La Magia

La Magia have very kindly asked me to write you something about Cervin stockings - because Kiss Me Deadly as a brand very much came out of being a stockings fanatic. As some of you may have noticed we use quite a few of Cervins classic styles in our photo shoots, so I'm really pleased that you'll now be able to buy them here. Some of you might find their products very familiar - Cervin manufacture for many brands that are currently more well known than them. They are a French brand with a very long pedigree and are the leaders in the field where knitting silk, pure nylon, and complex patterns are concerned.

The main reason I love Cervin so much is their quality - mainly their durability. I am a very clumsy person, and Morgana moves about more than you might think during photoshoots (the world of fashion is never as glamorous as it looks), and yet we both find we can wear them over and over again. Cervin use a very tight, glossy weave that seems to be a great deal more resistant to laddering than most, especially in the pure nylon stockings.

I also love that you can buy really authentic 50's styles from Cervin, modern classics, and high fashion extremely technologically forward styles. Take their fully fashioned stockings (the Tentation here). Before the 60's, we didn't have circular knitting machines, so stockings were made flat, with stitches dropped or added to make them fit the leg, and then sewn up the back. This was of course incredibly time consuming, which is why this style is so valuable and rare now. You can tell the difference between a fully fashioned versus a cosmetic seamed stocking by the finishing loop (a sort of keyhole shape) in the welt, and if you get up close the small dots left in the weave on the calf that help to shape it to the leg.

If you are less worried about authenticity though, you can try the Esprit Couture - knitted on a circular machine, with a seam added afterwards, but still very beautiful. Both styles have a classic point heel and reinforced foot. I love the black with red - we've sold so many of these to go with red Alouette styles at shows!

Interestingly, French made pure nylon stockings run shorter than UK brands. In the 50's we tended to wear our stockings on the mid thigh, and this is still the fashion in France, but UK trends have been towards wearing the stocking as high up as possible. If you want your stockings to be long you can go up one size, but don't go up more than one, or else they will be very wrinkly! Nylon alone can be tricky to fit but once you know your size it is fabulous - it feels silkier and makes the kind of swishing noises you associate with films where saxophones play when you get out of a car.

Another style we use in picture often is the deep lace tops, which are as sensual as their name. The leg is a simple, shimmering stretchy mix of lycra and nylon, but their super deep lace top is lovely when you want something that feels great but isn't necessarily obvious and on show. You can get them as stockings that need a suspender belt, or you can get the hold up version - I promise it has more than enough rings of silicone to stay up!

View La Magia's Cervin selection

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