Leg Wear that you can love
Well it’s curtains for Christmas, everyone. Now we get to focus on New Year’s Eve. With our more casual society, it has become so rare these days for women (and men, too) to have the opportunity to get really dressed up. New Year’s Eve is the exception. It is the time of year when stores actually stock cocktail and evening dresses, going so far as to even display them in the shop windows.
Along with the perfect dress come the perfect accessories, so today I am concentrating on the leg wear that goes along with that snazzy clothing. The huge shift in this area has been away from sheer stockings towards all kinds of black textures and semi-opaque or full opaque stockings – and I’m talking with those dressy dresses now. Women are even wearing tights with their elegant clothing, tucking them into formal shoes and boots. The one exception is that fishnet stockings are going gangbusters these days.
For more casual parties, you might want to wear leggings under a tunic or a skirt. You can buy them with a bit of lace at the bottom and in different lengths. For that New Year’s Eve party, you can buy the ones with lurex threads going through in gold or silver.
Sox Box Accessoires, 1357 Greene Ave. at Sherbrooke St. Phone: 514-931-4980. Hours: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Only open Sundays September to December). If you are searching for just the right type or colour of stockings, pantyhose or socks, this is the place for you. For women (mostly), men and children, there is an entire store full of patterns, opaques and sheers. The domestic and imported (Italy, France, England, Switzerland, Germany, U.S.) high and low end hosiery will complete any outfit you may have. Downstairs, you can shop for exercise clothing, sports bras and undies.
Pieds Nus, 705 Ste-Catherine Ouest in the Centre Eaton at McGill College Ave. Phone: 514-845-6508. Hours: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Now owned by Sox Box (see above), this show has been around for twenty-one years. Women who work downtown have been happy to buy their sox (women 4/$10) and stockings (Dim, Mondor, Suncee, Wonderbra, Filodoro, San Pellegrino, Cocot, Hue, Silks) here. Ask for their frequent buyer card to get $5 off your next purchase after you’ve made ten purchases – and – a chance in a drawing.
Underworld, in Place Ville Marie at University St. Phone: 514-874-0811. Hours: Monday to Wednesday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Also Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. for the month of December). This is a small but convenient downtown location for stockings (including seamed nylons) by Filodoro, Wonderbra, San Pelegrino, Sarah Borghi, Jockey, Silks, Mondor, Hanes and Dim. For body revealing dresses, Hidden Assets is a line of plastic bra straps, nipple covers and, adhesive bras for strapless tops, and the Ubra is a new Australian line of push-up bras. Check out the wall of camisoles (Arianne Papillon Blanc, Donna) to go under all those filmy tops. You can add some undies by Le Jaby, Change, Volage, Chantelle, Triumph, Passionnata, Jockey, Elita and Wonderbra. Danskin workout wear is here as well as swimwear by Nygard, Christine and Baltex.
Coin des Bas, 807 Mont Royal Ave. East at St. Hubert St. Phone: 514-521-1631. Hours: Monday to Wednesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. This long narrow store is perfect to showcase the wall of socks and stockings by: Dolci Calze, Hue, Maya, Mondor, Suncee, Bleu Foret, Filodoro, Dim, Viola and more. The rest of the store, open 31 years, offers you garter belts, dance leggings, some bras and accessories like hats and gloves.