The eroticism of the stocking is multifaceted. It began at a time when the stockinged leg was still largely covered and only the lover could catch a glimpse of the thigh. The ladies were probably aware of the allure of this and therefore wore decorated garters to further tease their lovers. A remnant of this can still be found today in the bride's garter. In the 1950s, when there were nylons with seams, it was mainly the seam that made the stocking an erotic object in the 'half-length', knee-length skirts that were common at the time. Up to this point, one cannot really speak of fetishism, but of a special form of erotic decoration that has had an effect since time immemorial. Stocking fetishism is different, - although all stocking lovers are often referred to as 'stocking fetishists', a more narrowly defined fetishism only exists if the fetish object is removed from the body. This is certainly often the case with sock fetishism.