Though they may seem insignificant now, stockings used to be a staple in every man’s wardrobe back in the European Medieval times. They were initially called hose and were meant to prevent shoes from chafing feet and causing irritation. According to historyundressed this was necessary because shoes weren’t nearly as comfortable as they are now and stockings were necessary to keep feet dry from sweat.

Back then, men would wear hose and women would wear regular socks. Wearing any type of undergarment for feet was more common for noblemen.

Stockings used to only be the thigh high stockings that you’d have to keep up with garters. The one piece stocking wasn’t invented until the 16th century because, apparently, men’s tunics became shorter. Women started wearing stockings when Elizabeth I started wearing them. She was known for wearing colorful stockings, but the nylon stockings that we see today were still a long way off.

Stockings used to be thicker, but as time progressed, they started being made of thinner, sheerer material like silk. In the 1890s, according to National Day Calendar, they started being worn for fashions in the 1920.

Nylon wasn’t actually invented until the 1930s and was eventually used for stockings in the 1940s. Fast forward a couple of decades and pantyhose ended up taking over, almost completely replacing stockings because they were more convenient. They weren’t a hassle to deal with because there weren’t garters to deal with.

In honor of this long history, National Nylon Stocking Day occurs on May.15 every year. While stockings are not common any more, there are still times when they are appropriate to create a professional look or to make styles look just a little retro. If you plan to celebrate, but still want to be casual, you can always share on social media with #NylonStockingDay