"History of hosiery , hosiery in ancient times"

"history of hosiery,
Hosiery and terms of stockings & hosiery like stockings and nylon pantyhose etc."

Stockings which are also known as hosiery, nylon pantyhose, or hose, and popularly as "nylons", are coverings for the legs and feet.

Early references to hosiery go back to the ancient Greeks. Workmen and slaves wore hosiery in ancient times, and Roman wore a short sock called a (soccus) in their homes. Silk hosiery were also worn in Japan and China for centuries.

History of hosiery has a lot of information, stories, and articles, we will try to offer you the most we can. Socks evolved into stockings in 12th century Europe. (In America stockings are called panthose.) Breeches wore by men became close fitting, wearing from the waist to the foot like modern tights.

Stockings Story

After 1545 knitted stockings (pantyhose) came into fashion, their seems were often ornamented by elaborate silk patterns. This term is still used today as fancy feet.

William Lee , an English clergyman, made the first knitting machine in 1589. Silk and cotton were the popular fibers.

There were many different ways to wear stockings. Silk stockings were sometimes worn several pairs at a time in cold weathers. In the 17th century when large boots were in fashion, linen "boot hose" were worn to protect the silk stockings underneath.

In the 19th century machine-made cotton stockings became available for women.

After World War I (1914-1918) short skirts were fashionable and long silk stockings were worn again, once again, proving that fancy hosiery, 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 womans hosiery waned. Silk was replaced by nylon after the war.

Nylon stockings which became popular after World War II (1939-1945) and completely replaced the silk stockings 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.

More information on history of hosiery, in 1935 Julian Hill, working with a team led by wallace carothers, discovered that by pulling a heated rod from a mixture of a coal tar, water and alcohol is strong, sheer filament formed that was silk-like in appearance.

By early 1960's "fully fashioned" stockings were rapidly replaced by modern reinforced heel and toe seamless stockings.

We, at knees-n-toes-accessories.com, are proud to help you with information on hosiery to this date, and continue to carry this tradition forward!!

The first nylon stockings appeared in New York stores on May 15, 1940 and over 780,000 pairs were sold in the first day alone.

In the first year, 64 million pairs were sold in the US, and nylon soon became the generic name for all hosiery products containing nylon.

Hosiery is often described as being of a particular "denier", which means the thickness of the yarn. If 450 meters weighs 5 grams, the thread is called a 100 denier thread.

The sheerest practical denier is 7d, which is so whispy sheer that it disappears on the leg! It can barely survive one wearing.

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