Plus Size Stockings: A Fit Guide for 2XL to 5XL

Plus size stockings fit well when you size by waist and hips, not dress size, and take the larger size if you are between two. On our chart, 2XL fits a 36 to 39 inch waist with 44 to 45 inch hips, and 5XL fits a 46 to 48 inch waist with 54 to 57 inch hips. Roll them on from the toe and ease them up in stages.

Stockings sold in one free size, or only up to XL, are rarely cut for fuller hips and thighs, and it shows. The waistband rolls down under the belly by lunchtime, the knit stretches into a pale shine over the thighs, and the crotch slips lower with every step until you are tugging at it in the office washroom. None of that is about your body. It is about a stocking that was never sized for it, and most of it is fixable.

What size stockings should you buy if you're plus size?

Measure your natural waist, which is where the stocking waistband should sit, and your hips at the fullest point, with the tape level and snug but not tight. Then find the size that fits both:

• If waist and hips point to different sizes, choose the larger one. A 38 inch waist with 47 inch hips is a 3XL, not a 2XL.
• If you are between sizes, choose the larger. For fleece-lined winter stockings, lean larger if you are on the line, since the lining adds a little thickness.
• On the product page, 2XL is listed as XXL. It is the same size.

The full chart is on the stockings size chart page, and our stockings size guide walks through measuring at home. Intimate wear can't be returned once opened or tried on, so it is worth the five minutes with a tape.

Why do stockings roll down at the waist?

A rolling waistband usually has one of three causes, and each has a fix:

• The size is too small. A waistband under strain looks for the narrowest point, which is often below the belly. Go up a size.
• The waistband is sitting too low. If it rests under the belly, it will keep slipping. Bring it up to your natural waist, over the belly, where it has somewhere to sit.
• You pulled from the waistband. Hauling the stockings up by the top stretches the band and leaves the legs short. Work the fabric up from the ankle instead.

Our anti-scratch stretchable stockings have a silicone grip band that holds through sitting, walking and stairs, and they come in real sizes up to 5XL, so the knit isn't stretched thin on larger sizes. Under a fitted dress, you can also wear the high-waist tummy tucker over the stockings. Its wide, high waistband with a silicone grip sits over the stocking waistband and helps keep both layers flat. The tummy tucker goes up to 6XL; check the tummy tucker size chart separately, and choose the larger if between sizes.

Why do stockings look pale or shiny on the thighs?

Any sheer knit gets thinner where it stretches most, and thinner knit lets more skin and light through. On fuller thighs, that can turn a warm skin shade pale and slightly shiny, or make black look greyish.

• Check the size first. Overstretching is the main cause. If both the waist and the thighs feel tight, you need the next size up.
• Spread the fabric evenly. If the knees look darker than the thighs, there is spare fabric bunched lower down. Ease it upwards.
• Remember what shows. Under a knee-length or midi skirt, the thighs are covered anyway. It is the calf and knee that need to look even.
• Consider black for short hemlines. Black lightens where it stretches too, but on black it reads as natural shading, so it is usually more forgiving than skin colour under a short dress.

How do you put on stockings so the crotch doesn't sit low?

A crotch that hangs between your thighs often comes from how the stockings went on: if the fabric isn't worked fully up the legs, there isn't enough left to reach your body. Try this method, which also cuts down on snags:

1. Sit on the bed or a chair. Remove rings and bangles, and check your nails for rough edges.
2. Gather one leg down to the toe. Slip your foot in and line up the heel.
3. Ease it up to the knee. Do the same with the other leg, so both legs are on to the knee before you stand.
4. Stand and work over the thighs. Move a hand's width at a time, pulling from both sides of the leg, not just the front.
5. Lift the crotch into place first. Bring it right up to your body with both hands, and only then pull the waistband up to your natural waist.
6. Do a sit-and-walk test. Sit for a minute, then walk around the room. If the crotch has dropped, lift it again; if it keeps dropping, the size may be too small to reach.

Can stockings help with thigh chafing?

Yes, to a point. A smooth layer between the thighs stops skin rubbing on skin under a dress or skirt, which is why many women wear stockings on long days out. Our guide to stockings for thigh chafing under dresses goes into more detail.

Be realistic about wear, though. Inner thighs rubbing all day will wear any stocking over time, even a tear-resistant one. On very hot days or long walks, shaper shorts with thigh coverage do this job better. Wear them on their own under a long skirt or kurta, or over your stockings under a dress (stockings first, then the shorts, then the dress), so the shorts take the friction. Our plus-size shapewear guide covers fit for the shorts in sizes up to 6XL.

For winter, the fleece-lined winter stockings follow the same chart from XS to 5XL, with soft fleece inside and an outer knit that turns a sheer skin tone once stretched on.

Plus size stockings come down to the right size, a waistband at your natural waist and a patient way of putting them on. Measure waist and hips, take the larger size when in doubt, lift the crotch before the waistband, and add shaper shorts on long, hot or chafe-prone days.

Frequently asked questions

What size stockings do I need for 44 inch hips?

If your waist is 39 inches or less, that is a 2XL. If your waist measures more than 39 inches, go by the waist and choose the larger size it points to.

Is XXL the same as 2XL for stockings?

Yes. On the product page 2XL is listed as XXL; on the size chart it fits a 36 to 39 inch waist and 44 to 45 inch hips.

Can plus-size women wear sheer stockings with short dresses?

Of course. Choose the correct size so the knit doesn't overstretch at the thigh, and consider black if you want a more forgiving look on a very short hemline.

Why do my stockings ladder at the inner thigh?

That is friction from thighs rubbing as you walk. A correct size helps, and wearing shaper shorts with thigh coverage over the stockings means the shorts, not the stockings, take most of the rubbing.

Do fleece-lined winter stockings come in plus sizes?

Yes, from XS to 5XL on the same chart. Lean towards the larger size if you are on the line, because the fleece lining adds some thickness.