Stockings, Garter Belts, and Girdles: The Days Before Pantyhose

On one of my estate-sale excursions, I came upon a stash of nylon stockings. All were beautifully kept, most in the original packages, some in the original box seals still unbroken. As a teen who had to wear nylons I was amazed. Amazed they stood the test of time and made me start thinking of the days before pantyhose. For those of you born in the mid-70’s or later, stockings are the things seen on Mad Men or Pan Am, or  in an old movie with attached at the mid thigh oh-so-seductively by garters. Stockings were a required part of a woman’s wardrobe. Dresses were commonplace (the pantsuit didn’t become truly accepted until the late 60’s or early 70’s) and pantyhose weren’t invented yet.

There were a few rules to keep when it came to stockings, such as nail polish, never throw out one if another is torn (you’ll probably need it later), and always wash stockings by hand.

Here are a few I found at the estate sale:

   Vintage Lorette Cantrece stockings from Kline’s Department store.  These are in the original box, seal never broken.

      Vintage Hanes Walking Sheer Stockings

 

To see more about the history of stockings with lots of pictures, click HERE. Thanks to Glamour Daze and the amazing blog.