Let’s face it: few accessories complete a chic new set of lingerie better than a garter belt. You can now fasten a pair of stockings to the belt, and if you’re worried your lingerie exposes too many trouble areas, a plus size garter belt covers more up. How do you find the perfect garter belt as a plus-size woman?
To shop your ideal plus-size garter belt, it helps to know your size (which requires measuring your waist circumference and hips). You also have to choose your garter belt style and whether you want suspender or loop-and-button garter clips.
If you’d like to see our best plus size garter belts, click here to view them on Amazon.
Garter belts are not only to be worn in the bedroom, but a smoother, sleeker set can look fantastic under a dress and other tighter-fitting clothing. That’s why, in this post, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about plus-size garter belts. From how to size yours, style options, brands to shop, and even how to wear a garter belt, you’re about to upgrade your life in a major way!
Sizing Your Plus Size Garter Belt
Like you don’t buy plus-size bras and panties without measuring yourself first, the same goes for a garter belt. To find your garter belt size, you need to know both your waist circumference and the size of your hips.
Here’s how to calculate these measurements.
- Waist Circumference
You will need a second person to get an accurate reading of your waist circumference. Have them grab a flexible measuring tape and wrap it around your abdominal area. The tape should sit slightly over the hipbones.
Then, your buddy should pull the tape firmly, but not tight enough that it’s digging into your skin. Take a breath and then have your buddy write down your measurements. When we say take a breath, by the way, we don’t mean deeply exhale. Just breathe normally.
- Hip Size
Once you have your waist circumference, move on to measuring your hip size. If you don’t have a buddy to help you this time, you can calculate your own hip size by standing in front of a full-length mirror. That will help you position the measuring tape just right.
Take off your pants and, if your shirt is longer, that too, as these can obscure your measurements. This is another reason it’s a good thing you can measure your hips size without a second person.
FYI, there’s no need to strip down entirely unless you’re wearing bulkier underwear.
Next, position yourself so your feet are flat on the floor but very close to each other. Then, find your hips. For measurement purposes, your hips are considered the widest area on your sides near your buttocks. You do want to take your derriere into consideration for this measurement as well.
Once you locate your hips, put your measuring tape on one hip, encircling your rear and your opposite hip. Stop the measuring tape once you reach your first hip again. Give the measuring tape a firm tug, but once more check that it’s not digging into your skin. Then write down your measurements.
If you’re a size small, then a garter belt that’s 22 to 32 inches will fit you depending on the brand. For a medium, look for a size 32 to 44 inches. A large would be up to 44 inches, sometimes as much as 60 inches. An extra-large might be closer to 50 inches and over, a 2X 54 inches and up, and a 3X 58 inches or more depending on the brand.
Garter Belt Types, Styles, and Materials
Now that you’re sized, it’s time to explore the wide world of garter belt types and styles, of which there are many. Whether you like an itty-bitty, barely-there garter belt or one that covers most of the stomach, you can find it.
Suspender Garter Belt
The more standard type of garter belt is known as the suspender belt. That’s due to the suspender clips included with this garter belt. We’ll talk a bit later about garter clips, so make sure you keep reading.
A suspender garter belt is simple, timeless, and ultra-feminine.
Industrial Garter Belt
If you’ve ever tried a garter belt, you may have found that every two steps you’ve taken that the clips loosened and your stockings began rolling down. It sounds like you need an industrial garter belt.
This type of garter belt has thicker, burlier straps that can hold up not only stockings without falling, but thigh-high socks as well. You won’t have to worry about anything slipping down with this garter belt, even thicker socks.
Today’s garter belts are manufactured in a parade of nearly endless materials. These include satin for impressing your partner in the bedroom, sensuous vinyl, traditional lace, breathable mesh, or gentle charmeuse.
How Many Straps Does My Garter Belt Need?
As your quest for a plus-size garter belt takes you deeper into garter territory than you’ve ever been, you may realize that not all garter belts are created the same. Some come with just a few straps and others have seemingly dozens.
How many straps should your garter belt have? That all depends on what you’re wearing it for.
The standard number of garter belt straps is four. Your garter belt will feature two front straps and two back ones for holding up a pair of stockings. Four straps is a relatively secure setup that should work if you’re strutting your stuff in lingerie for a while.
If you want to wear your garter belt outside of the house, then you’ll need at least six straps. Some ladies buy garter belts with eight straps for everyday use. If your garter belt features six straps, you’ll have two on the thighs, then two in the back, and another two in the front. Belts with eight straps have four straps per leg.
Your stockings won’t come down if your garter belt boasts six to eight straps, that’s for sure. You can go about your daily routine, such as taking the subway or driving, walking, sitting, and anything else your day entails without worrying about your stockings.
Once you get into 10-strap territory and even 12 straps, it’s more for a particular look in the bedroom. Some call this many garter belt straps a fetish style, whereas others liken it to a vintage vibe. Either way, you might want to have one garter belt with more than eight straps in your collection just because.
The only downside to a garter belt with 10+ straps is how long it can take you to undo each one to get out of the garter belt.
All about Garter Clips
We’ve talked about garter belts themselves and their styles, and we discussed straps too. Now it’s time to take a closer look at your garter clips, just as we said we would. You have two styles to choose from, loop-and-button or suspender. Here’s what you need to know about both types of clips.
Loop-and-Button Garter Clips
A loop-and-button garter clip is named such because it has a plastic nub (the button) that hooks through a metal loop to attach the garter to your stocking. Ideal for thinner stockings, fishnets, and nylons, loop-and-button garter clips are more delicate, so you can’t use them if you’re wearing thick socks with your lingerie.
Suspender Garter Clips
The other type of garter clip is suspender style. Rather than having to force the loop through the button, with a suspender clip, you simply attach the clip into place. The clip has small teeth often made of plastic that hook into your socks or stockings but don’t rip them. It’s pretty hard for whatever’s under your suspender clips to come detached unless you do so yourself. You can’t say that about a loop-and-button garter clip.
Our Favorite Plus-Size Garter Belts
Next, we thought we’d share some awesome plus-size garter belts you can shop for today. These belts come in all sorts of styles and fashions so that no matter what you like, you can find a great garter belt among this list.
Jessica London Rago Garter Belt
Our first garter belt from Jessica London is called the Rago. A sweet lace garter belt, the “power lace” stretches to cover your hips and waist. Double hook-and-eye closures around the back secure this garter belt to your body. The Rago is available in black or white lace and has four straps.
Sofsy Mesh Garter Belt
Jaws will drop when you show off in the Sofsy mesh garter belt on Amazon. This chic high-waisted garter belt with elastic includes metal loop-and-button straps, three on each leg for a total of six straps. You can wear this garter belt beneath a sleek pencil dress and look fabulous.
Jessica London Rago Six-Strap Garter Belt
Here’s another six-strap garter belt, this time from Jessica London. This high-waisted beauty with elastic trim is made of memory fabric with a silky feel. What does memory fabric mean? As the day goes on and your body size subtly changes, this garter belt will change with you. The inner liner, which comes layered, does the same.
An extra comfort panel will create contouring at the hips and stomach so you feel your best. You can buy this garter belt in black or white.
Steps for Wearing Your Hot New Garter Belt
Woohoo! Your plus-size garter belt just arrived. Whether your belt is more lingerie-style or for everyday use, you can’t wait to wear it. The only problem is, until this point, you’ve shied away from garter belts because of your plus-size frame. You’re not quite sure how to wear them.
The good news is that it’s not difficult once you get the hang of it. To adjust to garter belts, buy one with suspender clips, as these require no effort except a quick clip. If you like the loop-and-button style better, you’ll soon become a garter belt pro when you follow these steps.
Step 1: Begin by wrapping your garter belt around your waist. Sometimes it’s tough to tell whether your garter belt is upside down or right-side-up. Here’s a tip: if the straps are dangling at your stomach rather than draping across your thighs, then turn the belt around. It’s upside down!
Once you’re confident you’re wearing your garter belt the right way, secure it to your body. Most garter belts have hook-and-eye closures around the back much like a bra does. Start with the loosest setting and, as the elastic within the garter belt gradually wears down, tighten the hook-and-eyes.
Step 2: Slip on your stockings. Garter belts play nicely with thigh-high stockings with an elastic or silicone band as well as fashion stockings.
Step 3: If you have suspender clips with your garter belt, then it’s just a matter of pulling up your stockings, gathering the material in your hand, and attaching the suspender clip to the stockings. Turn around and do that at the back or the sides if you have more than four straps, and you’re good to go!
Step 4: Provided you’re using loop-and-button garter clips with your garter belt, you’ll have to work a bit harder. First, take the rubber nub or button and slip it down out of the widest part of the metal loop. The nub should pop right out.
Step 5: Take your stocking’s welt, another name for the thicker material at the top of the stocking. Put the rubber nub atop the welt and slip the metal loop beneath it.
Step 6: Then, push the rubber nub up so it’s secure in the loop. Your stockings should then be in place. Do this again for as many straps as your garter belt has.
Step 7: Adjust your stockings and admire yourself in the mirror.
Conclusion
Garter belts make you feel that much sexier in a killer set of lingerie. They’re also great for holding up your stockings under a dress or skirt. If you never bothered with garter belts because you thought they wouldn’t be complementary to your plus-size frame, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Now you have all the info you need to buy a hot plus-size garter belt!
