From their factory in Schmallenberg, Germany, fourth-generation legwear company Falke [3] continues to innovate in the luxury category—both with new techno-fabrics for running and yoga as well as with their signature tights, stockings and socks.

The brand's signature process and materials are unparalleled; more than 30 pairs of experienced hands touch each pair of socks, all of which are hand-bound, leaving virtually no seaming on the toe, and the range is constructed out of fabrics typically reserved for top quality men's outerwear, such as multi-thread Chinese cashmere, Super 150 Australian Merino, pure Japanese silk and Fil d'Ecosse yarn. With all this attention to each and every thread, Falke's tights and stockings are a truly sumptuous and sensual experience—one that might even convince you to stop going bare-legged this summer.

Building on their 112-year legwear history, Falke's newly launched Active Sports line, which won the 2007 Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany, features leggings, tops and jackets for running and yoga created out of innovative materials designed to wick away moisture and keep the body optimally heated and cooled during exercise. The Indian-inspired yoga pants are a standout—rich leggings with a hip-slimming skirt overlay, made out of an environmentally friendly 65% bamboo/30% polypropylene/5% elastane combination that will inspire even the laziest among us into downward dog.

With flagship stores in Berlin, Paris, Salzburg and Vienna, and another 81 shops in exclusive locations around the world, Falke's special brand of high-level craftsmanship is becoming more accessible to those demanding a leg up everyday.

—Meghan Cleary [4]