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By the 1920s modern stocking machines could manufacture around 150 pairs per day (fully fashioned).
Seamless stockings were available at this time but lack of fashioning led to baggy ankles and looked
extremely unglamorous. Packaging became all important in the race for market share. Lingerie in the
form of slips and camiknickers became fashionable.
Marlene Dietrich as Lola Lola in 'The Blue Angel' (Ufa 1930), became the icon of a generation in her split
skirt, black suspenders and frilly knickers. Stockings remained
much as they had in the 20s, flesh tones prevailed, girdles became the important item to hold them up.
Girdles and brassieres began to take the place of corsets for the large majority of women.
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Nylon yarn was first made in America by Du Pont in 1938. Large-scale production of Nylon
stockings began in 1940, but at first they were only available in the US and Canada, Europe being in
the midst of war had no capacity to make any and the British government did not see the need to import any
officially.
Nylon's appeal lay, of course, in it's sheerness, it's strength and lightness. It is classified by
denier, that is, the thickness of the yarn. In the 40s the finest was 15 denier which meant transparent
stockings! But how to get them, that was the
million dollar question. Many pairs arrived as gifts from relatives in the States, anyone who went
to America was implored to bring them back, but the sure-fire way was by knowing an American GI, who were famously
generous (not only in the stocking dept).
The 50s remain the apogee of fully fashioned nylons, greater transparency was ever the aim of the
manufacturers, various new heel styles were introduced and at the end of the decade bright colours
burst upon the market. Stilleto heeled shoes introduced in the mid 50s added the final cachet.
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The 1960s saw many changes, the most significant being the wide adoption of seamfree
stockings which didn't bag at the ankles, this was due to the introduction of lycra which allowed
more elasticity in the fit. Hold-ups also became popular with the flourishing teen-age market.
The brevity of mini skirts also led to the popularity of
tights (panty hose) and stockings began to take a back seat on the fashion parade. By the early
70s stockings sales had plummeted and girdles practically disappeared, barely-there suspender belts
took their place.
Stretch stockings - seamless and unfashioned were the latest attempt to revive a flagging market.
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In the early 80s Dior launched a large range of coloured stockings called Diorella in every colour
you could think of; one size fits all. Lace
tights and stockings were fashionable and clocks made a comback in the form of flowers, butterflies
and diamante. Then in the late 80s everything reversed and 70 denier opaque black was 'in'.
Stockings were very long because of the shortness of mini skirts.
The 90s has been the decade of revivals. Just about every major style of the century has been revived and
reinterpreted. It is difficult to find anything that does not have an echo of the past in it
somewhere. Pretty Polly 're-invented' nylons, Charnos brought back fancy seams. Fish-net is
back in many variations. Glamour is back. Long live the stocking.
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