Walk On The Wild Side
A name to gladden the hearts of British girls of a certain vintage! The UK enjoyed something of a stockings revival in the late seventies and early eighties with Harmony Point in the vanguard. Every department store seemed to stock a large selection.
Birmingham Co-op, January 1979. I had the exact money for a pair (£1.25 if I remember correctly) clutched in my hot little hand. The plan was to go in at a quiet time, grab a pair and get out quickly.
I was buying for a girlfriend who I knew wore a size five shoe. But when I walked along the hosiery counter to the fully fashioned section I was confronted with rows of stockings seemingly ranging from size 8 to size 11. Why on earth were so many stockings being produced for ladies with such huge feet?! As I was standing there flabbergasted a rather petite young lady walked past me and took two pairs of size nine off the counter. She was wearing mules and I could see that no way were her feet size nine. So, panic! I was going to have to ask for assistance!
Actually the assistant couldn't have been nicer. She not only explained sizing to me but how to attach the suspenders to keep the seams straight. I think she just went into autopilot as she would have given this information to all her lady customers as nearly all of them would have been unfamiliar with stockings and more familiar with tights. I thought for one delightful instant she was actually going to raise her skirt to provide a demonstration but she suddenly remembered that she was talking to a male customer and simply directed me to the nearest till.
AND AFTER GOING TO ALL THAT TROUBLE MY GIRLFRIEND REFUSED TO WEAR THEM!
There was no chance of the next pair I bought, a couple of years later, going unworn as they were for me. I bought them from Cover Girl, the famous TV outfitters in Islington.
I paced up and down the pavement in Upper Street for at least half an hour before I had the courage to actually enter the shop. The pretty young lady assistant had a charming sales pitch where she rolled a stocking up her bare arm and invited me to feel!
Production of Aristoc Harmony ceased around 1990 apparently triggered by a batch of retirements among their skilled workers. Fortunately the machines used in their manufacture were bought by Gio who are still active today. The stockings look identical with the double ladder stop in the shadow welt. Unfortunately the yarn is inferior which is why Aristoc Harmony command such high prices these days on Ebay.
Walk On The Wild Side
A name to gladden the hearts of British girls of a certain vintage! The UK enjoyed something of a stockings revival in the late seventies and early eighties with Harmony Point in the vanguard. Every department store seemed to stock a large selection.
Birmingham Co-op, January 1979. I had the exact money for a pair (£1.25 if I remember correctly) clutched in my hot little hand. The plan was to go in at a quiet time, grab a pair and get out quickly.
I was buying for a girlfriend who I knew wore a size five shoe. But when I walked along the hosiery counter to the fully fashioned section I was confronted with rows of stockings seemingly ranging from size 8 to size 11. Why on earth were so many stockings being produced for ladies with such huge feet?! As I was standing there flabbergasted a rather petite young lady walked past me and took two pairs of size nine off the counter. She was wearing mules and I could see that no way were her feet size nine. So, panic! I was going to have to ask for assistance!
Actually the assistant couldn't have been nicer. She not only explained sizing to me but how to attach the suspenders to keep the seams straight. I think she just went into autopilot as she would have given this information to all her lady customers as nearly all of them would have been unfamiliar with stockings and more familiar with tights. I thought for one delightful instant she was actually going to raise her skirt to provide a demonstration but she suddenly remembered that she was talking to a male customer and simply directed me to the nearest till.
AND AFTER GOING TO ALL THAT TROUBLE MY GIRLFRIEND REFUSED TO WEAR THEM!
There was no chance of the next pair I bought, a couple of years later, going unworn as they were for me. I bought them from Cover Girl, the famous TV outfitters in Islington.
I paced up and down the pavement in Upper Street for at least half an hour before I had the courage to actually enter the shop. The pretty young lady assistant had a charming sales pitch where she rolled a stocking up her bare arm and invited me to feel!
Production of Aristoc Harmony ceased around 1990 apparently triggered by a batch of retirements among their skilled workers. Fortunately the machines used in their manufacture were bought by Gio who are still active today. The stockings look identical with the double ladder stop in the shadow welt. Unfortunately the yarn is inferior which is why Aristoc Harmony command such high prices these days on Ebay.