The History of Leggings & Fall Fashion Tips
Submitted by Carol Knauf- One-hundred years of stockings, hosiery, pantyhose and leggings: there’s a long history behind them. Take a trip down memory lane with the evolution of leggings that has been driven by everything from technology to world events to fashion trends.
The 1920’s – almost all women’s stockings were knitted from silk or rayon. Hemlines rose with the popularity of the flapper dress and women wore their stockings rolled just below the knee. It was common for women to rouge their now exposed knees.
The 1930’s – Cuban heel stockings were the trend. Named after the popular shoe style of the time, Cuban heel stockings had reinforced heels and toes with a darker knit that continued up the leg seam.
The 1940’s – Dupont invented nylon, a new silky material that, when knitted into hosiery, didn’t wrinkle around the ankle. During World War II, nylon was needed to make parachutes for the war effort, so women began making “liquid stockings” by staining their legs brown and penciling in a seam.
The 1950’s – “Panti-Legs” a form of sheer tights combines panties with hose for the first time. Seamless “Panti-Legs” or tights were the new trend.
The 1960’s – With mini-skirts in fashion, pantyhose became a necessity, sending stockings into oblivion. Tights or pantyhose were often worn in bright colors and patterns as seen on supermodel Twiggy.
The 1970’s – “Control-top” pantyhose introduced a reinforced panel in the front. Spandex and other elastic materials were becoming increasingly popular in hosiery, providing a snugger fit.
The 1980’s – Lace leggings were all the rage due to artists like Madonna. They were often worn under skirts or shorts.
The 1990’s – Two trends: ripped tights and fishnets were a punk look worn by artists like Courtney Love and sheer tights were on the decline while stirrup leggings gained popularity.
The 2000’s – Leather and jean leggings were the trends as well as the new term “jeggings” (jean/leggings combined). Capri leggings were also on trend, showing off the lower part of the leg.
The 2010’s – Pairing stocks with heels gains popularity and is shown on all the designer runways. Of course, many women opted to just go bare legged or spray “liquid stockings” on their legs – sound familiar?
Now for fall: We spend several weeks a year traveling to various markets, which takes an incredible amount of focus and stamina to present our customers with new, exciting, on-trend fashion. It is our mission to bring you the best in fashion for your lifestyle.
So, we need you to clean your closet for the new fall season. That sounds like an ominous job, however, I know you are up to the task. Chip away at the project- subscribe to the 5/5 rule. Every day, deal with 5 items or spend 5 minutes in your closet and decide if you should TOSS, CONSIGN, or DONATE.
We are at the start of a new season: face all hangers towards the BACK of the closet. After you have worn something, return it to the closet facing the FRONT. The hangers still facing backwards at the end of the season are the items you need to dispose of – again toss, consign, or donate.
Practice the ZPO (Zero Population Growth). If you buy three new items, three old items have to go. Separate emotions from possessions.
Know what you own. Hang all like silhouettes together: all blouses, all pants, etc. Then hang them by color, light to dark.
Lastly – NO MORE WIRE HANGERS!!!!!!!
A few more fashion tips for fall: Add a few pieces in trendy fall colors, step outside your clothing comfort zone, select fall’s trending styles that really meld with your personal sense of style.
No matter what your style preferences are, you can have fun with the new fall fashions this season. We are here to help fit you with all the new fall fashion trends.
Carol Knauf
Owner, Buyer
Rae Baxter’s Fashions
