Part of an authentic head to toe male to female transformation includes wearing hosiery to give a more feminine appearance to the male legs. You may be considering pantyhose, stay-ups or even a pair of sexy traditional stockings with a lace garter belt. At least 50% of hosiery purchases from Glamour Boutique include a garter belt because so many of our clients find a garter belt and stockings combo the most attractive for both look and feel.
Garter belts for men (‘suspender belts’ for U.K. readers) are a practical undergarment for keeping your stockings up. But for most crossdressers it is also a sensual piece of lingerie. The belt will have 4, 6 or even more garters with clips on the end that attach to the top of your stockings to hold them up. There are different kinds of garter belts with different ways of wearing them. Some come with hook and eye closures (like a bra), some come with velcro closures and some are made from stretch girdle material that just slip on. For many, attaching stockings to a garterbelt and putting on a pair of high heels is the height of femininity when dressing. Some of our clients even wear garter belts under their male clothes at work.
When choosing the right garter belt, think about how and where it will be worn. The most common garter belts you see are the delicate lacey one’s usually with 4 straps. These are perfect for wearing in the bedroom and as part of a lingerie outfit or for dressing in the house. However, if you intend to go out and will be moving/walking a lot then you need something that is not only discreet and pretty but also of good enough quality to keep your hosiery up all day. For this purpose, we have found the 6 strap garter belt made from strong girdle material to be the best garment for crossdressers.
Have you ever worn mens garter belts before? Well don’t worry. We have compiled a simple guide on how to wear garter belts so that you can start to include this wonderfully sensual garment as part of your crossdressing.
How to wear your garter belt with stockings?
- If using a garter belt with hook and eye attachment, put it on back to front so you fasten it at your waist to make it easy and then twist the fasteners to the back so the garter belt is now fastened and facing the right way. If there are no fasteners then simply pull on the garterbelt like a girdle and make sure it is centered.
- Stand up and ensure all garters are hanging down and of equal length. You may want to make the rear garters slightly longer if you intend sitting a lot of the time.
- Put your stockings on. Make sure you remove all jewelry and ensure nails are smooth so as not to damage your hosiery. Gently roll up the stocking like you would a sock and then slowly pull over the toes, ankle, calf and all the way up to the thigh. If your stockings have seams then check they are straight in a mirror before attaching to the garters.
- Fasten the stocking to the garters one at a time. First unclip by easing the rubber o ring up to the wider end of the clip. Place the top of the stocking over the rubber o ring, bring down the metal clip and ease the rubber o ring down to the narrowest part of the clip to fasten securely. Repeat for all garters on both legs. Bend the knee to do the back garters so that there is less pull on the stocking to make it easier.
5. Adjust the garter length. Each garter will have a horizontal adjuster an inch or so above the garter clip. This allows you to adjust the length and therefore the tension. Make them short enough to ensure your stockings stay in place but not so short that it is uncomfortable. As mentioned previously, lengthening the back garters makes sitting more comfortable.
6. Put on your crossdresser underwear. The question is whether you put on the panties before the garterbelt or after the garterbelt. Some prefer after so that the panty goes on top of the garters and so allows quick bathroom breaks by just removing the panties. The alternative is to put on your sissy panties first. For bathroom breaks you then need to either unclip the stockings OR just unfasten and pull down the garterbelt. After relieving yourself, simply pull the garter belt back up and fix it in place and ensure your stockings are straightened out.
Make sure to start with, you buy the right type of garter belt that looks and feels sexy but also keeps your stockings up all day long. Most crossdressers have thicker and longer legs than women and so we tend to need a stronger garment. We recommend garter belts with 6 or more garters. The extra garters spread the pressure exerted on each garter and so there is little chance of them popping/un-clipping. Also, look for quality components like metal clips. The cheaper ones have plastic clips and sliders and these can break easily.
How to choose the right size garter belt?
Most good quality garter belts are sized in waist size by 2” increments:
Medium – 28”
Large – 30”
XL – 32”
2XL – 34”
3XL – 36”
4XL – 38”
5XL – 40”
6XL -42”
Unless you wear hip and/or butt padding to increase your natural hip measurement then we recommend you choose one or even 2 sizes below your actual waist size so that it will fit correctly when worn against narrower male hips.
Other, more affordable garter belts (usually the ones with only 4 garters) do not come in nearly as many sizes. These garments are sized:
One Size
Queen or Plus Size
Due to not having the hips of a woman, crossdressers should make adjustments compared to the manufacturer’s size chart. We recommend One Size for persons up to a 34” waist (possibly 36”) and then anything above that choose the Queen/Plus Size option.
How to choose the right stockings for your garter belt
Many brands of hosiery will not have long enough crossdresser stockings. Most modern day stockings only come in O/S (one size) or Queen/Plus Size. Rather than give a height recommendation they often have O/S as up to 160lbs weight and then Queen/Plus Size more than 160lbs. Unless you have very thin legs you will undoubtedly need Queen/Plus size if you are 5’10” or above.
Taller girls should try to find brands that are sizes Medium, Tall and XTall like the Levante Italian stockings that we sell. The XTall are longer than most Queen/Plus size and so if you can find them, grab a pair as they are hard to find.
For lovers of real traditional ‘fully fashioned’ stockings complete with a real seam, welt and a ‘keyhole’, there are still a few brands left making these. Unlike modern hosiery, these are 100% nylon so there is no stretch.
For crossdressers of 6” height or more, finding stockings tall enough can be a challenge. You may need to adjust the garters to the longest length on your garter belt. An added solution is to use Thigh Highs (Stay-ups). Thigh-Highs are stockings that do not need a garter belt to stay up. They will have silicone bands or spandex/elastic in the thick band/welt at the top of the stocking to keep each one up. That thick band/welt at the top is bigger than on regular stockings so they are longer in length. This is therefore a great option for crossdressers needing a stocking with longer length for their garter belts.
Our selection of garter belts for men cater to all tastes and needs of the male to female crossdresser. Some are pretty, lace hipster styles that are best used in the bedroom or around the house whilst others are more substantial for everyday use, though no less erotic in their look and feel. As with sis females, many crossdressers feel empowered when wearing their garter belts. They also add an air of mystery to your appearance that many men find very attractive and compelling.
What are some of your favorite garterbelts? Let us know. Email us at glambmarketing@gmail.com or message us on our Facebook page. And be sure to check out more great tips and articles in our crossdressing tips blog.