Review - GIO Seconds - Point Heel Fully Fashioned Stockings

Those who know me know that I have recently come to a love of all things vintage. As I get older I'm gradually progressing through the ages, from a fascination with medieval fashions in high-school I've finally reached the 1940s and 50s.   Possibly before I die I might just catch up with fashion, however for the moment I am very happy in my 'make do and mend' phase.

I have recently been accepted as a hosiery reviewer for Sweet Pins (www.sweetpins.com.au) this is very exciting for me because I have always had an interest (read: obsession) in hosiery, lingerie and all manner of delightful frippery.  So without any further ado, a review.

Item: Gio' Seconds - Point Heel Fully Fashioned Stockings (size 10.5)

My initial impression was a little sad, this was due to their packaging.  As a long time lover of Leona Edminston's hosiery I have been spoilt for packaging, accostomed to gently unwrapping these delicate pieces of indulgence from their tissue-paper shroud with my little cotton gloves (yes I have hosiery gloves they are a must if you have nails) has become a ritual I promise myself on bad days. The Gios came unmarked wrapped in plastic, but once opened they were a joy to unfurl, as nylon has no strech the stockings are as long as your legs (which in my case is considerable).

The stockings themselves are beautiful, soft with a beautiful satin sheen and whatever imperfection they may have you certainly have to hunt for; I found one on my black pair but haven't been able to locate one on my skin tone pair. Being truthful I'm not really looking if it doesn't leap out at me I anticipate it won't leap out at anyone else. 

Wearing these stockings is a joy, they are smooth, light and as they are fully fashioned and have no strech there is no longer the constant battle to keep them up.  I've worn them with a girdle and my trusty 8-strap suspender belt and my recommendation would be the suspender belt. This is simply because I found the girdle held the stocking just that little bit too low, in contract the suspender belt offers the full range of adjustment which meant I was able to get the fit just right.

The other aspect of these stockings that has me over then moon with joy is the sizing, I'm tall and I have big feet.  This means that buying stockings can be a chore, even the ones that claim to fit me often wind up dragging down two sit the gusset somewhere around my knees, very attractive and comfortable.  Because Gio fully fashioned stockings are 100% nylon they have no strech in them (as I previously mentioned) this means they have to make them in more than S/M, M/Tall and Tall/X-Tall (I'm not sure who decided that X-Tall is 5'11" another fashion industry conundrum) the upside of this is it is easy to find a pair of Gio stocking to fit just about anyone!

I've been wearing these stockings all day and they haven't fallen down, laddered or disappointed me in anyway.  The lack of stretch takes some getting used to, instead of hugging your legs like a demanding child like more modern stockings do nylons instead shift over your legs as you walk in a sort of caress, more like a lover with very soft hands.

I am definitely a convert to what Ms Von Teese calls 'the lovely rasp of nylon'.  If you're thinking about trying fully fashioned stockings do try these and becasue they're slightly less than perfect (like the rest of us) they're so much cheaper you needn't feel bad about the indulgence.