On September 4, 1959, women's tights first appeared in the United States, which made a real revolution in the world of fashion and convenience. Tights became an integral part of the women's wardrobe, replacing traditional stockings.
In the power of nylonIn the power of nylon 1. A woman examines nylon tights in 1942. (Thomas D. McAvoy—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)In the power of nylon 2. A model wears tights, a silk corset belt with wool lining, and a bra, 1942. (Gjon Mili—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)In the power of nylon 3. Stockings. 1943 (Walter Sanders—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)In the power of nylon 4. Patterned tights, 1943. (Walter Sanders—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)In the power of nylon 5. Nylon stockings. 1945.In the power of nylon 6. A model in black stockings, a coat, a fur hat and a fur muff adjusts her garter, 1946. (Gjon Mili—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)In the power of nylon 7. Model in stockings, 1948. (Peter Stackpole—The LIFE Picture Collection / Getty Images)In the power of nylon 8. Lace stockings with mid-calf panels and ankle cinches, 1948. (Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)In the power of nylon 9. The 1948 New Year's Eve hit. (Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection / Getty Images)In the power of nylon 10. Choirgirl Linda Lombard rests her legs after a hard night on stage, 1949. (George Silk—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)In the power of nylon 11. A model wears black tights attached to high-heeled shoes by Herbert Levine, 1950. (Gjon Mili—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)In the power of nylon 12. Dancer Mary Ellen Terry talks on the phone with her pantyhose-clad legs propped up on a phone booth in 1952. (Gordon Parks—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)In the power of nylon 13. Cancan dancers lift their stockinged legs high during a performance in Paris, 1952. (Nat Farbman—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)In the power of nylon 14. A model wears the new compression stockings, which feature an elastic spiral rope around the thigh, in 1954. (Gjon Mili—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)In the power of nylon 15. Teenage girls relax during a ball, 1954. (Cornell Capa—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)In the power of nylon 16. Stockings and Garters, 1954. (Gordon Parks—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)In the power of nylon 17. A scene from a beatnik nightclub, 1960. (AY—The LIFE Picture Collection / Getty Images)