Birth of the Pearl – a Bodystocking

A bodystocking or body stocking is a one-piece skin-tight garment that covers the torso, legs and sometimes the arms of the wearer. It is a foundation garment or an article of lingerie usually made from a sheer fabric similar to that used for stockings or pantyhose, or from fishnet, lace or an opaque material, or a variation of these materials. 

A bodystocking differs from a unitard, which is worn as an outfit or article of clothing, and a leotard, which is used as a practice garment or performance costume for acrobats, gymnasts and other similar performers. Designed to be revealed, but not to be too revealing, bodystockings may be worn as undergarments by performers such as belly dancers and exotic dancers.

Bodystockings are put on through the neck, in a similar technique to putting on a pair of tights.

Due to its design, and its close-fitting and one-piece aspect, the wearer may have to remove the bodystocking in order to urinate or defecate, but crotchless bodystockings are available. 

History:

The first notable occasion of a bodystocking being seen was with American actress Adah Isaacs Menken, who wore a bodystocking in 1861. It was during the play Mazeppa, based on Byron’s “Mazeppa”, in which she played a Ukrainian man who was tied nude to the back of a wild horse by his enemies. In the scene Menken wore a flesh colored bodystocking to preserve her modesty while giving the illusion of nudity. The practice created controversy.

A body stocking was used in a tableau vivant style short film The Birth of the Pearl (1901), which featured an unnamed long-haired young model wearing a flesh-colored body stocking in a direct frontal pose and provided a provocative view of the female body.  An ode to the Birth of Venus.

Your Master or Mistress may see you nude on any occasion they choose – so perhaps a Bodystocking can be enticing as a Presentation Outfit.

A “Thank You” to Wiki and to the Library of Congress.