I've always loved stockings. I remember when I was a little girl I found a pair of my mother's old suspenders, from when stockings were the only option, in the dressing-up box.
I thought they were fascinating and wanted to try them on with some stockings, but my mother still bought my clothes and there was no way I was brave enough – or rich enough – to buy a pair of stockings that I would never really dare to wear outside my dressing-up games.
Instead I took a pair of my school tights and cut the legs off. Now I had, to all intents and purposes, a pair of stockings. Hesitantly I rolled them onto my plump little legs and clipped on the suspenders.
I probably looked ridiculous. The suspender belt was pale pink and the 'stockings,' were thick, opaque 60 denier black ones. The tops were frayed and rolled over on themselves and there was a hole in one of the legs, which was why I had chosen that pair to cut up.
In my mind, though, I felt amazing: womanly, sexy and glamorous. That feeling has never really gone away.
When I get dressed now I savour every moment of the process. I spend time in the shower carefully shaving my legs so they're smooth, then rub in cocoa butter in small circles moving upwards.
When I am dry and moisturised I stand naked in front of the mirror and run the brush through my long, dark blonde hair as I dry it, relishing the anticipation of getting dressed.
I walk over to my bureau and pull out the second drawer. It runs smoothly on its runner, gliding open to reveal my underwear in all its splendour. I select a bra from the small pile on the right – black with sky blue ribbons threaded through the trim and a little bow between the cups.
Now for the matching panties, no decision to make there, but the suspender belt, now that's complicated.
Black is the obvious choice, but the lacy, flimsy one I wear for dates or the deep, satin one with six straps that provides all day security? I'm going to work, so I choose the satin one and then pull out a pair of barely-black 15 denier stockings with a deep, reinforced top and toe.
I lay them out on the bed in their anatomically correct positions, then pick up the suspender belt. I pull it on and settle it over my hips, smoothing it down, then sit on the edge of the belt.