Disclosure: This blog post is sponsored by VienneMilano.
VienneMilano is a hosiery brand that I first discovered many moons ago, when I fell in love with a pair of their sparkly silver hold-ups (sadly no longer available). At the time, it was one of the brand’s pricier styles and I, as someone who rarely spent more than £5 on hosiery, thought it seemed like an extravagant luxury. How little I knew!
I’ve since gone on to try hosiery at a whole range of prices and, surprise surprise, it turns out you usually get what you pay for. I used to think it was normal for stockings to ladder after a few wears and need replacing. But even the sheer ones can last a year, or much more, if they are well-made (and well cared-for).
Mimi polkadot hold-ups, $29.95 (~£23 / ~26€)
Cora patterned hold-ups, $29.95 (~£23 / ~26€)
Noemi mixed-pattern hold-ups, $29.95 (~£23 / ~26€)
Francesca peephole fishnet hold-ups, $29.95 (~£23 / ~26€)
Quality is key to VienneMilano’s philosophy, with their website proclaiming that “only love can last forever, but VienneMilano stockings will last quite a bit longer than ordinary hosiery”. The brand was founded in 2011 by Vienne Cheung. Based in the US but with a passion for travel, she found herself buying all her hosiery abroad because it was superior to what she could get hold of back home in the States.
That’s what inspired her to launch her label – to bring fine European quality to North America. All VienneMilano hosiery is manufactured in Italy, where the best materials meet the most expert craftsmanship. Her legwear is designed to be as durable as it is stylish, and is all developed exclusively for the brand.
Donatella hold-ups with deep lace band in fuchsia pink, $29.95 (~£23 / ~26€)
Ottavia lace hold-ups, $89.95 (~£69 / ~77€)
Rosita chevron hold-ups in smoky grey, $29.95 (~£23 / ~26€)
Giada metallic knit hold-ups, $29.95 (~£23 / ~26€)
Take Giada for example, eye-catching knit hold-ups with a subtle hint of shimmer. They’re gorgeous, but also 180-denier for practical warmth. And at $29.95 (~£23 / ~26€) they seem to me now to be, if anything, underpriced! Certainly cheaper than comparable designs by other high-end hosiery labels.
Cheung explains that because VienneMilano is a small brand with minimal overhead expenses, she’s able to price things more affordably than you’d expect to pay for similar quality elsewhere. Over half of the products on the site are just $19.95 (~£15 / ~17€), from colour-pop fishnets to sheer nudes in different skin tones.
Vanna matte hold-ups in cinnamon brown, $19.95 (~£15 / ~17€)
Isabella sheer hold-ups in chocolate brown, $19.95 (~£15 / ~17€)
Andrea opaque lace-top hold-ups in cocoa brown, $19.95 (~£15 / ~17€)
Quality-to-price ratio aside, one of the things that makes VienneMilano unique is that it focusses exclusively on hold-ups. Also called thigh-highs or stay-ups, they’re the ones that don’t require a suspender belt to keep them up. VienneMilano’s creations are kept in place with two, or sometimes even three, silicone bands to ensure they aren’t going to slip down.
The collection as a whole is a blend of classic basics and bolder fashion pieces. You’ve got your typical backseams, opaque hold-ups in plain black, lace-topped sheers, and so on. But then there are also lots of unusual colours, unique knit patterns and decorative details like rhinestones and bows.
Giorgia fishnet hold-ups in limoncello yellow, $19.95 (~£15 / ~17€)
Gioia semi-opaque hold-ups in high risk red, $19.95 (~£15 / ~17€)
Giulia backseam hold-ups with white bows, $29.95 (~£23 / ~26€)
Vanna matte hold-ups in titanium grey, $19.95 (~£15 / ~17€)
And as of a few days ago, the new AW18 collection has dropped! Not only are there some cool new designs – such as the Mimi with cut-out dots and the Noemi which mixes together a whole bunch of different knits – and the brand’s first knee-high and over-knee socks, but it will also be VienneMilano’s most inclusive collection yet. AW18 features new skin tone shades, and includes the launch of the brand’s first ever plus-sized range.
Up until now, VienneMilano hosiery has always been available in two sizes to fit customers up to around 6’2 and 180lbs / 13 stone. However they are more than doubling their size offering by adding XL, 2X and 3X to the mix. This will allow them to cater to people up to 6’8 in height, or with a thigh circumference of up to 28”.
Dafne over-the-knee socks, $19.95 (~£15 / ~17€)
Claudia opaque hold-ups, $19.95 (~£15 / ~17€)
Alba seamed hold-ups, $19.95 (~£15 / ~17€)
Initially, plus sizes are available for the pieces in VienneMilano’s always-available permanent collection. These six bestsellers include sheer, opaque, seamed and fishnet styles, and are all priced at $19.95 (~£15 / ~17€). It’s a good mix of lingerie-drawer basics that will have you sorted for work and for play. If they sell well, there’s a good chance more original, fashion-forward designs will be added to the plus range in the future.
I’m still dreaming about those sparkly silver hold-ups – I really should have bought them. Instead, I’m eyeing up the shimmery Giada pair for when the weather around here starts to cool down, and the sleek, titanium-grey Vanna pair are pretty cool too. Yes, I like metallics.
VienneMilano orders are dispatched from Massachusetts, USA, with free mainland shipping on orders of $100 or more. International delivery is available. Click here to see all the products!
Have you ever bought from VienneMilano? What’s your favourite design featured here today, or on their website?
