Leg Avenue Sheer Backseam Stocking

A black sheer stocking with a seam up the back is the oldest trick in the book and it still works every time. The leg stays soft and sheer, the seam draws one hard line from heel to thigh, and the whole thing reads old Hollywood without any effort on your part.

These stop at the thigh, so they want either a garter belt or a hem short enough to show where they end, and both options are the right answer. They sit beautifully under a slip dress or a pencil skirt, and they are the finishing piece on a pin-up or noir costume. Take a second in the mirror to run both seams straight before you go, since a crooked line is the only way this look goes wrong. Gather them at the toe, roll them up the leg, then hand wash in cool water and lay flat to dry.

Sheer stockings are easy to find. Sheer stockings with a proper back seam are not, and the seam is the whole reason anyone looks twice. Both One Size and Plus/Queen are in stock in black.

• Style: Sheer thigh high stockings with a back seam
• Look: Classic pin-up line, seam runs center back
• Wear with: A garter belt, short hems, slip dresses
• Care: Hand wash cool, lay flat to dry
• Available in: Black (One Size, Plus/Queen)