And he surprises us again! For the grand opening of Leed’s new shopping centre, Trinity Leeds, Brit designer Henry Holland, one of our favourites, broke a Guinness World Record by designing the world’s longest dress. Known for his bold and outrageously innovative designs, there is no surprise that Henry Holland made an amazing dress 15 metres high – the equivalent of three double decker buses – not to mention 48- square metres wide. This lavish red and yellow polka dotted dress encrusted with thousands of Swarovski crystals was unveiled and emerged from a large box during the opening ceremony. The dress was made from layers of silk was inspired by insects and their wings.

This project enabled Henry Holland to deliver a spectacular show that would excite the new shoppers and launch the Trinity Leeds into the centre of the British fashion world. Holland said that it gave him the chance to celebrate fashion in a unique a way. And in Holland’s terms, unique is something entirely out of the ordinary – he makes his own category of unique. For the opening, the dressed was modelled by aerial acrobat and former Cirque Du Soleil principle artist, Collette Morrow. We wouldn’t expect anything else from a shopping centre opening featuring Henry Holland.

In all his creations, Henry Holland makes fashion more fun. From his own fashion line to his collaboration with Pretty Polly to make a line of absolutely fabulous tights that all the celebs are taking note of. Celebrities such as Rihanna, Little Mix, Paris Hilton, and the Kardashians rock out in the House of Holland tights. Like the rest of his style, Henry Holland designs innovative creations and makes tights that change the way we approach hosiery. He changes up the design of usual plain tights with fashion forward ones that add a bit of funk to your wardrobe.  One of his most popular looks is the mock suspender tights and this season he alters that style a little by

creating Stripe Over the Knee Tights (pictured). These tights have thick vertical lines that run up your lower legs that wraps around the top of your knees to complete the design. Always surprising us with amazing designs, Henry Holland is a fashion force we are glad to reckon with.

His cutting-edge collaboration with Pretty Polly is an affordable way to get a piece of Henry Holland’s fantastic designs. His fashion tights make an outrageous statement with any outfit, yet are completely comfortable to wear. Whoever said fashion was pain obviously hasn’t worn a pair of these tights.

I was sooo excited when Henry Holland’s designs first appeared on the scene as he really seemed to have his dial tuned into the most current fashions. In fact, he was so on trend it was almost as if his tights had come first and

designs for clothes a mere second. Well now there is a contender for the crown. Canadian knitwear designer Mark Fast who is a former St Martin’s student has built a reputation for fine body sculpting knitwear. So it seems a natural progressive for him to turn his attention from arms to legs, with a collection of Mark Fast tights and bodies. This is his first collection in conjunction with Jonathan Aston and the results are just fab.

Scramble

I can’t help thinking that there is more than a hint of Jessie J about the Fast at Jonathan Aston Scramble Long Sleeve Body. This very fine gauge body fits like a second skin and is screaming to be worn with tights alone. It is a bit of a showstopper and if it’s your intention to make it a complete outfit, it needs to be supported by a good pair of opaques or sheers. It’s available in three two tone colours, electric/aqua combining cool and warm blue, tangy/lipstick, a heady mix of red and orange and mercury/flint, a classic grey and black combo. I think this will be a sellout piece.

If a body is a stretch too far for you then you can take another approach with the Fast at Jonathan Aston Scramble Tights. Utilising the same lovely, lovely fine finish knit and the same on trend colour combinations, these are luxury autumn/winter  undergarments. I would combine these tights with plain but clashing colour, perhaps a knit dress or a tweed skirt and silk shirt.  For a look that’s more rock chick than Miss Marple, exchange the tights for Fast at Jonathan Aston Scramble Anklets. Perfect for teaming with heels, the black and grey colour combo will add an edgy element to any outfit. Nothing says change of season like texture and these pieces offer it all up beautifully.

Woollies

Scramble isn’t the only collection that Mark Fast and Jonathan Aston have come up with and Woollies is another design woven from opaque to sheer on a heavy weight knit in swathes of geometric pattern from the ankle to the gusset. Fast at Jonathan Aston Woollies Leggings and Fast at Jonathan Aston Woollies Tights are luxurious but wearable and a design that can take you from day to night.  This is a real future classic.

Honeycomb

You might think of honeycomb and think of bees, but Mark Fast has taken this well known design to new heights with a 21^st Century interpretation. Fast at Jonathan Aston Honeycomb Anklets have an eye catching design that will make the plainest shoe proud. Graduating from toe to ankle, the start of the design is reminiscent of vintage spats. It evens out into a traditional honeycombe design all up the leg, in the Fast at Jonathan Aston Honeycomb Hold Up and Fast at Jonathan Aston Honeycomb Tights.  Available in black and grey, these ARE the new fishnets. Utterly wearable and very good looking.

Double Vision

Now I’ve seen some interesting designs translated into tights recently but Fast at Jonathan Aston Double Vision Piano Tights are something else. This is a digital, slightly out of focus keyboard that has been laid down on exceptional quality 20 denier tights to give the illusion of a piano running up the leg. Perfect for music aficionados out there. The electric blue is bang on trend and great for those who look for colour in life. Black is also available for those slightly more reserved souls amongst us.

White is also a big hitter for winter as we continue to embrace everything to do with the 60’s. Mark Fast’s final design for Jonathan Aston, Fast at Jonathan Aston Double Vision Stripes Tights is another mind bender. Sometimes I look at these and don’t see any stripes at all. At other times I look and see very prominent stripes. The reverse stripe, blush on blush and black on black create a real body conditioned silhouette and should definitely be a staple item in your wardrobe this winter.

Mix and match to combine great texture and subtle colour to great effect. As Mark Fast’s first collection, these items are for collectors, fashionistas and anyone whose wardrobe has one foot in the present and one foot in future. Browse the full Fast at Jonathan Aston collection now and let us know what you think!

Until next week……

Mothers love dressing their daughters, that’s a fact. My sister has girls and for the longest time she has enjoyed choosing their clothes and making them look pretty.  Unfortunately they are growing up now and they want to choose their own clothes which can make creating whole new looks, an expensive matter. However, spend wisely and your little girls can get a whole new wardrobe of outfits using the clothes they have. The secret ingredient?  Tights!

Here at My Tights we are so excited that our new range of children’s tights have landed. Woollies, sheers, lurex, spots, stripes, school tights, plain colours, loud colours and quiet colours, we seem to have ordered the lot and now I need to tell you about them, so you can buy them!

Country Kids Warmer Cotton Children’s Tights seem to have come up with just about every colour under the sun. With over 80% cotton in the mix and a reinforced toe, as the name suggests, these are warmer weight winter tights, perfect with boots, shoes or wellies. The range includes classic school colours such as navy and grey, red and black so these are also perfect as term time staples.

Pex Cotton Rich Children’s Tights are hot on their heels, if you’ll excuse the pun. These are slightly lighter weight tights but still warm and cosy with over 70% cotton in the mix. There are 12 colours in the range including Pillarbox Red and Pea Green and a really true Royal Blue. Both these and the Country Kids Warmer Cotton Children’s Tights appeal to young ladies of all ages. Pair them with pretty dresses if your child is small or team them with sawn off shorts for tweenagers. Several pairs in different colours will change the look of an outfit in one foul swoop. Bingo, cheap updates.

Sheers are another way of taking an outfit from casual to formal. Pex 20D Sheer Children’s Tights are a simple way of making an outfit smarter or more grown up. Paired with pretty shoes these are the kind of tights that tweenagers and teenagers alike will want to see them through the cooler Autumn months. Navy, black and cream work with any outfit and change colour and hey presto, change the look.

Pex 70D Opaque Children’s Tights  advertise their range as uniform colours – the perfect school tights – but fashionable young misses will see that there are key colours such as burgundy, steely grey and navy, all top of the bill for this season. Again, buy several pairs and chop and change with dresses, skirts and shorts for a legion of hot off the press looks.

Now

we’ve talked lots about how to please older children but younger ladies can develop their own style early on and combine obstinacy with a penchant or spots, stripes or any other particular theme and unless you get it right, you have a fight on your hands. Luckily we can cover every eventuality.

Country Kids Dot Children’s Tights have a smattering of rainbow colours set against a black or fuchsia pink background. Both are great for adding a dash of colour to woolley dresses, stretchy skirts and oversized knits. Stripes are another fun way to add interest to an outfit. Country Kids Lollipop Children’s Striped Tights come in two colourways, fat candy stripes and skinny pastel stripes, all with a plethora of pinks, baby blues and greys with a little yellow and orange thrown in for good measure.

All little girls love a bit of sparkle and Country Kids Sparkly Footless Tights and Country Kids Sparkly Tights don’t fail to deliver. The stretchy 80 Denier , shiny finish comes in gold and black and silver (Country Kids Sparkly Footless Tights only). Don’t think you have to save these for Christmas. As the pictures on our model show, they can look good at the height of summer.

Most of the childrens tights we’ve detailed are priced between £5 and £10. If you can create five different looks by just swapping clothes with tights, mixing and matching looks, you can begin to see what a cost effective exercise this can be. Try it with your children’s wardrobe and you might take a cue and start looking at your own!

Until next week…..

We know that it can be an absolute nightmare finding clothes when you’re pregnant – your body’s changed so much that nothing seems to fit right, and most of the maternity clothes on the high street are SO not even last season (or the one before that, or the one before that – in short, they’re dreadful).  Thank goodness then, that you don’t have to worry about that at MyTights.com, as we’ve got your capsule collection of maternity hosiery sorted!

1)      The Sheer

In those long months when you feel exhausted but still have to lug the two of you to work every day, it can be lovely to be perked up by great quality officewear, and the sheer 20 denier Maternity Tights from Trasparenze have a chic slight sheen that will make grey days just a little brighter.

2)      The Shapewear

Yes, thank heavens for maternity Spanx, which will give you a neat little bump and slim everywhere else!  It can be too easy to worry about putting on weight when you’re pregnant, but by wearing maternity shapewear you can ensure you feel great while eating enough to keep your nbaby healthy – without the worry of extra padding!

3)      The Support

Support tights are a godsend when you’re pregnant as they help boost circulation and so are great for avoiding swollen ankles and sore leg muscles.  Elbeo support tights are some of the best around, although when you start to show you could try switching to stockings instead as they won’t have to expand to accommodate your bump.

Don’t despair of never seeing your feet again – the day will come, and now you can get there in style with the maternity range at MyTights.com.  Plus, check out our new

collection of children’s tights, so you can kit out your little one when they arrive!

The story goes that once upon a time in Ancient Greece, men and women wore socks made from leather held in place with string wrapped around their ankles. Fast forward a few hundred years and the nobility of Europe were wearing embellished socks with ornamental designs to distinguish them as the wealthy elite; so much could be said through the donning of just two little pieces of fabric.

Well the story of the sock went underground for a while but lucky for us, this most mysterious of garments resurfaced in 19^th century Germany when Franz Falke founded the family company. It was a founding that would reignite the tale of this essential garment we wrap our toes in, as for over one hundred years now Falke socks have redefined the qualities we demand of those two such small but oh-so-important pieces of fabric embracing our feet for hours on end.

As a garment, we must admit the sock has a pretty rough time of it; feet can produce up to 500ml of perspiration a day. And the sock sits tightly pressed against this most used of human limbs for hours on end. Which is why practicality and quality will always need to top the list of characteristics we look for in a sock as we demand a sturdy amount of sock stamina from the little guys. Falke check the box for practicality and offer oodles of quality in their socks, but these two things alone have never been enough for Falke and are not what have made Falke socks the staples in our chest of drawers that they are.

No, Falke went a step further in offering us what so many sock syndicates fail to. And that, ladies and gents, is choice. Where once, our choice consisted of black or white and cotton or…cotton, we now get to peruse MyTights.com for hours if we want to, browsing socks as though we’re filling a bag of pick and mix at the cinema. From knee highs under trousers to white cotton socks for the tennis courts, from little Falke Bedsocks to keep us cosy in the coldest of winter months to luxury men’s silk socks so he can stroll confidently into the boardroom, of course not forgetting the Falke Airport Sock and the marvelous merino styles in shades that sound good enough to eat like Grape, Raspberry and Gooseberry Plum, Falke provide a seventh heaven of socks. With fabrics and styles, cuts and colours galore, any mood and every occasion is provided for.

Falke have reshaped the sock and leg wear market with their quality designs and top class productions for over a hundred years now. This isn’t just the story of the sock and its history in hosiery. This really is pure and utter Falkelore. 

Following on from our last post about the trend for all tights in all crazy colours at the 2012 championships, we wanted to draw attention to an even wider selection of tights to wear to Wimbledon in this ever changing weather. With high hopes of British success there has never been a better chance to show our support off than with tights from British brands.

British brand Aristoc are very proud of their great British heritage, with the majority of their products still made in Derbyshire today. A personal favourite of mine are the Aristoc Ultra Shine 10D Tights; I find that these glossy tights are a staple to my wardrobe – they can be worn with every outfit. With a sandal toe you can wear them with your strappy sandals and your friends will never know that you have decided to wear tights rather than brave bare legs; available in five shades these tights are perfect  for every occasion.

If you are feeling more adventurous, why not try fellow Britiosh brand Pamela Mann’s fishnet tights. As well as classic nude and black, they come in such a selection of shades you can pick a colour depending on your mood that day. I would definitely recommend showing your patriotism and try them out in red or white or if you feel you really want to get into the Wimbledon spirit why not wear them in purple or green

Every year at Wimbledon there is that one day where the weather forgets it is summer and you are left wondering what to wear; I think the best answer to this inevitable dilemma is to opt for Pretty Polly’s Daisy Tights. You can still look summery while wearing warm tights, and these 50 denier daisy tights are a fun way to look ultra-stylish while coping with the turbulent British weather.

So why not show your support for Great Britain in a different way this Wimbledon season and embrace some of our favourite British hosiery brands, with these tights it has never been easier to update your look and show that you are proud to be British.

This summer is the time to celebrate all things British, with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympics, so we've taken a look at our favourite British brands…