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10 Useful Tips for Choosing Hosiery for Your Wedding
You may have already given a lot of thought to your wedding veil, your jewelry, and your shoes, but bridal hosiery is an equally important component of the wedding ensemble that many tend to overlook. A good set of pantyhose will make you look polished and put-together on one of the most important days of your life. They’ll also help keep you comfortable and secure through the whole day, which is a must, especially if you anticipate the celebration running late into the night.
If you’re just about to shop for hosiery for your wedding day, do note that buying bridal pantyhose involves much more than just grabbing a few packs of garden-variety stockings off the rack at the supermarket. Use these ten helpful tips to choose the perfect pair.
1. Don’t Skip It
First things first: hosiery is an absolute must for most brides, with very few exceptions. Unless your wedding will be on a beach or in an extremely hot, humid location, you should take advantage of the many benefits a good pair of stockings can bring. High-quality bridal hosiery will smooth out your silhouette and make your body look sleek and svelte in your wedding dress. It’ll also prevent your thighs from chafing as you move. Lastly, good hose will help make your shoes more comfortable, which you’ll need if you’re going to be standing, walking around, and dancing all night long.
2. Choose Seasonally Appropriate Hosiery
The season you’re going to get married in and the kind of weather you anticipate will have a particular bearing on the thickness you choose for your bridal hosiery. Thicker pantyhose will keep your legs warm during an autumn or winter wedding. If you’re getting hitched in the summer, meanwhile, choose the thinnest, airiest stockings available to stay cool.
3. Consider the Style of Your Dress
Naturally, your wedding gown’s silhouette will determine what style of hosiery it makes the most sense to wear on your wedding day. Brides in full-skirted ballgowns can probably afford to be less discriminating about style, as any tights or stockings will be fully hidden under their skirts most of the time. For other bridal gowns, however, hosiery styles will probably warrant a bit more consideration.
If you’re going with a form-fitting dress or one that isn’t full-length, you’ll want a pair of tights or stockings that will shape your body and show off your figure to the fullest. You should also skip suspender belts for form-fitting gowns, as the bumps will definitely show through your skirt. Opt instead for standard pantyhose, which can also help smooth out your abdomen if you choose a control-top pair.
Wedding dresses with dropped waists, corseted bodices, or other cuts that hug the waist area firmly may make pantyhose difficult to pull down for bathroom breaks. In these cases, you may want to opt for thigh-high stockings, open-crotch tights, or hold-ups instead.
4. Think about Shoes, Too
Closed-toe shoes allow you to wear any style of hosiery you prefer. If you’ll be wearing peep-toe shoes or heeled sandals, however, you may want to opt for open-toe or sandal-toe hosiery. Hosiery with invisible heel reinforcement and seamless toes is also an option for open-toed shoes, so you won’t have to worry about odd visible seams ruining your pedicure.
5. Pick the Right Color for You
Most brides will pick traditional white or ivory for their hosiery and other bridal lingerie, but nude hosiery is also a popular choice. Pick an ultra-sheer variant of around 15 deniers or below if you’d like to achieve a barely-there effect—just make sure it matches your skin tone for the best results.
And if you want to toss tradition to the wind entirely, there’s nothing stopping you from pairing a pair of colored tights with a shorter dress. An unexpected pop of color on your legs will make for an offbeat bridal look that all your guests are sure to remember.
6. Balance Control and Comfort
You may be willing to sacrifice a little comfort for more style in other aspects of your bridal outfit, but with hosiery, it makes more sense to prioritize function. If the weather permits it, try to choose thicker tights with wide waistbands that will stay up securely without constricting or digging into your body painfully.
If you’ll be wearing a body-hugging dress, you may want a pair of tights or stockings with a little more tummy control, but you should still aim to be comfortable. A too-tight pair will make it difficult for you to move and breathe, and it may also hinder proper circulation through your lower body.
7. Make Sure It Fits You Perfectly
The fit of your tights or stockings is a major determinant of how comfortable they end up being, so you’ll definitely want to get them in just the right size. Hosiery sizing does not follow a uniform standard across brands, so do study your preferred brand’s size chart closely before placing an order. If you’re between sizes, choosing a size up is best.
8. Buy It Ahead of Time
Like all important wedding preparations, buying your hosiery is not a task you can safely leave for the last minute. Give yourself enough time to explore your options and try out a few promising pairs before making the final call.
9. Bring Multiple Backups
Even the highest-quality hosiery has some risk of snagging, tearing, or running, particularly if you choose an ultra-sheer style. There’s no harm in ordering one or two spare pairs and asking your maid of honor or one of your bridesmaids to keep them in their bag. That way, you can relax and enjoy your special without having to worry about unsightly runs and rips.
10. Have Fun with It
It’s your special day, so there’s no need to play it conservative with your tights or stockings—or any other aspect of your bridal outfit, for that matter. Pretty thigh details or even a garter belt can help make your bridal hosiery feel more exciting or luxurious.
Have fun with it. Photo by Unsplash.com
Though it might seem like a minor detail, carefully chosen bridal hosiery will go a long way toward making you look and feel your best on your special day. The bit of extra time and effort you put into selecting the perfect pair will definitely pay off when you breeze through your wedding without a hitch, looking radiant all the while.
