Ladies and Pantyhose

You rarely see ladies wearing “stockings” or pantyhose these days. I must say I am glad that they are no longer in fashion anymore, especially on these 100+ degree days! They sure did make your legs look pretty with our drill team or majorette uniforms though! One of my favorite pantyhose memories is when I got married in late August of 1983. It was unusually hot in Ohio and our reception was at the local armory in town. There was no air conditioning and the heat was melting the flowers on the wedding cake. When I went to the restroom, all the ladies and aunties were in there stripping off their hose!

Stockings/socks were made of cotton in the late 1500’s and prior to the 1920’s were worn for warmth. As hemlines started to rise in the 1920’s ladies wanted something that matched the tone of their skin that showed beneath the hemline. These stockings were like long socks and made of silk or rayon. A garter or garter belt that was worn around the waist was worn to “hold up” the stockings. Silk stockings were an expensive luxury.

Dupont invented nylon in 1939 and made stockings more durable and affordable and they were very popular with the ladies. When the US entered World War II, Dupont had to switch their factories over to the war effort by producing nylon for parachutes, rope and airplane cords. “Nylons” became highly sought after on the black market. The popular Nylons of the time had a dark seam down the back which you tried to keep straight all the time. With the shortage of Nylons, ladies would take a black marker and draw lines down the back of their legs to appear that they were wearing them!

What we know as pantyhose became popular in the 1940s and 50’s when Hollywood dancers like Ann Miller had the hose sewn to panties or shorts as the hemlines had gotten shorter again. After the war pantyhose were readily available and came in all colors and styles including fishnet. Stockings with garters and garter belts are now relegated to the sexy lingerie department.

The bane of our existence was to have a “run” in your hose. It was so easy to ruin a pair with a snag or a fingernail cutting through when pulling them up. I remember putting nail polish on the run or hole to try to stop it and make them last longer.

Do you remember the Legg’s Eggs? They were probably the most popular brand produced, and they came in a nice large plastic egg you could keep them in or repurpose. I’m not sure when robbers discovered that putting a stocking over your head distorted your face so you would not be recognized in a lineup!

Sometimes we find vintage silk stockings in estate sales still in the box that were a treasured keepsake or saved for a special day that didn’t come. Pantyhose began to fall out of favor in the late 1990’s as ladies went for a more natural look without the constricting and somewhat false looking leg colors. Frankly, I miss them and may start a trend to bring them back, but I think I will wait until after summer! Happy Collecting!

HHJ News