Stocking Storage While Travelling

Posted by Katie Thomas on May 12, 2022

How To Look After Sheer Hosiery While Travelling

With less of us wearing sheer hosiery on a day to day basis, we’re missing out on the care tips we would have learnt whilst growing up. Sheer hosiery, which covers both stockings and tights, is just as easy to damage during storage as it is during wear. If you are planning a trip away, our vintage sisters had the perfect tips to keep your hosiery snag free.

How to Prevent Snags in your Sheer Hosiery

Hosiery bags were extremely popular in the mid 20th century and the good news is that they’re still easily found in vintage shops and at events. The better news is that they’re usually very affordable as not many people know what they’re for, or realise the importance of caring for sheer hosiery.

Sheer hosiery storage bag shown with contrast seamed stockings and black satin bullet bra.

With the focus on environmental issues caused by fashion continuing to grow, looking after the delicate hosiery we own has become ever more important. Damage to sheer stockings and tights is just as likely to happen during storage, as it is when you’re actually wearing it, so it’s time to find a safe and portable storage solution for your hosiery. If it looks pretty then that’s a bonus!

From the 1940s to the 1970s there was a thriving industry for hosiery storage bags which were made both commercially and at home. They were designed to hold anything from a single to many pairs to ensure that your hosiery did not get damaged in your suitcase.

Over the years I’ve collected several vintage hosiery storage wallets, and our own storage case is inspired by a 1940s wallet I found many years ago. It was the first hosiery bag I’d come across: in fact before then I didn’t know such a thing existed and I only knew what it was as it had the word ‘hosiery’ on the front! It was a simple folded design with two pockets, big enough to hold 4 or 5 pairs of stockings.

This was the hosiery bag that inspired our What Katie Did hosiery wallet which is designed to hold enough stockings for a full week away.

Vintage style Sheer hosiery storage bag shown with sheer stockings.

Handmade Stocking Bags for Sheer Hosiery

More recently I picked up this cute handmade circular stocking storage wallet. It's the smallest wallet I’ve found and will only hold a couple pairs of stockings: enough for a weekend away. The wallet is handmade and beautifully detailed, the green and peach colourway goes perfectly with my 1930s green silk stockings.

Vintage green silk stockings shown with a vintage stocking wallet and 1930s camiknicker romper.

Sheer hosiery is made from man-made nylon and they dry very quickly. Stockings usually dry overnight. Tights usually have a reinforced body panel which can take a little longer to dry unless you are in a warm climate. This means you really don't need to travel with many pairs of nylons unless you can't decide which colour seams you want to wear with which outfit! I have to admit that sometimes I’m super organised and just pack 3 or 4 pairs for a week away, but at other times I grab a big handful!

Vintage green silk hosiery storage bag designed to hold one or two pairs of nylons.

While it's easy to store your hosiery safely at the beginning of your holiday, what happens if you're having so much fun you don't have time to wash them? The easiest solution is to pack a pillowcase which you can use for putting all your dirty lingerie and hosiery in to wash when you get home. The main thing is to keep them separate from the rest of the items in your suitcase which can easily damage them.

Our model for this article is London based burlesque performer Marianne Cheesecake. She wears our Maitresse Bullet Bra while showing our Stocking Storage Bag. Her green camiknicker / romper is vintage, as is the green stocking wallet and green silk stockings.