Bodystockings: One Piece, Plenty to Show Off
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A bodystocking can cover you from shoulder to ankle and still leave very little to the imagination. Excellent work for something that folds up smaller than your least exciting pair of knickers.
Usually made from stretchy net, mesh or lace, it brings the top and legs together in one piece. Some designs look like an entire stockings-and-suspenders outfit without all the separate clips. Others are gloriously simple: a pattern, a neckline and you.
The fun starts with deciding what you want to show off. The fit should help that happen without spending the night hauling the whole thing back into position.
Fishnet, lace or a little of both?
Open fishnet makes bare skin part of the pattern. Larger gaps give a bolder look; finer net creates a more continuous layer. Floral lace adds a different kind of detail, with the pattern doing some of the dressing up for you.
A plain black net can look striking with very little else going on. A mix of denser panels and sheer sections draws the eye to particular areas. Think about where you'd like those details: across the bust, around the waist or running down the legs.
You don't need to choose the most revealing one to make a good entrance. Sometimes a long sleeve and an open back are a much more interesting combination than trying to show absolutely everything at once.
Choose a plunge, halter or high neckline
A plunge neckline puts the bust at the centre of the look. A higher neckline makes the pattern across the torso more prominent, while a halter can leave the shoulders and back bare. Picture the whole outfit, including the view when you turn around.
Long sleeves can make a sheer bodystocking feel like a complete dressed-up look. A sleeveless version leaves more room for a robe or jacket over the top. That first glimpse of net beneath something ordinary is half the styling decision made.
Most stretchy net pieces don't give the structured support of a bra or bustier. If support matters to you, a bra underneath can become part of the outfit. Try matching black for a continuous look or a contrasting colour you actually want people to notice.
Attached stockings give you the look with fewer clips
Some bodystockings use cut-outs and woven bands to suggest separate stockings, suspenders and a top. They're joined, even when your reflection gives the impression you've put in rather more effort. Very pleasing when you fancy dressing up but not operating several tiny fastenings.
The trade-off is that the sections move together. You can't always lengthen a “suspender” or shift the top independently as you could with separate pieces. If you prefer that flexibility, our stockings and suspenders guide covers the alternatives.
Footless styles leave your feet bare and make footwear easier to swap. Enclosed feet continue the pattern all the way down. Choose the ending you like, rather than discovering you and your favourite shoes had quite different plans.
Open crotch or full coverage?
An open-crotch bodystocking lets you keep the rest of the outfit on without fabric covering that area. Full-coverage designs suit someone who prefers a continuous layer and expects to take it off later. Both can look just as dressed up.
The position and shape of an opening affect how the garment sits. You want the cut-out where it's meant to be, with the surrounding fabric resting comfortably. Pulling an entire outfit sideways to make one bit cooperate is a pain in the arse when you were hoping to enjoy wearing it.
Our crotchless lingerie guide explores that choice across different styles. An opening is an option for the wearer, not an invitation someone else gets to assume.
Get the right torso length and fit
“One size” still covers a size range. Torso length matters alongside bust and hip measurements because the top and legs are connected. A piece can have plenty of stretch around you and still feel too short from shoulder to crotch.
Net openings spread as the fabric stretches, so the pattern will look a little different across different parts of your body. That's the garment taking shape on you. You aren't required to look exactly like the product photograph.
Ease the legs on first, gathering the fabric as you would with tights, then bring the torso into place. Remove snaggy jewellery and use your fingertips rather than pulling at the net with your nails. Those tiny holes already have a design. They don't need your engagement ring adding another one.
Add a robe or wear the bodystocking on its own
A robe gives you an easy layer to take off. A bra or brief underneath changes the amount of skin on show. You can also leave the bodystocking to do the whole job. The point of a one-piece outfit is that you get to stop adding things whenever you fancy.
Browse our lingerie range for the look you'd enjoy wearing. Then give it a gentle wash and a little drawer space. Something this good at getting attention deserves better than being caught in a bra hook.
Finish the outfit
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