A Brief History of the Nylon Stocking

While nylon fibers were patented in 1937 by Wallace Carothers the story of the nylon stocking (or "nylons" as many refer to them) actually begins long before then and continues long past that date.  Stockings actually had their start in the late 1500's when an Englishman by the name of Reverend William Lee, after inventing the world's first knitting machine, began to make hosiery out of cotton, wool and silk.  The manufacture of these stockings eventually led to the present day hosiery many of us have learned to love or hate, shun or embrace...



The synthetic fiber "nylon" first debuted at the 1939 New York World's Fair.  On May 15, 1940 the first nylon stockings were available for sale to the public in New York where over 72,000 pairs were sold the first day!  The huge popularity of this new stocking almost immediately resulted in a collapse of the Japanese silk market.



scene from a hosiery mill in North Carolina


Once the United States joined the WWII effort in 1942, nylon was used almost exclusively for the manufacture of parachutes and tents for the Defense Department.  The nylon stocking became a temporary casualty of the war until it made its first post-war appearance in  1945 in San Francisco, California.  Ten thousand customers purchased nylons upon its initial re-release!

During the 1940's and 1950's stockings were "full-fashioned" meaning they were tailored to a specific size and shape and had a seam up the back.  It has been reported that when women were unable to get stockings or could not afford them, they would draw a vertical line up the back of their legs to mimic the look.

It wasn't until sometime during the 1960's that pantyhose went on sale in direct response to the emergence of the "tights" industry.   Women were able to shed the garters and belts that held the 3/4 leg length stockings.  Seams disappeared.  Elastic-topped "thigh high stockings" also emerged.  Over the years, many women have opted to discard stockings permanently while some workplaces still include stockings as part of the dress code for female employees. 

Where do you stand on the subject?