Seamed stockings are the perfect finishing touch to a 1950s style outfit, after all, nobody would be seen without a seamed nylon clad leg during that decade.
The short answer is that all stockings used to be knitted flat and the seam was added to hold the stocking together. The technology to make a tubular stocking simply wasn’t available.
The machines used to make these seamed stockings were huge and cumbersome, weighing 30 tons, with a top speed of 30 pairs per hour. The stockings were known as ‘Fully Fashioned Stockings’ as they were fashioned to fit the leg. The stockings they made were beautiful, but manufacturers wanted a cheaper and easier way to knit them.
In the 1950s circular knitting machines were developed and by the mid 1960s seam free stockings had taken over in popularity from seamed Fully Fashioned Stockings. Over the years the Reading machines that were used to make Fully Fashioned Stockings were slowly retired with the last mainstream hosiery brand, Aristoc, discontinuing their Harmony Point Stockings in the early 1990s.
This could have signaled the end of Fully Fashioned Stockings, but 1950s style remained fashionable with faux seamed stockings being developed by many hosiery and lingerie brands including What Katie Did. Today they’re still worn regularly by an ever growing retro fashion fan base as well as visitors to vintage events like the Goodwood Revival. The continued appeal of seamed stockings has been enough to keep genuine Fully Fashioned Stockings in production, although the sales of modern imitation seamed stockings by far outweigh the originals.
Just a handful of factories are still knitting genuine Fully Fashioned Stockings and at What Katie Did we’re proud to support the manufacture of these artisan nylons, having sold them since 1999. Our Fully Fashioned Stockings are made on traditional Reading machines in the north of England and are made from sheer 15 denier nylon. The seam is finished by hand on an overlocker and each leg is individually checked and paired.
Our Fully Fashioned Stockings have appeared on the silver screen, worn by actors including Oprah Winfrey (in The Butler) and Meryl Streep (in Florence Foster Jenkins). Alas, supply frequently outstrips supply which means that most media productions choose our 1950s inspired Glamour Seamed Stockings unless the shot is a close up.
When it comes to stocking aficionados the stocking of choice for that 1950s finishing look remains the Fully Fashioned Stocking.
How can you tell a genuine Fully Fashioned Stocking from a modern reproduction?
- Picot lines: tiny lines of dots either side of the seam on the calf and thigh. Picot lines are made by the Reading knitting machine as it increases or decreases stitches to widen 'fashion' the leg.
- Finishing loop: there is a hole in one side of the welt(stocking top) made when the welt is folded over and finished. It's part of the manufacturing process and not, as urban myth suggests, made to allow you to hold up your stocking by inserting an old penny and twisting!
Find out more:
What Katie Did UK/Outside USA: https://www.whatkatiedid.com/collections/fully-fashioned-stockings
What Katie Did USA: https://us.whatkatiedid.com/collections/fully-fashioned-stockings
Press release distributed by Pressat on behalf of What Katie Did, on Wednesday 30 June, 2021. For more information subscribe and follow https://pressat.co.uk/
Fully Fashioned Stockings Seamed Stockings 1950s Fashion Goodwood Revival Fashion Vintage Fashion Stockings Vintage Fashion Vintage Lingerie Retail & Fashion
FAQs
Creating a 1950s Look with Seamed Stockings
Seamfree stockings actually started being made in 1949 but they didn't become popular until the mid 1960s.
Did silk stockings have seams? ›
They are from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s in nylon, silk and rayon. Most of them are fully fashioned with formed heels and toes and a seam up the back and a few seamless.
What do you call stockings with a line? ›
Hold-ups or stay-ups (in the United States also referred to as thigh-high stockings or simply thigh highs) are stockings with an elasticized band at the top, designed to hold the stockings up when worn, without the use of a garter belt or garters (British English: suspenders).
Did 1920s stockings have seams? ›
Circular knit stockings stitched on backseams, while poor women may have painted on a seam. The backseam was seen as a slimming illusion for women's leg. Most seams were very thin and in a matching thread.
When did pantyhose fall out of fashion? ›
But the bottom line is this: Between 2009 and 2013, according to Experian Marketing Services, the number of women in the U.S. who said they bought regular pantyhose declined 40%. The number of women who said they bought control top pantyhose declined 47%.
What are seam stockings? ›
Seamed: Stockings manufactured in the old Full-Fashioned manner with a seam running up the back of the leg. In the past they were manufactured by cutting the fabric and then sewing it together.
When did they stop making silk stockings? ›
Even though silk stockings were cheaper — about $1 a pair, by TIME's reckoning — the nylons sold out for months after their debut on this day 75 years ago, Oct. 24, 1939.
What are back seam stockings? ›
These were the times when all stockings had a back seam. A single piece of fabric was wrapped around and sewn together to match women's leg shape.
What is fully fashioned stocking? ›
Fully fashioned stockings (FFS), are stockings with characteristic reinforcements on the heel and top, a so-called keyhole at the back of the top, and a stitched back seam in between.
What is the point of thigh highs? ›
Thigh-high stockings ensure you are getting the benefits of compression and improved venous circulation up and down the entire leg, which is especially important if you're recovering from surgery or have limited mobility.
During World War II, nylon was used extensively for parachutes and other war materials, such as airplane cords and ropes and the supply of nylon consumer goods was curtailed.
Why don't girls wear pantyhose anymore? ›
But no more. It turns out pantyhose sales have been sagging for the last two decades, because of self-tanner, open-toed shoes, women wearing pants more often, and, generally, more casual dress in the workplace. Millennials don't own pantyhose. One article says, "Many people associate sheer with grandma."
When did nylon stockings become seamless? ›
In the 1950s circular knitting machines were developed and by the mid 1960s seam free stockings had taken over in popularity from seamed Fully Fashioned Stockings.
What was the original purpose of pantyhose? ›
Pantyhose were invented in the late 1950s and went on sale in 1959. They didn't become popular until the mid-1960s (thanks to the mini-skirt). They were revolutionary because women no longer needed to wear a girdle or garter belt.
What is the purpose of a seam? ›
Seams are an essential element to every garment and fabric accessory, as they join the material together to create the item. Seams are used for hems and to finish necklines and edges. Seams add shape through elements like darts, which are used to shape hips, waists, and bustlines.
Are back seam tights appropriate? ›
Back seam tights are a great alternative to your usual sheer tights, offering drama and sophistication without all the unwanted attention. The only pattern that you shouldn't wear to the office is fishnets. They give off a risqué impression and are usually considered inappropriate to wear for work.
What are the 3 types of seams? ›
In clothing construction, seams are classified by their type (plain, lapped, bound, flat) and position in the finished garment (centre back seam, inseam, side seam). Seams are finished with a variety of techniques to prevent ravelling of raw fabric edges and to neaten the inside of garments.
What was the substitute for the silk stockings? ›
DuPont's nylon stockings first went on sale in May 1940. Though slightly more expensive than silk, nylon stockings were a huge hit because they were a much better product at a price point that was still affordable.
When did men stop wearing hosiery? ›
Hose are any of various styles of men's clothing for the legs and lower body, worn from the Middle Ages through the 17th century, when the style fell out of use in favour of breeches and stockings. The old plural form of "hose" was "hosen".
Why do you have to hang stockings at Christmas? ›
Saint Nicholas knew the family was very poor, so he threw three bags of gold coins down the chimney. The money landed in the sisters' stockings. Since then, children have hung up their Christmas stockings on Christmas Eve, hoping to find them filled with gifts in the morning.
From fishnet stockings to sheer stockings, here are seven types of stockings you can buy from Myntra this winter season. Winters are here! With it comes the amazing fashion choices like sweater vests, woollen dresses and skirts, and leather jackets.
Why are they called clocked stockings? ›
Clocked stockings are so named for the process of weaving the design in the side. They are a good way to add a little more flash to any outfit, man or woman. They have the same great retention as our solid color stockings. This same pattern can be found in two different paintings by William Hogarth.
How do you tell the front and back of stockings? ›
The fix: When there isn't a tag to indicate the front, the first step is to check the shape of the foot. If that's not clear, look to see if there's a long seam that sticks out higher in the back of the waistband, which indicates that it's the back.
What kind of stockings were worn in 1920s? ›
Most women wore solid-colored stockings. With that said, there were also embroidered stockings and stockings that featured eye-catching patterns. Checkers and polka dots were a fun alternative to solid stockings. It was also possible to find stockings that featured stripes, bows, feathers, or flowers.
Did they wear stockings in the 80s? ›
Late 1980s (1987–1989)
Although skirts of any length were acceptable to wear in the years before, all attention was given to the short skirt, especially among teenage girls and young women worn with tights, pantyhose, leggings, or slouch socks.
When did knee high stockings come out? ›
During the 1920s knee highs become popular in America. In the 1960s they became a fashionable accessory which lasted through the 1970s and 1980s and made a comeback in the mid to late 90s thanks to the movie Clueless They are still seen as part of many school uniform requirements.
Did they wear stockings in the 50s? ›
Women's Hosiery
For most of the 1950s, women relied on knee high and thigh high stockings to smooth out their legs and lower bodies, with girdles and garter belts doing the work of defying gravity.
