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Hosiery is knitted coverings for the legs and feet. Also referred to as legwear, hosiery describes garments worn directly on the feet and legs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed a hosier; and those products are also known generically as hose. The term is also used for all types of knitted fabric, and it's thickness and weight is defined in terms of denier or opacity. Lower denier measurements of 5 to 15 describe a hose which may be sheer in appearance, whereas styles of 40 and above are dense, with little to no light able to come through on 100 denier items. Most hosiery garments are made by knitting methods. Modern hosiery is usually tight-fitting by virtue of stretchy fabrics and meshes. Older forms include binding to achieve a tight fit. Due to its close fit, most hosiery can be worn as an undergarment, but it is more commonly worn as a combined under/outer garment.
Socks evolved into stockings in 12th century Europe. Breeches worn by men became close fitting, reaching from the waist to the foot like modern tights. Women wore nylon stockings held up at the knee by garters. After 1545 nylon stockings came into fashion, their seams were often ornamented by elaborate silk patterns, or "clocks". This term is still in use today as "fancy feet" the decorative seam treatments that were popular during the late 40's and early 50's. William Lee, an English clergyman, made the first knitting machine in 1589. Silk and cotton were the popular fibers of the era. Silk of course was the choice of royalty as the discovery of the New World opened up trade in this rare and luxurious fiber. There were many different ways to wear stockings. Nylon stockings were sometimes worn several pairs at a time in cold weather. In the 17th century when large boots were in fashion, linen "boot hose" were worn to protect the nylon stockings underneath. They had wide lace tops, which were turned over the boots. Men continued to wear nylon stockings with garters until the end of the 18th century, but long trousers begin to appear and socks have been worn underneath ever since. In the 19th century machine-made nylon stockings became available for women. After World War I (1914-1918) short skirts were fashionable and long nylon stockings were worn again, once again, proving that fashion and skirt length determine hosiery fashion! With the discovery and ultimate use of Dupont Nylon in the late 30's and early 40's, the primacy of silk in women's hosiery waned. Silk was ultimately replaced by nylon after the war. But it was not without challenges from other man made fibers such as Rayon, Bamberg, and Vilene. Nylon stockings which became popular after World War II (1939-1945) and completely replaced the silk stocking usually had seams until the late 1960's. They were knitted flat and "fully fashioned" which means that they were shaped to fit the leg like modern sweaters. By decreasing the number of stitches as the nylon stocking was knit towards the ankle, a garment was created that was "knit to fit". By the early sixties, "fully fashioned" nylon stockings were rapidly replaced by modern reinforced heel and toe seamless stockings. Seamless nylon stockings are made on a circular knitting machines and are shaped by tightening the stitches. Hosiery is often described as being of a particular "denier", which means the thickness of the yarn. The gauge describes the number of stitches in a row. In the 1960's when skirts were worn very short, many women began to wear tights (nylon pantyhose) instead of nylon stockings. To show, "a bit of stocking", was no longer accepted and while nylon stockings fought for market share by becoming extremely long, they became nearly extinct as nylon pantyhose gained in popularity. |
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