Cheap Girl’s Guide to Thigh Highs
Thigh highs are a cute and/or sexy part of many a video game and anime character’s wardrobe, and whether you’re trying to be kawaii, badass, sexy, or any combination of the three, their kind of essential to many signature looks *coughsschoolgirloutfitcoughs* .
The problem that I, and I’m sure lots of other people, have is that keeping the damn things up. How is it that Velvet from Odin’s Sphere can keep them up while flying through the air and kicking ass and I can’t while walking down a city block?
So here’s a quick and cheap guide to all your thigh high needs, including a few great looks for a couple style options to make your geek style just a bit more fab and worry free. These tips work for pretty much any size since no matter what you look like, you should feel confident wearing thigh highs.Â
As a note, I won’t be linking specific stores or products so if you’d like suggestions just send me a message.
1. Fake it!
So my first and favorite fix is to wear faux thigh highs which are basically just tights. It completely removes the problem of keeping them up and looks just as cute. The best part is that since these tights are getting more popular, there are a lot of different styles to choose from.
You can find the basic style on Amazon, Forever 21, and H&M pretty easily at varying costs.
My personal recommendation though is AliExpress since you can get them for around $1.50 with free shipping and there are a lot more style options. The drawback to that is that you’ll have to wait anywhere from a week to a month for them to arrive.
Wearing shorts in the fall and winter is okay, don’t let anyone say otherwise. Just maybe also wear a jacket.
High-waisted flared skirts and button-downs look great on any body type since most are designed to cinch at the waist. the waist. If you have problems with the buttons popping open or shirt pulling, invest in some fashion tape or be stealthy with safety pins.
2. Fashion Tape or Sock Glue/Body Adhesive
Fashion tape is ridiculously easy to find, you can come by it at almost any drugstore or super store like Walmart or Target. It’s basically just double sided tape that’s safe for skin. It can irritate your skin when taking it off which is why I don’t use it that often, but it’s still a good option if you don’t intend on doing something too strenuous since it can come off with excessive sweating.
Sock glue and body adhesive is a bit harder to come by. I’ve only been able to find it online, but it’s easy enough to find on Amazon. You can expect it to be a bit pricy though. At least for my tastes, Fashion tape costs less but most body adhesives I’ve found on Amazon are made for keeping Irish dancers’ socks up so you can imagine they’ll stay up even in the middle an anime style fight scene if you find yourself in one of those. Lucky you...
3. Layering
Really only a good idea for colder days, wearing a pair of thigh highs over tights is a good way to keep warm and still look cute. Your socks will stay up a lot better because friction or something, I don’t know the reason but I’ve tried it and it’s a great fix. There’s also a million combinations you create depending on how many thigh highs and pairs of tights you have.
If you don’t want it too look like you’re wearing tights just grab a nude pair that’s close to your skin tone. I prefer trying different color combinations. My personal favorite style right now is burgundy tights with black thigh highs and a pair of heeled booties but you can do whatever combination of things you want.
4. Elastic
So I’m sure most people have seen the clear elastic straps attached to clothes to make them easier to hang. If you rip them off your clothes like I do and just throw them out, consider using them to line the tops of your socks instead. Alternatively you could use those clear bra straps you can buy at stores like Walmart and Target.
But all you have to do is sew or glue them around the rims of your socks since they grip skin really well. If you’re going to sew them in make sure you stretch your socks so they’ll be the size they are around your leg to avoid them being too tight. If you’re going to glue them in, use fabric glue, and I would fold the socks over while you’re wearing them so it’s easier to just glue it in the right place.
This is a bad idea for light colored socks, unless they’re pretty thick. I wouldn’t do this with thin or sheer socks.
There are places you can buy socks that will actually stay but I find them a bit pricy and since I don’t have a lot of money to spend, these are some good fixes.
Note: None of those images are mine, they were found on Pinterest and belong to their respective posters.