Do Dinosaurs wear Stockings?

Apparently, yes.

I have a follower who loves stockings (I know most of you if not all, do but this one seems keener than usual), and talking to him got me thinking about them and their history. Oh god, she’s gonna give us a history lesson. Yes, but hopefully you’ll enjoy it.

Now, what momentous world event happened in 1939?

No, I’m not talking about WW2. Without trivialising that in any way I’d say from our vested interest viewpoint the most momentous event was the arrival of nylon stockings. The first total synthetic material. Apparently, it was by luck rather than design that Du Ponts who had produced it made it into stockings. They wanted to demonstrate that “it had the strength of steel and the sheerness of cobwebs” and making stockings meant they had to produce very little of it to make a pair and demonstrate their claim.

Demand went sky high when they were found to be much more resilient than silk stockings but then the war intervened and nylon went into parachutes rather than stockings.

(As an aside, given that at the time no woman wanted to be seen out bare-legged they took to coating their legs in cold tea or gravy browning and running eyeliner down their legs to imitate the seam.)

Stockings remained scarce in the UK until the mid-50s when rationing of them ceased

Then in 1959 tights, or pantyhose as our American cousins call them, were invented and the ease of wearing them, doing away with the need for suspender belts, soon had them replacing stockings. Tights also allowed shorter skirts, but I’m not sure whether the mini skirt provided the incentive to invent tights or visa versa!

So. Nylon stockings had a mainstream fashion life from 1939 to 1959. 20 years, 5 of which were war years and 10 of which supply was rationed.

Yet here I am 63 years after their everyday use ceased still unnecessarily wearing them with you men continuing to drool over them.

I’m fascinated. Anyone care to explain why stockings are so sexy? Don’t get me wrong, I think they are, that’s why I wear them but what gives them that sexiness over other lingerie? I don’t know.

According to those that are supposed to know, including fashion editor for the Washington Post, Robin Givhan, “I think they’re going the way of the dinosaur, I don’t think there is even the slightest chance that they’re coming back.”

Yet here’s a statistic you might find fascinating. Statistics fascinating? In 2016 hosiery sales in the UK comprised 20% tights and 80% stockings.

Proving perhaps that the fashion editor of Washington Post knows as much about fashion as I know about nuclear fusion.

So yes. Dinosaurs do wear stockings!

Anyway, Anyone still reading? Anyone still awake? Anyone interested in a few photos of me wearing stockings? Ah, I see a glimmer of life! Here you are then. Xxxx