Nothing but Seamed Stockings

[LizzieMaine]

These are from a run of the mill catalog. Novelty stockings were hugely popular. I'm sure the patriotic ones were big sellers.

Novelty hose became especially popular after nylon went off to war -- fancy designs helped conceal the fact that rayon hose wasn't as sheer as nylon. It also helped that rayon didn't last as long as nylon, so before you could get tired of the novelty stockings they'd already worn out.

That also explains why they're hard to find today.

 

[Jannie]

Magnolia Hosiery

I am a dedicated stockings wearer, and during the years I have purchased quite a few pairs of fully fashioned stockings from the American manufacturer Magnolia Hosiery. The Magnolia stockings are in my opinion among the best – if indeed not the best – modern fully fashioned stockings around.

At one time, however, for one reason or the other, the stockings I had ordered never showed up. There was some mail correspondence with the company, but unfornutately it didn't help.

Now, I have visited the "NEW Magnolia Hosiery" website. And I would be immensely pleased if the company is really back in business!

Have anybody here tried to order stockings from Magnolia recently, or do you just happen to know what happened to the company...?

 

[Lenore]

I stopped trying to get a hold of them a while back, but in doing a google search I came across this Topix post which has some recent entries.


http://m.topix.com/forum/city/corinth-ms/THH2REMETBGBN31PO/p3



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jannie]

I stopped trying to get a hold of them a while back, but in doing a google search I came across this Topix post which has some recent entries.


http://m.topix.com/forum/city/corinth-ms/THH2REMETBGBN31PO/p3



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you for this reference. It also explains my experience with the company, which has been further supported by a mail I have received from a gentleman in this Forum.

Sadly, this is often what you see with small family owned businesses; they cannot manage a change from one generation of owners to the next.

I hope that the Magnolia stockings mill will continue production in the future, and that another company will take over the sales part.

 

[TheNylonSwish]

I usually use stockingsHQ.com for stockings, they have loads of styles, colours and sizes. I would recommend buying fully fashioned stockings in nude/ brown/ grey from Touchable.co.uk if you want to look really vintage. There are also loads of vintage stockings on ebay, just watch out for sizing. If you need any help, let me know.

 

[Jannie]

I usually use stockingsHQ.com for stockings, they have loads of styles, colours and sizes. I would recommend buying fully fashioned stockings in nude/ brown/ grey from Touchable.co.uk if you want to look really vintage. There are also loads of vintage stockings on ebay, just watch out for sizing. If you need any help, let me know.

Thank you for good advice – it's really sweet of you

 

[Fräulein U.]

A question for those of you who own vintage service weight FF nylon stockings: Do they have (or need) reinforced heels that show, i.e. the cuban or havana style, at all?

I currently wear Ergora 60 denier for every day. They're 100% polyamide but still stretch a little (probably crimped yarn), they're incredibly cheap and they last and last. I rotated about eight pairs last winter, machine washed them ruthlessly and just brought all of them out for a second season. The only drawback is that they're seamless, which doesn't quite look right if everything else I wear is 40s repro or at least 40s inspired. I was wondering if I could fix that by simply stitching them up the back to create a fake seam or if there has to be a decorative reinforcement, too.

 

[LizzieMaine]

"Mock seam" stockings were very common in service weight in the era. These were cheaper than full-fashioned, but usually didn't fit as well because they weren't knitted to the shape of the leg.

All my full-fashioned service weight stockings have a full cotton sole and heel. The heel is usually cuban style, but never has a decorative shape -- it's usually low and blunt and comes up to just above the back of the shoe.

 

[Fräulein U.]

Thank you! If "mock seams" are period correct that's even better. I'll give it a try.

I wish I could get repro service weight FFs. Finding vintage deadstock for small feet, short legs, full thighs and fair skin is a bit too much to ask for. I love the available 15den repro FFs (usually buy them at Ars Vivendi) but unless I win the lottery there's no way I could wear them every day. Or I need to become as famous as Dita and routinely sell my worn out stockings for more than I pay for a new pair! lol

 

[Lady Day]

Try these people.

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/ThrowbackNylon
Message them and they might have some vintage ones.

 

[Fräulein U.]

Thanks, Lady Day! I sent a request but unfortunately they didn't have anything for me. :-(

 

[TheNylonSwish]

If you are looking for good stockings, I would recommend Touchable, What Katie Did, Secrets in Lace, Gio, and Cervin. I will also be selling genuine vintage fully fashioned stockings in January if that's your thing, check out my Facebook page (The Nylon Swish) and scroll down to see a preview.
Elinor xx

 

[TheNylonSwish]

Try these people.

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/ThrowbackNylon
Message them and they might have some vintage ones.

I get all my genuine vintage stockings from her, she's amazing and her stockings are the best!

 

[fgradowski]

Does anyone else have problems with keeping their seams straight? Mine start to turn around my ankles where my shoes rub. Any tips?

 

[LizzieMaine]

How many garters do you wear and where do you attach them? A six-strap girdle or belt will always do a better job of keeping your stockings in place than a four-strap girdle or belt. Be careful of where you clip the garter tabs to the top of the stocking -- if they aren't attached straight, they'll pull the stocking around your leg in the direction of their slant. I always use the keyhole on the welt as a guide for attaching the rear strap, and then clip on the side and the front straps in alignment with that.

It may sound like an engineering issue -- because, basically, I guess that's what it is.

 

[fgradowski]

How many garters do you wear and where do you attach them? A six-strap girdle or belt will always do a better job of keeping your stockings in place than a four-strap girdle or belt. Be careful of where you clip the garter tabs to the top of the stocking -- if they aren't attached straight, they'll pull the stocking around your leg in the direction of their slant. I always use the keyhole on the welt as a guide for attaching the rear strap, and then clip on the side and the front straps in alignment with that.

It may sound like an engineering issue -- because, basically, I guess that's what it is.

Both of my girdles have 6 tabs on them. It could be that they're not attached straight. I usually don't pay much attention to that, but it always starts to move at my ankle and not at the top where it's attached to my girdle. I will try to pay more attention when I attach them and see if that helps any.

 

[Lady Day]

Are your stockings the correct size? I always have fitting problems with stockings that are too small in the foot. Also, how do you put them on? I bunch them up then use the seam as a guide and roll them up my leg adjusting by keeping the seam straight as I go.

 

[Lady Day]

I get all my genuine vintage stockings from her, she's amazing and her stockings are the best!

She is a SUPER nice lady and has a lot of hard to find sizes.

 

[fgradowski]

Are your stockings the correct size? I always have fitting problems with stockings that are too small in the foot. Also, how do you put them on? I bunch them up then use the seam as a guide and roll them up my leg adjusting by keeping the seam straight as I go.

I thought that I was buying them too big since I am an inbetween size. I sized down for the pairs I own now and the seams still move on me. I also put them on by rolling them up using the seam as a guide.
Tonight I tried to make sure my garter tabs were put on straight and when I got home only one leg had a sideways seam.

 

[Jannie]

I thought that I was buying them too big since I am an inbetween size. I sized down for the pairs I own now and the seams still move on me. I also put them on by rolling them up using the seam as a guide.
Tonight I tried to make sure my garter tabs were put on straight and when I got home only one leg had a sideways seam.

I had this problem too. For me the solution, like the ladies here say, to wear a proper girdle with 6 straps, but also to make sure that the suspension of the stockings is neither too loose, nor too tight. If too tight, it simply feels uncomfortable – if too loose, well then the stockings start to 'rotate'. Finding the right suspension level simply solved my rotation problem once and for all.