The Harmony Club

Yes, admittedly, not a picture of FF stockings, but the next best thing: Jessica Mitford (one of the famous Mitford sisters - the others famously included the wife of Sir Oswald Moseley, one became the Duchess of Devonshire and one became infatuated with Hitler; "Decca", shown here, became a controversial communist!). Shown here in 1963 in a quite unposed display of RHT stockings! Admittedly not the easiest to spot, but obvious to the real connoisseur. In 1963, FF stockings were still widely advertised but by then, it would seem, even the British aristocracy was beginning to wear their RHT successors. Anyway, even though she was in her 60s, and died 3 years later, this is a nice picture of a great pair of legs for all to enjoy!

In some magazines of the 1950s and 1960s, there was heated discussion on the subject of FRONT-seamed fully-fashioned stockings. Some writers hotly disputed the need for, and therefore existence of, such legwear. Here, clear for all to see, is a photograph of the late Wendy Reves, who died this month, as a mannequin in New York in the 1940s, wearing the very item of debate! FRONT-SEAMED FULLY FASHIONED STOCKINGS. One can just imagine why, amongst many others, Sir Winston Churchill became besotted with Mrs. Reves! If anyone reading this has a pair and is willing to have them modelled, please contact us.

Below, you will find stills taken from films and television programmes which have featured fully-fashioned stockings. Anyone wishing to contribute a picture to this series is welcome to send them to: enquiries@harmonyclub.co.uk

A PERFECT MURDER (1998)

Here beginneth with Gwyneth, Gwyneth Paltrow, that is....

Michael Douglas is looking the wrong way, or does he only have eyes for his wife, that other lady oft posed in stockings 20 years ago, Catherine Zeta-Jones?

Get thee behind me Michael, and never mention that Welsh pixie's name again!

BIRD OF PREY (U.K. T.V. 1982)

Carole Nimmons playing the wife of hapless civil servant Henry Jay (played by the great Richard Griffiths), disguising herself by hat, donning a leopardskin coat and black Aristoc Harmony Points which are just viewable in this picture.

BROTHERS IN LAW (1956)

A young Richard Attenborough descending the photographer's studio steps to the delight of the stocking-clad legs of....

....Jill Esmond

CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (1958)

The incomparable Liz Taylor, in this classic film, having just been sprayed by "Brother Man's" brat, changing her stockings before a totally disinterested Paul Newman. (More pics. to follow!)

CONFESSIONS OF A DIARY SECRETARY (2007)

Maxine Peake, starring as Tracey Temple, the Deputy Prime Minister's eponymous aide and lover.

If one can please try to ignore the ample backside of the actor portraying the British Deputy Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. John Prescott, M.P., and concentrate on the far more photogenic legs of his diary secretary!

The Sectetary prepares for another day at the office....

Those who watched this on television will recall that this was the moment the Deputy Prime Minister said to Miss Temple, "Call me D.P.M."!

GENEVIEVE (1953)

Having been sprayed with coffee thanks to the eponymous vintage car driven by Kenneth More (playing the part of a barrister!), the deflated but lovely Dinah Sheridan is seen here carrying the fully-fashioned stockings she has just removed with her posh frock for something more (alas) practical!

GIDEON'S WAY (U.K. T.V. 1964)

The black FF seams of the Woman Police Constable can just be seen as she leaves the hospital room, under the watchful eye of Commander Gideon!

The sleeping beauty is none other than [name.] There were several other stocking scenes in the Gideon television series, which will be added here hen time permits.

HUE AND CRY (1946)

The twin horrors of Valerie White having her fully-fashioned feet tickle-tortured by a cheeky young Scots lad with a white mouse in his top pocket! The first of the great Ealing comedies - and one of the few to feature anything so risqué!

IT'S HOT IN PARADISE (1960)

According to IMDB.com, "A handful of girls enslaved by a diabolical human beast on an island where there is no way out..."

More from the same film.

MY BROTHER'S WIFE (1966)

June Roberts adjusts a suspender on her long-legged pantie girdle!

Admiring the effect!

And now, the cover for the DVD on current release!

TELL IT TO THE JUDGE (1949)

A rather bedraggled Rosalind Russell.

TEN LITTLE INDIANS (1966)

The glamorous Shirley Eaton changing her stockings

Shirley Eaton crossing her legs and removing her shoes before....

....completely removing her skirt!

THE BULLDOG BREED (1960)

The delightful Liz Frazer showing her delightful stockings. This is one of several films of that wonderful era of British comedies which featured the lovely stockinged legs of Liz Frazer, which include Carry on Cruising (1962), Double Bunk (1961), and Two Way Stretch (1960), this latter featuring the wonderful scence where at prison visiting time, the warders are distracted by Miss Frazer's adjusting suspenders whilst various escape implements are handed over to the guests of Her Majesty!

THE FULLER BRUSH GIRL (1950)

Lucille Ball's stocking-tops. Readers ought to keep a look-out for that famous episode of her show when she spent some minutes walking around her kitchen with the rear of her skirt tucked into its waitsband - for some strange reason her husband kept trying to cover up the glorious sight!

THE MILLIONAIRESS (1960)

Sophia Loren in that quintessential pose: corset and black fully-fashioned stockings - the very stuff of dreams!

THE PROFESSIONALS (U.K. T.V. 1977)

Firmly in the sights of those 'seventies icons, Bodie and Doyle!

And she turns around to reveal....

According to that scion of the British establishment, George Cowley (portrayed by the wonderful Gordon "Hudson" Jackson), she is " 5 foot 7 and a natural blonde"!

THE QUERE FELLOW (1962)

The lovely Sylvia Syms being attacked by a fully-fashioned stocking-wearing lass in an Irish pub.

Sylvia Syms is also, of course, wearing fully-fashioned stockings!

TOP GUN (1986)

The wonderfully fully-fashioned legs of Kelly McGillis in that most memorable scene as she enters a roomful of U.S. Navy pilots!

WORKING GIRL (1988)

Melanie Griffith "Just once it would be nice to have a birthday present that I could wear outside the bedroom...."

Sigourney Weaver - in a far from alien pose!

LOTS MORE TO FOLLOW!

For Miss January 2008, one of our newest Members, Member M1093, from West London, who operates a photographic studio, catering for the very needs of the Harmony Club and all that it stands for, kindly supplied this stunning photo of Slinky Sparkles!

Member M1015, from Oregon graced our page in December 2007, wearing a stunning pair of Manhattan Heel fully-fashioned stockings! Members were able to see more of her in Harmonise Vol. 2 No. 3 and in the 2008 Harmony Club Calendar.

Lincoln Lady, (Member M1077) graced our front page in November 2007, for which we are very grateful. Those who wish to see more of the delectable Lincoln Lady need do no more than visit her own site, by clicking the picture.

Miss October 2007 was generously provided by Member M1021, Johnny Jaan, a professional photographer whose varied work can be found on his own Website, by clicking this picture.

Rose, Member M1076, provided our picture for September: a flower amongst the flowers in a lovely garden shot, redolent of the Summer we never had in England! September 2007

For August, we were again delighted to feature Denise, Member M1041.

For July 2007, we were delighted to feature Member M1008, Suzanne from Cheshire on what was, for that particular month in England (the wettest July on record!), an uncharacteristically fine sunny day!

For June 2007, it was a real treat to be able to feature again the delightful Satin Jayde who at the time was our newest Club Member (M1064)! She also featured as the masthead to our first Newsletter for two years, Harmonise Volume 2 Issue 1.

For May 2007, we were delighted to feature that upcoming starlet, Miss Rose Dashwood, whose YouTube videos had been delighting viewers recently.

For April 2007, we were delighted to feature Lana Cox, whose photographer is M1062.

For March 2007, we were able to feature the actress Maxine Peake playing the role of the British Deputy Prime Minister's Diary Secretary, Tracey Temple, in the television adaptation, Confessions of a Diary Secretary, showing that stockings continued to play an important role at the heart of Government!

For February 2007, a lovely portrait of a lady from the 'fifties in classic pose, shown here because she resembles that gorgeous 1990s (to present) actress Madeleine Stowe, who has worn stockings in several of her films, most notably in Revenge (1990), Unlawful Entry (1992) and The Proposition (1998). Anyone knowing the correct name of this model featured here is asked to contact the Club

For January 2007, back to the future, with a return to a vintage classic from Member A0356, Donald Sutherland, a professional photographer who has in the past supplied the Club generously with material, and a tradition for which we are all very grateful, with this latest contribution!

For December 2006, which was at the rear end of the year, how about this stunning rear end, so kindly supplied by Member Primm from Alicante! On the principle of saving the best till last, Primm also features in the month of December 2007 in the Harmony Club Calendar, so in a year's time those lucky Members with a calendar on their wall or desk will be able to savour her further delights in fully-fashioned stockings again! Those wishing to sample the further delights of Primm, can do so by clicking anywhere on the photograph or here.

For November 2006, a blast from the past! Long-standing Members may recognise this picture, for it is from Member A0762, who took up one of the Club's earliest initiatives, the Collector's Challenge, ten years ago! She is wearing a genuine pair of Aristoc Harmony Point stockings, which were supplied by The Collector in return for modelling these pictures which were then published in the Newsletter. Many thanks to Member A0762 for providing this copy, and others which are to be found on the AOL Members-only Group.

Miss October 2006. Satin Jayde is seen here modelling a pair of Aristoc Mayfair fully-fashioned stockings which were won by a Member in a previous monthly Club Competition who provided them for her to wear for the Club! Members of the Club who have access to the Club's private AOL Group will be able to see a further selection of these great pictures, but this picture has been reserved to grace our Website homepaget this month. With thanks for Satin Jayde (whose own site can be found on our Links page) and Member M1014 for arranging this!

Miss September 2006 - what a wonderful summery image of the partner of Member M1008 (Rob) to remind us of England's 2-day Summer in August! With this delightful poolside beauty, who needs acres of bare flesh and swimming costumes?! See below for another picture of this delightful lady as Miss April!

Miss August, kindly supplied by Member M1021 Johnny Jaan, whose own great photographic website can be found here

Miss July 2006 The following has been most helpfully contributed by Member M1019 (Commonsense 1): This picture is almost certainly one of many similar study sets originally sold by Irving Klaw owner and operator of Movie Star News in New York City.

Much of what he did was cheesecake photos or movies of models, like Marge, posing in lingerie - usually busk-fronted, boned, black lacing corsets or sometimes black or white suspender belts almost always with suspenders clipped to 1950s type, deep-topped fully fashioned black stockings with cuban, squared heels, almost never point heels. The most famous of his models is now the subject of a movie of her life - Bettie Page.

Klaw also posed many of the lingerie and stocking clad women including Bettie in bondage/spanking/girl fighting studies and it was these aspects of his work that led to him being "censored" by the U.S. authorities of the late 1950s.

Many of his studies appeared in "Exotique" magazine published by BurmelPress, N.Y.C. in the late 1950s. The collected volume of Exotique was published in Germany by Taschen Press in the late 1990s.

Miss June 2006 (Club Member, ANITA)

Miss May 2006

Miss April 2006, kindly supplied by Member M1008 (Rob).

Seen by an incredulous Jonathan Ross on B.B.C. Television, the black fully-fashioned seams being worn by Dita von Tease! "But why would someone wear transparent stockings" will probably go down as the crassly idiotic question of the decade if not Century! Dita, also known as Mrs. Marilyn Manson, offered her delightfully sheer leg for Mr. Ross to stroke, but cheekily withdrew it because he is a married man. Mr. Ross' own offer for Dita to stroke his hairy leg instead, was understandably firmly rejected!

The Club has recently obtained this superbly illustrated catalogue, as seen below. Unfortunately, the constrictions of bandwidth (if that is the correct term!) on this Website has meant the automatic reduction of page size, and consequent loss of definition, which is a pity. Harmony Club Members are welcome to contact us and request e-mailed copies of the full size copy of each page (size around 180 k each). Here is the full-size cover:

Front Cover

Harmony Club Members may request e-mailed full-size pages (all pages or specific pages as detailed) by contacting: enquiries@harmonyclub.co.uk.

Pages 2-3

Pages 4-5

Pages 6-7

Pages 8-9

Pages 10-11

Pages 12-13

Pages 14-15

Pages 16-17

Aristoc

This advert for Aristoc makes reference to the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as did several other adverts of that special year.

Another version of the foregoing advert, on the same Coronation theme.

Ballerina

Ballito

Bear Brand

Berlei - although not actually an advert for stockings as such, what about this, the Coronation Corselette to support them?!

Bluebird

Cannon

Charnos

Charnos Daytime Evening

Firefly

Glen Raven

Kayser Bondor

Lastonet

Miltex

Mojud

Morley

Nebel

Pex

Playtex (well, actually a girdle advert, but fully-fashioned stockings being worn by the exercising beauty!)

Plaza

Ring Clear

Taylor-Woods

Tor

Tudorose, making another reference to Her Majesty's Coronation of that year.

Tudorose, without the Coronation connections.

Vayle

Wolsey

Van Raalte 1927

Aristoc 1931

Bear Brand 1935

Aristoc 1936

J.A.F. 1936 (France: not quite sure to what the "1940" refers, since this was definitely published in 1936!)

Aristoc 1937

Belle Sharmeer 1939

Claussner 1940s

Lux 1940s

Rollins 1940s

Spirella 1940s

Vision 1940s

Aristoc 1940

Holeproof 1943

Hanes 1945 (Seamless!)

Van Raalte 1945

Aristoc 1946

Berkshire 1946

Kayser 1946 (Australia)

Aristoc 1947 (the Wedding theme is not, presumably, coincidental to the Wedding of Her Majesty The Queen that year!)

Berkshire 1947 I

Berkshire 1947 II

Van Raalte 1947

Gotham Gold Stripe 1948

Hudson 1948

Sunflex 1948

Aristoc 1949

Hanes 1949

Munsingwear 1949

Van Raalte 1949

Aristoc 1950

Bear Brand 1950

Cannon 1951 I

Cannon 1951 II

Fruit of the Loom 1951

Kayser Bondor 1951

Aristoc 1951

Gossard Corsetry 1951

Aristoc 1952

Aristoc 1952 40-Twist

Berkshire 1952

Aristoc 1954

Aristoc 1954 - Automatic packaging!

Hanes 1954 No seams to worry about.....

Hanes 1955 Still no seams to worry about.....

Hanes 1955 but seams are still here!

Aristoc 1955

Ballet 1955

Blue Swan Panties 1955

Scandale 1955

Keystone 1955

Vayle 1955

Aristoc 1956

Aristoc 1950s

Balltio 1956

Berkshire 1956

Charnos 1956 I

Charnos 1956 II

Kayser Bondor 1956 I

Kayser Bondor 1956 II

Kayser 1956 III

Lux Soap Flakes, 1956 (featured as June 2006 Competition picture)

Needlepoint 1956 (note the flower decoration to the underwelt!)

Sunbeam 1956

Taylor-Woods 1956

Wolsey 1956

Hanes 1958

Balenciaga 1960

Dior 1980

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Anne Bancroft in her most famous role as Mrs. Robinson, in The Graduate of 1967:

To be strictly correct, the leg shown in the top left-hand picture is not actually that of Anne Bancroft, rather that of Linda Gray ( of "Mrs. J.R. Ewing" fame), although the reason for this is obscure to say the least!

The above picture comes from the excellent website Celebs in Suspenders, whose link is on our Recommended Links page, and can also be visited by clicking here: Celebs in Suspenders