LEG ART

I’m a textile junkie!

I’m told the first step to recovery of a compulsive habit is admittance. However, I find that not all compulsive behaviors are negative or for that matter, in need of corrective measures. Take my textile obsession for hosiery - patterned hosiery to be exact. Love ‘em! I’ll share my passion about wearing leg art but let me tell you about a recent discovery.

Practically every day, I pass by the JH Adams Inn. In 1904, John Hampton Adams and James Henry Millis joined forces to introduce a new industry in High Point, N.C. They revolutionized the field of hosiery. What was their very first product? Black Stockings! Eventually, they expanded their product to include men’s, boys’, and misses’ hosiery. To steal a textile phrase, Adams-Millis had ‘spun gold’ that ushered in a boom period for their companies: Piedmont Hosiery Mills, Highland Cotton Mills and Cloverdale Dye Works. Adams-Millis Corporation grew to be one of the world’s largest hosiery manufacturing firms and became known as the hosiery capital of the south!

With a vigorous and rapidly successful business operating at maximum capacity, in 1918 Adams built his family mansion, the stately Italian-Renaissance building on Main Street (shown below). In 2000, the JH Adams mansion was transformed into a 31-room Boutique Inn that offers uniquely elegant accommodations. Its interior design features gorgeous detailing and gracious hospitality, all seemlessly integrating charm and character.

Nestled within the Italian-Renaissance architecture of the JH Adams Inn is Cristina Gray’s Restaurant & Bar - Event Venue offering an Italian-inspired menu with each dish telling its own story through carefully crafted specials.

There’s something poetic about being surrounded by that industrial textile heritage while cultivating my own relationship with wearable art.

Nothing new under the sun.. that’s right! Decorative stockings have been around for centuries. I believe I stumbled on my first pair back in the 70s. I find that Leg Art creates a bridge that transforms a simple skirt and sweater ensemble from subtle to bold! To me, Leg Art isn’t just an accessory. It’s my own canvas that shifts the energy of any outfit from classic to playful and centers on a unique silhouette with a bit of an edgy flare! Many people assume a certain uniformity in how they present themselves - sameness, a sense of belonging. And then there’s that unexpected element of garb that stands out as a form of artistic storytelling. That’s me, the textile junkie!

How do you communicate your personal narrative - your identity? Got a spark of non-verbal cues that you reflect? Thought I might share some of my Leg Art! ~B