Tag Archives: business

Story of a Pantyhose Entrepreneur in Ukraine

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Written by Inna, Ukraine: 

There is no mystery in the fact that the most renowned fashion designers, stylists and hear-dressers are men. So, probably we wouldn’t raise our eyebrows at all to being told a happy ending story about a businessman who found his devotion to hosiery manufacturing, as the story of this lucky man falls seamlessly under man-in-fashion-and-beauty lore definition. Except for one thing: namely, that our Ukrainian culture has never bargained for it.

Maxim Kuzmenko, the owner and ardent ruler of OMAX International company, based in the Ukraine, was pondering over his own business since getting the last classes of his school education. His commercial streak was being honed during the early 90’s. At that time,  the future leg-wear factory mogul occupied himself with marketing consumer and industrial goods of different kinds into the country, largely importing (what at that time verged on smuggling) them from abroad.

I’m not going to relate the whole chronicle of the OMAX boss’s genesis, but it’s worth noting that his path into hose-knitting Heaven wasn’t so easy, due to the nature of the product he was dealing with. He faced ups and downs in his industrious efforts to cobble together the best experts, up-to-date equipment, novel technologies and reliable partners. A lot of changes had happened since the moment Maxim Kuzmenko tweaked and dyed first number of so-called “tubes” and wholesaled them to the local market retailers, but probably the most important change that occurred was in  his attitude to this women-aimed fancy item itself – pantyhose.

And now, years after hearing of a Russian luxury yacht owner who had made his fortune selling women’s hosiery, Maxim Kuzmenko, Head of Omax International has his own luxury yacht, except instead of being moored at Monte Carlo, it is moored at Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.

Omax International Stockings Advertisement

Sofia Vergara crunching numbers

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by David, United States

sofia vergara on the beach… This recent photograph of Sofia Vergara with her boyfriend and fiancé Nick Loeb seems to contradict rumors that the relationship is in trouble; they seem to be quite happy.  The "buzz" is that Nick wants Sofia to invest in his highly successful consumer foods business "Crunchy Condiments" but that she is resisting… this is only rumor. "Crunchy Onions" topping has been successfully launched into stores across the USA, with "Crunchy Ketchup" and "Crunchy Pickles" to follow next year. So, let’s "Crunch" the numbers on Sofia:

At the age of forty one, her rise to the top has been a whirlwind of successes, with many more surely to come. Born into a wonderful and wealthy cattle rancher’s family in Columbia, Sofia began studying pre-dentistry in college.

A few years later her path took a sharp turn when she was discovered on a beach by a fashion photographer, and she began getting lucrative modeling jobs. Her first national fame across Latin America came when she did a widely broadcast Pepsi commercial. Numerous modeling and television acting roles followed, and she made her launch onto the USA scene when she signed a contract with ABC that led to a starring role on the sitcom "Modern Family" as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett.

On July 18, 2012, it was announced by Fortune Magazine that for the preceding twelve months, Gloria was the highest earning woman in US television, ringing up total sales of $19 million. Crunch that! Cha-ching!

Sofia Vergara in black pantyhose

… That kind of money could certainly help cover the marketing rollout of Nick’s new "Crunchy Pickles" topping! But, enough said. Fantasy Stockings doesn’t want to "get into a pickle" with Sofia over that one!

Here are some photographs of the beautiful and talented Sofia Vergara wearing – you guessed it – pantyhose – for all of our Fantasy Stockings friends and fans. Enjoy them, while I go out to my local grocery store to find some of those "Crunchy Onions" – they should go great on top of the hamburgers I’ve been planning for dinner! Happy Holidays to each of you, and the best of the New Year.

 

*Dear friends, please keep in mind that the funding for this blog comes from the shop section. Please have a look at it.*

 

 

 

 

Swedish Diplomat Fired for His Illegal Pantyhose Smuggling Business

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Swedish diplomat accused of smuggling pantyhose from Belarus into Russia

Case from 2009:  Moscow embassy fired a Swedish diplomat, Andres Martin Fors, who became nicknamed as a “pantyhose” diplomat who used his untouchable status to smuggle hosiery from a factory in Belarus to Russia without paying duties or taxes and giving it to local stores to sell on consignment basis.

Usually foreign diplomats are accused of espionage, but this one had a refreshingly new entrepreneurial case.  Still, because of diplomatic immunity the diplomat could not be arrested by Moscow police, but he was dismissed from his position in Moscow.  This is against Vienna convention for a diplomat to engage in such activity.

*Dear friends, please keep in mind that the funding for this blog comes from the shop section. Please have a look at it.*

2nd Skin Pantyhose Marketing Plan

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Look what I found floating on the internet… Not on purpose, I was simply looking for marketing information on pantyhose for an article that I want to put together.  I won’t release the topic just yet, but I promise it will generate a lot of noise.

2nd Skin Pantyhose Marketing Plan seems to touch on competition (Under Armour), but somehow I find their financial projections to be almost absent.  I’d expect to see some kind of focus groups personally in that section.

Manufacturers of panty hose have long recognized that there is a vast untapped market for their product: men seeking relief from wind and cold. However, panty hose manufacturers have been unable to tap directly into this market because of the stigma associated with men wearing what are considered women’s undergarments. This research presents a strategy to openly market panty hose to men and take advantage of this opportunity.

View the rest of the marketing plan here:

http://fundworx.com/pdfs/Marketing_PlanPantyHosePosted031611.pdf

I realize that this is available to public, hence I see no problem talking about it on my blog.  But if 2nd Skin people decide they don’t like it, please tell me and I’ll take this post down right away.

For me personally the most interesting part of the document is the sources since I’d love to get my hands on actual goods.

 

 

Women Oriented Hotel in Calgary Offers Pantyhose to Visitors

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Hyatt women oriented hotel in Calgary decided to offer women-friendly service with rooms equipped with curling irons, hairspray, deodorant, and even pantyhose!  For a travelling woman these are essential items that she just can’t do without.

Business woman sitting in airport lounge, feet on suit case

Hyatt Women Oriented Hotel in Calgary Offers Pantyhose to Visitors

I really hope that when I visit Calgary, I’ll stay at that pantyhose hotel.  Looks like I may need to go there soon anyway, after they recover from the flood.  It is a very developed city and I only managed to see it for about an hour before when I drove through it.  Many people come there for business.

Isn’t this a progress that a hotel finally decides to recognize pantyhose as a basic need for a business woman?  It’s just as important as groomed hair and clean clothes.

A big hosiery fan like me for sure won’t forget to pack pantyhose, but I still would be excited to dig through some pantyhose provided in my hotel room.  Do you have any thoughts on this new marketing technique for hotels?  With the growing number of female entrepreneurs, this could be a very smart strategy.

Pantyhose Brand Comparison on Russian Radio Mayak – Sisi, Filodoro, Omsa, Golden Lady, and Glamour

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This is a radio show from Russian Radio Mayak, lead by Sergey Stillavin and friends.  It is sad to say that this show just closed down in 2012.

Stillavin team

Left to right: unknown, Vladimir Pastuhov, Victoria Kolosova, Rustam Vahidov, Sergey Stillavin

In this particular show they discuss 5 popular brands on Russian market – Filodoro, Omsa, Golden Lady, Glamour, and Sisi and the public votes.  Some people phone in to express their opinion and some leave messages by SMS.

We should make an important note here that Omsa brand is actually owned by Golden Lady.  This we can easily learn from their website.  It is mentioned in the show by one of the hosts too, but the question about exactly HOW these 5 brands were chose is not answered.  As you see below, some callers expressed this concern too.

 PANTYHOSE BRAND COMPARISON

 

Sergey Stillavin What a sweet topic we are going to have today!
   
Victoria Kolosova Pantyhose?
   
Sergey Stillavin I am trying to be docile, especially topics that are about women. I myself actually stopped wearing pantyhose when I was 6.  
   
Sergey Stillavin Today we are going to choose the best brand of women’s pantyhose. This is very important! I spoke to small business owners who have small shops and kiosks near subway stations about products that bring the most revenue in high traffic areas.  They said that the best thing is to sell pantyhose because it is a renewable resource.  Nobody today bothers to stitch up and fix runs in pantyhose.  
   
Victoria Kolosova My friend a while back taught me how to fix runs (reconstructing the weave) and I knew how to do it.  She had a special hook for doing that.  If you are having insomnia, doing this is the best way to fall asleep!  
   
Sergey Stillavin Here is Victoria with her stories about pantyhose.  We’ll also hear about stockings today, of course.  As I understand, today you are always in pants and you are not wearing anything under?  
   
Victoria Kolosova I am not wearing (any pantyhose underneath the pants).  
   
Sergey Stillavin But at least sometimes?  Your husband, Maxim, asks you to wear?  
   
Victoria Kolosova Yes, sometimes, but it’s just that my legs get itchy.  
   
Sergey Stillavin (joking) From what?  Maybe you simply need to shave your legs!  
   
Victoria Kolosova (shyly) I am allergic.  For real, my legs begin to itch.  
   
Sergey Stillavin Today I am inviting respectful women, young women, and men (specifically male businessmen) who sell pantyhose to join our discussion.   
   
Rustam Vahidov (interrupting) Did you ever kiss women’s feet in pantyhose?  
   
Victoria Kolosova (giggling) Unwashed?  
   
Sergey Stillavin Stop leading us astray!  
   
Sergey Stillavin We need an expert opinion on whether items, depending on their brands, are really different.  Or (like once we had a phone call about jeans) all these brands are all made at the same factory.  Do these products really differ based on brand and price?  What is the (quality) range?  For example to me all these names are familiar because of TV commercials, especially in winter, when women begin to dress warmer.  Which ones of these advertised brands actually became popular? Today we have 5 candidate brands: 
  ·         Sisi
  ·         Glamour
  ·         Filodoro
  ·         Golden Lady
  ·         Omsa
   
Rustam Vahidov (about Filodoro) …very well known.
   
Victoria Kolosova (about Filodoro) … and most expensive.
   
Sergey Stillavin There are also elite brands, like Wolford, I think.   
   
Rustam Vahidov Yesterday I’ve heard it was Pierre Cardin.   
   
Sergey Stillavin Pierre Cardin makes everything, except for the chairs!  
   
Victoria Kolosova Pierre Cardin is available in all supermarkets in quite large quantities.  
   
Sergey Stillavin Ok, somehow we chose five brands.  Ladies, let us know your consumer opinion please, and we welcome to hear from men about the trade.  
  What are the pricing policies from the manufacturers, does the quality of pantyhose really vary, and brand is it that people buy most of?  
  Because popularity is simply what the person is used to hearing, but real sales data makes up the statistics.    
  Sisi, Glamour, Filodoro, Omsa, Golden Lady – wow, what kind of names!  Who came up with such names?  
  There is a real emphasis on Italy – somehow it is very strict that pantyhose have to be Italian, is it right?   
   
Vladimir Pastuhov Filodoro was created by my friend, Dima Sedon. He now lives in Switzerland and he is a professional cyclist racer.  At first they’d bring it in their hand luggage!  They designed it on their own, ordered manufacturing from an Italian factory, came up with this name by themselves, started to bring it in.    
   
Sergey Stillavin (interrupting) They came up with this name?  Seriously?  
   
Vladimir Pastuhov Yes, then later some 2 other Russian guys flew in on their own airplane and for 5 million dollars took this start up for themselves.  
   
Sergey Stillavin So that means it’s completely our own (Russian) story.  But what about Omsa and Golden Lady?  
   
Vladimir Pastuhov I am not informed about those at all.  
   
Sergey Stillavin OK, girls, please call in to give us your expert opinion.  Men, please only call if you sell it.  Let’s not discuss like Vahidov about what’s more pleasurable to kiss, sniff…    
   
Rustam Vahidov (interrupting) … to pull off!   
   
Sergey Stillavin That’s later…  Why pull off?  Let’s not pull off.  Better pull on.  
   
  Phone call from Angela, 27 yrs old, Moscow:
   
Angela (Caller) Good morning.  
   
Sergey Stillavin Please, we have Sisi, Glamour, Filodoro, Golden Lady, and Omsa – what brand do you prefer?  
   
Angela (Caller) Out of these five I’d choose Sisi.  But I wanted to say, you were just talking about Pierre Cardin…  Pierre Cardin is superb.  
   
Sergey Stillavin Super!  In terms of prices, which one is the most expensive brand?  
   
Angela (Caller) Oh, maybe not Golden Lady, it’s just that I don’t use those as much.  In supermarkets the price for Pierre Cardin is very affordable and the quality is very good.  
   
Sergey Stillavin Angela, how much does a basic pair of pantyhose cost?  
   
Angela (Caller) Last time I bought it for 110 rubles.  
  (converts to $3.50 USD)
   
Sergey Stillavin How long do you wear them for until you get a snag in them, until they are no longer wearable?  
   
Angela (Caller) For me personally it’s 2 – 3 weeks.  
   
Victoria Kolosova That’s good!  
   
Vladimir Pastuhov I wanted to ask, what to you are superb pantyhose?  Is it before all its durability, or is it the color, the shade?  
   
Angela (Caller) Yes, you said that right; it’s the colour, it looks good when worn.  The quality too.  Since I wear pantyhose with both skirts and pants, it completely works for me either way.  They don’t fall off.  
   
Victoria Kolosova Also you need to pay attention to the design of the pantyhose and the type.  For example, some have low rise waistline, some shape the hips, some shape the legs… they are all different.  
   
Sergey Stillavin Like this will soon start talking about the gusset!  
   
Angela (Caller) Options are limitless, you’ll choose one eventually.  
   
Sergey Stillavin (interrupting) Angela, the main question that bothers me in winter, when women walk in a skirt and pantyhose, do those sheer nylons actually keep you warm?  
   
Angela (Caller) That’s horrible! Today I stepped out to start heating up my car and I saw a young woman in a mini skirt and thin pantyhose.  That’s just horrible.  
   
Victoria Kolosova Actually men wear it too.  Natalia writes to us (SMS) that her husband wears warm pantyhose when he goes fishing.  
   
Sergey Stillavin Is this why Vladmir is interested in the fishermen?  
   
Vladimir Pastuhov I also have one story about pantyhose.  At the time when TV Shopping Channel became popular, besides kitchenware the topic of pantyhose was also raised.  My friends came up with a plan.  Pantyhose come in different denier.  They brought from Taiwan 90 den No Name pantyhose and announced them as   anti-cellulite  .  A whole line up formed and in a matter of 24 hours it was sold out.  But a few days later a local prosecutor came all puffed up and promised those guys a TV broadcast and executions, because his wife’s cellulite didn’t disappear.  We quickly ceased these activities.  
   
SMS Message You forgot to mention pantyhose from Birobidjan (autonomous Jewish state of Russia).  There is nothing worse in the world – they wear for 20 minutes and the rest of the time hang at the knees.    
   
  Phone call from Sergey: 
   
Sergey Stillavin Do you sell pantyhose?  
   
Sergey, Caller No, I’m more likely a consumer.  
   
Sergey Stillavin Tell us!  
   
Sergey, Caller This story didn’t happen to me.  It happened in one of the resorts in Minsk.  There was a health resort with mud baths.  A woman came, undressed, and took her clothes with her, but forgot her pantyhose.  After her an elderly gentleman came in and was also told to undress, come in, immerse himself into the mud bath, and enjoy.  He saw the pantyhose and thought that he is supposed to wear it, so he put it on and sat in the mud bath.  He sat in the mud for whatever duration was recommended, maybe an hour.  After that it took about 2 hours for staff to pull off his pantyhose!  Those were probably very high quality pantyhose.  
   
Sergey Stillavin Do you cohabitate with women?  
   
Sergey, Caller I have a wife.  
   
Sergey Stillavin What brand does your wife prefer? Or, maybe you are not informed about her interests?  
   
Sergey, Caller I see that she buys some, but I don’t know what kind.  Probably good ones.  
   
Sergey Stillavin Ok, so you don’t check out the pictures on the packaging.  Thank you very much, Sergey.  
   
Victoria Kolosova Julia writes to us (SMS) “I hate skin-tone pantyhose, it’s horrible, vulgar, and not attractive, especially when shiny”
   
Rustam Vahidov Why?  There are pantyhose with lurex as far as I know, right?  
   
Victoria Kolosova There are glossy ones.  
   
Rustam Vahidov Glowing!  That’s cool.  
   
Sergey Stillavin (towards Victoria) …  How do you feel about pantyhose?  Is it just an item of clothing, like a jacket?  
   
Victoria Kolosova Guys, now it is very fashionable to wear prints and colourful pantyhose, there is a massive selection out there, but my legs itch from it and I don’t have anyone to scratch it for me at work.  
   
Vladimir Pastuhov We got a message from a criminal (SMS) – “the most important thing is that through pantyhose you can’t see the face”.  
   
Rustam Vahidov We are getting a message here asking us how come if yesterday we were eating chocolate Easter eggs in our test drive session, why can’t we all wear pantyhose today for TopRussia show?  
   
Victoria Kolosova Those are two different shows!  
   
Vladimir Pastuhov Bring it, we’ll wear it.  
   
   
  Caller Oksana has a pantyhose business, Moscow
   
Sergey Stillavin Oksana, pantyhose sell well, correct?  What do people buy most out of the five brands we listed?  
   
Oksana, Caller Yes, correct.  Omsa and Filodoro are top sellers.  
   
Sergey Stillavin What about the price?   
   
Oksana, Caller Around 20-30 rubles difference in retail price.  (converts to less than $1 USD) I don’t think it’s a big difference for the consumer.  
   
Sergey Stillavin Tell us please, as a professional, do these 5 brands really differ in quality?  
   
Oksana, Caller They differ very much in the quality of weave, and correspondingly that would determine the lifespan of wearing these pantyhose.  
   
Sergey Stillavin Let’s say those that are better quality and those that sell best, is it the same thing?  Do people really buy mostly durable items?  
   
Oksana, Caller Advertisement of course did its job.  For example, Glamour pantyhose are just awful, but people buy them and I don’t understand why.  But for example brands like Pierre Cardin and Philippe Matignon sell less, but their quality is better.  
   
Sergey Stillavin On average, what is the lifespan of wearing pantyhose?  
   
Oksana, Caller I think 2 – 3 times, not longer.  What that young woman said about her wearing it for two weeks is unimaginable.  Maybe she washes it, dries it, and then maybe she stores onions in them?  I think only 2 – 3 times maximum for wearing.  
   
Victoria Kolosova I also can’t imagine that, wearing for so long.  
   
Sergey Stillavin Now we are choosing a finalist out of 5 brands.  At the moment the highest chances are for the brands Filodoro and Golden Lady.  Among the outsiders are Sisi, Glamour, and Omsa.  What brand should be the winner?  
   
  Caller Elena, 29 years old, Archangel
   
Elena, Caller I am a consumer.    
   
Sergey Stillavin So, out of these brands, which one should become the queen of pantyhose?  
   
Elena, Caller I think that neither out of these 5 brands is good.  But I most note, I like Filodoro stockings, but the rest of the pantyhose are all of average quality.  
   
Sergey Stillavin Do you wear stockings to work or for personal business?  
   
Elena, Caller Starting May I wear stockings all the time.  
   
Rustam Vahidov And with flip-flops, do you wear stockings too?  
   
Elena, Caller No.  When the season allows for it, I wear stockings.  In the summer – of course not.  I only wear pantyhose in winter, and only those that are warm.  
   
Sergey Stillavin But still, from the list of these pantyhose brands, which ones do you give preference to?  
   
Elena, Caller I don’t know, I think Omsa.  This brand is present on the Russian market since the beginning of the 90’s.  Do you remember their commercial with a slogan?  By quality they are the best out of all presented brands by you.You didn’t introduce the brand «Грация» (Gracia) that is very popular among Russian women.  I am talking about their warm pantyhose.The brands that you are comparing poorly represent selection of winter pantyhose.
 
SMS Message There are real brand name pantyhose and there are knock offs.  
   
SMS Message Child, if your product is only one-time use, perhaps you are purchasing knock offs?  I usually wear Omsa at least a season, but of course I don’t climb fences while wearing it.  Lyudmila
   
Rustam Vahidov Do people wash pantyhose at all?  
   
Victoria Kolosova Of course, every day!  You don’t wear your socks all month long, right?  
   
Sergey Stillavin Foreigners at the end of the 80’s… not for all women it would be pleasant to remember…  I remember reading notes about what foreigners think about Soviet women.  One of the things listed as what they just can’t understand was why is it that Soviet women sniff their pantyhose before washing!   
   
Rustam Vahidov Sniff which part?  
   
Sergey Stillavin In general, just checking so by accident they don’t wash the ones that are still not dirty.  
   
Rustam Vahidov I remember that from cracked heels pantyhose rips fast.  Snags appear.  
   
  Caller Stas
   
Sergey Stillavin Let’s hear out Stas, is he a seller of pantyhose?  
   
Stas, Caller I am a consumer, but not for the intended use.  
   
Sergey Stillavin How so?  
   
Stas, Caller I would like to defend pantyhose by Sisi, 40 den. My wife had such.  They are a perfect fit for the timing belt in the car – I checked.  In the summer we went out of town and our timing belt ripped and my wife’s pantyhose came in handy.  
   
Rustam Vahidov What car was that, a tank?  
   
Stas, Caller Volga.  So Sisi pantyhose were suitable, I remember my wife was wearing it at the time.  
   
Sergey Stillavin Do you, Rustam, control your wife’s pantyhose purchases?  Do you know what brand of pantyhose she buys?  
   
Rustam Vahidov No.    
   
Vladimir Pastuhov Oh-oh!  I see that you both probably spend your days at the pantyhose section of the department stores!  
   
Rustam Vahidov I only notice brands on television, like most of us, or in the crosswalk if I see a crowd of women near a kiosk.  There are line ups there.  
   
Victoria Kolosova A woman should always have a spare pair of pantyhose in her purse.  If she has a run or a snag, how can she wear it ripped?  Women can go and change pantyhose.  
   
Sergey Stillavin Then is this why you, women, have such long line ups in the washroom because you change clothing there?  
   
Victoria Kolosova So what, everyone has their weaknesses.  
   
  Caller Anna, 26 years old, Moscow
   
Sergey Stillavin At what age did you start wearing pantyhose for adult women?  
   
Anna, Caller Wow, I don’t remember, I think at 20.  
   
Sergey Stillavin And before that?  
   
Anna, Caller Before that I didn’t wear dresses.  
   
Sergey Stillavin Stop laughing! (to the colleagues) Out of these 5 brands, which one do you prefer?  
   
Anna, Caller I’d choose Omsa, but I also wanted to mention something about the quality of Sisi.  I purposely bought same denier to compare and noticed that Sisi rips much faster.  Sisi pantyhose last in general only one day.  
   
Sergey Stillavin What about Omsa?  How long do they last?  
   
Anna, Caller For sure 3 – 4 days of wear.  
   
Sergey Stillavin And in that timespan, how many times do you manage to wash this pair of pantyhose?  
   
Anna, Caller Also 3 – 4 times.  
   
Sergey Stillavin So that means you have to wash it every day?  
   
Anna, Caller Yes, respectively.  
   
Sergey Stillavin This is horrible!  
   
Victoria Kolosova What’s horrible?  
   
Sergey Stillavin To wash it every day.   
   
   
  Caller Oleg, Moscow, pantyhose businessman
   
Sergey Stillavin Let’s ask Oleg.  Are you a pantyhose businessman?  
   
Oleg, Caller Yes, I work with pantyhose since 1995.  
   
Sergey Stillavin So tell us, what brand sells most?  
   
Oleg, Caller I want to word this a little bit differently.  In every brand there are good quality pantyhose and low quality pantyhose, so all of you forgot about that.  So within every brand you can point out pantyhose that would last a long time and those that would rip up right away.  
   
Sergey Stillavin Which ones are the best in general?  Please vote on our site www.TopRussia.ru, for the whole week.  

 

PANTYHOSE BRAND COMPARISON RESULTS:

Voting in semi-final and final competitions:

Omsa – #1

Filodoro – #2

Golden Lady – #3

Sisi – #4

Glamour – #5

 

http://toprussia.ru/strumpfhose/

Top_Russia_voting_pantyhose_results

 

SOURCE:

Original Video (In Russian, 1st Half – Auto Comparison, 2nd Half – Pantyhose Brand Comparison)

http://youtu.be/GEfAnBWT0RU

 

DO YOU WANT TO READ PART 2?

 

 

American Hosiery Association

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Dear friends, is anyone of you by any chance a member of the American Hosiery Association?  I would love to have a look at what they have, but the costs are way too high to justify for this blog.

If anyone is a member, I offer an opportunity to trade perhaps promotion for shared access, if that makes any sense.  Please contact me directly if you are a member and would like to discuss this possibility.

friends@fantasystockings.com

Eastern Europe: Pantyhose As a Sign of Financial Prosperity

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As you can learn from the history of hosiery, it was always regarded as something of higher class because simple peasants in villages could not afford it and only the wealthy would wear it.

In Eastern Europe this still holds true.  Here are some references for your interest from a variety of Eastern-European sources where women equate pantyhose with money.  Pantyhose as a sign of Financial Prosperity!

___________________________________

Russian Deputy, Nina Ostanina, as a response to accusations of blackmail, makes a statement to show that she has enough money in order not to engage in criminal activities:

“I have enough money to buy myself a skirt and a pair of pantyhose!” – Nina Ostanina, Russian Deputy

Nina Ostanina at a talent show and a nice blond host in pantyhose ГђВќГђВёГђВЅГђ° ОстÐ°Р“ђВЅГђВёГђВЅГђ°, ГђВєГђВѕГђ»Р“ђВіГђВѕГ‘‚ки

Nina Ostanina is a mature lady on the left in a black knee high dress. At this concert the blond host is wearing pantyhose, but Nina isn’t from what it looks. Could it be in fact true that this poor deputy engages in blackmail because she doesn’t have enough money for pantyhose and a skirt?

___________________________________

Svetlana Hodchenkova, a Russian actress, came to a fashion show in a strange outfit, according to a Ukrainian 7 Day Newspaper.  Despite the cold weather, she was wearing a fur coat and sandals worn on bare legs and the media was quick to issue a mocking headline to address such nonsense.

Is Svetlana Hodchenkova saving money on pantyhose? Newspaper Headline, mocking her bare leg appearance

Svetlana Hodchenkova in white pantyhose

But it looks like she changed her mind when it came to getting attention of the opposite sex.  Smart move, Svetlana!

 ___________________________________

Natalya Tolstaya, a Russian psychologist/sexologist/writer, gives as an example of a greedy husband, saying that a woman should not beg her husband for some money to buy pantyhose.  She mentions all sorts of pantyhose scenarios in her videos. If requests are received, I’d be glad to retrieve them for you.

According to Natalya Tolstaya, the ultimate example of having a greedy husband is having to beg him for some money to buy pantyhose. 

Natalya Tolstaya, in the middle, wearing pantyhose and 2 women in hosiery on the sides from her.

Natalya Tolstaya is the lady in the middle. Do you think that this hosiery clad trio has generous enough husbands who give them money for pantyhose?

 

Would you like to imagine what people would think if a woman would come with bare legs to a business meeting?  I hope you read this article with a sense of humour, but keep in mind that in every joke there is a part of truth.

 

*Thank you to my Ukrainian and Russian friends who helped me to put together this article – Pantyhose As a Sign of Financial Prosperity.*

Sources (in foreign language):

Deputy Article,  Mocking Bare Legs Article,  Natalia Tolstaya YT Videos

 

 

Run Resistant Hosiery

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Some Styles of Run Resistant Hosiery are Available at the Shop Section!

This article is by T. Gallagher from USA, an industry expert and a person with great knowledge about different types of run resistant hosiery.  We express such gratitude to him for taking the time to write for Fantasy Stockings blog and share his knowledge.

buy run resistant hosiery for better performance

This is a package of Brooke’s run resistant pantyhose.

See if you can relate to this story. Its Monday morning, you hit the snooze on your alarm clock one too many times, and now you are running late for work. You are in a full blown frenzy desperately trying to get out the door. You rush to brush your teeth, shower, get dressed, do your hair, and get your makeup just right. You open a new package of your favorite pantyhose. You slip your feet in, gently slide the hose up your legs, tuck yourself in, only to realize that you have a huge run up the back of your leg.

Seriously, what business professional wants to be in the middle of a presentation and realize she has a glaring unsightly run up the side of her leg for all to see?  For that matter, who wants to be at an elegant dinner party or wedding and discover a snag has opened up into an unsightly hole or ladder? Ladders, rips, runs, and snags are often cited by women as the main reason they don’t wear or stopped wearing hosiery including pantyhose stockings and tights.

There is a solution: Run resistant hosiery technology. Run resistant hosiery technology does exist and has been around for decades. When manufactured correctly, hosiery that utilizes run-resistant technology is not only more durable it actually increases the appeal and experience of wearing hosiery. Run-resistant hosiery technology is relatively inexpensive to incorporate in the manufacturing process.

For years, the hosiery industry chose to shelve run-resistant technology. Hosiery manufacturers were slow to embrace and invest in new advances in sewing and textile equipment and processes.
They were content with the status quo and followed the short sighted logic that they would lose business and profit if they made hosiery that was durable. "Sell more to make more profit" was the prevailing thought process of most hosiery manufacturers. Instead of making a product that would last, they chose to make a product that was prone to fail. Had the manufacturers incorporated run resistant technology when it first became available, one could argue more women would still be wearing hosiery today.

buy run resistant hosiery

Run resistant technology for hosiery involves a two-step process.

The first step in producing run resistant hosiery involves changing how the fibers and threads forming the hosiery are stitched, machined, or woven together. In regular hosiery (prone to ladders, runs, rips, and snags) the fibers and threads are plain stitched together which is a looser weave or stitch process. In run-resistant hosiery, the weave or stitch is tightened up. Tightening the weave is referred to as the knotting process or lock stitching. In some hosiery, the knotting process or lock stitching is focused on key areas prone to runs including the waistband, panty, crotch, gusset, heel, toes, and the transition point between the panty and leg. In true run resistant hosiery, the knotting process or lock stitching is incorporated throughout the entire product from waistband to toe.

The second step in run-resistant hosiery involves blending the original nylon fiber with another synthetic or natural fiber. Some examples include acrylic, acetates, cotton, lycra/spandex, polyesters, polyethylene, polyurethane, and polyvinyl, rayon, silk, and wool fibers. The most common blend in hosiery is to combine nylon with lycra/spandex. By increasing the amount of lycra/spandex content, the more run-resistant the hosiery becomes. For example, a pair of pantyhose with a 80% nylon and 20% lycra/spandex blend is going to be more run resistant or more durable than a pair with a 90% nylon and 10% lycra/spandex blend. One drawback to incorporating more Lycra/Spandex into the blend is the denier or thickness of the hosiery increases. A true sheer pantyhose blend would have a 86% Nylon and 14% Lycra/Spandex content. Anything more would result in a heavier denier or thicker ‘tights like’ hosiery product.

buy run resistant hosiery for better performance

run resistant hosiery won’t snag easily

A shortcut would be to stop at the stitching process. However, the finished product would be rougher and uncomfortable to wear. Likewise, blending nylon with lycra/spandex fibers alone would still lead to ladders, rips, runs, and snags. To achieve wearable run-resistant hosiery both steps must be utilized.

 

An early example of a run resistant hosiery brand that I remember was the Brooke Shields Forever Sheer Non-Run Pantyhose. Brooke would sell her brand of hosiery on infomercials only. During her half hour commercial she would take knives, forks, staples, scissors, and other sharp objects to her hose and show they would not snag or run. The visual demonstrations were quite effective and consumer response was strong.

More recently, Microfiber technology has been incorporated in the manufacturing of hosiery as a way to increase run resistance. Microfiber technology is also a process of blending fibers. Microfibers are more commonly synthetic fibers although some natural fibers have been incorporated in the process. The shape, size and combinations of synthetic fibers are selected for specific characteristics, including: softness, durability, breathability, thermal regulating, and wicking properties. Microfiber is also very elastic, making it ideal for hosiery. Microfibers allow for stronger more durable hosiery at lower denier or thickness. Not only does microfiber technology enhance run-resistance… Microfiber technology increases overall comfort, durability, fit, and feel of hosiery. Have you ever felt hot or tend to perspire wearing hosiery? How about a binding sensation or itchy feeling from a pair of pantyhose? Ever have a pair of pantyhose or tights lose their shape, sag, or bunch up/wrinkle at the ankle? Thanks to the incorporation of microfibers into hosiery those problems can also be a thing of the past.

buy run resistant hosiery for better performance

Example of a hole in run resistant hosiery. This specific one is from Forte run resistant tights by Fiore.

High end manufacturers of hosiery in Europe were the first to incorporate run-resistant technology including the use of microfibers in their hosiery products. Brands like Wolford, Falke, Kunert, Gypsy, Gerbe, Filodoro, Elbeo, Cette, Pretty Polly, and Transparenze all have incorporated run resistant technology and the use of microfibers into their product lines. United States brands like Hanes, Berkshire, Just My Size, Leggs, No-Nonsense and Silkies were soon to follow. They all have released run-resistant hosiery in their product lines. Asian manufacturers have also started producing lines of run resistant hosiery.

One can only hope that hosiery manufacturers have learned from their mistakes of the past… opting for the wise choice to embrace improved processes and technology that lead to better products for their customers.

 

Have you tried or do you have a favorite brand of run resistant hosiery? Tell us about it and share your story below.

 

Vintage Youtube videos for Other Run Resistant Pantyhose

1990 Run Free Pantyhose commercial

K-tel “Perfect Pantyhose” commercial

*Friends, please check out the shop section, this is what funds this blog. At the moment Gatta and Fiore run resistant hosiery is available to buy.*

Pantyhose Surprise at the Vancouver Comedy Theatre

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I went to a comedy in Vancouver and I was jumping up and down in my seat when they played this video in the intermission.  I couldn’t believe it!

This actor does a formal talk about business events.  But as soon as he is finished, he walks off, revealing his bottom half in pantyhose and high heels.  His confidence is outstanding!

 

 

If you live in Vancouver, consider visiting Vancouver Theatre Sports League for great entertainment.  They are located on Granville Island.  Go see them, it’s actually proven that laughter is good for you on both spiritual, mental, and physical levels.

www.vtsl.com