I just came across these photos of Chiara Ferragni on an Italian site. Looks like she is one of the new faces for Calzedonia brand. She is showing off her legs in pantyhose. I can’t wait for spring to start wearing outfits like this again.
Tag Archives: Italy
Monica Bellucci and Her Story
“After love, the man sleeps, while the woman reflects”
This is one of several insightful quotations attributed to Italian actress and model Monica Bellucci. Monica was born in 1964 in Citta di Castello, Umbria, right in the center of Italy. While attending the University of Perugia, located in the capital of Umbria, Monica began taking on modeling assignments to help pay for her schooling.
Soon her side job began to accelerate faster than her studies; she left college and moved to Milan in 1988 and signed with her first and current agency Elite model management. Monica started getting attention for her work on both sides of the Atlantic, her images were featured in Dolce & Gabbana, Men’s health, Maxim and French Elle.
Then, with some minor television roles in 1990, her modeling career transitioned into a more successful one in acting. “In 10 years I’ve done so many things. In the beginning I didn’t know if I was still a model, if I was an actress. I knew I wanted to be an actress, but it was so difficult to be believed. Now things are going better and better and the proposals I have are much more interesting than five years ago. It’s like getting older is getting better”, she told one interviewer. Movie credits include L’Appartement, Malena, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Irreversible, Tears of the Sun, The Matrix Reloaded, The Passion of the Christ, The Brothers Grimm, Don’t Look Back, and the Sorcerer’s Apprentice.
Upon mentioning Monica to an associate, he gasped. After calming my friend down I asked him what was the cause of his strong reaction to my mention of such a beautiful woman. “It is because of Irreversible. I sat in the theater and watched her in a horrible, graphic rape scene that lasted eleven minutes….” Indeed, “Irreversible” is a film so violent and cruel that most have found it unwatchable. It won the Stockholm International Film Festival award for best picture.” The final scene is presented in the beginning, and is an eleven minute long torturous public park rape scene…
Monica made this comment about the film to another reporter: “I’m not scared by nudity, because for me, nothing is more beautiful than a body. You can have such an amazing emotion from a body. In Irreversible (2002), I treated my body like it was an object and it’s great when you can have this kind of relation with your body, it’s a part of your job, an object you can work with. When you can have this kind of freedom it’s the moment where you can give your best as an actress”.
Kim Basinger in Golden Lady Pantyhose Commercial
I remember watching this commercial and wondering how they made it so sensual. Kim Basinger (the actress from the first Batman movie) has amazing legs and her attitude is so sexy.
I also just recently tried Golden Lady, 20 den – one of those in a square box package that you see in Kim’s trunk in the commercial. That type of pantyhose is not folded around a cardboard insert, it’s just stuffed into a little compact box. Well, when I took it out, it wasn’t neatly folded, it was all wrinkled like crepe paper.
My experience overall was positive, but I can’t really say that it feels great. I liked that they made the toe reinforced, but I am so already not used to seeing pantyhose without a gusset.
Golden Lady brand is not known in North America, but it is very common in Europe. It is made in Italy and has a good reputation. I have a couple of other styles on hand from this brand, so I’ll give it a try.
“Blue Stocking” – isn’t it time for a new definition?
Historical Meaning of “Blue Stocking”
In some languages this is quite a common phrase, it usually refers to a completely unattractive woman who only cares about her studies or work and nothing else.
Let’s look back in history to see where this figure of speech came from. It seems that at least all around Europe this is usually directed at a highly intellectual woman to ridicule her a little bit for her nerdy outfit. The meaning of this expression is quite vague, depending on the country or era. This term in German is known as Blaustrumpf, in Dutch as blauwkous and in French as bas-bleu.
Even though this phrase is used to describe a woman, it originated in Europe as a nickname for Benjamin Stillingfleet in the 17th century who was a botanist, translator, and an author from England. He was a very intellectual man and without him there was no more interesting discussions. However, he paid no attention to fashion, wearing blue stockings instead of silk black, as it was common back then. Other sources may say that silk was too expensive, so he wore blue worsted stockings instead.
The "lack of fashion" idea was later emphasized by a French painter Honore Victorin Daumier in the mid of 19th century who painted humorous series called Les Bas Bleus to mock the blue stockings society. These paintings had a satiric nature to them, showing women in a repelling and androgynous way, completely immersed in philosophical discussions and oblivious to the mess and dirt around them.
Meaning of "Blue Stocking" in different countries
Germany: This was a way to tease those who tell on others (snitch or tattle teller), thus making a reference to street policemen who wore blue stockings.
Italy: Probably this is the only country with a positive meaning for this expression. InVenice in XV century blue stockings were only reserved for scientists and academics. It was an attribute of an educated person.
France: For French this expression would be a synonym of being a slob. It implied that one would be so immersed in intellectual development that would not pay any attention to fashion and household chores.
Eastern Block: In former USSR this is a way to call a woman without any charm who only focuses on her work or academics. But this is probably all coming from the French.
Could this be the reason why navy blue hosiery is so rare these days? Could it have the negative connotation dating to the middle ages in Europe? It is time for an upgrade.
Have you seen women wearing these at all lately? This is 2012 and when I look at educated women, they are rarely in stockings to begin with! There is even rarely a dress code in science-oriented companies and most women come in blue jeans, not in blue stockings. Why can’t a woman in blue stockings be a smart and trendy lady who knows how to present herself well?
Let me share some responses here that I got from people about blue stockings.
Falbala: There is also a UK online store called Falbala that offers hand made decorated stockings and a lot of them are blue, Karen, the owner admits that blue and gold is her favourite combination. Their products are actually very unique and trendy, thus re-defining blue stockings as a modern fashion accessory. I asked her how to wear blue stockings in a stylish way and this was her reply " I wear them with black denim shorts, patent black heels and a royal blue top with a gold necklace".
Bluestocking Lounge: This is in fact quite a trendy burlesque lounge in South Wales and for sure they are not lacking any style. To answer my questions about why they chose this name, this is what they had to say on Twitter about this:
"This exactly what we are about – going against the norm and doing the unexpected. Our guests feel like they’re a secret society! A name is just a name until you fill it with meaning by however you use it. I took it (the name) from Bluestocking Society, the 1400s society founded in Venice by erudite men and women."
Tricity Vogue : Another interesting personality is a jazz and cabaret singer, Tricity. She is also the co-founder of the Blue Stockings Society cabaret and burlesque sorority in London, UK.
I asked about what this expression means to her and this was her reply on Twitter: "To me blue stockings mean a combination of clever and sexy, with a healthy dose of rebellion thrown in." What a perfect way to put it! She wrote the best detailed history article of what blue stocking really means and where it came from. You can read it here.
Links
Thank you to those who contributed to this post:
Falbala Stockings – a source of crafty and fashionable stockings in many fashion colours, including blue.
http://www.falbala.co.uk/ (UK online store)
Blue Stockings Lounge – a dynamic burlesque and alternative cabaret lounge offering a variety of shows, events, classes/workshops and custom parties.
http://bluestockinglounge.com/ (South Wales)
Tricity Voque – one of a kind vintage jazz and cabaret singer, ukulele player, co-founder of the Blue Stockings Society in London.
http://www.tricityvogue.com/ (London)
Blue Stockings Society – London’s cabaret and burlesque sorority, founded by a cabaret performer Tricity Voque and an international burlesque clown Audacity Chutzpah. They are a regular Time Out Critics Choice and their nights have been dubbed "London’s most celebrated sorority" with "the best line-up in town."
http://bluestockingssociety.wordpress.com (London)
*Friends, the only funding for this blog is from the shop. Why not see if there are any fancy stockings that catch your eye?*