The Possible End of Another Fully Fashioned Stocking Factory
The UK may have lost one of its last fully fashioned stocking factories, and once these machines fall silent, it’s almost impossible to bring them back to life.
There is so much to write about and so little time, especially when the sun is out and the garden needs attending! But there’s a slightly urgent subject I wanted to write about before too much time passes.
I’ve written numerous times about fully fashioned stockings on Substack. I didn’t really mean to make it an ongoing series, but the subject just keeps arising, and this occasion is no different.
For the last couple of decades we’ve actually been remarkably lucky in the UK. We’ve had two running fully fashioned stocking factories: Gio, and Eleganti, which was later sold to Secrets in Lace and since the end of 2024 has been owned by Fully Fashioned Limited. That put the UK far ahead of the rest of the world because, as far as I’m aware, the only other fully fashioned factory still running is in France.
Secrets in Lace also purchased Magnolia Mills in South Carolina, which used to manufacture the Sweet Caroline fully fashioned stockings (3975 is the style to search for, there are still some on eBay and the nylon yarn is wonderful). I’m slightly embarrassed to admit I only recently put two and two together regarding the name! But once those cumbersome Reading 100 knitting machines fall silent and the workers disperse, it becomes almost impossible to get them running again so Secrets in Lace never did produce any ff stockings there.
Which brings me to the urgent news.
And I should say immediately that this is speculation, because I don’t talk to Secrets in Lace at all for various reasons. But it looks as though the ex-Eleganti, ex-Secrets in Lace, and now Fully Fashioned Limited factory may now have closed. In fact, their old warehouse, complete with some of the machinery, is currently up for rent in Nottingham, England.
When the factory originally went up for sale over a decade ago, I did actually look at it on behalf of What Katie Did. But the maths simply didn’t work.
At the time, the factory was for sale for around £200,000. The machines had the capacity to make around 30 pairs an hour, but they also reportedly had around a 40% failure rate. And honestly, that’s only part of the problem. The real issue is the people.
Factories like these rely on highly skilled workers with decades of specialist knowledge. The people who operate these machines tend to have been doing it their entire working lives. As they retire, that knowledge disappears with them. We’ve already seen this happen elsewhere. The operators who ran the Aristoc Harmony Point machines retired and weren’t replaced, and eventually there was nobody left who knew how to run the machines properly. Production stopped entirely.
That’s the hidden tragedy behind heritage manufacturing. People often focus on the machinery, but the machines are only useful if somebody still knows their peculiarities, their moods, and their endless little adjustments.
And these machines are peculiar. Reading 100 knitting machines are huge, awkward, temperamental beasts. Beautiful (when they work), but difficult.
If you do happen to be interested in buying a fully fashioned stocking factory, you can even pick up a couple of “how to” books for the Reading 100 machines on eBay
Secrets in Lace, now based in Denmark, still appear to have stock available, and they may well be sourcing new stockings elsewhere. Meanwhile, Nylonz in the UK still have stock of Eleganti seconds.
If anybody has more information, I’d genuinely love to know. Actually, “love” is the wrong word, because it’s tragic seeing these extraordinary machines simply sitting there idle.
I really should write more about my own fully fashioned journey, which started with Magnolia Mills and later involved Eleganti. But I don’t have very much time this week, and I wanted to get this information out while it’s current.
So for now, this is more of an update than a deep dive.
Still… if anyone fancies buying a fully fashioned stocking factory, now may be your chance. Preferably somebody with very deep pockets and absolutely no concern whatsoever about ROI.
Links:
Shop: 1947 Reading Knitting Machine Manual
Shop: Secrets in Lace FF Stockings
Shop: Nylonz FF Stockings
Shop: What Katie Did FF Stockings
Katie Thomas is the founder of What Katie Did, a vintage-inspired lingerie and fashion brand that brings mid-century glamour to modern wardrobes. When not designing new collections, she can be found hunting for vintage treasures across Somerset and beyond.
Curious to explore more vintage-inspired treasures? Our lovingly crafted lingerie and fashion collections at What Katie Did bring the elegance of yesteryear into your modern wardrobe, from perfectly structured corsets to the most delicate of intimates. Each piece tells its own story of timeless glamour.