The History of Fishnet

Show girls have been wearing fishnets as long as the fishnets have  existed. But why? Obviously fishnets are beautiful, they’re sexy, they  add an extra kick to any outfit. But why are fishnets the show girls  fall back hosiery?

The biggest competition for fishnets would be The original silk nylons.  They were long lasting, they were beautiful, they kept your legs warm  and came in several shades. But showgirls girls wanted a little extra  oomph! In the 1900’s hosiery was fun but Around the 1920s hosiery was  becoming a lot more interesting. They were able to make unique patterns,  stripes, colors, textures with silk nylon pantyhose.

There was an episode of American pickers where I picked an amazing pair  of queen Victoria‘s thigh high pantyhose. I knew they were hers because  they were actually numbered.

Royalty Would number their undergarments through the days of the month.  On the first of the month they would wear stocking number one, the  second day they would wear number two and so on and so forth. The thigh  high stockings that I found were numbered eight. It was clearly marked.  They had a padded foot and many repairs but you could see even at an  early age how interesting hosiery could be.

In addition to that women of the night all throughout The Big Easy would  show off their curves in exciting new styles of hosiery to attract  potential customers. Stripes were huge!

In the early 1900s there is an interesting reference to fishnets in Aesop‘s fables.

“The earliest mention of “fishnet clothing” actually goes back to one of  Aesop’s Fables in the early 1900s, “The Peasant’s Wise Daughter”. In  the story the king tells a peasant’s daughter that if she can solve his  riddle, he will marry her. He challenges her to "Come to me not clothed,  not naked, not riding..." and she solves the riddle by wrapping herself  in a fisherman’s net.” www.thistailoredlife.com

It feels like our fascination with fishnet really started right about  here. But does that mean That we wrap our body in fishnet to become more  sexually appealing? Yup... pretty much.

The play of the visible fishnet on the skin with nothing else underneath  but the bold diamond  pattern hugging the skin so closely, sensually  covering each wave of musculature and tightly gripping the roundest of  flesh. It’s safe to say that the diamond of the fishnet is one of the  sexiest textures I have the pleasure of working with.

That said, there are several different kinds of fishnet stockings. In  fact fishnet has become so popular that even at shops like Hot topic,  Walmart and target there are several brands and styles of fishnets. Each  one cuter than the next. For a fun sexy night out, a pair of fishnets  will only cost you a couple bucks. But for a showgirl the story is quite  different.

In this photograph I am wearing Danskin professional footed fishnet  tight in a heavy weight nylon/spandex blend with a comfortable no-roll  waist and solid nylon knit-in foot pads.

These fishnets will run you  about $30 with shipping.

I know I know, $30 for pantyhose?!

Why all the hubbub for a pair of pantyhose?

As a working show girl, you wear fishnets on stage every single night,  sometimes multiple times in one night depending on how many routines you  are performing and if there is a matinee show. You could go on stage  four times or more per night with the same pair of fishnets. Can you  imagine how quickly a weak pair of fishnets will disintegrate under such  extreme use?

Show girls need more substantial hosiery because as we are sashaying  across the stage, we are getting our fishnets caught on all kinds of  things and that’s without even mentioning the floor work!

Most burlesque artist end up on the floor at some point during their  performance. As you can imagine, holes, tears, snags appear very  quickly. For this reason, showgirls all over the world have turned to  one brand of hosiery to outlast all others.

Danskin Fishnets allow you much more long lasting flexibility, comfort  and sensuality on stage and off. This has led many performers to  bedazzle there long lasting fishnets.

As you can imagine Bedazzling your hosiery in crystal is quite  expensive. Not only are the crystals costly but so is the cost to have  them applied. A fair price for a job like this is around $20-$35 per  hour because of the painstaking work it takes to affix each crystal to  be perfectly aligned with the previous crystal. But showgirls and  burlesque artists around the world do this because it draws more  attention to the pattern on the fishnets and gives more appeal to a  costume on stage and since the fishnets are long lasting and you can  repair them with a simple stitch or two, it allows a performer to invest  more fully in their costuming and it allows the fishnets to actually  become a more integral part of the costume and performance.

These fishnets were lovingly hand crystaled by my friend Nona from Looking Glass Gems. Hit her up if you need a pair like these.

Looking Glass Gems is a small, family-owned rhinestone company operated by Lillian Nona Moffett (found and co-owner) and her husband. I spoke to Looking Glass Gems more about Black Joy Sparkles and here what they had to say:

“I’d like to tell you why we created our Black Joy Sparkles! Initiative. As a performer and artist myself, I believe wholeheartedly that art is medicine and fuel for creating the vibrant, diverse, and just world we desire, particularly for the BIPOC and LGBTQA+ communities I am a proud member of. Art and creative outlets are powerhouses during times of change and resistance, reminding us of our constant ability to find joy and grow resilience in this world.

Want to help contribute to the beauty, joy, and art therapy of the Black community while also supporting a Black woman-owned business? You can donate on our website in any amount you desire. No amount of sparkle is too small to bring joy into this world.

Looking Glass Gems is excited to pass along your generosity in the form of a $50 gift certificate to each Black creative on our recipients list who cannot afford rhinestone supplies for their projects. We are fully committed to transparency. Each week we’ll update the donation totals and gift certificates given out.”