all back up, straighten your seams, and get everything back in order – all in the tiny closets that we call public restrooms. Forget the pictures you may have seen. The proper way to wear your garter belt is beneath your knickers.
Finally, after choosing your new garter belt, try it on. Try it on with stockings. Wear it with the outfit you plan to wear it with. Wear it around for a few hours and adjust the length of the garter straps. It should fit comfortably. If it doesn’t send it back and get another size or style. With a few attempts, you should find a size and style that fits you comfortably, and properly. Once it is adjusted, you can just jump into it and fasten your stockings in a few moments, anytime it strikes your fancy.
No comments:
Post a Comment