Once upon a time, an any woman who was wearing them at the end of the Second World War will tell you, nylons used to last for months - quite different from nowadays when they wear out in a week. Nothing shakes this belief, though British Nylon Spinners wear themselves out explaining that those were all 30 or 45 denier stockings, which are stronger than 15, because 15 denier stockings were simply not made then. Now 88 per cent. of stockings are 15 denier or finer. And, they add that, anyway, women took care of their nylons then because they were rare and precious, while now they don't.

There are some 200 manufacturers of nylons in the U.K. Many of the brands are not nationally distributed, and most have only a small share of the market. We tested 14 brands which we found most widely sold, in the style we were going to test. These are listed in the table.

All the brands tested were made from yarn manufactured by British Nylon Spinners. All are entitled to be described as Bri-Nylon, as they are of a standard acceptable to British Nylon Spinners, who test samples at intervals.

Denier is a measure of the thickness of the nylon yarn; the lower the denier, the more sheer the stocking. We chose 15 denier, since most stockings sold are 15 denier.

Fully fashioned and seamless now each account for about half of the total, but of women over 30 years of age, about two-thirds wear fully fashioned. We, therefore, chose fully fashioned stockings of 14 brands - and added two of the leading brands of seamless micromesh stockings for comparison.

Gauge describes the closeness of the knit, and is one of the factors determining sheerness. The lower the gauge, the more sheer the stocking. For 15 denier stockings, 60 is the most usual gauge. So we chose 60 gauge wherever available.

Structure. The knitting can be either plain or mesh. We chose plain for the fully fashioned and micromesh for the seamless ones (see photographs) as being the most usually sold. Stretch or crepe stockings form only a small proportion of the total.

Heel pattern. For the fully fashioned stockings - which have a heel pattern - we chose Cuban (plain) wherever possible, rather than point (stiletto) pattern, as the latter are less common.

Ladder stop. Most of the leading firms sell a style with a band of open-work knitting at the welt, known as a ladder stop. Not all had a ladder stop in the toe. We chose the ones that had, where available.

Thus we chose 14 brands of 15 denier fully fashioned plain-knit stockings which, wherever possible, were 60 gauge, with a cuban heel and with ladder stops in the toe. We added two brands, sold by two of the fourteen firms, of 15 denier seamless micromesh stockings.

Sizes. All the stockings were sold in six foot sizes between 8½ inches and 11 inches. With four, there is only one leg length for each size - the larger the foot, the longer the stocking. With the other 12, there are two or more leg lengths for each foot size.

Details of each brand are given in the Table.

PRETTY POLLY had two very similar styles, one a 6 shillings 11 pence and the other at 7 shillings 11 pence. We tested the dearer one.

Throughout the report we have used the firm's brand name, but our results refer only to the style name or number listed in the Table and not to any other style sold under the same brand name.

LIFE

The stresses and hazards to which such a fragile product as a pair of nylon stockings is subjected are many and various, and depend very much on the wearer herself, and the circumstances in which she wear them. For this reason, no satisfactory laboratory methods for testing their life have yet been evolved, but "wearer trials", statistically planned and analysed, have been found to give useful information.

For our wearers, we chose students at two residential Teachers' Training Colleges. Although they did not represent a typical cross-section of all women, it was necessary for organisational reasons to choose wearers readily available in one place for exchange of stockings and recording of results. On the other hand, as the girls were all living in similar conditions during the trial, this was the best way to obtain comparative results.

We compared the brands in a way which allowed differences between wearers to be eliminated. Each girl had two pairs of stockings of different brands which she wore on alternate days. We needed 120 girls to compare each of the 16 brands with every other brand. To get more precise results, we arranged this scheme three times over, with 360 girls. During the trial of just over six weeks, some dropped out and some records were incorrectly kept, so the results are based on 338 wearers.

Each girl was given two pairs of stockings of different brands, of the correct foot size and leg length, for which she was measured. Each girl wore these two pairs on alternate days, washing them between wearings. As each individual stocking failed because of a hole or ladder (snags didn't count), it was replaced by another stocking of the same brand. In this way, the trial continued for just over six weeks.

During this time, the 338 girls wore  a total of 3,912 separate stockings, an average of 244 of each brand.

FIT AND COMFORT

To make some assessment of how well each brand fitted and how comfortable it was, we arranged for a group of 21 other women to try on each of the 16 brands in the correct size and leg length, and to answer a series of questions. They were asked to say whether each pair was comfortable and well-fitting; loose or tight above the knee, at the knee, at the calf, at the front and back of the ankle, and across the foot and toes; and whether it was easy or difficult to pull the seam straight.

The stockings were washed before this trial as nylons are softer and more pliable after washing, and so more comfortable and better fitting.

After putting on each pair of stockings, each woman walked the length of the room and back again, wearing high-heeled shoes, and did a "knees bend" before answering the questionnaire.

Two brands were included twice to check the consistency of the panel's judgments.

Figure 1

FIT AND COMFORT

These results give a rough guide to the differences between brands in fit and comfort, but people vary so much that everyone will have to decide for herself, using our results simply as pointers.

While different women had different opinions, there was no substantial difference between stockings for any of the questions we asked, except for comfort and fit across the width of the foot, at the front of the ankle and across the toes without shoes, and for ease of straightening the seam.

Across the width of the foot - BERKSHIRE, ST. MICHAEL (fully fashioned) and WOLSEY were tight for some women, CHARNOS (seamless) loose

At the front of the ankle, without shoes - BEAR BRAND, MORLEY AND PRETTY POLLY wrinkled more often than the others.

Across the toes, without shoes - BERKSHIRE, KAYSER, ST. MICHAEL (fully fashioned), TAYLOR-WOODS, TUDOROSE and WOLSEY cramped some people's toes.

Ease of straightening seam - SILVER JOY tended to be more difficult than any other brand.

*Heel shape tested in italics

FAILURES

Some faults are more important than others; a hole in the welt, for instance, does not show and can easily be mended, while one in the leg does show, and cannot be mended easily.

The failures which occurred in the first three weeks of the wear trial were examined in a laboratory. We looked at them to see what proportion occurred in the welt, at the knee and above, below the knee, and at the heel, toe and underneath the foot. We also examined them to see what proportions were due to burns, holes and ladders, caused by snagged threads which then broke, holes and ladders caused by broken (but not snagged) threads, abrasion, and possible manufacturing faults.

A total of 1,827 failures in 1,647 stockings was examined.

Analysis of where the failures were, was as follows:

Analysis of the causes of failure was as follows:

LENGTH OF LIFE

During the 44 days of the trial, 338 girls wore our stockings for an average of 37 days each, an handed in 2,743 failed stockings, an average of 8 holed or laddered stockings per girl.

There were 252 failures of the shortest-lived brand compared with 121 of the longest-lived.

Wearers. There was a tremendous difference between the wearers. The luckiest girl wore the same two pairs of stockings throughout the whole six weeks without a single ladder or hole, while two had no less than 24 failures in the same period. And as many as 17 girls had 16 or more failures - more than twice the average.

Figure 1 (below) shows how great were the differences between wearers in the length of time for which the stockings lasted, after differences between brands had been allowed for.

Brands. Statistical analysis was also used to eliminate the differences between wearers, to concentrate on the differences between brands.

In Figure 2 (below), the vertical line at the centre of each needle shows the average life of individual stockings of each brand, in our experiment (e.g. CHARNOS, fully fashioned, about 15 days). These vertical lines provide as good a comparison as we can obtain from our data. But since individual stocking life is so variable, our average figures are still subject to some chance fluctuations. To show the error which could possibly arise, we calculated the limits within which the long term average for each brand is 95 per cent certain to lie. These limits are shown by the ends of the horizontal needles. There is, for example, a 95 per cent chance that the average life of CHARNOS (fully fashioned) stockings will be between about 12 and 19½ days, that of ST. MICHAEL (seamless) between 6½ and 9 days.

The figures of average life shown in Figure 2 (below) must be used comparatively. They do not show how long any brand of stockings will last for you individually, since there is so much difference between wearers. But they do show how the brands compared, in general, for length of life.

Figure 2

As Figure 2 shows, there is a fairly gradual and smooth progression, in the figures, from the brand with the longest average life to that with the shortest. The difference between each brand and the one immediately above and below is so small as to be scarcely important. This means that one cannot say definitely that CHARNOS (fully fashioned), for instance, will last longer than ST. MICHAEL (fully fashioned), nor, towards the other end of the scale, that SILVER JOY will not last as long as PROVA.

What one can do is to look at the figures and see that the vertical line through the needle of, for example, CHARONS (fully fashioned) - which represents an average life of nearly 15 days in our experiment - is clear of the right-hand end of the needle of PRETTY POLLY, TUDOROSE, WOLSEY, BERKSHIRE and all the other brands down to ST. MICHAEL (seamless). One can assume from this that there is good evidence for believing that CHARNOS (fully fashioned) might well be expected to last longer than these brands. The evidence that CHARNOS (fully fashioned) might be expected to last longer than ST. MICHAEL (fully fashioned), BEAR BRAND, ARISTOC and TAYLOR-WOODS is not so good.

Similarly, one can say that there is good evidence for believing that ST. MICHAEL (seamless) - the vertical line through the needle indicates an average life of about 7½ days in our experiment - might not be expected to last so long as PROVA, KAYSER, BERKSHIRE and all longer lasting brands, since the left-hand end of their needles shows more than 7½ days.

It is impossible for us to pick out any one brand, or group of brands, as likely to last longer than all the others. What Figure 2 helps you to do is to compare any two brands and see whether one is more likely to last longer than the other. It will be likely to, provided the vertical line through the needle of one is clear of the right-hand end of the needle of the other.

One interesting conclusion is that the two seamless stockings tested - CHARNOS and ST. MICHAEL (fully fashioned) - had a much shorter life than a fully fashioned version of the same brands. This suggests that micromesh seamless stockings cannot generally be expected to last so long as plain fully fashioned ones, though this may not necessarily be true for every brand on the market.

While the length of life is important in itself - it may be a nuisance to have to replace nylons very frequently - the cost of the stockings must also be taken into account when comparing brands.

Figure 3 (below) shows the average cost per month of replacing individual stockings as they fail, based on price, and the length of life we found the stockings had in our trial. As with the results for length of life, the figures should be used only to compare brands: they are based on the average wearer, so don't be surprised if your own costs are either more or less, depending on whether you are heavy or light on your stockings.

Figure 3

It is important also to remember that the figures are based on the most economical method of buying stockings - that is, buying several pairs of the same shade and replacing individual stockings as they fail. If you throw away a pair as soon as one stocking fails, your costs will be higher.

Figure 3 should be interpreted in much the same way as Figure 2. Again, it is not possible to pick out any one  brand or group of brands as better than all others. But the results do show, for example, that there is good evidence that the cost of replacing ST. MICHAEL (fully fashioned) might well be lower than the cost of replacing CHARNOS (fully fashioned), PROVA, ARISTOC and all the other brands down to WOLSEY, but that it is difficult to differentiate ST. MICHAEL (fully fashioned) from TUDOROSE and BEAR BRAND.

One brand did emerge from our tests as likely to have a higher replacement cost than all others - WOLSEY AIRWAY.

How much your stockings cost you throughout the year depends to a very large extent on how heavy a wearer you are- there were very large differences among the wearers who took part in our trial.

All the same, our trial has shown that, for any individual, the cost of stockings throughout the year is likely to be more for some brands than for others. This will depend on how long a particular brand lasts, and its price. But we must emphasise that our results only apply to the styles we tested, and it would be a mistake to assume they also apply to other styles with the same brand name.

The results showed that WOLSEY AIRWAY, which was the most expensive and not the longest lasting, had a higher average replacement cost than the other brands. And some brands at the top of Figure 3 were appreciably cheaper than some at the bottom. But no single brand or group of brands had an appreciably lower replacement cost than all the others.

For practical purposes this means that, assuming you want to wear stockings of the type we tested - fully fashioned 15 denier - you might:

Start with the stocking we found had the lowest replacement cost, as shown in Figure 3 - ST MICHAEL 60/15 LADDERSTOP (fully fashioned) - and see if it gives you a good fit and if you can get it in the leg length and shade you want. If it does not, or if you cannot find it easily, go on to the brand which we found had the next lowest replacement cost - TUDOROSE HI-LITE. Again, if you cannot buy it easily, if it does not give you a good fit, or if you cannot get it in the shade you want, go on to the next brand - BEAR BRAND OKLAHOMA. And so on. And so on.

Don't expect sheer stockings - 20 denier or less - to stand up to the hazards of rough conditions - they won't. Thirty denier stockings are known to have more chance of survival.

Size is important - firstly foot size. Actually measure the length of your foot from the back of your heel, standing against a wall, to the end of your longest toe. Secondly, leg length. This depends on the position of your suspenders as much as on your actual length of leg. To find the right length, take off your shoes and measure the height from the ground to the point where you suspender your stockings. If you have an average leg, add 5 inches to this measurement to find your correct stocking length. If you have a very slim leg, add only 4 inches; a very full one, add 6 inches.

Wash your stockings between each wearing, to make them soft and pliable again, dry them away from any source of heat and hang them by the welt. Store them in the dark if you can.

Do not wear nylons inside out as many people did with silk stockings to get the matt surface. The knitting is in stocking stitch with the outer side smooth and the inside looped. The inside is thus more likely to  catch and snag than the outside.

Beware of sparks from cigarette ash, or car exhaust fumes, for instance; they can melt the thread and start runs.

Wearing cotton gloves when putting on and taking off your nylons sounds elaborate, but it is a good way of prolonging their life.

Finally, we found that two stockings in a pair rarely failed together, so it is always more economical to buy several pairs of the same shade.

We wish to thank the Principals of the two Colleges for permission to carry out the wear trial, the tutors and students who took charge of the organisation in their respective Colleges, and the 338 students who wore our stockings and filled in diary cards on them every single day.

(The foregoing is a reproduction of an article which appeared in the Consumers' Association Ltd. magazine Which? in April 1962.)

A trawl through the archives of The Harmony Club has produced the following series of images, which represent each of the brands and styles used in the 1962 Survey!

ARISTOC VIVETTE - the predecessor to the famous Harmony Point stockings whence this Club gets its name.

BEAR BRAND OKLAHOMA - one of a series of U.S. state-inspired brands marketed by the Howard Ford company in the U.K.

BALLITO - and just why is the man smiling so broadly as he follows those legs up the winding staircase?!

BERKSHIRE's celophane packaging, which replaced its long-standing box packaging during the 1960s.

CHARNOS, one of the last manufacturers of fully-fashioned stockings in the U.K., and a rare producer of stretch plain-knit fully-fashioned stockings right into the 1990s.

CHARNOS' fully-fashioned stockings aimed at the younger market! Just imagine that concept in 2006!

KAYSER, again aiming itself at the younger ladies', i.e. teenage market!

MORLEY, a venerable name from the past, which also made lingerie.

PRETTY POLLY - one of the few manufacturers to remain well-known in 2006, albeit (apparently) the company has been bought by an international concern and has closed its last U.K. factory.

PROVA, the trading name of Littlewoods, a  widespread chainstore, similar to Marks & Spencer, which also operated a mail-order business.

SILVER JOY, a now vanished brand, but which used to employ some great packaging!

ST. MICHAEL, the Patron Saint of Good Shopping, also known as Marks & Spencer. A curious revelation appeared in The Daily Telegraph of  23rd December 2005, in the obituary of Brian Howard, a former Deputy Chairman of that company. It would appear that it was thanks to Mr. Howard that, as a young executive  was "...bold enough to propose that the women's hosiery range should include tights - a garment regarded with suspicion by older directors"! Hooray for the older directors of Marks & Sparks!

TAYLOR-WOODS, another vanished brand, but yet another one who could, without any hint of irony could combine "Pop" and "fully-fashioned stockings" on the same packaging!

TUDOROSE, with the eponymous historical rose, which it used on all of its packaging. Despite the Royal provenance of its name and symbol, in 1962 it did not possess the Royal Warrant (for either of the Queens Elizabeth), that distinction went to...

WOLSEY.  These lovely seamed legs are ascending the stairs to board a B.E.A. flight! This delightful packaging was used for the number of Wolsey's brands, this example being, appropriately, Wolsey Airway.