Tights Are Now a Fall Fashion Staple—But They Were Once a Revolutionary Style Statement
Why pantyhose will never make a comeback
Fifty years ago, textile mogul Allen Gant Sr. To mark this momentous anniversary, Smithsonian tells the story of their invention and place in fashion history. The heyday of panthose were the s and s but apparently sales have declined since the s "casualization" of the workplace. From Smithsonian:. The year was and if you were a woman, a night on the town meant either squeezing into a girdle or slipping on a garter belt.
This week marks the 80th anniversary of one of the most successful and consequential product introductions. On October 24, , nylon stockings went on sale to the public for the first time. The frenzied reception was comparable to the one that greeted the original iPhone, and so were the long-term consequences. Credit: Steve Baccon. The sale was merely a trial: unbranded pairs sold by DuPont to demonstrate its new fibre's real-world wearability.
It's spring, and from my experience as a woman and as someone who writes about personal style, I know I can expect two things:. Millions of women, myself included, will ditch their winter tights in favor of bare legs with the skirts and dresses we wear to work and to social events and everywhere in between. And men — typically baby boomers and beyond — will call and e-mail me to register their disappointment.