Modern hosiery contains lycra which makes it very stretchy and sizing is not so important. Although some stockings in the 1940s and 1950s were made from stretch nylon, most of our stockings are made from non stretch nylon which makes sizing critical - and sizing will vary from style to style.

Our Retro Seamed Stockings are made from 20 denier stretch nylon, which means that just 2 sizes cover sizes 10-18, 5ft to 6ft. The stretch nylon also means that the welts (stocking tops) stretch which make them comfortable for larger thighs.

With the exception of our Luxury Fully Fashioned Stockings, our Fully Fashioned Stockings are designed to fit the average woman - size 12 to 16. If you are toward the bottom of the height chart as well as being a smaller dress size then it would be worth considering going down one size (most of our models take a size smaller than that recommended for their height). Again, if you are towards the top of the height chart and a size 18 it would be worth considering going up one size.

Although our Fully Fashioned Stockings are made from 100% non stretch nylon the welts do have some give which makes them comfortable for larger thighs.

Our Luxury Fully Fashioned Stockings are made at a different factory and are more suited to a slender leg.

All of our 15 denier seamed, contrast seamed and rht stockings are made in the same factory and their sizing tends to be skimpy. With the exception of stockings with blue or red welts, the welts do not stretch which makes them uncomfortable for larger legs (over a size 16). These stockings are designed to fit mid thigh, so whilst the sziing

These stockings are designed to fit mid thigh, which makes them ideal for wearing with a girdle that finishes lower on the leg. If you are towards the top of the height/weight chart and would like your stockings to sit higher on the leg then it would be worth considering going up one size. Most of our models wear the size recommended on the packaging for their height/weight.

Our fishnets contain lycra so one size will fit 5ft-5ft 8, dress sizes 10-16.

Our tulle hosiery is made from 100% nylon net and does come out quite big, so if you are slender and beneath 5ft 4 they might be too big for you. Slender desperados could tuck any excess under the foot.

Stockings used to be sized as follows:

8.5 = foot size 3
9 = foot size 4
9.5 = foot size 5
10 = foot size 6
10.5 = foot size 7
11 = foot size 8

Unfortunately, nothing in life is that simple! This doesn't take into account the width of the leg or the stretch of the stocking (in addition, one modern fully fashioned stocking company still use the old size numbers  but they do not equate to the real old sizes!)

Where companies divide the above into 3 sizes they should come into the following brackets:

Small = 8.5 to 9.5
Medium = 9 to 10
Large = 9.5 to 10.5

Stretch Vintage/CC09 Fully Fashioned Stockings

Often come in S/M or M/L. Small/Medium will suit a foot size 3-5 and a Medium/Large will fit a foot size 6-8. The stretch nylon makes sizing less critical.

Non Stretch Vintage/CC09 Stockings

Should fit true to size, although if you are bigger than a dress size 16 you might need to go up one size (and vice versa if you are very slender). If you are bigger take care with heavier denier non stretch stockings as they will not stretch as much as finer stockings: which leads us on to -

Rayon Vintage/CC09 Stockings

Made from thick rayon these stockings have little stretch, and as rayon was favoured in the 1940s they were designed to be worn with girdles so sit lower down on the leg. As a dress size 14, blessed with size 8 feet, I've yet to find rayon stockings to fit me.