Originally Posted by Carol's Quilts

I am 71 yrs old and was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA so I wasn't from some tiny out-of-the way town, and I can't remember EVER wearing any kind of brown stockings as a child like all of you are talking about. We wore socks, and in high school we wore white bobby sox or colored knee sox with loafers or saddle shoes. I can remember being so anxious to get to be 16 so I could finally get to wear nylon stockings with a garter belt and high heels on special occasions - then I would be all grown up!

I do remember wearing snow pants as a child, however. In fact, we had wool snow suits where the coat matched the pants, but heavily padded and lined with flannel or wool. Then we wore boots that you wore over your shoes (your mom or the teacher would have to help you on and off with them), knitted hats under the hood that was attached to your coat, a scarf wrapped around your neck and a couple pairs of mittens. Then you were sent off to school or out to play in the snow which was a joke because you absolutely could not move! Then when the mittens got wet and your hands were cold you wanted to go back in the house, mom would get mad because it had only been about 15 minutes and now she had to take all that stuff off! Then after you were all warmed up, the neighbor kid would knock on the door and ask if your were allowed out to play! Ha Ha.

Also, I don't remember any kind of over-the shoulder harness thing with the holders for the stockings, but I do remember girdles - hated then. It was especially hard to have to go to the bathroom! And then they came out with panty girdles and you'd get that bump on your thigh where the girdle legs stopped and your real leg started. I wore my underwear under the panty girdle and then the girdle would slip and slide down the whole time I wore it. It was awful.

I not only wore fish net stockings, I had black fish nets with black roses all over them that I wore with a black satin cocktail dress - I was at the height of fashion!

What ever happened to slips - remember full slips that looked like fancy nightgowns to be worn under a dress? Then they came out with half slips in 3 different lengths. I am short and they were always too long and would have to be hemmed!

And those nylons with seams? Trying to get the seams straight without any wavy lines was a nightmare. My legs weren't straight, so even if I had the seams exactly going up the center of my legs, from the back it looked awful. If I stood straight with my feet together, from the back the seams formed a perfect V from the thighs down to the ankles. I just hated it. When seamless nylons came along, I thought it was the greatest thing in the world!

Remember we had a choice of denier or mesh stockings? Mesh stockings were finely knit and were not as sheer as denier, but they didn't get runs in them - they got snags and holes!

Remember using clear nair polish to stop a run in your stocking?

How on earth did we ever get through it all? I often miss the good old days and complain about the loss of old-fashioned standards, but I guess in a lot of ways some modern things are just better!

Sorry for this "book" - I just got carried away down memory lane.