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News and Articles The above photo provide by AnniePanties shows Jillian wearing vintage stockings and lingerie. Site was last updated on 9/29/09. We now have links to some of our member's sites. For helpful answers and tips about Nylon Stockings download THIS Adobe PDF file |
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REBECCA ESANDRA ESANDRA'S TRINKETREE JEN VINTAGE STOCKINGS VINTAGE LINGERIE NYLON DRAMA BOOTLEG NYLONS ANATOMY OF A STOCKING STOCKING GLOSSARY STOCKING SIZING CHART
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Welcome! Our email address is nylonstockingsociety@yahoo.com
The first public release of Nylon Stockings was amazing - Never before May 15, 1940 did a consumer item create such nationwide pandemonium.
It all started with "Miss Chemistry" and the workers wearing "Nylons" at the New York World's Fair. Millions and millions of stockings were sold before all nylon production went to the war effort. The desire for stockings was so strong that a Nylon Black Market was going during the war. In 1945, when the war ended, nylon was once again used to make stockings. The demand for nylon stockings was so great that fights were common at stores selling stockings. These fights became known as Nylon Riots. Nylon stockings were so popular that they became a major part of fashion. A little known fact is woman started routinely shaving their legs because of sheerness of the nylon stocking. Stockings were a normal part of life until the 60s when hem lines went way up. This allowed for pantyhose to take over the market. Stocking production went way down and has never recovered since then.
At first, stockings were made from either silk or cotton. Rayon was the first attempt to have a manufactured material replace silk and cotton. Original nylon stockings had seams. At first, the manufacturing process of nylon stockings needed much manual labor including sewing the material together which created a seam. When the circular knitting machines for nylon stockings came on the market, stockings were made faster, with less waste and labor. The biggest advantage to the market was not lower cost but no seams in the stockings. But it took several years before seamless stockings became the fashion norm. Why? Wearing stockings was a must so a seam was an easy way to show that a woman was properly dressed. When seamless stockings became common, some movie directors would alert the viewer of a woman’s character status by showing the stockings she was wearing. When you saw a woman in one of these movies wearing seamed stockings, she was probably a shady character, maybe a villain, tempest or part of the seamy (seedy) side of life.
Did the Stiletto heel keep seamed stockings in fashion during the 50s? Stockings with straight seams were a fashion must but there was always that extra effort needed to keep those seams straight. Seamless stockings were first introduced in 1952; the year after the Stiletto heel was invented. Now talk about bringing attention to the leg, that new thin heel made the old thick wide heel look terrible. The Stiletto brought the fashion focus back to the leg. Before the Stiletto heel, the stocking seam line just sort of stopped at the shoe. The new thin heel made the seam line appear to go down farther and thus made a woman’s leg look longer. It was worth the extra effort to have seams when wearing Stilettos. Also, the common stocking had a block design on the heel but then the pointed design became popular which looked great with the Stiletto.
Stocking Review by Jen @ slipcloset.com:
If you are looking for the perfect stockings, it all depends upon what you're looking for. Secrets in Lace has some amazing stockings but they are pricey. I have worn them and they are very nice - Fully Fashioned stockings are my personal favorite. Stockingshq is another site with an unbeatable selection of stockings with pretty good prices, although they are based in the UK. I have personally shopped at Magnolia hosiery and their stockings are soft, silky, and last pretty well. Mytights is another I have shopped at. The have great prices and amazing hosiery. They mostly sell pantyhose/tights but they do have some stockings. I purchased Aristco Ultra Shine stockings and just absolutely love them and highly recommend them, especially if you like a sheer stocking with a nice glossy shine. MyTights is unique because the site will tell you the key points of each item like the denier, if they are glossy or matte, if they are a sandal toe (sheer toe) or reinforced toe, etc. It is certainly helpful especially if you are looking for something specific.
If you're going after something cheaper or something bought in a store instead of online but still with a great silky feel, I suggest Vassarette. They have them at Wal-Mart (NSS note - also seen at Target) and are around $5.00 or less. They have a nice gloss to them, especially their white. They are some of the silkiest ones I've found so far. Plus they have some with back seams which I think is very sexy. For more durable stockings I have found White Stag and No Boundaries (which look identical) to be amazing! They are similar to Peavey or Tamara ("Hooters" pantyhose) in looks. They feel great, they have the most amazing gloss/shimmer that I have seen and also less than $5.00. I pick them up at Wal-Mart as well. They are a thigh-hi/stay-up though which is my only complaint with them. But pretty lace tops. They are not sheer, though, and do have a lycra which gives them their durability. On the main page of my site, Slip Closet, I have a photo of me at my desk is in a pair of the No Boundaries stockings. Even though it is a smaller photo you can still tell with it what an amazing shine and look the stockings have.
When trying to find the perfect brand of stockings I say to simply have fun experimenting to find just the right look and feel for what you're after.
Sue sent an email and said " I personally would recommend a site called Touchable stockings for stockings and lingerie. Wide range of styles of stockings and very reasonably priced, including a very wide range of styles, colours and shades of the fully fashioned stockings. They are located in the UK.
From Heidi: I bought two pair of Magnolia stockings and took them with me on vacation. The regular fully fashioned seamed pair I rate as an A. They fit well, are well made and so far also seem to hold up well. The fully fashioned black back seam pair I rate at a B+. The only complaint I have is they only come in Opera Length. It makes things a little tricky for us short gals because I have to hike 'em up WAY up and they hit like icky modern thigh highs. After an adjustment with a modern garter belt though I can make them work. All in all I think they're a good deal for the price and would order more!
Kathy has a nice article about vintage style and also one about storing stockings:
http://16sparrows.typepad.com/16sparrows/2008/06/storing-caring-for-stockings.html
http://16sparrows.typepad.com/16sparrows/vintage_style/
Question:
My feet slide in my shoes because nylons are slippery - any advice?
There are small pads available that go inside your shoe to help with this issue - one brand is KIWI® Smiling Feet™ anti-slip pads.
Question:
Where can I buy vintage stockings online?
For service and selection, go to Stocking Showcase. They also have a large selection of garter belts. Steve & Christine at http://www.stockingshowcase.com
Question:
Where can I buy vintage lingerie?
For tastefully presented vintage lingerie, go to AnniePanties. Talk to Anne at http://stores.ebay.com/AnniePanties
Question:
Any thoughts on ankle bracelets and stockings?
There are many opinions on this from they enhance the stocking to they are a distraction and from they look trashy to they add style. One thing for sure is they can snag the stocking. The classic look is to wear the anklet under the stocking and this helps to avoid snags. Wearing the anklet under the stocking wasn't a problem because the flat knit weave allowed the anklet to adjust itself but that isn't the case with modern hosiery. An anklet made in a herringbone style usually has a very smooth finish but be sure the clasp isn't rough. Another thought is an anklet made from smooth beads / stones.
Here are two vendors who make stocking friendly anklets:
Elizabeth at http://myworld.ebay.com/elizabeth9158/
Kathyrn at http://kltreasures.com/anklets/index.htm
Question:
Why do some stockings have marks by the seams? TESS
Original Full-fashioned stockings use nylon that is knitted flat, then fashioned(shaped). The shaping or fashioning occurs above and below the knee and at the ankle. During this process, the famous "fashioning marks" appear when the material is shaped. These small “marks” can be seen along the sides of the seam, most noticeably on the calf.
Question:
Any thoughts on how to stay warm while wearing stockings in cold weather? ANNE
70 denier nylon is the way to go. Sometimes referred as Service Weight, 60 and 70 deniers are a non-sheer nylon stocking that stills has the silky feel to them. Anne lives and works in New York city so we sent her a pair of 70 denier stockings to try them out. She was amazed not only how her legs stayed warm but the stockings didn't wear out.
Also, some women enjoy wearing stockings under their pants when it is cold out.
Question:
I just saw a production of the opera "L'elisir d'Amore" tonight, updated from early 1800s to 1957 Texas. Anyway, some of the women wore seamless stockings, but two wore seamed ones. However, the seamed stockings had no "heels." Do you know when the nude heel style was invented for seamed stockings? ROB
I'm not sure. The circular knitting machine for stockings hit the market in 1952 and they created a seamless stocking. To make "seamed" stockings on a circular knitting machine, a false seam had to be sewn in. Maybe that caused the nude heel style.
Question:
I was wondering if you know the time period that fishnets first came into fashion? JIM
An interesting stocking is one made in an open weave, commonly called fishnet. These weaves can be spaced from very close to very wide. Fishnet stockings have been in and out of fashion since the 1920s. Beige was the most common color for many of the early years. Textured stockings were popular during the 1950s and at that time fishnets were usually seen on the stage, especially black colored ones. This changed when Jane Russell began to wear them in public. Of course this caused fishnet stockings to become fashionable again. But as fashion goes, they lost popularity and have been in and out of fashion since.
"Johnny, I mean, if the sound of a woman's nylon stockings swishing together, swish... swish, makes a sound that drives men crazy... why hide it? All a woman has to do is rub her thighs together to produce an exquisite friction." (Helen Gurley Brown talking to Johnny Carson)
A few years ago, I had some pairs of pantyhose that had seams on them. My favorite pair was a nude color with a black seam. That pair went bad and I couldn’t find a replacement at the store. I had my husband try to find them on the internet. He ordered a pair but ordered stockings instead of pantyhose. I didn’t realize this until I had opened the package. The stockings looked too long for me and I also noticed a defect in the top of the stockings. My husband said the hole was suppose to be there and that the web site also said real nylon stockings are better than pantyhose. I didn’t have a garter belt at the time and when I mentioned that these required a garter belt, he said, “Let’s go shopping.” OK, I couldn’t turn that offer down. I bought a garter belt and wore the stockings out for dinner. I was amazed how nice the stockings felt and looked on my legs.
Sue - Cincinnati,Ohio
Collecting nylon stockings from the 50s and 60s is fairly easy. In the early 60s, 80% of hosiery sales were stockings. By the end of the 60s, over 80% of hosiery sales were pantyhose. Manufacturers over produced stockings and warehouses became full of a product that wasn’t selling, even when the hemlines went back down. Vintage nylon stockings can range in price from a few dollars to over a hundred dollars. Many factors come into play with determining value – here are a few rules that you should follow when collecting stockings. Stockings should • Never been Worn or Washed • Have Imprints (writing, graphics) on the Welt, especially the brand name • Have the original box or package with intact tissue and banding • Denier, gauge, size, length that is not common will add value • Mesh style is usually cheaper than flat knit style • It is best that they come from a Pet and Smoke free environment • When storing stockings, keep them in an area that has normal humidity
Handbook for the Woman Driver: A Must for the Woman at the Wheel - 1955
http://digital.hagley.org/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/p268001coll12&CISOPTR=172&REC=1
Clothes and Beauty En Route (page 173)
Stockings: Practical as American women are, they often have a phobia against wearing stockings suitable for the occasion. For everyday wear, even with walking shoes, women buy hose far more sheer than what was considered evening weight just a few years ago. Have some sheer nylons for dressy occasions, but for the trip consider a medium-weight stocking (45-15 is good), knowing it is sheer enough to flatter your legs, yet able to take strain. If stockings are too short or skimpy, their tops may cut into your thighs as you drive, and they won’t be long enough for you to garter them to your girdle without pulling uncomfortably.
Stray Cats - Fishnet Stockings
ZZ Top - A Fool for your Stockings
Perry Como - Silk Stockings 1955 Broadway musical "Silk Stockings" Words and Music - Cole Porter
"I Like The Way The Line Runs Up The Back Of Those Stockings.”
Everybody Wants Some!! Written by: Edward Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Michael Anthony, Alex Van Halen.
"She likes to wear her stockings black" Mungo Jerry - Baby Jump
Original Nylon and Stockings
What makes original nylon different than nylon today?
In 1964, DuPont introduced a reprocessed nylon fiber called Cantrece, a nylon that stretches. This was the first reprocessing of the original nylon specifically for the hosiery market. Agilon came out before Cantrece but it was still based on the original nylon. Nylon has since been reprocessed several times. The problem is the word nylon is used for all types of the nylon fiber but original nylon, called nylon 6,6 does not stretch. Another fiber called Lycra was invented and blended with nylon to add durability. This is not to say that nothing was compromised in the reprocess of nylon. The original nylon stocking has been imitated for many years but never matched.
The only way to see and feel the difference in nylon is to try a pair of original nylon stockings - Try It, You'll Like It!
There is a new process that allows flat knit stockings to have stretch - this is from Alexis4u.com: Mesh or some may call it non run is made in a non symmetrical stitch. The stitch pattern is in blocked area's so if one thread in a given area is broken it will only effect it's own area. Flat knit is perfectly symmetrical like a grid pattern, if one thread is broken it will be pulled out of the stocking at the opposite ends. Stretch is not only due to the pattern but the technique in the finishing of a stocking. This technique leaves the stockings in a bunch or loosely pressed condition so it will have stretch. Once the stocking is stretched it will be smooth and hopefully smoother feeling. Some times it will not be smooth feeling due to finishing difficulties such as: PH unbalanced dying, to much heat in the dye bath, too long in the bath, no conditioning after the dye bath and many more conditions that the nylon can be subject to.
How to Wear Stockings by Daryl Sroczynski
(This article was posted to a few websites by the author starting in 2003. Since then it has been copied and reposted to other websites, sometimes without credit. The posting here is with the author’s permission.)
To wear stockings, you need a garter belt (in Europe the accessory is call a suspender). Good garter belts are comfortable and don't cost much more than the little lacy ones that are not practical for long wear. Worn on top of the hip, garter belts are usually 4 to 6 inches in length; measured from top to bottom (this measurement does not include the straps). The 8-inch garter belt has recently become popular. Wider garter belts, called full or girdlette (10 to 12 inches), can offer support for the waistline. Girdles, corsets and waist cinchers are other articles of lingerie that can have straps for stockings. You can easily incorporate stockings with different lingerie.
The straps from the garter belt attach to the stocking by clasps. The more straps, the better. The more straps used, the smoother the stocking will look and on that rare occasion a clasp breaks, there would be no sag in your stocking. Metal clasps are better than plastic ones. Be sure the straps are adjustable so you can custom fit the amount of tension on the stocking. Most stockings have a top area that is thicker than the stocking itself. This is called the Welt and the clasps are attached to the welt. Don't substitute thigh highs for stockings because the thick rubber can bend the clasps. Stretch stocking wearers can use a four-strap garter belt but non-stretch stockings work better with at least six straps.
A good starting point for strap adjustment is to make the back straps 2 inches longer than the front straps and 1 inch longer than the side straps. Some garter belts are cut / shaped longer in the back than in the front to help in this area because when you sit down there is a farther distance to go on your back side to reach the stocking. When standing, there should be a slight pull on the stockings but the word here is slight (over pull will either damage the stocking or cause the garter belt to slide down). If you are wearing stretch stockings, you can keep the straps tighter, letting the stocking do some of the give.
The first few times you wear stockings, wear them around the house for a while before you leave to be sure you have everything adjusted properly. If you are wearing a short skirt, be sure to sit down and see if the stockings are long enough.
The most important rule is: don't look at the pictures. If you wear panties, put them on LAST. Think about going to the bathroom. If you have your stockings and garter belt over your panties, then you have to remove everything to go to the bathroom.
Rules for stockings are the same as for pantyhose: No jagged finger nails and toe nails. Remove rings if they are not smooth. Hands should be smooth or wear hosiery gloves. Roll the stocking down into an O-shape, place your thumbs inside, and then start unrolling it over the foot and up the leg (pointing toes, foot forward helps). Hand wash them by gently swishing and squeezing the stockings (don't rub or twist) in lukewarm water using a product like Woolite (another great product is Hosiery Mate, and you don't need to rinse). Rinse in clean water, gently squeezing. Then lay it out flat on a towel to dry (room temperature, away from direct heat). You can also use a drying tree.
To keep your stockings from twisting, attach the straps straight down from the garter belt and attach the back straps first. This helps to keep the stocking straight (even ones without a seam). If you are wearing seamed stockings, place the back strap in line with the seam (seamed stockings are best worn with 6 or more straps which will keep the seam straight). Try sitting down, which makes it easier to attach the back straps. Another trick is not to pull the garter belt all the way up until you have attached the straps to the stockings. Better yet, have a friend/spouse/partner attach the back strap for you. If you are wearing Full Fashion stockings, do not put the clasp in the finishing hole (this is a weak area of the stocking).
Most Internet sites that sell stockings give very good information about their stockings and sizing but you may have to try different brands/styles to get the perfect fit. So don't buy six pairs because you get a price break until you know they fit properly.
