Stocking sizing is not a very precise art: there are many factors to consider when assessing the size you might require.

The first thing is to get the foot size correct.

Sizing of stockings is a measurement from the tip of the toe of the stocking to the point at which the heel turns to become the leg. Thus a size '9' is 9 inches long on the foot.

The next measurement is the length of the stocking, and is not always given by manufacturers. This is the measurement from the turning point of the heel to the top of the welt of the stocking, and is given in inches. This measurement gives one an indication of the length of the stocking.

The actual length when the stocking is worn is somewhat different in that the length is affected by the shape of the wearer's leg - the slimmer the leg, the longer the stocking will go. Also, the nature or the 'knit' and the 'resilience' of the yarn will have an effect on the length; as will the 'cut' of the stocking.

Some manufacturers shape the stocking to be very full, and this gives a longer effective length, whereas some will be less generous in the 'width' and thus the stocking can have a shorter length when worn than the actual measurement would have you believe.

When selecting vintage hosiery from our selection, it is important to note that nylon degrades slightly over the years and becomes more 'brittle', hence it is more likely that a stocking in a size that is too small for the wearer will suddenly rupture causing ladders (runs), and thus spoiling the stocking.

Here is a useful conversion chart: please note that the stocking sizes are approximations derived from the conversion to inches. The chart is provided for guidance purposes only!!

CONVERSION CHART

UK shoe size	-	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
Stocking Size	-	8	8½	9	9½	9½ or 10	10	10½	11	11 or 11½	11½	-	-
Alternative stocking sizing	-	0	1	2	3	3 or 4	4	5	6	-	-	-	-
European shoe size	34	35.3	36.75	38	39.25	40.5	42	43.25	44.6	46	47.25	48	-
US male shoe size	-	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
US female shoe size	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	-	-	-	-
Japan shoe size	-	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32
Mexico shoe size	-	-	-	4½	5½	6½	7½	8½	9½	10½	11½	12½	-
centimetres	21.4	22.4	22.9	23.8	24.9	25.7	26.6	27.6	28.3	29.3	30.1	-	-
mondopoint	214	224	229	238	249	257	266	276	283	293	301	-	-
inches	-	83⁄8	8¾	91⁄16	97⁄16	913⁄16	101⁄8	101⁄2	107⁄8	113⁄16	119⁄16	117⁄8	-

Please refer to our very comprehensive and easy-to-use Glossary, where terms are explained, and references are given for illustrations.