Stockings have made a comeback among the young and hip, the avant garde, and the fashion-conscious, as well as those with vintage tastes. What makes the world of stockings so wonderful is its sheer variety of choices. While we can enjoy the classics of yesteryear with full fashioned stockings, we can also choose among today's newest styles and innovations on the classics. Depending on our tastes, we can decide between the classic nylon or the newer lycra, seams or no seams, garters or self-holding.

Today there is a stocking available for nearly every occasion, from business wear to romantic nights out on the town. Some may balk at the thought of wearing stockings on the job, with visions of telltale thigh lines coming to mind. However, with the masterfully constructed, discreet styles available today, one can find stockings that are unnoticeable under clothing and perfect for wearing under even delicate pants or skirts.

Stockings vs. Pantyhose

To avoid confusion, it should be said that stockings, as opposed to pantyhose and tights, are composed of two separate leg pieces with no panty unit. Furthermore, stockings can be further divided into classic or hold-up styles. Classic stockings require garters to hold them up on the legs. The hold-up variety, on the other hand, stays up on its own.

This is due to an elastic band, usually made of silicone, hidden under the decorative lace on the top of the stocking, that stays secure on the leg. Some purists say that, to qualify as genuine stockings, they must use garters. Others maintain that, no matter how they're held up, stockings are stockings as long as they're composed of two separate legs.

Taste and Quality in Stockings

The fact that this debate exists is proof of the passionate aesthetic opinions that drive the inventive and exciting world of stockings. The same kind of debate can be encountered when it comes to seams or seamless, nylon or lycra, opaque or transparent. In the end, though, it all comes down to personal taste.The one non-negotiable, however, is quality.

With stockings, as in most things, the old cliché of "you get what you pay for" holds true. Buying a pair of cheap supermarket stockings may solve your immediate problem of needing an emergency pair, but frankly, this is their only recommended use. Supermarket stockings can hardly be depended upon for more than one occasion, as they are known to rip and run at the slightest stress.

The Rewards of Good Stockings

Neither do these stockings provide the best look. The quality of fabric used for "checkout aisle stockings" is notoriously cheap, which of course accounts for their low price. Unfortunately, the cheap quality shows, in the form of ill-fitting, unattractively textured or colored hosiery. Almost everyone has either seen those "granny" stockings, baggy and the color of a Band-Aid. Very few people want to be caught wearing them.

The fact is that wearing cheap-looking stockings defeats their whole purpose, which is to make your legs look--depending on the occasion--tasteful, eye-catching, sexy, bold, fun, or sophisticated. Besides, it's very easy to find gorgeous, high-quality stockings at affordable prices. For in the end, stockings should be a pleasure in every sense: a pleasure to purchase, a pleasure to wear, and sometimes, a pleasure to remove.