Opaque and sheer, fashion and fishnet, seamless and nylon! These different types of legwear are seen on women every day, accentuating, accessorizing, and polishing outfits. Some call them stockings while others call them tights and there is quite a bit to learn about this particular staple in women’s fashion. 

Hosiery is a garment that covers the feet and legs, often all the way into the waist area. Dating back to the early 20th century, women wore stockings hidden underneath dresses and skirts. These were thick and warm but not always stylish. It wasn’t until the 1940s that cotton stockings were traded in for nylon tights which were becoming a statement of fashion. No longer were nylons hidden, but now they were a thing to be shown off. 

The evolution of hosiery is an interesting one but today, ladies incorporate a little bit of each era in their legwear fashions. Tights of all kinds are worn for all occasions. Sheer and opaque can worn under skirts to work, in business environments, and to church. Leggings, a different kind of legwear are sometimes seen in the same fashion but also paired with shorts, or sometimes nothing at all. Often, leggings are used as invisible extra layering in cold temperatures. Fashion tights feature sexy, lacy patterns and even seams which are making a major comeback. Though these tights are not worn by themselves, they are meant to be seen, whether underneath a little black dress, or on a couture runway. 

Nylon and silk are some of the most commonly worn legwear materials and also the most delicate. Nylon and other stretchy mesh fabrics are threaded into the needles of knitting machines. These machines create the tights and then they are dyed to match different flesh tones. This is done to create the illusion of invisibility as the fabric hugs the legs and the color melts into the skin. When purchasing hosiery, one might spot the word “denier.” Denier measures density or thickness of a stocking or pair of tights. For example, ultra sheer tights have a denier of 10. The less sheer, the higher the denier number. 

Hosieree adds a touch of sensuality and elegance to any woman’s wardrobe. Today’s technology allows females everywhere to create all sorts of looks with their tights whether it’s sheer and barely there or lacy and alluring. This is a fashion item that isn’t going anywhere.