During the 1960s, many girls did not feel confident enough to sport the rising hemlines due to the fear that the tops of their stockings, girdles and suspender-belts would be more easily visible. Thus in order to rectify the problem pantyhose, or tights, were introduced to be worn in conjunction with the mini skirt. Like the mini, these were designed to reflect the celebration and vibrancy of youth at the time, and came in a huge variety of colours, patterns and styles.
Store display for Twiggy tights.
Twiggy's tights were manufactured through Hampton Trimfit and were launched in both the UK and the US, with packaging just as gorgeous as the product themselves. They came in traditional seamless form, lace, fishnets, varying opacities and almost every colour from white to blue and "Orange Sun" to "Mandarin Red".
Twiggy says of the happening, "I even did Twiggy tights! We did white, and loads of other colours, but I particularly wanted to do shiny ones."
A new range was later launched in 1969 at the Ritz Hotel, London, where she modeled them herself. She says "It was pre-Lycra and spandex so in the photograph of me launching them they're all baggy at the knee because my legs were so thin and there was nothing to hold them in. I kept having to pull them up!"
Twiggy at the Ritz hotel, London, promoting her new line of "Twiggy Tights" in 1969.
(Sources: Twiggybits, Dustincropsboy, Accesori, Hakes, FIDMMuseum, Powerhousemuseum, SSPLprints, LIFE.)
No comments:
Post a Comment