It was once very unbecoming for a western woman to go out without stockings on; now, they are viewed less as modesty curtains, and more like a flattering veil, accentuating the contours of the leg. A wise woman knows that, sometimes, much of seduction involves showing less, not more.
Toward the end of the 19th century, items of all sorts, including stockings, began their “descent” into mass production, but there still remained a place for beautiful things. In 1923, Léon Fogal, son of a sock-knitter, opened his first store for hosiery on the Limmatquai in Zurich, Switzerland. He had a fine eye for textiles and the brand quickly became associated with high quality legwear. Fogal was also the first to import nylons, invented in 1938, and a great stir ensued; women queued up outside the boutiques to purchase these novelties, which became an instant wardrobe staple.
It wasn’t until 1960 that Fogal produced its first pantyhose; and continuing to raise the bar, eleven years later, the brand launched a style made of fine cashmere blended with silk—the first on the market. Today, Fogal works with select factories in Western Europe that operate in accordance with Okeo-Tex Standard 100 guidelines. The brand has done a fair bit of legwork, and their search for premier natural fibres has taken them across the globe and back. Their fine socks and ankle socks begin at Sea Island Cotton plantations on Barbados; their lustrous lingerie tops are spun out of silk produced by silkworm moths in China; and their exquisite sweaters are made from Andean vicuña wool—one of the most expensive in the world. In fact, the Inca revered the vicuña as bearers of the golden fleece.
This year, Fogal is celebrating its 90th anniversary with a limited edition collection available beginning October. Adele features a gold decorative seam that runs along the back of the legs, and Angelique is studded with little black Swarovski crystals applied by hand. Also coinciding with this milestone, Fogal collaborated with Academy Award–winning production and costume designer Catherine Martin to create custom legwear for The Great Gatsby that would represent the great, glittering, Roaring Twenties. Chou Chou features gorgeous patterning on the soles of the feet, the Charleston styles replicate garter suspenders, and Bijoux is adorned with rhinestones along the seams.
Silky and sumptuous, Fogal’s hosiery and knitwear is a delight to wear, and effortlessly elegant. Ladies, it is still advisable to don each piece with care—the material is sheer after all. Think of it as a little reminder to slow down in the process of dressing (and undressing); take pleasure in the simple, yet sensuous act of rolling stockings on.
