Pantherella: The Finest English Socks
We love brands with heritage and Pantherella certainly fits that bill. Established in 1937 as Midland Hosiery Mills before changing name to Pantherella in 1945, the brand prided itself on pioneering new techniques and technology in their pursuit of the perfect pair of socks - The Finest English Socks!
Louis Goldschmidt was the mastermind behind Pantherella. The city of Leicester then had a strong textile industry, making fabrics, clothing and shoes but men's socks were still bland, thick and uncomfortable. Goldschmidt believed fine gauge socks would be in high demand and were the future of men's socks. He persuaded local machine makers, P.A. Bentley to produce a specialist machine that was capable of fulfilling his dream; creating lightweight, seamless and fashionable socks.
Since 1940, Pantherella's factory has been located on Hallaton Street in Leicester, although in the early 1960s they moved to a larger premises on the other side of the street from their original and smaller factory.
Goldschmidt had developed an admirable list of contacts, enabling him to export his products within Europe, and then in the 1940s he began exporting to North America, followed later by Australia. Pantherella's exports grew to huge numbers - an average of 75% of production. Goldschmidt was right and his socks were successful with wearers and fans from a variety of backgrounds and including royalty and celebrities.
One Pantherella wearer was Pablo Picasso. In 2012 the modern day Pantherella discovered images of an envelope with the address of Picasso's home in Mougins, France and a pair of Pantherella socks. The socks had two small embroidered 'P's on them, presumably the artist's own initials and the classic Pantherella logo was seen on the sole of the sock.
Craftmanship in Pantherella Socks
Pantherella became known the world over as a maker of fine English socks, noted for the socks seamless toes construction and use of the sheerest and highest quality yarns. Today Pantherella use a lot of modern machinery in making socks, but also still utilise a variety of traditional techniques, with dedication to delivering quality and comfort. Each pair of Pantherella socks is hand-finished in order to maintain the highest quality standards. Features such as fine-linked toe seams add extra comfort and reinforced heels and toes ensure durability.
Premium yarns like Sea Island Cotton ensure the socks are lightweight and breathable - great for your feet - and an eye on fashion forward trends means Pantherella is as relevant today as it was in the 1940s and 50s. Managing Director, Justin Hall said, "We are not a brand that just looks to the past – we are constantly innovating, following trends and employing modern machinery to make sure we continue to be the best sock makers in the world."
Why is Pantherella called Pantherella?
The short answer to this is nobody really knows! Louis Goldschmidt chose the name when he changed the company name from Midland Hosiery to Pantherella in 1937, but the exact reasons why have been lost to the mists of time. However, in the 1930s and 40s Leicestershire was a centre for socks and hosiery manufacture with great growth in the 1940s particularly, counting over 200 hosiery companies in the area during this decade. A name like Pantherella would have certainly stood out and been memorable.
2024 Update:
Are Pantherella Socks still made in England?
In May 2024, after more than 85 years of making socks at the Hallaton Street, Leicester factory, Pantherella announced they would be moving production from the UK to Italy, and as of 2025 Pantherella socks are now made in Italy. Whereas Italian manufacture will be of the highest quality and standard, it is a little sad to see such a historic British company move production away from England. Pantherella said this was a strategic decision by the company due to the demands of their growing international business, adding, "Italy's renowned craftsmanship, dedication to excellence, and advanced manufacturing capabilities align seamlessly with our commitment to delivering excellent quality products to our valued customers. It also means that the finest Italian sourced yarns, that we have used to knit our socks for generations, don't have to travel far!"