Brunette Girl Wearing Black Stockings On The Couch

Traditionally, panties were worn underneath garters, and lingerie is still advertised and photographed in this way in catalogues and on websites. However, some people wear panties over the garters. If the panties are reasonably tight, this pins the garters to the body, making going to the bathroom or erotic play easier.
Terminology
In modern usage, stocking specifically refers to the form of women's hosiery configured as two pieces, one for each leg (except for American and Australian English, where the term can also be a synonym pantyhose). The term hold-ups and thigh highs refers to stockings that stay up by the use of built-in elastic, while the word stockings is the general term or refers to the kind of stockings that need a suspender belt (garter belt, in American English), and are quite distinct from tights or pantyhose (American English).