It is perhaps difficult to find a second similar wardrobe item that would not only accompany a person for more than 8 centuries, but also constantly change its gender trait, like stockings. First appearing as a truly feminine garment, stockings later became an attribute of a predominantly male wardrobe, and then again migrated to women's wardrobes, where they became a rare attribute of seductresses from a mandatory item. And it was nylon stockings that became the bomb, an incredible commercial success and a symbol of modern times. Neither lycra products, nor tights, nor their more modern counterparts repeated this glory.
Appearance story
Stockings were known in ancient Greece, and were worn exclusively by women. They reminded rather thin knitted socks for the entire length of the legs. Also, a similarity of knitted stockings was found in ancient Coptic tombs, in burials dated to the 5th century BC. However, in the future, mankind lost the art of such delicate knitting, and stockings were made of thin fabric or leather. Again knitted stockings appeared in the wardrobe of a person only in the 16th century in Spain. Warriors at the time of the Reconquista were able to repair their stockings without fail, since they were the subject of the first necessity in a horseback trip. However, such skill was rare. So, King Louis Eighth was even presented with knitted stockings from the Spanish king.
The French king and his courtiers, at the time, wore analogs sewn from silk and velvet. They were considered an indispensable element of a man’s suit, because, firstly, they hid the imperfect hairiness of male legs, and secondly, they covered the lining of the calves (the calves of a man had to be developed, and the absence of pronounced calf muscles made the man effeminate). From thin elastic snow-white stockings, knitted from silk thread, the French king was delighted. In 1589, an English priest invented a knitting machine, on which thin stockings began to be knitted.
Weapon of seduction
Contrary to popular belief, stockings were not just men's clothing, they were also worn by women. The difference was that for men it was precisely the clothes on display. For women, it was more like linen that was embarrassing to show, and the legs in stockings were hidden under multilayer skirts. In the 16th century, Elizabeth "took" the stockings from men, and they became only female, but they were still hiding from the eyes of strangers. But women of that era began to realize how much a man could give in one glance at a leg covered in a stocking, flashed between the skirts when the lady gets out of the carriage. Therefore, stockings are decorated with embroidery, precious stones and ribbons.
In the 18th century, the Marquise de Pompadour introduced a new fashion for a short dress that opened her ankle, and here the stockings became the very piquant detail of the costume, which incredibly attracted men. In the 19th century, with the era of universal emancipation and the advent of cabaret, bright stockings of various colors entered fashion. And already at the beginning of the 20th century, more practical shades are in fashion - flesh-colored, peach. The fashion for tanning has led to the popularity of brown stockings.
The advent of nylon stockings
October 24, 1939 went down in history thanks to the American chemical company DuPont. The chemist Wallace Carothers, who worked in the company's research laboratory, first synthesized this polymer. It was called nylon, and it is not entirely known why, but there are several versions:
- It is derived from the names of the cities of New York and London.
- This is an abbreviation for the name of the New York laboratory.
- This is a word coined by DuPont, taken from an arbitrary beginning and ending –Lon, which was often used in the names of other synthetic fibers.
Furor Nylon
Whatever the name, nylon made a splash, and DuPont launched a small batch of stockings made from innovative materials. It was at this in a small department store in the city of Wilmington. The excitement was unthinkable, even despite the fact that the price of the new product was very high - nylon stockings cost twice as much as silk! This party was sold out in a matter of days, happy customers even pulled a freshly bought pair right on the street.
Six months later, a new batch arrived in other cities. There, where they were sold, women traveled from neighboring settlements. At the beginning of 1940, 5 million pairs were sold in New York in just 1 day. Women lined up in long lines for a novelty.
The manufacturer fueled the hype with an advertisement saying that nylon is as thin as a web. and as durable as steel. The photo of the nylon stockings on the advertisement literally shouted that this was an essential item for modern ladies. Of course, after decades of fighting dense, uncomfortable knitted stockings, women wanted this lightness and strength. And here is another DuPont slogan: “Preferring silk stockings over nylon is like choosing a horse rather than a car.”
WWII and stockings
However, the joy of the ladies from possessing such thin and elastic stockings was short-lived. Soon after their appearance on the shelves, the Second World War began and nylon was recognized as a strategic material for the American army. All its production was launched for military needs, stocking machines were reformatted into the production of ropes and parachutes. Across the country, there were even organized points for receiving ragged pairs, which were processed.
American girls in nylon stockings, accustomed to comfort, did not want to show each other that they had lost this important item, and imitated stockings on their legs, drawing stitches directly on the skin and covering their legs with a brown spray.
10 years of post-war triumph of nylon stockings
As the end of the war was approaching, in 44, America no longer needed the nylon industry in the same volume, and stockings began to be produced again. Then they were brought to Europe.
Nylon stockings lost their popularity to new technologies only in 1959, when Lycra was obtained by the same DuPont concern - synthetic polyurethane yarn, even more elastic and durable than nylon. And most importantly - they did not slip off the leg thanks to the elastic band, now there was no need to wear a special belt. And soon they begin mass production of tights, which were so convenient in everyday wear that stockings slowly but surely become a luxury item rather than a necessity. This contributes to the fashion and mini-skirts, rapidly captivating the world. And with a radical mini stockings you can’t put on, only tights will help here.
Nylon stockings in the USSR
In the Soviet Union, with everything that in Europe and America had long made a woman's life more comfortable, it was always bad. This applies to personal hygiene products, and cosmetics, and underwear, and stockings. In the USSR, of course, they were, but in a severe deficit, and women in nylon stockings seemed unattainably beautiful.
Copies of domestic production did not differ in particular beauty and femininity. Therefore, they hunted for those brought from the German Democratic Republic or Czechoslovakia. But only very wealthy women, or rather, the wives of diplomats or the party elite, could buy them. What kind of tricks did the Soviet women not go to extend the life of their "caprons"! The journal "Worker" gave quite extreme advice for this, answering questions whether it is possible to iron nylon stockings, store stockings in the refrigerator, darn with your hair, which is less noticeable than threads. The very worn ones were used on the farm - to throw out a pair of precious, even torn nylon stockings, just did not raise a hand.
Seam in stockings as an element of seduction
Modern stockings can be anything, including a seam at the back. This seam, like a clear vertical, makes the legs of the woman who put them on almost endless, especially in combination with high heels.
Initially, nylon stockings with a seam were the first manufactured models. This was a feature of the first machines for their manufacture: they sewed the finished nylon fabric. Later, whole stockings appeared, but after decades, the seam returned to fashionistas again.
True, he soon became an attribute of a rather vulgar image; few decent women at the beginning of the two thousandth would dare to put on retro nylon stockings. But everything is changing, and today stockings with a seam have lost their frivolous color and have become associated only with retrostyle. And although today you can’t put on stockings with a seam in the office, for the evening look they are quite appropriate.