If you’re not familiar with our Zap! category, it’s sort of like a train station platform where we can wave goodbye to styles as they go away. This time of year our Zap! category swells as we find out what styles are being discontinued, what newer or better styles are coming out in the spring and just from general housecleaning. At this moment there are over 100 styles in Zap! I feel like I should add an extra exclamation mark, since the category name already has one. Heck, let’s do three!!!

But because we’re saying goodbye to these socks means you get to say hello. So here are a few styles that you might want to grab a pair of before they’re gone for good. Now, I’m trying to pick styles there are still plenty of, but be aware that some might be gone before you get there!

Almost a quarter of the styles in Zap! are knee highs, and a lot are super fun. I think almost every closet needs one pair of knee highs that make you smile or feel fancy.

• Sock It To Me Bunny Stripes •
• Five Toed Sheer Knee Highs •
• Faux High Top Knee High •

Moving on up the leg, here are some over the knee and higher treats that we won’t have around much longer.

• Marbled Scrunchy Socks •
• Acrylic Striped Thigh Highs •
• Asel Over the Knee •

Some favourite tights are going away and I know several Dreamers have stocked up on their favourite pairs!

• Kalana Wool Crochet Tights •
• Eyelash Web Tights •
• Wool Cable Stripe Tights •

Of course, there is a sweet silver lining to styles going away and that’s when they go on sale! There are a lot of luscious choices with marked down prices that mean you get a pair before they disappear and feel smart for waiting because now you’re paying less.

• Shadow Brocade Over the Knees •
• Fifi Marled Ghost Anklets •
• Polonova Vines Trouser Socks •

There are a lot of reasons (most of them being whether or not we can still get a style) that a sock might go away and as sad as it is, it does mean that we’re busy picking out new things to take its place. So dig into the Zap! category or use our advanced search to pick through all these styles that are just waiting for a home—you’re helping us make room for some new favourite styles.

Of course, I’ve got to tease a little.

It’s been five years since these DreaM Stockings debuted,

and a little over three since they were available in an OTK and a thigh high.

But it’s been almost two years since we’ve had them in stock.  The yarn for these socks was discontinued and we’ve been on a hunt for a replacement ever since.

But a secret stash of the yarn has been found—enough to make a limited run of both OTK and thigh highs.  We won’t have them forever and we’re still looking for a long-term supply of this yarn, but for a short time, this sock dream has come true.

Have you guessed what they are? Join us after the jump for the answer!

Yes! The Super Dreamy and O Dreamy socks are back! They’re only available in Hibiscus and Autumn, but the slubby, soft, beautiful marled socks are back for a limited time.

So if you loved the Super Dreamy socks, now is the time to get a pair!

And if the O Dreamy Stockings were something you always wanted but never got a pair of, grab some while you can!

Did you get a pair of these dreamy socks the first time around?

One summer style that is a big favourite with Dreamers and will always remind me of a box of crayons are the Dream Sneakers.  They hide under high tops and their ankle band of colour just pops over lower shoes. And they come in packs of two pair!

(from top right, going clockwise: Black/Royal, Black/Purple, Black/Fuchsia, Black/Red, Black/Gold, Black/Kelly)

Now, sometimes you need more than little sneaker socks. Lightweight arm warmers and even an OTK after the jump!

We get asked what arm warmer styles are good lightweight summer styles pretty regularly.  Both the Vitamin Arm Warmers and the Chevron Sleeves are good, fuller coverage arm warmers that are still light enough to breathe.  If you’re sensitive to the sun, they’re a great choice.  The Ethereal Arm Warmers are the same long length and are even lighter, but they are also are semi-sheer, so they won’t give you as much protection.  Between all three is one of my favourite rainbows, swinging between summer neons and sunbleached pales:

(from top right, going clockwise: Ethereal in Lilac, Ethereal in Pink, Chevron Sleeves in Dark Red, Vitamin in Neon Orange, Vitamin in Neon Yellow, Chevron Sleeves in Hunter)

Speaking of coverage, sometimes you may want a little more on your legs in the summer, either for the evening or personal style.  When it’s warm, it’s best to stick with open, lacy styles.  The open, cotton blend knit of the Crochet Lover Over the Knees is a perfect option. I love how their colours are dusty but vibrant, like wildflowers and summer grass.

(from top right, going clockwise: Dark Cyan, Brown, Merlot, Rust, Gold, Olive)

We know some of you do go sockless in the summer, especially the summer weather most of the country is having right now (and we forgive you, since you do rock socks in the winter!), but if you do wear socks or armwarmers, do you have a go-to summer colours?  What colours are summer to you?

Ooh! And don’t forget to check out the contest before it ends next Thursday, July 28!

I’m most excited about one of our newest styles for a terribly nerdy reason. Jacquard weaving, with its innovative loom (that was basically an early computer!) is a pretty cool thing.  Socks are knit, not woven, and it turns out that there is a way to knit, jacquard style!  The resulting two-colour patterns have great stretch, beautiful vertical patterns and have swept all us Dreamers off our feet with love.  The first jacquard style we introduced has a gorgeous vertical ripple that almost plays optical illusion-like with your eyes.

The brand-newest jacquard style the girly side of me totally squeals over, it’s all ribbons and flowers and springy colours.

What I like best about the jacquard styles is that the inside is almost like terry loops, so they’re crazy cozy, but the stretchy knit doesn’t get overwarm!

More exciting new things after the jump!

Now, our Extraordinary Thigh Highs are already pretty, well, extraordinary—with a foot that fits US Women’s shoe size 6-14 (men’s 4-12), a calf stretch of 24 inches and a cuff stretch of 27 inches! We’ve got them in Striped, we’ve got them in an even longer striped and now (drumroll please), we have our solid-coloured Extraordinary Thigh Highs in an extra-long version that goes up the very tip top of a lot of our legs and solidly over the knee on folks with larger and longer legs.  May we proudly present the Extraordinarily Longer Thigh Highs!

If you’ve been looking for a true thigh high, these just might be it! They go to the tippity tops of most legs, they even hit thigh high territory on one of our plus-size testers with 27 inch thigh circumference and a 30 inch inseam, who normally can only wear thigh highs as over the knee socks.  If you’ve got longer legs, they won’t go as high, but they’ll still hit respectively above the knee.

In the same theme of new versions of old favourites the wonderful Acrylic Slouch Socks should look familiar! I’ve always been a big fan of the Cotton Slouch Socks, but I may have just found a new love.

Acrylic has some of the same textures as wool, which is why it is so often blended with it.  But there’s no wool in these, just super soft acrylic in bright crayon colours.

It’s so exciting how our Sock Dreams styles are growing and I cannot wait to see what we think up in the future.  What new Dreamer Sock style are you most excited to try?

But we shouldn’t have worried, because as soon as they showed us the new hangers, we realised that Sweet Marcel was going to be even sweeter!

Teeny hangers! I don’t know about you, but if you make something littler I am going to love it more. I just want to hang all my socks on little hangers now, in a tiny closet (well, actually it’d have to still be a big closet, I have a lot of socks!).

Shirley and Phoebe OTKs

More sweet Sweet Marcel love after the jump!

Attention to details like this is what makes Sweet Marcel such a wonderful brand. Last season’s Sweet Marcel styles even have a little logo patch on the cuff.

The styles from last season that have the cuff detail are (from left to right)—top row: Addy, Derra, Joelle. Bottom row: Julia, Sophia, Victoria.

Not that the latest styles are lacking in detail or style (and some folks don’t like obvious logos). I love the rich floral styles and colour in Sweet Marcel’s latest designs. And the Wisteria & Xena are not only designed by a Project Runway contestant, they’re the only style we have left with the giant safety pin hangers. So they’re two kinds of an awesome find!

Have you owned a pair of Sweet Marcels? What did you think? Do you love them for their cuff or their designs? How about the high cotton content? Did you know that most of the designs make awesome knee highs for longer or curvier legs?

Spring weather is my favourite. T-shirts and trousers or shorts and longsleeves, lighweight coats and shoes that don’t have to handle winter floods! One of my favourite menswear blogs recently posted about what socks to wear with plimsol sneakers (canvas shoes), which is a great question. Warm weather shoes don’t have to accommodate thick winter socks and they’re often paired with more casual looks, which opens up a bunch of fun possibilities.

The favourite thin sock in my household are the B Chevrons. They do double duty as a dress sock with loafers, the wide range of colours means they go with nearly everything and they’re not hard on the wallet. Those chevrons in the knit make these airy socks that get worn far into summer. Smaller feet have an option too, with the A Chevrons, which have a lighter palette.

I like A and B Chevrons because they’re great peeking beneath the hem of slacks, but they also scrunch down and look great with shorts. Here’s three more lighter-weight crew and midcalf options:

• Bastia Comfort Top Crew •
• Performance Liner Crew •
• Brittany Sailor Stripe Midcalf •

Options for shorts and some of the best longer socks for warmer weather after the jump!

Sometimes I can’t wait to break out shorts, but the weather isn’t quite warm enough for it. Or it starts out not warm enough and is super sunny by the middle of the day. In the first instance, I like thin over the knee styles like the OTK Rugby Stripes.

If you’re more of a knee high person, the Super Stripe Knee Highs are good for lots of feet, since they come in two sizes (and there are a bunch more OTK and knee high options for larger feet in the Larger Feet section). I’ve been seeing more and more dudes rocking knee highs with shorts. Tall socks are the perfect way to get around the kind-of-grandpa look of socks with shorts, while still getting to rock shorts and socks.

Cotton is always a good bet when looking for lighter-weight socks, but thinner wool options are out there too (spring mornings can be cold, and warmer socks mean shorter shorts!). Some of our Dreamer’s favourite springtime outfits involve shorts and lacy wool tights.

• O Chevrons •
• O Basics •
• Patricia Merino Crochet Tights •

Slouchable tall socks, paired with garters, are a great way to deal with changes in weather. I, of course, am a huge fan of the Harajuku Super Loose.

Some more lighter socks that look great slouched or tall with shorts and skirts are:

• Ruffle Striped OTK •
• Bess Cashmere Slouch Rib Knee Socks •
• Diamond Lace OTKs •

Whew, this is getting long. I’ll save all the anklet and no show options for later, maybe when it’s a touch warmer. What socks do you start breaking out as it warms up?

For fun moms who like to rock knee highs, here’s a range of cozy options that run from our fanciest luxury option to a great basic daily style:

• B.Ella Ginger Ribbed Knee High •
• Lucille Wool Crochet Trouser Sock •
• Diamond Rib Knee High •

Forget bouquets, get your mom some fun florals!

• EG ECO Blossom Crew •
• Cherry Blossom Tabis •
• Susan Merino Crew •

And if you’ve got a foxy mama, then tall styles like these are the way to go.

• Giraffe Over The Knee •
• Joelle Over The Knee •
• EG Smith Solid Over The Knee •

Of course, this is just a sample of our mom’s favourites so hop over and check it out. Use it as a springboard in figuring out just what treat your mamma deserves! What’s your mom’s favourite style?

Dreamer names: Jess & Rosalind

Current favourite style: Double Grip Clips (they both love these and rock them in different ways and have even made a gallery of Double Grip Clip uses on our Facebook!)

Did you like this item when we first started carrying it, or did you hate it and grow to love it?

Jess: I was intrigued by a garter style that had no waistband and no leg-pinching tightness, but wasn’t quite sure how to use them. I noted the product description’s caveat about “skirt lifters,” though, and tucked it away in the back of my mind until the day I wore a floor-length skirt to work. The skirt kept getting caught in the wheels of my chair all morning, until finally I broke down and bought two pairs of black clips from our warehouse stock to serve as skirt lifters out of sheer necessity. The effect was instantly AWESOME, both for convenience and style, and I’ve been using them on all of my longer skirts since then!

Rosalind: I was immediately intrigued by the open-ended nature of their design, but after I got a pair it took me a while to figure out the best way to use them.

What is the best thing about this particular style?

Jess: They’re so versatile! They add a visual lure to even the plainest of black skirts, and you can mix and match clip colors, adjust the length of the clips, or layer several lifts at once for volume. I especially love just lifting the front of my skirts (so I can show off my socks!) and letting them fall naturally in the back. I’ve also used these clips as regular garters to hold up my Super Long Ribbed Leg Warmers, and a single clip will stylishly hold a cardigan closed (thanks for the tip, Laurel!). They’re handy to have around!

Rosalind: They’re clever, and possibly a little bit sneaky. When worn with a short skirt or shorts, they peek out to lend that old fashioned garter belt look, but they’re much more simple, versatile, and hot weather friendly than a real garter belt.

How’s the fit?

Jess: These aren’t technically “fitted,” but the adjustable length is really useful. If I’m wearing a longer top, I’ll lengthen the clips’ elastic fully so they’ll still show; if I want a higher skirt lift, I shorten the clips up a couple inches. The elastic is stretchy enough to have a bit of give (so they won’t tear your skirts if they get caught on something), but won’t stretch out unnecessarily.

Rosalind: They don’t need to go around any part of you, so they can fit anyone. Their length is adjustable for different sock heights. Sometimes if I wear them with really tall socks they’re a little long, even at their shortest, but I just fold the sock over at the top to get the right height.

Who would you recommend this style for?

Jess: Everyone! They’re great for costumes (Victorian, steampunk, Ren Faire, etc.), but they’ve already become a staple to my everyday aesthetic, as the Dreamers can attest. They’d be especially useful to anyone who’s looking to avoid the possible pinch of a garter belt, or someone who’d rather have their garter clips on the sides instead of the backs of their legs—you can clip these anywhere, so they’re a perfect starter-garter!

Rosalind: Anyone who is looking for a good anti-gravity wwwice for stockings, or whatever else you can think of holding up or together with them.

Anything else?

Jess: If you’re looking to add some texture, volume, and flair to your wardrobe, or if you want to show off your socks even in your longest skirt, pick up a pair or two of Double Grip Clips! You won’t regret it.

Rosalind: My favourite use of them is with pocketed skirts/shorts/dresses. That way you can clip them to the pocket underneath. Of course, if you have a very loose or stretchy waistband, you might want to try this out at home before you risk losing your pants in public. More secure waistbands, such as on jean skirts or shorts are best.

Me… I’m wearing one of my favorite pairs of ExtraOrdinary stripes, plum & earth, it was a sample pair we later put into production because I adore it too much not to share…

Designed in Germany and made in Italy, with a level of design and quality that is hard to beat, Cronert’s basics—like the Cotton Overknee and the Ribbed Wool OTK—are styles that are definite staples and we’ll always carry them.  Their cotton blend is amazing and feels as comfy as a t-shirt, while looking way more classy.

They also bring us beautiful designs, like the Diamond Line Over the Knee or the Faux Suspender Tights, that are fantastic additions to any sock collection. One of our favourites this season are the Pinstriped Victoria Over the Knee:

Unfortunately, some of these styles are seasonal. Quite a few of our small and European suppliers work like fashion houses, producing designs for a limited time. It’s a tricky business, guessing how many pairs in what colours and sizes to get. And even when we’ve guessed right, sometimes we can’t get as many as we need. This means that if there’s a brand new Cronert style that tickles your fancy, it’s worth picking them up when you can, because we probably won’t be able to restock it.

After the jump I share two of my favourite Cronert styles and let you know the status of a couple seasonal styles that are worth getting while you can.

I particularly love the Ozelot Over the Knees, which I have in Beige (that’s them in my user icon up top too!). There are only a handful of pairs left, and I’ve got to decide if I want to get a pair of the Rust before they’re gone for good.

Sometimes we’re able to score a good amount of stock and can keep a style available for a long time, like the Centered Big Stripe OTK, which we still have plenty of. But just like the Norway Diamond Over the Knees and the Faux Laced Boots Over the Knees, which only have a few colours and sizes left, when they’re gone they’ll be gone for good.

That’s what happened with what’s probably my favourite Cronert style to date (and possibly my favourite style period), the Glencheck OTKs. They’re a style we keep trying to get back (and have been doing so for a while, as this post from Niqkita in 2007 proves), but they keep eluding us. I’m particularly bummed right now, because I can’t find one of my pair.  You can only see a little of them in this snap I took over the summer, but it’s hard to deny the killer combo of blue, electric pink and black.  I hope I find the missing sock soon.

It’s tough to fall in love with a sock only to have it break your heart by going away forever, but you can always write us and ask about the status of a style you’re longing for. Do you have a favourite Cronert style that isn’t available any more?