STOCKING
Date1950s
Dimensions106 x 17 cm (41 3/4 x 6 11/16 in.)
Object numberHF.2018.2.2.1-2a-b
DescriptionTwo sets of light brown silk stockings with seam at the back of the leg. The top of each stocking has a jagged edge and a tightly knit cuff 10cm wide. Parallel to either side of the seam are rows of a small pattern within the knit of the stocking. The bottom of the foot is more tightly knit with the seam running down the center of the foot to the toe. Narrative
Silk stockings grew in popularity in the 1920s as women’s fashion began featuring shorter hem lines. Stockings were commonly made of silk, wool, cotton and synthetic nylon which was cheaper to produce. In the 1920s, women were known to use powder to take the sheen off their stockings. During the Second World War, the lack of access to stockings led women to colour their legs and draw a “seam” down the back to provide the appearance of stockings for modesty sake.
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