1940s Stockings, Nylons, Knee Highs, Tights, Pantyhose

1940s stockings

1940s stockings, later called nylons, were nude colored with a matching nude seam up the back. The nude was a shade darker than natural skin’s tone or for a sun-kissed look. 1940s stockings were held up with garters and made of silk (very expensive), rayon (affordable) or cotton (affordable but not pretty). They lacked stretch, so they were sewn into the shape of the leg in a style called Fully fashioned. The black or nude stocking with back seam emerged briefly in the early 40s and again in the very late 1940s along with a few nude stockings with colored seams, such as blue or red. Nurses and other white uniformed positions wore thick white stockings, as did young girls. Most teens and women during the war wore white or colored socks and only wore stockings on special occasions.

Learn the history of 1940s stockings here and shop below for 1940s style seamed stockings, nylons, knee highs, pantyhose, and socks. Pantyhose and tights came about in the 1960s but you can still wear them under your 1940s dress or skirt (no one will know!)