The invention of nylon in the mid-1930s by the geniuses at DuPont, and the first commercial sale of nylon stockings in late October 1939, are landmarks in fashion history that anyone with a modicum of reverence for the timeline of chic would do well to note. Perhaps with a moment of silence. Or the gentle rustling of stockinged leg against stockinged leg.
Here, LIFE.com pays tribute to nylon stockings — and hosiery in general — with a series of classic photos that capture something of the fashion staple’s allure, and the quite evident reasons for the stocking’s central place in the style canon.
Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LizabethRonk.
Woman inspecting her nylon stockings, 1942.Thomas D. McAvoy—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesA model wearing "hotsies," wool-lined silk faille girdle and bra, 1942.Gjon Mili—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesStockings, 1943.Walter Sanders—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images"Curtain" stockings, 1943.Walter Sanders—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesNylon stockings, 1945.Peter Stackpole—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesModel wearing black stockings, fitted dress coat, fur trimmed hat and fur muff, adjusting garter, 1946.Gjon Mili—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesModel with stockings, 1948.Peter Stackpole—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. "Lace stockings with panels that run to mid-calf and enhance slim ankles," 1948.Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesFrom "Best-Selling Christmas Gifts," 1948.Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesChorus girl Linda Lombard, resting her legs after a tough night on stage, 1949.George Silk—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesModel wearing black nylon hose permanently attached to high heeled satin mules by Herbert Levine, 1950.Gjon Mili—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesDancer Mary Ellen Terry talking with her legs up in telephone booth, 1952.Gordon Parks—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCancan dancers flinging up their legs while they dance in Paris, 1952.Nat Farbman—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesModel wearing new stay-up stocking with elastic cord spiraling around thigh, 1954.Gjon Mili—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesTeenage girls resting feet at a formal dance, 1954.Cornell Capa—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesStockings and garters, 1954.Gordon Parks—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesScene at a beatnik night club, 1960.A. Y.—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
