Stockings

Unknown

1890–1910 · silk · Costume Institute

Stockings, originally designed for practical purposes, soon transformed into a fashionable accessory with the invention of the knitting frame in 1589 and then the circular-knitting machine in 1816. This technology allowed for a tighter weave and a better fit. Also, it was much easier to produce stockings, making them more affordable and readily available to a larger public. Plain white stockings were in mode for quite some time, until the mid to late-1800s when hemlines rose, and the ankle was revealed. This change in fashion called for colorful and fanciful motifs to decorate the lower leg, a visually appealing effect. Stockings became particularly colorful, seductive and flamboyant in the late nineteenth century and this pair is a good example of this transition. The color change produces a flirtatious effect, especially when worn with a shorter skirt, as an onlooker would then get a glimpse of red.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1890–1910

Medium

silk

Culture

American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Gunnar Maske, 1969