7 Crossdressing Tips to Lengthening the Life of Your Pantyhose

Pantyhose, tights, or stockings, whatever we choose to call them, give a lot of us a feeling of sexy feminine legs.

They can be one of the more sensual items that any crossdresser owns.

They are also very functional; they can be used to cover leg hair and to keep our hip pads in place.

They’re really one of the most valuable elements of my female wardrobe.

Because pantyhose are so delicate, it’s easy to damage or ruin them easily, often without thinking.

It’s quite easy to create a run in your stockings when you pull them up to your legs.

An errant toenail or an enthusiastic pull can cause a tear that will instantly ruin them.

Try these few ideas to ensure your pantyhose lasts a long time and minimize the risk of damaging them.

Follow this advice when buying, storing, and wearing your pantyhose to ensure you get your money’s worth.

1. Purchasing pantyhose, tights or stockings

Believe it or not, buying a good pair of pantyhose isn’t as simple as running down to your favorite retailer and grabbing a pair of pantyhose off the rack.

You’ll need to consider size, color, thickness, and even the country of origin.

● Terminology

Pantyhose, tights, and stockings mean to refer to different items in different places.

In the UK and Europe, tights are considered shorthand for all hosiery.

Whereas in the USA, each term is a bit different; pantyhose refers to thinner sheer hosiery, tights to thicker and colored hosiery, and stockings refer to thigh highs.

If you’re buying yours online, pay attention to the country of origin of the retailer; the words might refer to different items.

I tend to use them interchangeably, but it’s worth it to do a quick check.

● Materials

Pantyhose can be made from a number of different fibers.

The cheapest will usually be nylon, which is an artificial fiber.

While these are usually cheap and easy to find, there is a reason they are cheap.

They tear easily and won’t last as long as pantyhose that are made from natural fibers.

Higher quality tights will be made from a blend of nylon and cotton or cotton only.

Especially luxurious tights will be made from silk or cashmere.

Silk pantyhose are of a much higher quality than nylon.

Because the material is naturally stronger than nylon, it will be harder to damage the tights beyond repair.

They are just as breathable and cool as nylon on summer days.

There is also the added benefit of some extra coverage of your leg hair, not to mention the much sultrier sensation of silk on your legs.

● Sizing

This is critical. Getting the right size for pantyhose is possibly the most important part of making sure that you don’t damage them.

Every brand is going to have different standards for their sizing, sometimes even different types of sizes.

The standard S, M, L, and XL isn’t always the case with hosiery.

I will always check the size chart online before ordering.

Keep note of some of your measurements and keep them on hand when checking the size charts.

Also, pantyhose are made with female bodies in mind.

Measurements that directly relate to a woman’s sizing might be hard for you to achieve without hip pads or other foundation garments.

There are a few retailers that sell pantyhose for crossdressers. I’ll leave their information below.

There is one last reason why the sizing is so important.

Pantyhose are meant to be tight, but they shouldn’t be too tight.

I bought a pair that was too small for me once and immediately tore them when I had trouble pulling them over my thighs.

If you’ve spent extra money on a high-quality pair, you definitely don’t want this to happen.

● Recommendations

Glamour Boutique Hosiery

A crossdressing boutique based in New Jersey, USA.

They offer a good selection of nylon tights measured to fit men.

Wolford Hosiery

A premium brand for high-quality tights.

Various styles are available: thigh highs, full pantyhose, fishnets, and other patterns.

A good selection of premium materials is available as well.

Calvin Klein

A standard go-to option for hosiery and underwear. Can’t go wrong with this brand.

2. Pantyhose-Freeze!

Yup, this is true. I found it hard to believe when I heard it; it does sound strange.

I tried it once, and it really does work to help extend the life of your pantyhose.

You should definitely do it anytime you buy a pair of nylon pantyhose.

Here’s how it should go.

When you take your new pantyhose out of the package, hold them under some running water until they are damp.

Once their damp put them into a plastic Ziploc bag and toss them into the freezer overnight.

You can take them out of the freezer in the morning to let them thaw out. Now they are ready to wear.

This short process helps build some additional strength in the fibers.

They will be less susceptible to runs and small tears throughout their life.

3. Take care when you wear pantyhose

You’re most likely to damage your pantyhose when you’re putting them on or taking them off.

I try to be mindful of a few things when getting dressed.

First of all, I’d recommend checking and trimming your toenails before putting on your tights.

Catching the end of a toenail against some delicate nylon or silk can tear it, often beyond repair.

You might also want to check your fingernails as well quickly.

Please also think about shaving your legs or at least trimming down your leg hair beforehand.

Having nice smooth legs will really give you the full feminine feeling of wearing pantyhose.

Also, if you have quick, thick hair on your legs, there is a risk that ingrown or stubborn hair might catch a fiber and damage your tights.

These small breaks in the fibers will build up, making your pantyhose less strong and more susceptible to tearing.

Finally, consider using some moisturizer or lotion before pulling on your pantyhose.

The slight slipperiness of some freshly lotioned and shaved legs will make it easier to slide on your tights.

Once you’ve got all this done, you can ball up each leg of your pantyhose and slip them over your feet.

Keep your toes pointed so your nails don’t catch.

Pull up each leg individually, first to the knee, then to just under your hips.

Lastly, you can pull the top up and over your hips.

4. Pantyhose-Repairing a snag or small tear

Small tears are going to happen from time to time.

Don’t worry; a small run is fixable.

Funny enough, you’ll be able to fix them using some of your other essential crossdressing products.

The best way is to use nail polish, either clear or a color that matches the pantyhose perfectly.

If you notice a small tear, take off your pantyhose and lay them out flat.

Apply some nail polish around the run or hole, covering the whole area to about a quarter of an inch from the hole.

Once it’s dry, turn the pantyhose inside out and repeat the same process.

When the inside is dry, you can put your pantyhose back on, taking care not to make contact with the area with your toes.

5. Washing & Drying

Washing delicate garments like pantyhose takes some care.

Never ever use the washing machine; the cycles are too rough and might damage them.

Washing them is pretty simple. Just fill your bathroom sink with some room-temperature water and a little bit of laundry detergent.

I’d always wash them inside out, just to make sure that the side that’s touching your skin gets exposed to the soapy water.

There’s also no real reason to scrub the whole length of them; I just like to make sure that the bits that cover the crotch area, toes, and waistband get a gentle rub.

Ten minutes should be enough time for a good soak before rinsing.

I read somewhere once that rinsing them off with sugar water can extend their life, but I’ve never tried it.

Here is a video that can tell you how to wash your pantyhose.

Once they’re rinsed, you should gently squeeze some of the water out of them.

Drying them on a flat surface or having them hang from a hangar works best.

Please don’t put them in the dryer for the same reason you wouldn’t want to put them in the washing machine.

6. Storing your tights

This is really straightforward. Some of us girls like to keep our tights in our sock drawer or hang up in the closet.

I think there are two simple and easy ways to store your tights so that they will be ready and in pristine condition when you need them.

You can fold them up and pop them into a small plastic bag or roll them up and keep them in a drawer.

I prefer rolling them. Just remember to roll from the toes up so that the elastic in the waist area isn’t disturbed or tangled.

7. Watch where you sit!

My last small piece of advice is to try to notice where you’re going to sit down when you’ve got pantyhose on.

Pairing these with a short dress or skirt is always so fun and sexy, but it does mean that they might catch on a chair or bench somewhere.

Keep an eye out when using a wooden bench or stool.

You don’t want any surprise tears from a little splinter or aged edge.

Wearing pantyhose and tights is really one of the best feelings that we crossdressers can have.

Spending some money on a high-quality pair can really result in a thrilling feeling when wearing them.

I hope you can take note of our advice so that your favorite pair lasts a long time.

If you’ve got any tips or comments, please leave them below.

Also, if you’d like to recommend a place to buy some great hosiery, let us know!

We’d love to hear your comments!