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Sock Journal
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by Brenna
June 14th, 2013
Socks for: June!
I cannot even believe we’re at the halfway point of the year. Time passes quickly when your socks are fun! June’s flower and birthstone are a great team—roses and pearls! The constellation for most of the month is Gemini, a perfect pairing for socks!
June’s actually got three birthstones associated with it, Alexandrite, Moonstone and Pearls. Both Alexandrite and Moonstone possess shifting colours that are impossible to capture in sock form, so I’ve made little gradients for you.
Alexandrite shifts from reddish to greenish.
From left to right: Heather Sockling, Ribbed Knit Leg Warmers, Harlequin Trouser Socks, Melange Crew, Diamond Rib Knee Highs.
Moonstones are pearlescent, glowing rainbows of green and blue, with purple and yellow on the edges. I actually super can’t convey the deepness of their colours and beauty, not even in socks.
From left to right: O Basics, Bastia Comfort Top Crew, Erin Wool & Silk Socks, Harajuku Leg Warmers, Vertically Inclined Stockings.
Pearls are a little easier, with their beautiful, soft shades of white. Our O Lovelies in Pearl are a gimme as far as that gemstone is concerned! For the rest of your strand of socks, we’ve got lots of solid white with subtle shimmer and satin texture to dress up your look.
Clockwise from top: Micromesh Lace Ruffle Tanga Short, Opaque Stockings with Ruffle and Bow, Microfiber Chenille Arm Warmers, Simply Adjustable Sock Garters, Furry Lurex Leg Warmers, Alpaca Beehive Knit Long Arm Warmers.
But have you seen black pearls? They’re probably my favourite and they’ve got hints of blue and purple in them.
Clockwise from top: Silk & Cotton Crews, Wrinkle Press Knee High, Fuzzy Toe Socks, Cotton Lace Anklets, Maniche Silk Tweed Boot Sock, Lace Ruffle Anklets with Bow.
The lovely companion flower to pearls is the rose and we’ve got socks with that distinctive bloom emblazoned,
• Rose Border Over the Knees •
• Stitched Rose Knee Highs •
• Black Roses Printed Footless Tights •
And there are shades of red and pink called “rose” that range the spectrum.
Now Gemini, the twins, is almost too easy to symbolise with socks. So let’s pair these pairs with two packs. Each of these styles come in sets of two, for you to mix and match or have a spare.
Top row: Bamboo Crew 2 Pack, Striped No Show 2 Packs
Bottom row: SITM Toddler & Kids Two Packs, Larger Footed Striped No Show 2-Packs
Pretty pearls, romantic roses and double your money with Gemini. We’re halfway through the year with Summer Solstice to prove it on the 21st!
by Brenna
June 7th, 2013
Socks for: Spoiling your Dad!
It can be tough to find a good father’s day present. A lot of stuff (just like with Mother’s day) is hackneyed or not really useful. The past couple of years I’ve shared some basic Father’s day ideas and something for new dads, but this year let’s think about spoiling them! A primo papa deserves a little pampering and to feel fancy, so just like we looked at some indulgent options for Mother’s day, let’s look at some that are a little more dad-oriented.
Like most folks (particularly parents), left to their own devices, dads aren’t going to totally spoil themselves buying socks. They like basics, or something silly, or they spend a just the tiniest bit more for some classy comfort.
• Authentic Military Bootsocks •
• Tuxedo Midcalf •
• Plasticism Midcalf •
Knowing they probably don’t splurge on themselves gives you free reign to deal up some delights for dad. And you don’t have to break the bank when you pull your pops out of their wheelhouse with some basics that have a little more indulgence, fun, or old-school styling. The three styles below are all under $20!
• Maniche Silk Tweed Bootsock •
• Boot Knife Midcalf •
• Striped Suspender Clip Sock Garters •
Of course, if you can and do want to go a bit overboard, we’re glad to help! Three particularly fabulous Father’s day options after the jump! Read more »
by Brenna
May 31st, 2013
DIY: Dyeing stockings to match
This has been a month of nylons, hasn’t it? There’s something really fantastic about them and how they visually smooth out your skin, making your legs look even more fabulous. Of course, that illusion works best if your stockings are a similar tone as your skin. People come in a lot of different shades, so it is rather frustrating that most companies that make the nylons we sell only offer lighter shades of beige. And some even call the colour “nude”! Which makes no sense and is why we use the word “beige” for those colours. We are constantly telling our suppliers that we want more shades and though we’re seeing a teeny bit of forward progress, we just don’t know when more than beige will be a regular option.
The Dance Theatre of Harlem dyes their dancers’ tights and shoes to match their skin, which creates that classic ballet visual of uninterrupted line. You can see some samples of their work in the picture for this LA Times article. To create the classic visual of nylon stockings that perfectly match and melt into your skin, we can do the same thing. I’ve gone over some basic dyeing techniques here before, so I know you know how to do it. But which colours? What dye?
For these examples and as a general suggestion, I recommend RIT dye. If you live near a craft store, they’ve got it, in all the colours. Supermarkets and Wal-Marts also often carry RIT dye and, more often than not, offer all the colours. It’s easy to use and not that expensive, plus their site is a great resource, with a Colour Formula Guide to reference once you feel comfortable enough to mix up some magic (and it is magic, there’s a warm brown there that is made of their Sunshine Orange and Navy, somehow, so cool!).
Like I said earlier, people come in a lot of different shades and, if you’re going to dye-to-match then you’ll want to get it just how you want it. I suggest picking up some of the pantyhose that come in an egg and experimenting with those, so mistakes can be made cheaply before you customise stockings you love. For the experiments below I used the Sheer Backseams with Lace Top, though, because hey, we’re fancy.
Those gorgeous shades are all straight-from-the-box, no mixing! I’ll give you the vitals and some tips after the jump.
by Brenna
May 24th, 2013
Tips and Tricks: Nylons and Backseams
As many of you have learned through unfortunate accident, nylon stockings, especially 100% nylon styles, are very delicate. Careful care in wearing, washing and storage can help extend your stockings’ life.
If you’re particularly prone to snags, check your nails (fingers and toes!) for sharp spots and fix them with a file, then add a little lotion to any dry or rough areas of skin. You want to try and reduce the snaggable variables. It is a special kind of infuriating to realise you’ve made a run in your stocking just by putting it on! We used to carry awesome, super smooth gloves for putting on stockings, but they are no longer made so we can no longer offer them. But if you (like me) know you need all the help you can get in preventing snags, even simple satin gloves can help.
Yanking isn’t the nicest way to shove your legs in any sock and for nylon stockings that is especially true. Carefully gathering the stocking up onto your thumbs (the thin nature of nylons makes this pretty easy), gently slip your toes in and ease it up around your heel. From there on out it’s pretty simple, letting the nylon slip from your fingers as it encases your leg. Once your stockings are up, use a careful touch and the pads of your fingers to ease the seam into lining up.
A great tip for encouraging those back seams to line up is putting a dot of sock glue at the back of your heel, sort of anchoring it in place. Since sock glue is water-soluable, if you fear damage to your stockings while removing them, just lightly dampen the area you’ve glued before removing your nylons.
Since it can be hard to check how lined up you are (because twisting to look at the back of your leg twists your leg too, throwing everything off) sit yourself down and use a small mirror on the ground, or in your hand, to check the straightness of that seam.
It’s best to respect the stocking’s fibers and listen to how much they want to stretch. Sometimes a stocking wants to be an OTK, or just hang out in the middle of your thigh, not go all the way up to the top your leg. Pulling hard at the cuff and shortening garter belt suspenders too much will put undue stress on your stockings. Not, like, emotional stress—they are just bits of nylon—but when every fiber is pulled to its max from your toes up your leg, something’s gotta give and it’s going to be the integrity of your stockings.
What about washing and storing? And what if you do get a run? Some more tips and tricks after the jump! Read more »
by Brenna
May 17th, 2013
Socks For: May!
May is a marvellous month, with Emeralds, Lily of the Valley and Taurus as its symbols. Bold, dainty and terribly stubborn; which is a pretty good description of how this month is turning out for us in Portland, with blasting hot days, delicately warm nights and a mind of its own regarding the weather!
All this sun and April’s showers have made our world bright and green (and brought some of those May flowers too!). Which makes May’s gemstone very appropriate. Emeralds are green beryl, ranging from yellow-green to blue-green, but always green! And though we use the word “emerald” on only a couple of green styles, we have quite a wide representation of greens!
Clockwise from top: Opaque Solid Nylon Trouser Socks, O Basics, Harajuku Scrunchy Socks, N40s, Socklings, Kimi Wool Blend OTKs.
May’s flower, the lily of the valley, is like the shy cousin of the flamboyant lilies that dominate bouquets and their little bell shapes could easily be confused for any other sleepy-looking wildflower. The fleur-de-lis, on the other hand, is very recognisable. So we’ll let this stylised lily take center stage.
• Paris Trouser Socks •
• Snappy Fleur-de-Lis Garters •
• Paris Fleur-de-Lis Pantyhose •
Like Aries last month, the May’s constellation of Taurus isn’t as dignified in sock form as it is in star form. But dang is it adorable! Both of these cow socks even have grippy bottoms to help keep you stable.
• Moo Toes •
• Tubular Cow Socks •
As May moves on, spring will soon be over and, on the flip side, winter is coming for folks in the Southern hemisphere. So embrace these transitional days of spring and autumn while you can!
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