REVIEW: Victoria's Secret Hosiery - Classic Stockings in Black

This review is for the Classic Stockings from VS, in Black.

 They're standard black stockings and look to be 15 denier (the package doesn't say though)

They are thigh-high style BUT they do not have the silicone bands on the insides of the welt 

(aka the wide darker band that clings to your leg and helps hold the stockings up).

These stockings have to be used with garter straps or a garterbelt in order to
keep them from sliding all the way down!

RATING:  2 STARS OUT OF 5

Most of the items and lingerie I've purchased so far from VS have been very nice

quality for the price.  I was especially excited to find classic simple garter stockings for 

relatively inexpensive in comparison to couture brands (VS sells theirs for $10, while 

fully fashioned stockings cost $20 and up).  

Lesson learned:  stockings are one of those things where you sacrifice quality for price.

When I took the stockings out of the package I was a little surprised - unlike some other stocking

brands I've had before.  VS's stockings actually look quite matte, and feel almost dry and crepe-y.
I don't wear stockings often, but I have stayups - those are the silicone band type that don't need a garterbelt - from Hanes and they are VERY silky at around 15-20 denier.

The dry feeling didn't go away and the stockings unfortunately didn't have that

flattering "shine" on the leg that I've had on other brands.  
(-0.5 STAR)

The VS stockings fit wonderfully, however.  The welt at the top doesn't have any patterns or

lace or silicone - it's literally the same material as the leg of the stocking, except sort of folded over (two ply, to use the term).  Personally this was perfect and exactly what I was looking for,

as I wanted a simple black stocking that would be fine for daily use/work under a nice 

dress or longer skirt.  The material (being about 15 denier) is perfect for a garterbelt, it clipped nicely into the little plastic-and-metal slide tab without bunching, and had that attractive "tug" upwards - 

that reverse V created by the stocking edge being pulled up by the garter.  

(+1 STAR)

The sheerness is work appropriate but also probably very bedroom-appropriate (given that this is a

VS item and the stockings are best described as multipurpose).  Regardless it's an elegantly sheer color, very even, and prior to putting the stockings on I didn't see any inconsistencies in the stocking weave.

(+1 STAR)

Here's the kicker - as beautifully simple as these stockings were, I was willing to forgive the dryness and lack of sheen for the cheap price and easy availability.

BUT.  I literally put these on, put on kitten heels, walked down the stairs, rode in a car to work (not even driving), got out the car, and sat in my desk chair.  In the space of about an hour and a half, the entire front and back of my left leg & knee was littered with tiny horizontal runs, and the back of my right calf had the same.

I was super disappointed to say the least, because VS has a strong reputation of high quality things, but either I got a bad batch of stockings or their hosiery doesn't live up to the rest of their lingerie's standards.  Oh well.  Even with perfect sheerness, color, and design, it's way too expensive for me to spend ~$10 on stockings that only last a few hours at most (out of the house/bedroom or at work, I mean).  But I expect if you get these exclusively for the bedroom, however, they should be perfectly good for a very long time.

(-3 stars)

Also of note: the stockings do not have a reinforced toe or heel, they're simple tube stockings w/ a plain welt at the top.  Very basic but classy - I do like the simplicity of the style a lot.
(+ 0.5 star)

++++

On a sidenote, I definitely recommend either getting the Walmart or Target store brand thigh-highs.

These ARE stay-ups so they do have the silicone band on the inside.  They are much thicker than 15-20 denier though so be aware of that if you're looking specifically for finer stockings!

I started looking into garterbelts because (a) I hate pantyhose, and (b) the silicone band

on stay-ups will irritate my skin sometimes, slip down due to sweat,  and/or leave ugly red pressure marks across the tops of my legs (especially in warmer weather or over long wear periods).

Now garterbelts were pretty simple to find, the current one I have is simple 4-panel black stretch satin (reversible leopard), with two garter straps - also a VS product but discontinued.  I went in about a month or so ago to a few of my local Victoria's Secret stores, they don't stock any simple garterbelts currently (aka ones devoid of lace or glitter).  The least frillworthy one they have at present is their strappy trend style, which can be the devil to figure out  - talk about a dressing room horror.

You can find some of the simpler and older VS belts on EBay for much less, probably the sellers picked them up in bulk from the outlets.  I personally am fine with just two straps, since I don't plan to wear any particularly thick/heavy stockings in SoCal - the thickest stay-ups I have are probably 25-30 denier.  Mine was about 6.99USD which was perfect, I didn't want to spend too much what with this being my trial period with the whole garterbelt arrangement.  It's turned out to be lovely and comfortable, just enough stretch to accommodate sitting and stretching, but not so stretchy that it just schloops down my hips.  Plus - reversible, can't go wrong.  If only they made it in nude/peach and white as well!

In regards to garterbelts, I've seen some sites that sell very industrial and day-to-day designs.  They're a bit pricier but if you're a dedicated GB wearer it's worth the investment, these classic and simple belts look like they're definitely made to last.

Onto the stockings - as I mentioned, Walmart/Target brand are good and are a pretty durable denier.  I've never had a problem of runs from day-to-day wear, usually what used to happen was I'd rip the foot/toe area (used to wear them for musical theater performances b/c dancer spanx were annoying).
The current pair of these that I have are black with lace tops, and I've had them for just over a year.

You can also find Hanes/Vassarette/various mid-range stocking brands, also at Target or Walmart. 

These have quite a bit more slip and silkiness/shine than the Target/Walmart brand.  They also range from slightly to a lot more sheer.  Even so I've never had a run problem with these like the issues with the VS stockings, and I do wonder if it's got to do with how silky and slippery the Hanes ones are.  Maybe they're less prone to snagging/catching on things that way?

Hanes/Vassarette, however, are also stay-ups.  I've yet to find that brand in a classic stocking style.

I've been able to clip the stay-up bands to my garterbelt, which still works for getting that 

garter-and-stockings look, but it isn't as comfortable as the non-silicone banded type.

I guess my search will have to go on (that or I eventually save up/can splurge on a good pair

of fully fashioned stockings).

*updated* VS Pink - Bralette + Panty + Makeup Bag ... for $5.00 (+tax)!!

I have a real thing for pretty lingerie - all the ruching (?), lace, trims, bows...so detailed! 

I absolutely love it, especially things like babydolls and matching sets.

(Obviously Valentine's Day lingerie season is a favorite time of year for me.)

That being said.

Victoria's Secret has a REALLY good deal going on right now!

The picture's really tiny but basically you can get 

any PINK bralette and panty, for $15.00.

The $15.00 deal is good through MARCH 19th.  

That's a massively good deal since the bralettes are around $20-$26 regularly, and a panty is $9.50.

As far as I know you don't need the flyer to get the deal - I just mentioned it to the cashier and he l

rang me through!  

***UPDATE***

[You DO need the flyer to get the deal, that or an email from Victoria's Secret with the 

deal on it.  You can get the flyer in-store by making any cash purchase.]

BUT!  VS also has their Secret Rewards Card promo going on right now through MARCH 30.

You automatically get one when you buy anything in store, and it's guaranteed to be at least $10.

(It can be a LOT more if you're very very lucky - I haven't been yet, fingers crossed!)

***UPDATE***

[ The Secret cards used to be $10 off any purchase but now you have to buy at least $30 of stuff to use the card.  Still a nice deal if you have a haul you're looking to scoop!]

That means the Bralette and Panty would come out as about $5.00.

AND THERE'S MORE.

If you got all the icons on the recent PINK scavenger hunt, you can snag a 

free Pink Bralette with any purchase.

FINALLY.

They're running a free MAKEUP BAG with any PINK purchase starting today MARCH 06!

You just need to get the offer through the Pink Nation app (on smartphone).

So basically if you stack everything, you can get 

2 Bralettes, a Makeup Bag, and Panty for around USD 5.00.

Not too shabby!

I went and scooped mine up a couple days ago:

(I had a free panty coupon from my PINK Angel Card, too - so I 

technically got two full Bralette + Panty sets, yay.)

Sadly I missed out on the makeup bag because the deal hadn't been 

advertised yet, so I didn't know - I would've waited for it! 

***UPDATE***

I found a stray store-credit card so I went and scooped the PINK Spring Break makeup bag!

Here's some more photos of it. 

The front part is clear plastic, with a little faux-leather label (like the one on PINK's backpacks).

The back is printed palm canvas on the inside, and plain black on the outside - same canvas

material as the backpacks, and the zip is the same as well.

(From the promo photos I thought the entire pouch was clear, with black palm print.)

Mini-haul c:

So today at lunchbreak I went off to do some errands.

It's a whole hour!  So after I mailed a thing I had a ton of time left.

I work in DT San Diego about 2 blocks from Horton Plaza so

it's seriously closeby, and I had a bunch of Victoria's Secret coupons c;

I grabbed the Pink Nation deal (it JUST expired today I found out, way to

go me, getting in at the last second).

It was a free Mini Cheekster panty & a $10 bralette with any PINK purchase!

Plus I had a free Lacie panty coupon that came in the mail.

I got a black bralette to match with the Lacie <3

They're 2 different VS collections but it turned out as a really cute little set!

(Forgot to take a pic of the free cheekster, but it's striped with mint lace, so cute!)

I always wanted a PINK water bottle & a PINK backpack.

I saved up a bit of my last couple paychecks specifically and got a black

backpack a few weeks ago, & I got the water bottle today as my PINK purchase!

It's HUGE - 32ml.  But that's great because I feel like I *HAVE* to drink all the water in it.

It's like a challenge, how much of this can I drink?

(only downside - it doesn't quite fit into the cupholder for my car...)

Anyway that was my little haul today. c:

The little shopping trip was super great (I had kind of

a rough day at work today, pretty out of the ordinary). 

My bag contents c:

Here's a few of the things I usually carry around with me c:

This is what I bring to go generally anywhere - shopping,
on dates, out with friends & family, and errands.  

I've realized I don't use 3/4 of what I usually load up with in the morning,
so recently I've been narrowing down what I take with me.
My bag's much lighter c: (and my posture's gotten better - or maybe it's
just easier because I don't have a rock on my shoulder?).

< ahcahcum muchacha cat tote! >

I got my bag on Ebay, it was originally given out in ahcahcum muchacha's

fashion lookbook but it was much cheaper on Ebay (& the same quality, I hear).  

I didn't usually use totes on a regular basis before but this one's great, 

it fits everything and it's just the right length to carry on your shoulder OR in your hand 

(I'm 5'4" and the bottom doesn't brush the floor when I hold the handles).

The material's really strong canvas with plastic coating on the inside, and a little pocket
for phone/lipbalm/whatnot.  I've even put my laptop in this bag and it was fine (granted
it's still probably not a good idea to put anything too heavy in here like textbooks or w/e).

< large things! >

I have sunglasses in my bag now all the time - since it's spring 

and much sunnier,it's really great to have them for when I'm driving.

I always have tissues for makeup touch-ups, nosebleeds 

(I get them a lot inwarm weather :c ) and any spills.

The red cloth square is actually a giant bandanna scarf - since the bag

doesn't have a zipper up top I use it for covering the top if it drizzles 

(I used it to cover from RAIN last quarter at school x_x).

I also use it as a normal scarf, a headscarf to cover my hair, as sun/wind/rain

protection, dust faceguard a la cowboy style, to wrap or carry things, 

as a bento box furoshiki, & more...it's extremely useful and multipurpose!

This is a sketchbook I got a couple of months ago.  It's not full yet

but there's a lot of doodles in there from during class/periods of

boredom (drawing professors is problematic but funny).  It's also

great as a notebook to write down ideas/lists - it's lightweight

& unlined blank inside, so it was exactly what I was looking for.

& my phone, with numbers and things inside of it, and a Yui outside of it. 

(I also usually have my DSlite with me, but I just recently got a Pikachu 3DS!  

I haven't opened it yet - I'm making a separate post later after I open it. c: )

< All this stuff usually gets piled into a pouch together. c: >

Squishy nice pen (it was a present and pricy for a pen :c so I've been

most careful not to lose it!) for writing / drawing in my notebook.

Makeup Forever gel liner & mac liner brush - I changed my old one from highschool

finally for sanitary reasons (5 years is probably a good time to get a new one).

LUSH Karma solid perfume, it smells like heaven and flowers and warm sands

and incense and something sweet & exotic.  I love it so much.  

(it also smells of ancient Egypt 

and reminds me of a certain pharaoh)

Some lipbalm/lipcolor products (I'll probably write a review on the makeup I've switched

to recently, & new things I've tried).  

Tide pen - this thing is a lifesaver, it removes EVERYTHING.

Small flash drive just in case...well I don't know |D I feel like I should have one with me.

Eyedrops for shrivelly contact-lens dry eyes

.

Hair things, collapsible hairbrush, & tiny lotion bottle.

iPhone plug just in case my phone starts to die (if I can find an outlet).

My brass mirror, I've carried this everywhere with me whether pocket or bag, EVERY DAY.  

I'll redo this when I go back to classes after spring break - I'm using a different bag because I don't want to break this one!  I also bring a lot of other things with me because I commute 40 minutes drive away (!), and it's hard to need something and not be able to just go back to a dorm/apartment nearby to grab it.