In the Grip of Nylon (18 Photos)

On September 4, 1959, pantyhose first hit the market in the United States, sparking a true revolution in fashion and everyday comfort. Quickly becoming a wardrobe staple, they replaced traditional stockings. Take a look back through archival photos showing how nylon took the fashion world by storm and transformed women's style forever.







1. A woman inspects nylon stockings. 1942. (Thomas D. McAvoy—The LIFE Picture Collection/ Getty Images)





2. A model wearing tights, a wool-lined silk girdle, and a bra. 1942. (Gjon Mili—The LIFE Picture Collection/ Getty Images)



3. Stockings. 1943. (Walter Sanders—The LIFE Picture Collection/ Getty Images)



4. Patterned tights. 1943. (Walter Sanders—The LIFE Picture Collection/ Getty Images)



5. Nylon stockings. 1945.



6. A model in black stockings, a coat, a fur-trimmed hat, and a fur muff adjusts her garter. 1946. (Gjon Mili—The LIFE Picture Collection/ Getty Images)



7. A model wearing stockings. 1948. (Peter Stackpole—The LIFE Picture Collection/ Getty Images)



8. Lace stockings with mid-calf inserts and ankle-slimming accents. 1948. (Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/ Getty Images)



9. A holiday bestseller in 1948. (Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/ Getty Images)



10. Chorus girl Linda Lombard rests her legs after a grueling show. 1949. (George Silk—The LIFE Picture Collection/ Getty Images)



11. A model wearing black tights attached to high-heeled slingbacks by Herbert Levine. 1950. (Gjon Mili—The LIFE Picture Collection/ Getty Images)



12. Dancer Mary Ellen Terry talks on the phone while resting her tights-clad legs against a phone booth. 1952. (Gordon Parks—The LIFE Picture Collection/ Getty Images)



13. Can-can dancers kick up their stockinged legs during a performance in Paris. 1952. (Nat Farbman—The LIFE Picture Collection/ Getty Images)



14. A model shows off new shaping stockings featuring an elastic spiral strap around the thigh. 1954. (Gjon Mili—The LIFE Picture Collection/ Getty Images)



15. Teenage girls take a break during a dance ball. 1954. (Cornell Capa—The LIFE Picture Collection/ Getty Images)



16. Stockings and garters. 1954. (Gordon Parks—The LIFE Picture Collection/ Getty Images)



17. A scene from a beatnik nightclub. 1960. (A. Y.—The LIFE Picture Collection/ Getty Images)