Black Small Fishnet Tights

Many say the fishnets began in the early 1900s with the showgirls of the famous Moulin Rouge but most images of women from the time highlighted adorned black stockings, not fishnets. Many women of the night in New Orleans wore vertically striped pantyhose in order to catch the eye but no one had graduated to fishnets quite yet.

Fishnets became popular with flappers and showgirls in the 1920’s as hemlines rose (to just barely below the knee). They were popular due to the fact that from a distance, fishnetted legs may look as though they're adorned in black tights, but under the bright lights of a dance stage, dots of flesh would show through. They actually had a nice functional advantage as well as nylon tights had not been invented yet. Standard silk and rayon stockings weren’t ideal for large range of motion and fishnets allowed the flappers to dance more freely. Fishnets continued to be associated with a ‘loose’ type of woman especially as they gained popularity in print-porn and pin-up girls of the 1950s.

 

In the 60s with the rise of the miniskirt, some women took to playing with the amount of leg they showed by wearing a tight weave fishnet in various colors. In the attitude of subverting mainstream fashion, punks and goths of the 1970s took control of the fishnet tights and made them more extreme by ripping more holes. This came along with safety pin earrings, patched denim jackets, and more. Especially for female punks, this was a great way to subvert the mainstream idea of proper women’s clothing.

Fishnet tights graduated to any netted piece of clothing with, you guessed it, Madonna in the 1980s. This pop goddess and fashion icon was often dressed in fishnets, but she didn't limit herself to just stockings. She also sported fishnet tops, gloves, and body suits.