Getting Personal

                Stocking fillers to thrill her
            
                The history of the humble stocking goes back a long way. Designed to cover the foot and part of the legs, this item of ladies apparel – although, it has to be said that men can also wear stockings if they so choose, but that's another story - can be made from materials such as silk or nylon, and come in a variety of styles; they can be worn as either self-supporting hold-ups, garments that require a suspender belt, stockings which require support from a garter, and even as tights – although the latter are not designed as separate garments for each leg.
 
Interestingly, the world of stockings and tights has a complete lexicon of terminology, which many men may or may not be entirely familiar with. Thigh-high and knee-high options are pretty much self-explanatory – as should be seamless varieties – but there are terms which might be more confusing to the non-expert. Fencenet stockings, for example, are similar to their well-known cousin the fishnet, but have a far wider pattern. Then, of course, there is the fully-fashioned stocking, which are knitted flat. However, after knitting, the fabric is cut and then sewn with a seam at the back. This type of stocking should never be confused with the mock seam variety, which is a seamless stocking that has been kitted out with a false seam.
 
However, perhaps unbelievably, these garments do have a relevance to the Christmas period. Indeed, our whole tradition of hanging Christmas stockings, and stuffing lots of amazing Stocking Fillers inside, does have its origins in the hanging of stockings over the fireplace to dry. But now, times have changed, and things have moved on a little bit. Whether or not ladies still choose to hang their stockings over – or in front – of a fireplace to dry, Christmas stockings are often placed at the top - or foot - of a bed, and can be styled into all sorts of weird and wonderful designs.
 
But what about the gifts? Well, when it comes to stocking fillers for her, it all depends upon the personality and tastes of the person you're buying for; having an idea of the type of message you're looking to convey also helps. If you're looking for a gift with a romantic edge that is guaranteed to make her heart melt, why not opt for a My Last Rolo? Made from either hallmarked silver or gold, the My Last Rolo is presented in a beautiful presentation gift box and is arguably one of the best stocking fillers for showing someone how much you care.
 
Now produced by Nestle, the Rolo came to symbolise true love after the introduction of an advertising campaign, where it was asked if the viewer loved “anyone enough to give them your last Rolo?” And as it's certainly true that Rolos are tasty chocolate treats – not to mention fairly irresistible –to offer someone something that you ultimately crave yourself is surely one of the most unselfish acts of love possible? And if this ultimate act of love comes amongst stocking fillers – and made of much more durable material than chocolate – so much the better.
 
In the US, the rights to the Rolo brand are held by the Hershey Company, an American manufacturer of chocolate since the company was created in 1894. The company even has its own process or manufacturing chocolate; dubbed the Hershey Process, the method makes it possible to create milk chocolate in a manner that makes it less vulnerable to the freshness of the milk used. However, as the process is still a trade secret, the exact details of the Hershey Process remain unclear.
 
Chocolate treats aside, however you plan to thrill her this Christmas – and whichever stocking fillers you eventually opt for – make sure you give her a Christmas holiday to remember. Treat her to breakfast in bed, humour every whim and wish – no matter how small – and you're sure to get all of your Christmas desires fulfilled in return. After all, it is the season of goodwill!