Fishnets have been a major turn-on for me for the entirety of my post-puberty life. I’ve always associated them with sexual openness, and they’re core to a number of aesthetics that appeal to me. Punk rock babes, emo enbies, goth boys, sluts of all sorts – fishnets can be regal or they can be trashy, but for me they’ll always flag sexual being.

It’s no secret that ‘sexual being’ is an attribute rarely associated with fat people in our culture. We don’t really get to put our sexuality on display because sexy clothing – leather, lingerie, kink gear – isn’t readily available in plus sizes. Oh, you’re fat and want to look hot for a night out? Hope you feel sexually empowered by blouses that could probably double as nurse smocks.

But things are changing. Slowly. Plus size options are getting better (the expensive ones, anyway) and that includes the racier portion of fashion. It’s no longer impossible to find something hot… But it’s still mostly an online guessing game. A retailer might carry your dimensions, but there’s no guarantee it was designed with your body in mind. Things roll and tuck and sag and squeeze and you’re still left feeling like sexuality isn’t something for you.

Soooo here’s the part where I introduce the product I’m reviewing that I think tackles this head-on. You knew it was coming. It’s in the title!

Back in July, the superheroes behind SheVibe sent me a pair of Kix’ies Sam Black Thigh-High Tights. Kix’ies come in a variety of designs, but my longtime kink for fishnets could not be denied. (Thanks, SheVibe!)

Kix’ies Sam Tights come in a thin cardboard slip-cover. I’ve got mixed feelings about the branding/marketing due to its unnecessary and alienating gendering, but at least it features a picture of an actual person’s legs wearing the stockings (a nice touch considering how often plus size clothes are modeled by thin folks.) More importantly, the back of the packaging has a sizing chart and some brief but body-positive measuring instructions. These are also featured on SheVibe:

Kix’ies come in four sizes to ensure you get the best fit for your body. For plus size folks comfortably within Kix’ies’ range, this is a game changer because we’re so often thwarted by one-size-fits-all tights. The largest size is labeled 35 inches (which is my thigh width) but it has a considerable amount of give, so I think folks outside the advertised range could shimmy into it too.

I have a fabric tape measure (which you can nab for cheap on Amazon or in the craft/fabric section of your local big-box store) so I was able to wrap it around my leg at mid-thigh for easy measurement. I’m 6’ with 35 inch thighs, so I went with D. My parner is almost 5’7” with 26 inch thighs, which also made them a D.

Kix’ies Thigh Highs are a majority-nylon and spandex blend, densely woven into a hexagon-based pattern. Inside the attractive banding at the top of the stockings there’s several rings of thin, pliable silicone; this is advertised as the “strong but gentle” grip that prevents the Kix’ies from rolling or slumping during wear, even on thighs of generous size. The fabric seems denser at the toes, but it’s still plenty translucent to show off your toes. If you’re into that.

You put Kix’ies on like any other stockings: bunching them up until you can stick your foot in, and gently unrolling/pulling them up your leg. Because the silicone bands grab at your skin, you have to be mindful of not letting them drag – but once you’ve pulled the stocking up to the desired height on your thigh, the banding stays in place comfortably and is not at all restrictive feeling.

And that lack of restriction is just one aspect of what sets these fishnets apart. For the first few wears, the Kix’ies Sam Thigh Highs felt dangerously comfortable: light, fairly breathable, and magically still in place even after a lot of movement. They didn’t squeeze. They didn’t sag. They didn’t tuck or roll. They stayed exactly where you put them, and they don’t pinch or tug at your skin to achieve their mystical immovable state. No garters are necessary… for awhile.

To put this magic to the test, the Kix’ies Sam Thigh Highs were worn to run errands, out on a date, and into bed, and no amount of activity could shift them more than a quarter of an inch. (And that only happened in bed with a bit of of rolling around directly against a surface.) That is, until they were worn a fifth time, to take pictures for this review.

As mysteriously effective as the grip once was, suddenly it was useless. The fishnets became as slumpy as any normal pair and had to be adjusted constantly. Boo!

Now, Kix’ies says their tights are “built to last” on the packaging. I’m not so sure how much I agree with that assessment, since after five wears, our Sam pair has gone from sleek perfection to punk rock – there’s a tear in each leg and some of the silicone strings are pulling free from the banding. The loose strings can be snipped (though perhaps this is part of what contributed to their sagging now) and the tears can be worked into an aesthetic, but not everyone is into a post-moshpit look. So at least for the Sam Fishnet Thigh Highs, be prepared for vigorous but temporary use, or gentler use to extend their life.

My partner and I kept waiting for the Kix’ies Fishnets to start slumping while out and about – instinctively pawing the banding to check if it needed adjustments – but the advertised no-slip grip kept exceeding our expectations… until it didn’t, and the transition was immediate rather than subtly aggravating. And the nylon/spandex netting stayed soft and breathable even in Florida’s aggressive humidity. Wearing them felt like a prolonged magic trick every time, until abruptly the magic was gone.

[Update 10/17: Kix’ies reached out to let me know this quick erosion of the no-slip grip is unusual, and that you should be able to get about a dozen wears out of their stockings. They’ve offered to send me another pair to try, so I’ll be updating this again in a few weeks to see if ours was a fluke or some inadvertent mistake on my part.

Kix’ies noted two possible causes, using lotion or not cleaning them properly, but neither applied. But for reference for the rest of you, just keep in mind some lotions will cause slippage, and cleaning can be done with a mild hand soap. “Don’t soak [the] band too long – just a rinse,” Kix’ies told me on Twitter, “You can soak the fabric longer.” They also sent along the suggestion of clipping the stockings off the band and repurposing them as headbands, which is brilliant!]

At around $20 USD, I actually think the Kix’ies Sam Black Fishnet Thigh High Tights are worth the asking price despite not being fit for the long haul. I’ve paid more for ill-fitting, lower-quality fishnets that didn’t have a magical no-slip grip and lasted a single wear. The ability to pull on sexy stockings that are designed to fit my body and not just my dimensions, that make me look hot but don’t require constant babysitting and adjustments (at first), is something so new to me it’s hard to parse a lower price even when faced with the shortcomings.

I’m a sexual being. My partner is a sexual being. And it’s nice to feel affirmed as such, sauntering around without a care in the world… since we’re fine with a little wear and tear. Your mileage may literally vary.

You can get a pair of Kix’ies Sam Black Fishnet Thigh High Tights from SheVibe for $21 USD at the time of this posting, but SheVibe carries several other Kix’ies designs if fishnets aren’t your thing.

Thank you, SheVibe, for sending me the Kix’ies Sam Black Fishnets in exchange for an honest review. Affiliate links were used in this post.