Hosiery made of sheer fabric has been worn by women for centuries. Too light to protect a woman from the cold and uncomfortably hot in the heat of summer, stockings are not a practical garment; they are merely an accessory to make the legs look silky and smooth. Nylon (see entry under 1930s—Fashion in volume 2), a yarn invented by the DuPont Company in 1937, revolutionized stockings for women. Nylon stockings shown at New York's 1939 World's Fair (see entry under 1900s—The Way We Lived in volume 1) created a stir, making stockings available in a sheer, strong, and affordable fabric. Nylon had the look of expensive silk stockings, which many women could not afford.

When the first nylons hit the shelves in New York City the following year, more than 4 million pairs were sold within a few hours. In 1940, 672 million pairs of stockings were manufactured. Sales remained...