Pantherella – The brand
Well regarded as a maverick of the hosiery industry, Louis Goldschmidt always bucked trends. In 1937 Goldschmidt owned the Midland Hosiery Mills, an established ladies hosiery factory. At the time competing companies were all producing bulky and bland socks for men. Goldschmidt believed that the male market had much more potential though. He forecasted lightweight socks as a huge seller, but was met by scepticism when he tried to put his ideas into practice. Eventually, he managed to convince some local machine makers into providing him with a specialist sock machine. The demand for mens lightweight socks was substantial, and it was not long before competitors took notice. Yet by then Pantherella had already set an industry standard, and their excellence prevailed.
The Pantherella brand name was registered in 1945, with mens socks continuing great sales. Over his time in the industry Goldschmidt had developed an admirable list of contacts, enabling him to export his products within Europe. It was during the Forties he began exporting to North America, followed by Australia in later years. Pantherella’s exports grew to huge numbers, on average 75% of production.
It was with the huge success of the mens market that Goldschmidt decided to cease production of his original ladies stockings, marking an end to Pantherella’s female market.
For a long number of decades Pantherella remained solely a brand for gents. It was not until 2005 that the ladies collection made a comeback, coinciding with Pantherella’s 60th brand anniversary. Since then, the ladies market has enjoyed re-growth, with recent years seeing fashion trends call for knee length sock styles.
When it comes to necessities, we’re firm believers in better quality rather than quantity. Pantherella’s determination in providing fine British hosiery is set to help them stay strides ahead from all the competition.
Pantherella – Classic Styles
Forget boring plain white socks, you’re not 8 years old anymore. Pantherella’s philosophy is quality, variety and value for money. Collections are always full of international flair – designs are inspired from all over the world yet retain a strong sense of supreme old British charm.
Collections are designed 18 months in advance of a season, usually with around seventy new designs. From the early days of Goldschmidt’s basic ribbed socks to their now infamous hand linked toe seam socks – the options with Pantherella are endless.
The recent style resurgence of formal gentry dressing and classic, sharp tailoring fits right in with the Pantherella image. Pantherella’s Black Label collection is world renowned as the men’s business sock. A varied selection of plain and fancy patterned socks come in superfine merino wool, cashmeres and cotton lisle - offering softness, warmth, breathability and comfort. Patterned looks like houndstooth and fair-isle come in bold colours for an up to date look, whilst neutral coloured socks have an emphasis on tradition. Styles such as the Wine Lisle Cotton Socks and the Sky Blue Lisle Cotton Socks give classic ribbed socks a contemporary update in striking colours.
For fashion loving ladies, Patherella’s sophisticated luxury socks have been crafted with the most superior materials. Sumptuous cashmere softly caresses toes, whilst superfine merino wool keeps pins toasty and Sea Island cotton remains unrivalled for its smooth sheen. Chunky over knee socks are incredibly trendy, often seen on high fashion runways, with multi stripe socks playing up to a quirky, whimsical look. Classic argyle print and skinny-rib over the knee socks have a more preppy flair. Whichever style you choose, all of Pantherella’s ladies socks feature a signature Hot Pink Hand Linked Toe seam – for the utmost comfort and seamless look.
As decadent indulgences come, Pantherella’s exclusive socks are full of world class.
