When shopping for hosiery, it's common to see the term "denier". However, "what's a denier?" you may ask, or "how do I determine the denier in my stockings?". We have created a fashion infographic to help answer those questions.

Denier is the unit of measure used for determining the thickness and weight of the yard used for hosiery. Thick opaque stockings tend to have a greater number of deniers (more than 50), while (ultra) sheer stockings tend to have a fewer number of deniers (less than 20).

At VienneMilano, we divide our thigh high stockings into three categories of deniers: 10-20, 21-50, 50+. 

10-20 denier

Stockings that are low denier tend to be light and sheer – as a result, it is more likely for you to wear hosiery within the 10-20 denier range in the spring/summertime when the temperature tends to be upwards of 60 degrees Fahrenheit. That said, sheer or nude stockings tend to complement your outfits (wearing nude stocking is like wearing makeup on your legs); we recommend low denier hosiery to be worn year-round, but not necessarily vice versa with higher deniers.

VienneMilano Styles: ISABELLA nude stockings and ALBA back seam thigh highs
Weather: 60+ degrees Fahrenheit
Season: Year-round
Occasions of use: Weddings, graduations, holiday parties, night out with the girls, date night 

21-50 denier

Hosiery, made within the 21-50 denier range, is pretty versatile in style, comfort, and occasion of use. We believe that stockings that fall within this range are best to be worn when the temperature is within 40 – 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

VienneMilano Styles: CLAUDIA black thigh highs
Weather: 40 – 60 degrees Fahrenheit
Season: Spring and fall
Occasions of use: Work, business casual, running an errand Brown thigh highs outfit 

50+ denier

We would recommend wearing high denier stockings during the fall and winter as the temperature drops below 30 degrees. Thigh highs can also be worn underneath your pants in the winter to keep your gams warm.

VienneMilano Styles: ANDREA opaque stockings, MATILDA pattern hosiery
Weather: below 30 degrees Fahrenheit
Season: Fall and winter
Occasions of use: Work, running an errand

Weather can also factor into how to choose your stockings. For warmer temperatures, we recommend wearing thigh highs that have low denier. In contrast, we recommend wearing stockings with a high denier for cold temperatures.