Grandma’s Attic and Family History of Stockings

by Julia, about her grandma in Ukraine 

One time at my grandma’s place I saw old nylon pantyhose. My grandma told me that she has even more interesting items took out a bag of old clothes from the attic.  It was full of various stockings, old pantyhose, socks, leg warmers, and spatterdashes.

vintage garter belt USSR - пояс ГђВґГђ»Р“‘ВЏ чуÐ»Р“ђВѕГђВє 1950 1960 ГђВЎГђВЎГђВЎГђ  УкрÐ°Р“ђВёГђВЅГђ°

Julia’s grandma’s garter belt

"These are the ancestors of today’s pantyhose" – said grandma – "Look."

Grandma showed me her old leg warmers that her mom wore to work. During that time buildings didn’t have proper heating and in order not to catch a cold she wore shorts, legwarmers, and socks. In the 50’s the items that saved her from the cold were spatterdashes, warm socks, and rubber boots. In addition to that great grandma wore stockings. They came in different colours – beige, black, grey, brown. Even though stockings were not warm, but they looked very fancy.

Гђ±Р“С’°Р“С’±Р“‘ƒÑˆÐºÐ¸Ð½Ñ‹ ГђВіГђµР“‘‚ры, УкрÐ°Р“ђВёГђВЅГђ°, ГђВЎГђВЎГђВЎГђ , Г‘Л†ГђµР“‘€ÑÑ‚ÑŒ

Julia is wearing her grandma’s spatterdashes

"Now, these are already my own stockings" – said grandma – "… they have a patterned knit from wool yarn.  And, here, these ones are machine knit from cotton yarn.  And these other ones are made of silk.  Such stockings were worn under long knickers and they would hold up on the legs thanks to the round elastic bands , 2 – 3 cm wide. Later we acquired stockings made of dederon (a trade mark for polyester yarn) and such stockings would attach to a garter belt. Such stockings were comfortable and pretty."

 

My grandma wore such dederon stockings for about 3 to 4 decades and she shared a funny story with me from her youth.  When she was in high school, she would run away with the other girls between classes to a discount store to buy such stockings at lower prices. Once they didn’t return in time and were late for their chemistry class. For they had to go in front of the school committee and write a note explaining where they were for half of the lesson.

"Later nylon pantyhose appeared" – grandma continued – "They were not durable and not comfortable. Those pantyhose were replaced by a type with a panel between the thighs and they were much more comfortable.

Now for plus size women there are pantyhose with an extra panel of fabric in the front and at the back and they are so elastic.  Depending on the season, there are warm styles and lace fishnet styles."

In those times men didn’t notice women in pantyhose as much as in today’s time. Stockings and pantyhose were just common items in a women’s wardrobe. Today men tend to gather around women in nice pantyhose. There is an unexplained force that in public places attracts men to the wearers of pretty pantyhose. Men, enchanted by the beauty of women’s legs in pantyhose, will not necessarily sit or stand near the one with nice legs in pantyhose, but will choose a spot from where that woman can be seen well.

 

Chanel Iman, Not Just a Pretty Face

by Oliver, France

Chanel Iman in Strumpfhosen, StrГѓВјmpfe, Wà?sche

Is there more about Chanel Iman than meets the eye?  When she is walking around, prancing around and posing in front of a crowd of photographs on the golden runway, wearing beautiful clothes made by the best designers from the whole world, we just see another new gorgeous American beauty, is that all we can say about her, or can we investigate a little bit more and discover very interesting things in her life, or is her life just boredom ?

First of all we can notice that she sometimes looks Afro-American, then on other pictures, displaying a large white teethed smile, her shiny cheekbones showing her happiness at wearing marvellous dresses and getting her endless legs covered with bright sheer tights or smooth stockings, she looks more Asian but still black, we are a little bit puzzled about it.

ГђВІГђВёГђВЅГђ°Р“С’¶, чуÐ»Р“ђВєГђВё, ГђВєГђ°Р“С’±Р“С’»Р“‘Ж’ГђВєГђВё, ГђВјГђВѕГђВґГђµР“С’»Р“‘Е’, ГђВЁГђ°Р“ђВЅГђµР“С’»Р“‘Е’ ГђЛњГђВјГђ°Р“С’Р’Р… - Chanel Iman in Strumpfhosen, StrГѓВјmpfe, Wà?scheWe just wonder, where does that cute girl come from, there is something strange in her look?  Actually we are quickly told that she is part Korean and part Afro-American.  Her Korean mother was born in Seoul.  Her father is Afro-American. If you are ever in Los Angeles, you may visit the clothing store (The Red Bag Boutique) that Chanel’s mother opened, not without the help of her daughter, of course.

It is thanks to her aunt that she could become a model.  At the age of 13 Chanel’s aunt took her to California to meet with modelling agencies and as a result Chanel signed up with Ford Models.

What about her name, it sounds weird, not American at all, Arabian?  Her real first name is Robinson, just like that of a cast away seaman Robinson Crusoe on an isolated island, who after rambling around finally met his companion named “Friday”.  But our Robinson Chanel Iman is not alone at all right now, she is even invited to the White House parties by the current president of the United States, Barack Obama.

hosiery - Chanel Iman in stockings - ГђВЁГђ°Р“ђВЅГђµР“С’»Р“‘Е’ ГђЛњГђВјГђ°Р“С’Р’Р… ГђВІ чуÐ»Р“ђВєГђ°Р“‘… - ГђВёГђ»Р“С’Р’С‘ ГђВіГђµР“‘‚ры?Is Michelle jealous of her?  We do not know yet, but I think if I were Michelle, I would be a little frightened to see this snazzy girl getting invited at home, her gorgeous dress clinging to her hips while wearing beautiful silky pink tights and trying to raise herself up on her tiptoes to decorate the top of the Christmas tree in the White House.

Is she a new Marylin Monroe, a new American President’s lover, a new coming icon, is a new romance on its way in the White House?  What about Robinson’s private life?  I guess not, she is not living with a companion like Friday.

By the way, her first name, Chanel, was chosen by her mother.  While pregnant, she had a book with her about Coco Chanel, hopefully for us for these days she had no book about Karl Lagersfeld.

hosiery - ГђВЁГђ°Р“ђВЅГђµР“С’»Р“‘Е’ ГђЛњГђВјГђ°Р“С’Р’Р… ГђВІ Гђ±Р“С’µР“С’»Р“‘‹Ñ… ГђВєГђВѕГђ»Р“ђВіГђВѕГ‘‚кÐ°Р“‘… - Гђ°Р“С’¶Р“‘ƒÑ€Ð½Ñ‹Ðµ ГђВєГђВѕГђ»Р“ђВіГђВѕГ‘‚киAtlanta is her birthplace, a city where many Afro-American people live, a place from the deep South.  But do not be misled, she was not a poor cotton picking girl in the purple fields, sweating from morning to night, accompanied by Whoopie Goldberg, and ill treated by bad white bosses, like out of a movie scene from “The Color Purple”.

Her father used to be a professional basketball player and already earned a lot of money with that sport by the time she went to school.  Our princess girl was not compelled of working hard at school, she was a real beauty.  Nowadays Atlanta is a very progressive and tolerant place.  For example, they have a very big and active gay community and about 1 in 5 residents is part of the LGBT community.

Being a modern girl in a modern city, Chanel Iman recently started her internet blog and is now involved in a Kinect game on Xbox.  We could say she is rather a business woman and not just a beautiful dummy.  She is a rare combination of pretty and smart.

 

hosiery - Chanel Iman in pantyhose - ГђВЁГђ°Р“ђВЅГђµР“С’»Р“‘Е’ ГђЛњГђВјГђ°Р“С’Р’Р… - чÐµР“‘€Ð½Ñ‹Ðµ ГђВєГђВѕГђ»Р“ђВіГђВѕГ‘‚ки

Chanel Iman is posing for Korean Vogue in fancy vintage hats and black hosiery

In German:

Chanel Iman – Mehr als ein hübsches Gesicht

Steckt hinter Chanel Iman mehr, als es den Anschein hat? Wenn sie vor einer Meute von Fotografen
am goldenen Runway schreitet, stolziert oder posiert und dabei schà?ne Kleider der besten Designer
der Welt trà?gt, sehen wir eine neue atemberaubende amerikanische Schà?nheit. Ist das schon
alles was man ГѓВјber sie sagen kann? Vielleicht kà?nnen wir ein bisschen tiefer graben und dabei
interessante Dinge über ihr Leben erfahren – oder ist ihr Leben gar pure Langeweile?

garter belt and lace stockings - Chanel Iman - Chanel Iman in Strumpfhosen, StrГѓВјmpfe, Wà?sche

Zuallererst stellen wir fest, dass sie oft einen afro-amerikanischen Eindruck macht, dann aber wiederum sehen wir auf anderen Bildern, wo sie ihr strahlendes Là?cheln zeigt und ihre glà?nzenden Wangenknochen ihre Freude darГѓВјber verraten, wunderbare Kleider tragen zu dГѓВјrfen, ihre endlosen
Beine in hell glà?nzende Strumpfhosen oder sanfte StrГѓВјmpfe zu hГѓВјllen, dass sie eher asiatisch, aber dennoch schwarz aussieht, was uns doch ein wenig ratlos zurГѓВјcklà?sst.

Da fragen wir uns doch, wo kommt dieses sГѓВјГѓЕёe Mà?dchen, bei diesem exotischen Aussehen her? Nun, wir erfahren recht schnell, dass sie zum Teil koreanisch und zum Teil afro-amerikanische Wurzeln hat. Ihre koreanische Mutter stammt aus Seoul, ihr Vater ist Afro-Amerikaner. Sollte man jemals nach Los Angeles kommen, dann wà?re es eine gute Idee das Bekleidungsgeschà?ft ihrer Mutter – The Red Bag Boutique – das diese mit der Hilfe ihrer Tochter erà?ffnet hat, zu besuchen.

ГђВЁГђ°Р“ђВЅГђµР“С’»Р“‘Е’ ГђЛњГђВјГђ°Р“С’Р’Р… ГђВІ чуÐ»Р“ђВєГђ°Р“‘… - чуÐ»Р“ђВєГђВё - Chanel Iman in Strumpfhosen, StrГѓВјmpfe, Wà?sche

Dank ihrer Tante wurde Chanel ein Model. Mit 13 wurde sie von ihrer Tante nach Kalifornien zu einem Treffen mit Modelagenturen gebracht, wo Chanel bei Ford Models unterzeichnete.

Aber was ist mit ihrem Namen, der ist doch auch ungewà?hnlich und ГѓВјberhaupt nicht amerikanisch, mà?glicherweise arabisch? Ihr wahrer erster Vorname ist Robinson, nach dem SchiffbrГѓВјchigen Seefahrer Robinson Crusoe, der lange alleine ausharren muss, bis er sich mit „Freitag" anfreundet.
Aber unsere Robinson Chanel Iman ist derzeit ГѓВјberhaupt nicht allein, ganz im Gegensatz, sie wird unter dem aktuellen US-Prà?sidenten Barack Obama sogar zu Feiern ins WeiГѓЕёe Haus eingeladen.

 

stockings and red top - fashion model photoshoot - Chanel Iman in Strumpfhosen, StrГѓВјmpfe, Wà?sche

Ist Michelle eifersГѓВјchtig? Das kà?nnen wir nicht sagen, aber wenn ich sie wà?re, wà?re ich schon besorgt, wenn ich zusehen mГѓВјsste, wie dieses schicke Mà?del nach Hause eingeladen wird und sie womà?glich auch noch in einem hГѓВјbschen, eng an ihren HГѓВјften liegenden Kleid und in schà?nen, seidigen pinken strumpfhosen auf ihren Zehenspitzen versucht die Spitze des Weihnachtsbaums des WeiГѓЕёen Hauses zu dekorieren.

Ist sie gar eine neue Marilyn Monroe und damit eine neue Prà?sidenten-Geliebte, eine neue Ikone, bahnt sich gar eine Romanze im WeiГѓЕёen Haus an? Was ist mit ihrem Privatleben? Ich denke nicht, sie lebt ohne einen Gefà?hrten wie Freitag.

ГѓЕ“brigens, ihren Vorname, Chanel, hat sich ihre Mutter ausgesucht. Wà?hrend der Schwangerschaft las sie ein Buch ГѓВјber Coco Chanel, gottseidank hatte sie damals keines ГѓВјber Karl Lagerfeld dabei.

Afro-American and Korean supermodel in hosiery and garter belt - Chanel Iman

Ihr Geburtsort ist Atlanta, eine Stadt mit hohem Anteil an Afro-Amerikanern tief im amerikanischen SГѓВјden. Trotzdem sollte man sich davon nicht in die Irre fГѓВјhren lassen und glauben sie wà?re eine arme BaumwollpflГѓВјckerin gewesen, die auf dem Feld zusammen mit Whoopie Goldberg von morgens bis abends schwitzen und dabei von miesen weiГѓЕёen Bossen auch noch schlecht behandelt wird, ganz soals wà?re das eine Szene aus dem Film „Die Farbe Lila".

Гђ°Р“С’¶Р“‘ƒÑ€Ð½Ñ‹Ðµ чÐµР“‘€Ð½Ñ‹Ðµ ГђВєГђВѕГђ»Р“ђВіГђВѕГ‘‚ки - ГђВЁГђ°Р“ђВЅГђµР“С’»Р“‘Е’ ГђЛњГђВјГђ°Р“С’Р’Р… - Chanel Iman in Strumpfhosen, StrГѓВјmpfe, Wà?sche

Ihr Vater war nà?mlich ein Profi-Basketballer und verdiente in dem Sport schon gut zu der Zeit, als sie noch zur Schule ging. Unsere kleine Prinzessin musste sich in der Schule nicht anstrengen, sie war eine echte Schà?nheit. Heutzutage ist Atlanta ohnehin ein fortschrittlicher und toleranter Ort. So gibt es dort beispielsweise eine groГѓЕёe und umtriebige Gay community und sogar jeder fГѓВјnfte Einwohner gehà?rt der LGBT community an.

Wie es zu einem modernen Mà?dchen in einer modernen Stadt passt, hat Chanel Iman vor kurzem auch einen Blog gestartet und wirkt auch bei einem Kinect-Spiel auf der Xbox mit. Wir kà?nnen daher wohl sagen, dass sie mehr von einer Geschà?ftsfrau als von einer dumpfen Schà?nheit hat. Sie ist eine der seltenen Kombinationen aus hГѓВјbsch und smart.

 

ГђВЁГђ°Р“ђВЅГђµР“С’»Р“‘Е’ ГђЛњГђВјГђ°Р“С’Р’Р… ГђВІ чуÐ»Р“ђВєГђ°Р“‘… - фото ГђВђГђ»Р“С’µР“ђВєГ‘ВЃ ЛюÐ±Р“ђВѕГђВјГђВёГ‘€ÑÐºÐ¸Ð¹

photography of a supermodel by David Roemer - Chanel Iman in stockings and suspenders

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Screensaver: Anne Hathaway in Stockings and Garter Belt

Feel free to use this screensaver of Anne Hathaway digital drawing in stockings and garter belt.  It is supposed to be from the theme of Alice in Wonderland.

Click on the image below to download full resolution file.

I remember though that in the movie of Alice in Wonderland she gets reprimanded for not wearing stockings to the gathering at which she walks off and finds the rabbit hole.

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What kind of knickers should be worn with a garter belt?

woman in stockings with a dog on a leash is picking up her dropped purse.  High heels, stockings, suspender belt, knickers, hat, bizarre.

pin up girl in knickers

I absolutely love the authentic pin up girl look with fully fashioned stockings and garter belt and I’d love to re-create that look.

I remember hearing in a talk show that garter belts are not supposed to be worn with thongs, at least authentically.  It makes sense since thongs are a relatively recent invention.

But what kind of panty would one wear?  Or, should I say the British way, what kind of knickers? I would appreciate if someone can send me some ideas.

I am also trying to understand if in the vintage image below garter belt straps are attached to the panty or if the panty is being worn over the belt.  Ideas?

I would really like to do a photoshoot dressed in the most authentic way possible.