Playful Promises Blog

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The Playful Promises Blog covering all things knicker-related! Bras, girdles, corsets, panties, knickers, gstrings, thongs, longline bra, bra sizes, la bra, suspender belts, garter, dresses, clothing, boutique, stockings, seamed stockings and more!

Filtering by Tag: hosiery

Dear Lady Unmentionable: How to wash hosiery

Im just wondering the best way to wash and store stockings and tights? any advice greatly appreciated

- Renee (via the Playful Promises Facebook)

As ladies, we all know how wonderful stockings and tights make us look and feel, but, we also know how annoying they can be to take care of! One slip or lack of concentration can lead to a ladder or hole and no matter what anyone says – that is never a good look!

Nylon and silk stockings and tights are both delicate and require a bit more TLC than some other hosiery; however, we all know it’s worth it ;)

Firstly, nylon hosiery CAN be machine washed, but only using a cold water setting.  Plus, they absolutely must be washed on their own – so machine washing can cause more trouble than it’s worth!

The best way to care for nylon and silk tights and stockings is definitely hand washing! Sorry, I know this seems a bore, but if you want perfect looking pins, sacrifices must be made (you should be treating all your lovely lingerie the same way, but I won’t judge you.. much).

Before you even begin washing your hosiery, check your nails! Make sure to file away any jagged edges, also remove any rings. You don’t want your precious tights to get caught and ladder or rip!

Now, fill your sink with lukewarm water and add half a cup of mild laundry powder (you can even use colourless shampoo if you don’t have any washing powder to hand!).

Turn your stockings or tights inside out and allow soaking for five minutes, remembering to wash similar colours together.

Now wash the products carefully, avoiding rubbing and pulling as you will stretch the hosiery making it unwearable.

Rinse, rinse and rinse again in cool water to get all the soap out and then gently squeeze the water out of the tights or stockings from the top down to the toe.

Once all the excess water has been removed, place the tights or stockings over a towel rail or something similar to air dry. Keep hosiery out of direct sunlight as the colours will fade.

When you wear your stockings or tights, avoid anything that they could snag on like corners of desks and tables or wooden seats and always carry a little bottle of clear nail varnish with you to dab on a hole or ladder as soon as you notice it!

As for storing your stockings and tights, either fold them nicely (even better if you have the original packaging) and keep in a drawer or hang up on a padded hanger. Rolling them up into a ball will cause them to become misshapen!

Love Bomb: Candy Baker

 

Candy Baker hosiery and Natacha Marro shoes modelled by Jessica Louise Abidde. Photo by Anna Swiczeniuk

Being a lingerie designer often creates the assumption that I sit around in girdles and fully fashioned stockings all day. If only this was the norm, but in my busy lifestyle I often have to make sacrifices, and dare I say it, jeans are sometimes put into play.

 

This is where Candy Baker and her glittering hosiery promises to be the salvation of the working woman!  The perfect accompaniment to throw on with a little black dress, these hosiery designs are great for a range of situations when you just can’t be bothered fiddling with straps, without compromising on sexiness.

 

Inspired by the lost glamour of the 1920s and 30s, each pair features a little sparkle to ensure you stand out from the crowd, a perfect gift or tempting indulgence!

 

Gallium

True to their inspiration, the newest Candy Baker collection for 2012/13 is the Art Deco Collection, which features some beautiful deco patterns. I can just see this gorgeous Gallium print teamed with a fringe flapper dress for a night on the town!

 

The Back Seam

One of my favourite picks from the Classic Crystal Collection (which is available now, full of designs inspired by the glitz and glamour of broadway), is the stunning Back Seam. I love seamed stockings and these just add a new level of sparkle to a retro staple.

 

Keep your eyes peeled on Candy Baker's site and their facebook page for their Lovebomb giveaway, where they will be giving away one S/M and one M/L Classic Crystal Backseam!