In 1937 the invention of spinnable nylon made sheer, durable stockings affordable for the average woman, but in the 1960s, pantyhose, a convenient one-piece garment consisting of nylon-spandex stretchable stockings and underpants, made traditional stockings obsolete. Supermodel Twiggy popularized pantyhose when she stepped out on a runway in a miniskirt in 1965. Since then, pantyhose, which come in a wide range of colors, styles, and prices ($3.50-$40.00), have become an indispensable part of virtually every woman's working or fashion wardrobe. Emotionally appealing to women and sexually appealing to men, pantyhose have become a staple product in the global economy, having created a competitive, multi-billion dollar market by the end of the twentieth century that showed no signs of diminishing.

Further Reading:

Bruce, Katherine. "The Missionary of Pantyhose." Forbes. December 15, 1997, 116.

Fasel, Penny Proddow. "Stocking Smarts." In Style. Vol. 4, September 1998, 131.