Mending fine denier stockings

hulda

I must have stockings for work, as part of my uniform, and in winter I buy these comparatively expensive, thick, completely indestructible ones from a well-known chainstore that last me all winter. But all the lighter stockings I try ladder really badly after a maximum of two wears. It doesn't seem to matter which brand/what price range. We do get a shoe/stocking allowance, but it doesn't even begin to cover the cost of replacing the summer-weight stockings so often. I balk at paying for 3 pairs a week of even the cheapest brand.

Does anyone know how to fix BIG ladders -in a presentable way- on these modern fine pantyhose? These ladders can go from thigh to ankle very quickly.

Thanks so much for any tips:)

adelight

Clear nail varnish as soon as the hole/ladder starts but I don't know if you can repair them.

meritaten

jeez - I can remember my local dry cleaners offering a stocking repair service! but that was fifty years ago!

I do remember when the fine denier stockings/tights came in that my OS nan taught me how to mend them in the way she had been taught to mend silk stockings!
I do hope you have long hair! because you take a very fine sewing needle -beading needles are about right, and a strand of long hair in a colour near the stocking/tight colour and you 'ladder stitch up the ladder! nan could do it almost invisibly! mine was cruder but acceptable if you didnt look too closely!
whats ladder stitch? that is when you take a very tiny stitch on one side of the ladder, then on the other side of the ladder take another tiny stitch and so on!( if you look carefully you can actually see what looks like knitting in your stocking/tights. that is the size of the stitch you make!) you pull gently and the ladder closes! pull too hard and you get a 'scar'! it takes a LOT of practice! but, I did use it last year when I got a ladder in my 70 den black tights! only cos it stopped the ladder going past the top of my boots!

Edited to say - Mardatha - I should have posted this on 'Ask yer Granny'! cant think why I didnt!

meritaten

OP - dont wear stockings/tights in summer! use spray tan and no-one will know you arent wearing any! Ive worked in retail for years and our uniform in the early days were polyester dresses (you wouldnt believe how hot the dam things were). so we all used spray tan rather than wear tights - management never cottoned on!

kitschy

Not sure about mending them - I'm too heavy handed for that. I do know that if you put them in the freezer it prevents ladders!

meritaten

kitschy wrote: »

Not sure about mending them - I'm too heavy handed for that. I do know that if you put them in the freezer it prevents ladders!

and they feel so cooool when you put them on!

then five minutes later they heat up - yeuuchh! hate tights in the summer - simply wont wear them!
in winter tho - bliss! I love those really thick soft ones!

[Deleted User]

I too remember John Hoods dry cleaners at Lewisham in London had a lady sitting in their window with a machine mending ladders in stocking for 8 ladders for 2/6d.She wore glasses and screwed her eyes up to do them I should think that she ended up with dreadful eyesight this was in 1950 when everything you had was repaired or turned into something else as clothes and materials were in short supply.My late Mum 's sister sent her some nylons from the US and my Mum treasured them and only wore them for 'best' as decent nylons were very hard to get her everyday ones had more repairs than anything bless her.I cam remember the day she got them she sat and hugged them and cried with pleasure, just because they were new and so soft and pretty 'American Tan ' they were and I was never allowed to touch them and she kept them wrapped in cotton wool for saftey, they were like gold dust in those days

Ballymackeonan

And in those days "fine" was 15 denier micromesh - now it's 8, in a plain knit. I don't think that any ladder repair on tights that fine won't show.. I'd second the tanning option, and you could always do the wartime thing and put "seams" up your legs with eyebrow pencil to add to the illusion!

Sooki

I agree with the hair mend I do this myself, but also on I agree that on very fine tights I'm sure it will show but it's worth a try if your going to chuck them anyway.

Mending with hair is also a great invisible mend on fine knit jumpers if done carefully.

My gran used to convert her old stockings into lampshades, believe it or not they looked quite cool.

Sooki

Can't you wear trousers?

babyshoes

At school we used to cut the laddered leg off, then when you have 2 one-legged pairs you can match them up as long as they are the same shade. Does mean doubling up at the top though, which is hot on a proper summer day, so only really for cool-ish days in spring/autumn when the winter ones would be too hot.