Fishnet Stockings

Lots of luck finding hosiery that's sexier than fishnet stockings. They have defined sensuality as closely as they've defined curves for at least two hundred years, and are still going strong.

All stockings used to be knitted by hand, so the smooth pantyhose women now know and love are a relatively recent development. For hundreds of years, stockings were heavier and had more texture.

Fishnets were, and still are, a diamond-shaped, open knit that, although they may have been in use before, first gained recognition in the Parisian burlesque houses of the 19th century. The ladies in the famed Moulin Rouge sported fishnets, as did can-can dancers.

They were first seen in America in 1908 and, depending on what stratum you occupied in society, were either embraced or condemned as Parisian. They were still something no "respectable" girl dared wear.

At the height of the Jazz Age in the 1920s, with legs being revealed by all women, not just showgirls, fishnets started to move more into the mainstream, although the weave was very tight, with just a hint of mesh, so that a woman could not be accused of being bare-legged.

They remained the province of strippers and risk-taking women (behind closed doors) for decades. In the 1980s, Madonna sported them in concerts and videos and they finally went mainstream.

Part of what has traditionally made fishnet stockings sexy is the suggestion of naked skin. A woman is covered, and yet she isn't. In the 19th century, they were very much taboo. The feel of that taboo still resonates, even in this much more permissive era, so that a woman in fishnets is nearly always more sexy even than a woman with bare legs. It's the idea of the tease which plays well into fantasy.

It's not just the illusion of nakedness that has always made fishnets so attractive. The way the stockings cling and the way the pattern plays over the skin actually gives legs a more defined, muscular look. Nearly all legs that look good or great when bare look better in fishnets. This is especially true with the traditional black fishnets, although they come in all imaginable colors.

Not all fishnet stockings are created equal. Many of the stockings you can buy cheaply in costume shops or even hosiery departments will tend to be loose at the ankle and, when it's bent, the knee. There simply isn't enough fabric to work with to create the necessary shaping and tension at the joints to keep the stockings firmly clinging to the flesh as it moves. This can be embarrassing if you opt for cheap fishnets with seams. Seamed stockings, once the way all stockings were made and now a fun option, are sexy in and of themselves. So when they are paired with fishnets, the sexiness increases exponentially. However, cheaper fishnet stockings will move around on legs as you walk, and the seams will slide. It's not fun to have to continually yank stockings around to get them to look good.

More expensive stockings with a tighter weave should fit better, but you should always be prepared for some imperfections. Fortunately, they usually won't be noticed by anyone except you.

Fishnets are also more likely to wear out and rip sooner than other stockings. Again, that's the nature of the beast –- the fabric is delicate and the weave wears out. You can lengthen their lives by being sure to always ease them on by using the pads of your fingers – never tug! The actual stockings, rather than hose, also tend to last longer, especially if they have reinforced tops.

As sexy as fishnet stockings are, they never look good with open-toed shoes. You risk your toe poking through the weave, which just looks tacky. Your heel can be as high as you can stand, but do be sure that toe is closed.

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