During the attic clearance at our family home in England this winter I found a small, thin cardboard box slipped into a laundry bag of linen from my great aunt’s flat. Inside were a pair of perfect, brand new, fully fashioned nylon stockings dating, I am guessing from the 1950s.
My mother’s family were once relatively wealthy, (until death, taxes & alcohol), and the women spent a lot of money on clothes & accessories, judging by the extraordinary pieces I keep finding. I dread to think how much these must have cost originally. Even so, they were obviously special enough to be kept and, as so often happens, then not worn.
When you can buy a pair of nylon tights in any corner shop today for a couple of quid, in our disposable society it’s good to remember that once these were once a luxury, worth saving up for. Although I’m not quite sure what to do with them — at the moment they are in Clare’s attic, along with the other precious pieces of my clothing that I couldn’t bear to donate to the local hospice shop. (I gave over thirty full garbage bags to the store.)
Russell & Bromley tho is still going strong in England, although only selling shoes & handbags now — rather nice ones. (Including these.)
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These sort of things are all over the place on ebay — there is a big market in old (unused) stockings! Of course since they are in pristine condition you could always wear them… In any case, what a find, and the packaging is lovely.
those are beautiful– I have strange interest in stocking boxes and the lovely noise that type of cardboard makes– yes am freak.
It’s true we can get stockings more easily now but look how fine, delicate and intricate those are– ours are not so lovely– though tearing a pair of these must have been terrible
You must wear them, of course!
Any excuse to buy a whole new set of underwear — just to wear the stockings with
Ali x
Wow, what a great find! Keep hunting!
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x
What an awesome piece of history! Don’t wear them. Frame them!
How interesting! I would definitely keep it (at least the box), just because it’s from the 50’s and ‘vintage’ — but then again, I have trouble throwing things out, so…
Thanks for sharing — what a lovely find!
Yes, PLEASE wear them… and then tell us about the experience! I absolutely LOVE wearing nylons, but stockings from that era should be especially smoothe and silky against the skin. I would dress in an entirely sexy retro fifties outfit with them, even if it were just in my own flat, and then just feel them as I rub my legs together.… quite naughty!
Who knows — you MAY find that you won’t be able to STOP wearing full-fashioned nylons!