He Bought Me Stockings — But I Wear Hold-Ups. What Now?

Abbie

He surprised me with a pair of black stockings. They’re beautiful. Lace tops. Proper quality.

The problem?

I don’t wear stockings. I wear hold-ups.

Do I pretend I’m thrilled and figure it out — or tell him he got it wrong?

I wear hold-ups too.

Not because I don’t understand stockings.
Not because I don’t own them.

But because most evenings, I prefer ease.

Hold-ups give me the same lace line at the thigh — without the belt, without the clips, without the mechanics. I put them on and they behave. That matters.

So first: you’re not wrong.

And he didn’t necessarily get it wrong either.

Stockings are deliberate. They require a suspender belt. They require fastening. They signal intention.

Men often choose stockings because they represent ceremony. Effort. A version of femininity they recognise from somewhere — films, memory, imagination.

But here’s what I’ve learned running this store:

Most women today choose hold-ups for themselves.

We like the control of them.
We like that they stay up on their own.
We like not having to think about them once they’re on.

That’s not less romantic. It’s just more practical.

So What Do You Do?

Ask yourself one question:

Did he buy them because he knows you wear stockings —
or because he likes the idea of stockings?

There’s a difference.

If you’re curious, wear them once. See how they feel. Ritual has its place.

But if hold-ups are what you actually reach for, say so.

Not defensively. Just honestly.

“I usually wear hold-ups — they’re more me.”

Most men genuinely don’t realise there’s a functional difference. To them, it’s all just hosiery.

This isn’t rejection. It’s calibration.

My View

Stockings aren’t superior.

Hold-ups aren’t a compromise.

They’re different systems.

I wear hold-ups because they fit my life.

If you do too, that preference is part of your identity. That’s worth respecting.

Final Word

Lingerie works best when it’s chosen.

If you love hold-ups, keep wearing them.

And if he’s learning the difference? That’s a good place to start.

— Abbie