Seamed Stockings

The Tight Spot’s collection of back seamed stockings are both seductive and retro. Ranging from a simple back seam line to seamed bows running up the legs, we’ve got you covered.

What are seamed stockings?

Seamed Stockings provide a sophisticated hosiery look that can also be seen as a vintage hosiery look due to the seamed stocking being highly fashionable and popular in the earlier half of the twentieth century. Originally seamed stockings were knitted flat and then sewn together along the back which created the backseam. Seamed stockings made in this traditional way are called fully-fashioned stockings. A small number of brands still create fully-fashioned stockings, which have a finishing loop that makes them recognisable. Due to the higher cost of fully-fashioned stockings, most brands focus on seamed stockings with non-functional seams. At The Tight Spot we have a wide range of seamed stockings that fit into this category. Mock seamed stockings can achieve the same aesthetic as fully-fashioned stockings at a lower cost and hosiery lovers can enjoy the benefits of stretch hosiery that isn't available with fully-fashioned stockings (since fully-fashioned stockings are all non-stretch).

How to Wear Seamed Stockings

The Tight Spot’s range of nylon seamed stockings includes black seamed stockings, nude seamed stocking and back seamed stocking which can all help the wearer achieve a vintage seamed stocking look. Due to their simple elegance, these can be styled with almost anything in your wardrobe making them very versatile. These would look great styled with a black dress and heels for date night. If you don’t want to fuss with a garter belt, we also have a large range of Seamed Tights.

Why did stockings have seams?

Before the technological developments in machinery that allowed the manufacture of seamless stockings, stockings used to be knitted flat and the seam would be added to sew both ends of the stockings together. So essentially, stockings had seams so that they could be turned from a flat piece of material into a tube shaped stocking that could be worn as a fashion staple! Modern machinery can still add seams into stocking however these are non-functional seams that give the wearer a vintage look seamed stocking without the high cost of fully-fashioned stockings.

When did stockings stop having seams?

Circular knitting machines which were developed in the 1950s enabled seam-free stockings to become more popular than the seamed fully-fashioned stockings that were sewn up at the back. By the mid 1960s, seamless stockings became more popular than the vintage look back seamed stockings were. The association of the back seam and sensuality meant that the vintage seamed stockings never truly died out and they are still popular today as a hosiery item that has infinate amounts of sex appeal!