Niqkita's Sock Journal

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Archive for the ‘plus size’ Category

Dreaming of Plus-sized Tights

Reviewed by Trina:
900-Q-black-trina-2
Before a couple of years ago I had all but given up on wearing tights. Even queen size hose were pretty iffy, unless I was looking for something that barely fit my thighs, bagged out at my ankles and feet, but could be pulled up to my armpits. I am near the smaller end of the plus size spectrum, about a size 16-18, but still there just aren’t a lot of options out there. Then Niq asked me to try the Foot Traffic Combed Cotton tights. I was skeptical, but I obliged. They fit, actually fit, curves, thighs, tush and all, and did not end up being an almost body suit! I was soooooo excited.
Then came word that we were going to be able to order a plus size version.
OVER THE MOON! Because even though the regular size is amazing, I was almost maxing out the stretch, the waist band rolled a bit, and the thighs did tend to wear out faster than I hoped.
(more…)

Pretty Pleasing with Sprinkles on Top…

\ SPRINKLES!!!!! I Luvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv SPRINKLES!!!

All my life I’ve been a HUGE fan of sprinkles (or “jimmies” as some might say). In my humble opinion, they are must for ice cream (sprinkle to ice cream ratio need be quite high of course.. “a little ice cream with your sprinkles?”(I’ve actually been asked this)). Sprinkles are the perfect topping clinging to the sky high frosting on my favorite Magnolia cupcakes (as our Sock Goddess can attest). They are an amazing treat in pudding, delicious on applesauce, decorative in yogurt, festive on cake, and super special on or in cookies, pancakes, etc… I could go on for days with ways to enjoy them (and yes… I have eaten them plain by the spoonful). So it seems only natural then that when Sock Dreams made a sock with sprinkles on top, that I’d find them super yummy too… And I do!

O Nubbies are a rich creamy vanilla sock with a generous serving of happy little multicolored sprinkles scattered all around (red, green, blue, yellow, and orange nubbly bits lovingly tossed about on an uber cozy sock). They are quite sweet looking, and there is a soothing comfort to wearing them.. I can’t quite figure out what exactly gives them that effect (perhaps its the decadent dessert thoughts that the sprinkle pattern evokes… or maybe its the soft to the touch, thick and cuddly sock itself)… whatever it may be, it’s good…. yummy good!!

Having larger/longer legs and my size 11’s to contend with… of course you know that I’m going to say I wish these could be a bit longer in the feet and in the legs. However… these are certainly still VERY wearable for me! They come up easily over my wide calves, and although they just reach knee high on me, they stay up perfectly there unless I decide to push them down (by the way… they look adorable scrunched around the ankles like slouchies).

I may have to grab a pair of the new Men’s Extra Long Sock Garters. I’m thinking that I’d love to do the sweet yet tough contrast look and mix my O Nubbies up with a pair of dark brown men’s garters and some beat up canvas ankle boots. (talk about too cute!).

Loving these is a piece of cake!!

And just think…. whereas endulging in an abundance of real sprinkled desserts may not end up looking so good on the legs… these sprinkled treats will look great no matter how many pairs you stuff in your drawers.

So go right ahead… binge on these!!! ;o)

Ever Dreamy!

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This has been my absolute favorite pair of socks since they arrived as a sample pair a couple of years ago. Knowing you’d all want them in thigh highs we started ordering them. And while I love those too, these have remained my one truly dreamiest sock, just over my knees, often hanging out just under them. They get softer and softer every time I pull them out of the dryer.
Now this great length is here for everyone to enjoy.
Many of the days since they arrived you can find at least a couple of pairs being worn around Sock Dreams so it seems they are well loved by many already.
autumn colored O Dreamy Stockings
I was super happy when the timing worked out perfectly for taking them up on my little sock getaway in Seattle with Raubynn last weekend…
classic dream stockings
We had lots of fun running around town taking pictures in our socks.
slouched and comfy as can be!
Surely some people thought us mad
Hibiscus sock dreams
I was mesmerized by the hibiscus, such pretty colors!

When I came home I found out the last couple of colors were in so I put them on
Dreamy over the knee socks in bark
and climbed my favorite tree…
dreaming of sock faeries up in the trees

We also got this new color that we happily ordered in both lengths…
Dreamy antique stockings
some said they looked like patina, some preferred antique. In honor of Amanda officially taking over the Dream Stocking section I gave her the final say…
antique it is, and gorgeous too!
~~~{:::=:::}~~~
I nearly forgot to add this one from before my trip…
Ever dreamy on larger legs too!
These are indeed dreamy as a knee high on fuller legs!

Dreaming of Men’s Sock Garters

Made in the USA, to our specifications…
Mens garters and recycled fiber socks
Traditionally a men’s sock garter, we think they are equally practical for girls…
Men’s sock garters and red mary janes
downright sexy on ladies…
Boysocks and mens garters
…and just plain fun!
Green garters & organic EG Smith socks, ...soon to be available online!
They haven’t been the easiest item to find…
at long last we have secured a source for classic sock garters!
with stripes & without stripes
Thanks to my determined crew we’ve received, tested, photographed & labeled a slew of these for you and will be adding variations in the future (more colors and hardware options including clips and faux-leather!!!).
Editing images of sock garters, best job in the world!
We even made one a few inches longer in case you have extra large calves or want to wear them at your thighs…
classic Super Dreamy thigh high stockings with extra long sock garters
Lots more Dreamy news to come!

Socking it to us

Sock it to Me super juicy rainbows on Amanda
You might’ve noticed that we’ve added a bunch of new socks from Sock It To Me in the past week, including the new SITM men’s socks. We now have nearly everything she offers except some of the patterns which we’re sure to bring in this winter to help brighten those long dreary days we’ll be having. Everyone who was here on picture day last week was more than happy to get a new pair to try (and for many, including the Great Amanda above, it was not their first pair). So how do we really feel about Sock It To Me? Here’s some of the buzz around Sock Dreams about them:
“Some of the cutest/funkiest socks around”
“One of the consistently most satisfying socks”
“The super heroes fit perfect, but the Maroon tri-stripe are kinda snug”
“Super fun and super cute”
“Really stretchy, comfy on little feet and they stay up forever”
“One of my favorites”
“Vivid, perfect knee highs that don’t shrink down to half size in the dryer”

Psssst… quick… over here… shhhhhh!!!!…

Fall is coming!! fall is coming!! fall is coming YAY!!  FANTASTIC SOCKS FOR FALL!! 

shhhh … I mean it!!

Keep it down now …. cause once it gets out that THESE ARE SOOO fANTASTIC  everybody and their mother is going to buy multiple pairs and deplete the stock before I get more. Envision an old movie department store scene where people are grabbing anything, and mutiple tug’s of war breakout…  ”mine, mine, mine” “I had it first” “let go of my sock” “Unhand that thigh high you cad“  :O)

In my humble opinion… The Cronert Ribbed Wool OTK’s are one of the best OTK socks since the old longsocks (sigh… remember them?!). Grab handfulls of these, stock up your sock drawers cause you are going to want to wear these daily! And oh yea… it’s really nice that they are wool (not the itchy kind.. the soft breathable touchable kind), and it’s certainly lovely that they are made by Cronert, and it’s really super that they come in great colors (the olive is trying to seduce me) … BUT… It’s just freakin AWESOME that they feel so good, fit so good, and are just so DARN COZY!

 The lightness of breathable wool was a wonderful surprise to me..

Now okay… you know I have to say it… I really could use a bit more length in them. That pretty little pattern change into the cable knit forms a line that starts at the top of my knee, so when I fold them over to cuff they just make it over my knees in length. I wish there was no pattern change line or that it started at least after my knee so that I could uncuff these and wear them as TRUE OTK’s (uncuffed as they are, I just don’t like that little line directly on my knee).

  Cuffed…Still makes it just over the knee of this Longer and Larger sock lover…

The cable knit part reminds me very much of the well adored Diamond Rid knee highs (similar stretch and feel to me), I dreamed of getting those knee highs in a thigh high, now these gorgeous OTK Cronerts are the closet thing I’ve found to that sock dream and I’m near giddy with delight. These don’t stay up perfectly (while walking, mine just sort slid down and then happily stayed just under my knees… so sock garters may be a must for some). And as far as foot fit goes, the heels “just” made it to meet mine (I would have loved some extra wiggle room)… but truly these are close enough for me… I LOVE THESE SOCKS!

Cool fall breezes and cozy, cuddly, beautiful days are coming and these are just what the doctor ordered.

Mine mine mine….

shhh.

Green is in the air…

Green is in the air
and so is a chill, with Fall near, tights weather is here!!!
We just restocked the EG Smith tights with the three missing colors due back soon. The quality of these tights seems better than ever this year as a new company has taken responsibility for their production and is also working with Eric (the E in EG Smith) on an exciting new line of green socks, not green like my new pair of chartreuse tights seen here, but green as in organically grown cotton dyed with natural dyes all made here in the US for what just might be the earth-friendliest socks ever! They should arrive by spring so stay tuned for that ~:) but for now, back to tights… EG Smith Bigger Better tights were not on the order list for awhile and that really upset us! sure these original “Leg Therapy” tights are supposed to fit up to 6 feet tall and 200 lbs, but not all proportions are comfortable in them and prefer the BBs. Better news? I’m asking them to make more colors in bigger better, including space dyed and heathers, and while we’re asking for stuff, how about some bigger better leggings? if you’ve tried to find genuine plus sized leggings you know there is room for improvement here. So here’s to dreaming up more ways to stay warm in the cooler months! Great for women and men alike, totally opaque with a nice roomy double-seamed rear and a few fresh images of the same old classic colors.

Cronert Preview

Arabesque over the knee socks
Simone brought our fall order in the other day…
I have been eagerly testing them out every day since!
I’ve photographed all but two styles (will add those next week) and am editing away tonight/tomorrow til I have them all ready to go. As soon as I do I’ll make them all live, should be by tomorrow afternoon. I already added in the four new argyles.
I went with small amounts of everything for this first order because they are fine Italian made socks and could put a dent in anyone’s sock budget, even mine. After trying nearly all of them I am most excited about the ribbed wool OTKs and will be ordering oodles to keep you all warm in the wee winter months ahead…
Cronert wool over the knee socks
notice how the larger size on the left are indeed longer than the smaller size on their right …and the stretch amazed us! unfortunately it was far too warm to really give those a try, but I saw enough to know you are all going to love them!

Arabesque dreams
btw, do any of you know the name and/or origin of the flower symbol on these?

Manly socks for chilly mornings

Argyle and Lola
We’ve been blessed with beautifully cool mornings here in the pacific northwest. Some mornings & evenings have even been nearly chilly making socks and extra covers ever inviting so we gave a few of our newest men’s socks a test run, or test walk to be more accurate. All three of these have varying amounts of virgin wool, nylon, viscose, cashmere & angora. Virgin wool is wool that has been spun for the first time, as opposed to recycled fibers. Viscose fascinates me because it is what they make rayon and cellophane from and according to Wikipedia Rayon is a very versatile fiber and has the same comfort properties as other natural fibers and can imitate the feel and texture of silk, wool, cotton and linen. The bad thing about rayon is that it isn’t usually machine washable but these are, though gentle handling is recommended. The Giacomo argyles were my favorite to look at…
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Since they are “men’s” socks they fit men’s shoe sizes 8-13 so any of you ladies who have trouble with the usual girl sized sock will find a friend in these since that would cover women’s shoe sizes 10-15 with generous ankle/calf room.
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These were my sweetie’s favorites…
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They were the first pair he picked out when shown the selection and have the loosest tops as you can see they don’t have the the turned welt cuff like the other two, though all will fit muscular calves just fine. Almost itchy before being washed, extra sensitive people beware, they do soften with gentle washings as the fibers fluff up, cotton socks worn under is also a good solution for sensitive feets, I thought they were very comfy for wool socks, I love that about Biella socks!

Seasonal Disregard

These super soft sockies can easily be slouched and layered!!

Sometimes I want to eat dessert before dinner

(maybe I’m a freak, but sweet stuff makes me hungry for a main meal)

Sometimes I like white after labor day

(especially when it FEELS like summer well into November)

Sometimes I wear inappropriate shoes

(I once wore combat boots with a gown to a ball, yes an actual “ball”…

and even though “Muffy” stole my jacket that night, I had a blast)

Sometimes red and green are not just for the holidaze

(despite occasionally rude commentary from confused people when I wear my red/green mstripes year round. hey, remember that old Crazy Eddy commercial guy… “it’s Christmas in July”!!)

Sometimes I put on ankle length leggings or long socks even though it’s hot as an oven outside

(They are my legs and I’ll dress them as I please when I please, thank you… and hey, didn’t those old fashioned bathing beauties actually wear long wool socks or sometimes even tights with their cool bathing suits?)

These sock staples are a good pick for ANY season!

Today it’s nearly 100 degrees outside and I’m sitting here in the lovely AC, wearing boxer shorts, sipping cinnamon tea, and wearing my brownie brown (that’s what I call them) Cronert Cotton Overknee socks. Am I breaking some sort of summer rule? Am I tempting the fashion police with my seasonal disregard? Who cares! I’m comfy, cozy and cool just the way I am.

The Cronert Cotton Overknee are an excellent light weight OTK in rich deep colors. In my dreams (my sock dreams that is), I have always wanted a pair of basic black OTK in a lighter thin knit, with no shine, soft flat matte or brushed texture, that of course would fit my feet and go well over my knees. I once had a pair (way back when) that was PERFECT and fit my specifications to a “T”. Then for years I could not find any.

When I first sought out our sock Goddess, this dream sock was what I was looking for. She led me to the E.G. Smith Solid Over the Knee Stockings, Though close enough to my dream to become a sock wardrobe staple for me, they still left a little to be desired in size and length. I’m happy to say that these Cronerts (though pricier than the EG Smiths) do come just a bit closer to my dream size wise, and texture wise these have a lovely almost brushed texture, but do have a little shine when pulled taught over a larger calf.

From previous experience with the Cronert spring striped anklets, I had anticipated these to be much friendlier to the larger footed. Though slightly more forgiving than the EG Smith’s, these still come out a bit snug on my toes when the heel is properly lined up (and surprisingly, the larges don’t seem to me to be significantly larger in the feet than the small, but they do seem slightly longer in length). And although they do make it over my knee, it is not by much, yet still a smidgeon more than the EG’s. If I had to choose between the two, I think I would choose the Cronerts for size and the Smiths for price. But luckily, here at SD I can have a pair (or three) of each :O)

The brushed softness of these is nearly as cuddly as Vel ;o)

The Cronert Cotton Overknees stay up mostly well, though they are prone to do that rolly thingy. If you have enough length you can try folding over a cuff on top as that seems to help them not roll, but if (like me) you don’t have enough over the knee length to do that, I recommend a garter to keep them perfectly where you want em.

All in all, I’d recommend these to anyone who’s listening… I’m pretty smitten with these.. and although I am truly enjoying them now in this nasty summer weather, I think I may just end up loving them even more in the cooler fall and winter weather.