Fancy Stockings, Victorian Inspired

I found these images of original Victorian stockings on Flickr. Can you believe they are still in such good condition? Striped and patterned stockings were quite popular in Victorian England. John Tenniel was picking up on the trend when he did the famous drawings for Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass (1871), depicting Alice in her famous black and white striped tights.


Originally uploaded by thegatherings on flickr.com



I've been thinking about tights, socks, and stockings as of late. I suppose this is some sort of masochistic, heat-induced behavior. I'm just really excited to add some texture to my wardrobe with lace, pointelle, wool, knit, patterned, and crochet stockings. But alas, I will have to be patient for cool fall breezes. In the meantime, I can make a stocking wishlist, right? Free People has a great selection of interesting textured stockings and socks for the fall. Here are some Victorian-inspired samples that I can't wait to get my legs into:



Freepeople.com, Ribbed Surprise Over the Knee socks, $24


freepeople.com, Creeping Flowers Crochet tights, $34


freepeople.com, Paisley tights, $28

Free People Over the Knee Pointelle, Urban Outfitters, $24

Free People Crochet tights, Urban Outfitters, $38