Hosiery
Encyclopedia
Foot
The foot is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made up of one or more segments or bones, generally including claws...
and leg
Human leg
The human leg is the entire lower extremity or limb of the human body, including the foot, thigh and even the hip or gluteal region; however, the precise definition in human anatomy refers only to the section of the lower limb extending from the knee to the ankle.Legs are used for standing,...
s. 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 its 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.
The first references to hosiery can be found in works of Hesiod
Hesiod
Hesiod was a Greek oral poet generally thought by scholars to have been active between 750 and 650 BC, around the same time as Homer. His is the first European poetry in which the poet regards himself as a topic, an individual with a distinctive role to play. Ancient authors credited him and...
, where Romans are said to have used leather or cloth in forms of strips to cover their lower body parts. Even the Egyptians
Egyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...
are speculated to have used hosiery as socks have been found in certain tombs.
Most hosiery garments are made by knitting
Knitting
Knitting is a method by which thread or yarn may be turned into cloth or other fine crafts. Knitted fabric consists of consecutive rows of loops, called stitches. As each row progresses, a new loop is pulled through an existing loop. The active stitches are held on a needle until another loop can...
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.
Types
- Hold-upsHold-upsHold-ups or stay-ups are stockings with a band of elastic sewn to the top, designed to hold the stockings up when worn, without the need for a garter belt or garters...
(British EnglishBritish EnglishBritish English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
), Stay-ups (British English) or Thigh-high stockings (American EnglishAmerican EnglishAmerican English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
) - LeggingsLeggingsLeggings are a type of fitted clothing covering the legs, which can be worn by both men and women.Originally leggings were two separate garments, one for each leg....
- SockSockA sock is an item of clothing worn on the feet. The foot is among the heaviest producers of sweat in the body, as it is able to produce over of perspiration per day. Socks help to absorb this sweat and draw it to areas where air can evaporate the perspiration. In cold environments, socks decrease...
s, tube socks (American English), knee highs and over-the-knees - StockingStockingA stocking, , is a close-fitting, variously elastic garment covering the foot and lower part of the leg. Stockings vary in color, design and transparency...
s, held by a suspender belt, also known as "sussies" - TightsTightsTights are a kind of cloth leg garment, most often sheathing the body from about the waist to the feet with a more or less tight fit, hence the name....
(British English) or PantyhosePantyhosePantyhose are sheer, close-fitting legwear, covering the wearer's body from the waist to the feet. Mostly considered to be a woman's and girl's garment, pantyhose appeared in the 1960s, and they provided a convenient alternative to stockings...
(American English) - Knee highsKnee highsKnee highs are hosiery that covers the feet and legs up to the knee. Typically worn by women in western and other societies, they are sometimes worn with modern semi-formal dress. Unlike ordinary socks, they are generally made of nylon or other stocking materials.Knee highs became popular during...
- Toe socks
Manufacturers
- Emilio CavalliniEmilio CavalliniEmilio Cavallini is an Italian fashion designer, particularly noted for his hosiery collections.-Biography:...
- GerbeGerbe (lingerie)Gerbe, located in France, is a marketer and manufacturer of hosiery and lingerie. Gerbe was founded in 1895.-External links:*...
(FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
manufacturer of e.g. stockings) - SpanxSPANXSpanx, Inc. is a U.S. company that mainly manufactures footless pantyhose and other undergarments for women, particularly "body shaping" undergarments and bodysuit shapewear intended to give the wearer a slim and shapely appearance....
- WolfordWolfordWolford AG, located in Austria, is a marketer and manufacturer of upscale hosiery and lingerie. In the late 1990s, it ran a famous advertising campaign featuring the work of photographer Helmut Newton.-External links:***...
- TherafirmTherafirmTherafirm is a manufacturer of Graduated Compression hosiery and socks located in Ellerbe, North Carolina. Therafirm is owned by Knit Rite, Inc. The Ellerbe, North Carolina plant employs 45 individuals .-History:...
- Pretty Polly (hosiery)Pretty Polly (hosiery)Pretty Polly is a British brand of women's tights based in Daybrook, Nottinghamshire.-History:The company began in 1919 when Harry Hibbert and Oswald Buckland built a factory in Sutton-in-Ashfield, near Mansfield in Nottinghamshire...