Review: Cervin Silk Stockings & Mesh Suspender Belt

Disclosure: I was sent this lingerie to review free of charge. All opinions are my own.

I’m one of those people that absolutely despises wearing tights; to me, there’s nothing more uncomfortable than those pinching waistbands and baggy crotches. Discovering stockings and suspenders in my early teens was somewhat of a revelation: all of the comfort that I’d been missing in tights but with added glamour. Consequently, after all these years of stocking wearing, Cervin are actually a brand that I’m pretty familiar with: I’ve lost count of how many pairs of their nylons I’ve worn through. Imagine, therefore, my glee when the brand offered to send me some of their products to review!

I was sent a pair of the ‘Bas Couture Soie Charleston’ stockings in size 3 in the Gazelle colourway (retailing at 99 euros, available in sizes 1-6 and in a grey colourway) and the ‘Suspender Belt Boétie’ in a size small in the black colourway (retailing at 54.90 euros, available in sizes XS-XXXL and in ivory or white). Stockings are sized according to height and shoe size: it’s easiest to calculate your size from Cervin’s handy size chart. For reference, I am 170cm tall and wear an EU 39.5 shoe. Although I am technically between sizes, I chose the smaller size so as not to have baggy stockings. The stockings are made in France and the suspender belt is labelled as made in the EU.

I’ll start by saying that I’ve been lusting after silk stockings for longer than I can remember. I’ve always considered them the pinnacle of luxury legwear, though the high price tag means they’ve firmly remained the stuff of dreams until now. Both pieces arrived in beautiful branded gift boxes, with the stockings encased in carefully folded tissue paper. My first impression was that these stockings are almost impossibly fine; it’s difficult to describe their delicacy without seeing them in person. The fibres are gossamer thin and I was scared to try and handle them with my bare hands: every interaction with these stockings thus far has been accompanied by hosiery gloves!  I’ve worn the stockings a handful of times now (always accompanied with hosiery gloves and moisturised legs) and they appear to have held up well. There’s a few minor snags as would be expected but no real damage.

The stockings are of the fully fashioned variety, with a traditional back seam, welt and keyhole finish. Fully fashioned stockings have no stretch and very little give: this highlights how important it is to choose the right size as they won’t have the forgiveness of elasticated nylon. The ‘Gazelle’ colourway is almost a dark beige; sadly it’s not the best match for my relatively pale skin and it has almost yellowy undertone to it. The silk fibres themselves are incredibly soft and have a lovely sheen to them. They feel absolutely gorgeous against the skin and are a world apart from traditional nylons.

With regards to fit, these stockings share the unfortunate tendency with all fully fashioneds to go baggy around my ankles; this is not a fault of the product but simply the nature of non-stretch legwear! These stockings also come up very high; whether this is because Cervin’s stockings are intended to be worn that high up on the leg or because their demographic is longer-legged indviduals, I’m not sure. Fortunately I prefer this sort of fit as it’s easier to conceal underneath clothing, but it’s worth noting if you have particularly short legs.

Moving onto the suspender belt: it’s a fairly unremarkable vintage-inspired suspender, with all the usual features of six straps, wide straps and metal suspender clips. The main fabric is a sturdy black powernet, finished with plush crown-edged elastic on the top and bottom edges. The four seams all have a nylon casing with a plastic bone in, to maintain vertical tension. They also have the benefit of offering a small amount of smoothing/shaping power. Each suspender strap is in a satin finish with a glossy ‘wave’ pattern woven into it. Adjusters and suspender clips are all metal for reliable sturdiness. The suspender belt closes with three rows and columns of hooks and eyes at the centre back and is embellished with a small satin bow at the centre front and each suspender point. Stitching is accurate and sturdy throughout.

The suspender belt has a good fit, anchoring firmly on my natural waist to prevent too much movement during everyday wear. The six suspender straps are a good length with enough adjustability and have kept my stockings comfortably secure every time I’ve worn it. It’s very solidly constructed: I must admit that I did find the boning in the belt a little constricting at times, though this could largely be put down to my tendency to slouch. I would recommend sizing up in this suspender belt if between sizes; I have a relatively small waist for my usual dress size and still found it a snug fit.

I must admit, as wowed as I am by the silk stockings, I don’t have any particularly strong feelings towards the suspender belt. It’s well made and functions well, but nothing about it feels particularly luxurious or of noteworthy design. Though this is perhaps a good thing. It’s incredibly versatile and would be great accompaniments for any lingerie set with black in it, particularly since most sets only offer the flimsy hip-height garter belt that does very little for actually keeping stockings up.

The Charleston stockings are a stunning hosiery option: I can honestly say they are the most gorgeous-feeling legwear I’ve ever had the pleasure to dress in. I just wish there were other colour options in this style; as ever, black would be a perfectly versatile option as this beige just has a strange effect on my skin (and perhaps Cervin is simply out of stock as their promotional imagery all features black!). If I were to spend 99 euros on stockings, they’d have to be perfect. Personally, beige wouldn’t fit in that category. Nevertheless, it’s certainly opened my eyes to some of Cervin’s other silk offerings at lower price points: a bit more of an affordable luxury treat, with a black colourway to boot!

Readers: Have you ever tried Cervin? Would you ever splurge on silk stockings?