Niqkita's Sock Journal

Ruched or rouched?
I’ve seen it spelled both ways, but Websters only had it without the O…
Either way I love it…
it makes for a lovely effect on these Goffrato knee highs by Levante.
Pleated in the front & back but not along the sides so it doesn’t add bulk to the appearance of your legs. They didn’t rouch as much on Xilia’s legs so those of you with calves over 14 inches might want to pass on these, though they still fit well thanks to the great stretch, plus they are tube style and will fit nearly any foot size. We have them in the lovely purple “viola” above, as well as black “nero” & white “latte”.
At $12 these are an affordable luxury for your legs and would make a great gift for someone special, but don’t wait til closer to the holidays to get a pair because they may not last that long!

I first became aware of Levante just about a year ago…
a stunning ad in a fashion magazine led to failed searches online. Later I discovered that one of my favorite reps handled Levante (as well as Hot Sox & a couple of new lines we’ll have in later this year…). The prices are high so I’ve been nervous to get them in, it’s a bit of an investment just to get a few, then add colors & sizes and soon my sock budget is blown. But this spring when I saw their fall line I predicted that we could handle the investment and I know that people will appreciate the chance to buy these fine items here from us. I think we even have some of these before anybody else, and at very competitive prices too (free shipping still available to US addresses:)
I’ve made an entire Levante section found alphabetically under the main Socks link (you’ll still find each item in its related category too ie: leggings, knee highs, pantyhose). I decided to use the supplier images for the thumbnails to keep them recognizable for anybody who has seen them elsewhere (like in an ad). But most of their images do not do these beautiful items justice, so we’ll be photographing them ourselves whenever possible as well as giving them a little test run to better describe them to you (I know, our job *is* rough;) and most importantly, these come from Italy and can only be ordered once, when we run out we’d be lucky to be able to get more, so don’t count on it!
todays lovely is the Gessato knee high. Thick, opaque and wonderfully comfy, they have vertical lines running down them, much like another style we carry except with exceptional detail and fabulous fit! They’re tube style so foot size should not matter and the stretch is great so most of us should fit in these.

I’ll be adding several more styles to the Levante section this coming week so keep your eyes peeled and get your credit cards ready…

Yes, it’s true! yet another new fishnet option…
Soho pantyhose
This one has all the look of layers in one easy to slip on piece. The panty is opaque and although I Xilia hasn’t tried them on yet, I’m fairly certain that these will not fit more shapely bodies as comfortably. The size range is the usual one size range, 100-160 lbs, 5′-5′8″ I do think they will fit taller girls fine though because of the stretchability of fencenet/fishnet. I most love the cute sheer anklet part, it has a diamond weave pattern with a fishnet section around the ankles that looks like a fancy cuff. These would be cute with many kinds of shoes, especially open-toes and since they’re black should go with nearly any outfit ~:)

Footless Fishnet Pantyhose
Lots of rollerderby girls buy stuff from us to help them stand out from the crowd in the rink. Recently one of them wrote me requesting footless fishnets because she keeps wearing the feet out of every pair she tries. I already had it in my mind to get them in one of these days so I added them to our next Foot Traffic order and now there in and ready to go…
They’re made from good sturdy fishnet that has enough spandex to hug your curves well and still feel soft enough to be comfy against bare skin. Yes, you could always just cut the feet off a any pair of fishnet pantyhose, but these are finished at the bottoms with nice elastic so they’ll stay down & hang right.

Xilia and I went to our new shop this morning and took a bunch of pictures in the big empty house. It was our first photo shoot there and we managed to get through quite a few new items including these lovelies labeled as:
“Lycra Pantyhose w/Diamond Net Detail”
The leg area is surprisingly thick and durable, this made them take a little extra effort to put on, but once on WoW! The netting is good & strong and will allow for a wide range of thigh sizes. The panty area looks like boyshorts and had a lighter knit for breathability & comfort, they were perfect on my 36 inch hips, but anyone in the mid 40s and up around the hips/waist is going to find these less than ideal as they will stretch out and not go up as high, the package lists the weight range at 90-160 pounds and, varying proportions aside (meaning everyone is built different, so your results may vary), they should fit well in that range but not past it.

we tried on alot of cute stuff that I will be adding in this weekend and these were one of my favorites, I give them 10 toes for being super sexy & comfy!

Ok so I am not sure exactly what the definition of Pantacollant is, but that what it said on the box of these super swank super soft super sexy footless tights.

The first time I saw these on the super cutie pie of a Rep for the Levante line I was jaw dropping at how adorable they looked. I have been eagerly awaiting their arrival and once I saw them sitting out on the table I had to snag me a pair right away!!!!

Tee hee!!!! I am all giddy with glee!

Levante has always been a producer of high end items, and it is no different with these- the quality is outstanding! The material is ultra soft and stretchy microfiber and elastane that hugs ever curve so gently with out pinching or making icky indents in the flesh. The gusset ( or as my sis would say “the whoooooha area”) in these is made out of a thin, yet still sturdy, cotton to make that area more breathable and comfortable. The square silver accent faux buckles that adorn the bottom of the open loops of these is what really appealed to me the most in this footless wonder.There are no actual little diamontes in the buckle ( though it appears that way) The illusion is created with little curved hollow cups that reflect the light. This nifty innovation keeps nasty snags at bay.

Yes the Levante line is a bit more costly, but in the long run these will last you through many many many compliments on successive wearings so pay for themselves.

The only issue I had with these is that they put me in the largest size range… Yup I suppose I am officially a 4XL. There was a whole ton of more roominess/stretch and I am sure they will fit anyone above my 165lbs on a 5′4″ frame quite well. The max on these is 5′ 11″ and 200 lbs. And for those of you on the other end of the scale…there are is 1S whose minimum fit is for 4′5″ and 80. erm…..( there are 2 more sizes in between those) Well at least they will fit a variety of people regardless of the ridiculous sizing labels!

All in all these Dancing Pantacollants are splendiffically wonderful and make me want to put on my lace peticoat and dance dance dance dance!!!!!!!!

We got the keys!!! a couple of days early too, the folks we’re leasing from are super nice ~:) this is the stairway up to the soon-to-be sock rooms. Ideally I would have liked to get an actual warehouse, but realistically we aren’t really ready for that step just yet, and this place is plenty big for the next year or more, by then perhaps we’ll get a warehouse in addition to this because I love the neighborhood and there aren’t any warehouses around here that I’m aware of. We will be able to add a storefront around spring and will allow customers by appointment once we’re settled next month. If you are familiar with Portland we’ll be in the Westmoreland neighborhood, almost in Sellwood, but not quite. There are alot of antique stores and great restaurants out here and it is personally my favorite part of all of Portland. I’m super tired right now, it’s been a mentally strenuous day, but a good day, a very good day!
BTW I’m wearing the lime green Boy’s Socks, they’re such nice little socks, they hug my feet perfectly and the color makes me smile peeking out between my jeans and my sneakers ~:D