The Women Hosiery: The most underrated item in a woman’s closet

Women Hosiery or legwear is so common that one cannot imagine a world without this piece of fabric. The word hosiery is a general and broad term and includes all the garments that cover the legs. This simple fabric when paired with the right kind of clothes can make quite a style statement leaving you feeling empowered.

Closet

Women have been wearing hosiery for a long time and it used to be made from thick fabrics that could keep legs warm during winter. Now, most hosieries are made of spandex and polyester and don’t require any additional garments to stay up the legs.

Fashion Socks

Women’s Hosiery has evolved over the recent years and many designs have cropped up. You can certainly feel overwhelmed by the choices of hosiery available in the market. Hence in my blog post, I am discussing everything regarding hosiery and helping you select the right kind to wear for all occasions.

High Socks for Women

Women’s Hosiery isn’t a garment that has just hit the market. It has a long history and there was a time when even men wore them. Continue reading as I delve into the interesting history of hosiery.

History of hosiery

The history of Women’s Hosiery can be traced all the way back to the Roman Empire. The Romans used strips of leather or cloth to cover their legs. Even the very word hosiery is derived from the Anglo Saxon word ‘hosa’ which means a woven garment for the lower body and legs.

Italian socks

In pyramids, socks have been found by archaeologists leading them to speculate if the ancient Egyptians wore socks in their heydays.

Slowly as time passed hosiery involved weaving or knitting fabric. In the 1600s machines were developed that could knit stockings faster and better. People started experimenting with fabrics to make sturdier and good quality stockings. In the 1900s around 88% of the women’s stockings were made of cotton, 11% were wool and only 1% were silk.

When artificial silk or rayon was introduced it changed the market drastically and soon replaced all the other materials. This was until nylon hosiery became popular.  Nylon hosiery in turn replaced all of the other hosiery including the rayon ones. Today a combination of cotton, spandex and polyester hosiery are available in the market.

The availability of good materials and the advent of technology has led to many hosieries being produced globally. People have started to experiment with designs and now the focus has shifted from functionality to the aesthetic value of this garment leading to many designs and trends emerging from this space.

As the shift has now focused on style and functionality fashion houses are coming up with some truly mesmerizing collections of hosiery. I have made a list of them below for your know-how and inspiration:

01. Abstract patterned hosiery is tricky to wear but when paired with the right ensemble it will leave you and any onlooker breathless. Find the right design and the right length skirt to pair with this hosiery to make history.

Abstract patterned hosiery

02. Have you heard of block colors and colour coordinating your outfits accordingly? Then check out the bold colors of hosiery that need to be colored coordinated with the clothes you are wearing. You are certain to make heads turn with this garment and it is certainly not for the faint-hearted.

Light violet hoisery

03. Chanel introduced their line of women’s hosiery in 2020 and 2 years later their logo embellished sheer hosiery trend is still going strong. The fashion gurus can’t seem to get enough of it and other fashion houses also have followed suit. The Chanel women’s hosiery can be paired with skirts, as well as shorts, and they, look absolutely stunning.

Canel Hoisery

04. Lace hosiery never went out of fashion and remains a classic even to this day. Lace hosiery is available in many colours and can be mixed and matched with your outfit for the day. They instantly lift your spirits and give your ensemble a sophisticated look.

Lace Hoisery

05. Embellished hosiery is the latest trend in hosiery when you need to dress up. You can wear it on special occasions and it can be colour coordinated accordingly. Grab your glittering embellished hosiery to go with your favorite dress and rock the occasion you are wearing it to.

Embellished hosiery

06. The logomania nude hosiery has made quite a style statement and is a favorite among runway models. They can be styled with ankle-grazing hemlines or short hemlines as well and are all about subtlety, adding just the right amount of flair to your outfit.

logomania nude hosiery

The list I have made above is not exhaustive and you can certainly find unique designs and patterns of hosiery if you browse online or search for them in the nearest store. Browsing online or visiting a store is common but you will find it becoming cumbersome quickly if you do not know how to select the right hosiery. That is why I have talked about selecting the right hosiery in the next section.

How to select the right hosiery?

I have been to the store many times and have been confused by the sheer amounts of hosiery they stock. I ended up buying hosiery that didn’t go well with my outfits and after a few trials and errors, I realized that there are subtle rules that need to be followed that will enhance your look instead of doing the opposite.

So, after researching for a while and from my own experience I have laid out some tips that you will find handy when you go hosiery shopping and won’t be intimidated or bogged down by the collection they have. So, without further ado, let us begin!

  • First, have a goal or purpose when it comes to hosiery. What is the purpose behind your purchase? Are you looking for functionality or trying to make a style statement or both?
  • Look into the denier of the hosiery. Denier measures the thickness and weight of the hosiery. Measurements of 5-15 are a lower denier and give a sheer appearance. Denier 40 and above are dense and opaque.
  • Since hosiery is made from stretchable material don’t buy too loose garments as they will be ill fitting. If you are size X then it makes sense to buy hosiery 1 size below your size. (X-1) The garment/ material will stretch naturally over your legs and hips emphasizing your curves.
  • All hosiery will have the size printed on the back of the packaging. Please go through them before purchasing.
  • Pay attention to your skin tone when you purchase nude hosiery. Not all nude hosiery will match your skin tone.
  • Match your hosiery to the dress you are wearing. If you are wearing a black dress then go for black hosiery and not a contrasting colour as it will look like one single block and complete the look. Pair it with black shoes again. Only if you are wearing light coloured shoes can you go for a light coloured hosiery.
  • Avoid wearing bright colour clothes with black tights. The contrast will make your ensemble look cartoonish and your legs will look chunky and short than it really is.
  • If your dress and shoes are bright colours then you can opt for a sheer hosiery that matches your skin tone. If you have very fair skin then go for an ivory hosiery and if you have very dark skin then you can go for an espresso or brown hosiery.
  • Unless you want the catholic school girl look, never pair white opaque hosiery with dark or black shoes. This look is appropriate for children only and avoid this colour combination if you are going for a sophisticated look.

These are the lists of dos and don’ts that I have come up with which has helped me in selecting the right hosiery. Women Hosiery can make or break a look and that is why buying the right kind is very important.

Now that you have a fair idea about selecting the right hosiery I want to direct your attention to maintaining them. You can’t keep on buying new hosiery every day and it’s not good for the planet or your wallet for that matter. And let’s be honest having too much hosiery is going to lead to other problems as well.

That is why I have discussed some tips that you can follow which will help you maintain your hosiery for a long time prevent those dreaded runs and tears in them.

How to maintain women’s hosiery and prevent run or tears?

If you feel it is impossible not to prevent any tears or runs in the Women hosiery then fret not because I have discussed tips that can lengthen the durability of your hosiery.

  1. Hosiery will be easy to wear if you moisturise your legs regularly. Apply moisturiser beforehand and let it dry before you wear your hosiery.
  2. Clip your nails. When you do not handle your hosiery properly you might end up tearing the fabric with your nails.
  3. Freeze your tights overnight in the freezer after wetting them slightly. This helps the fibre of the fabric become tighter making them less susceptible to runs or tears.
  4. Wash them with care. Do not use harsh detergents and fabric softeners. Do not wash them at high temperatures either. Don’t wash them with your bras as the clasps might run into your hosiery. Instead, put them in a laundry bag and wash them in the machine.
  5. You can stop the run in your hosiery by applying clear nail polish. Apply it at the edges of your tear and prevent it from spreading further. You can also use hairspray to prevent a run in your tights from getting any larger.
  6. Be careful when you are wearing boots with zippers. Zip your shoes or boots slowly to prevent your hosiery from getting caught in the teeth of the zip.

I hope the tips I have listed above come to your rescue in your time of need. You can always follow certain precautionary steps like buying hosiery with reinforced seams that make it stronger and less prone to ripping.

Conclusion

This brings me to the end of my blog on Women Hosiery; the often overlooked garment in a woman’s closet. Hosiery has certainly evolved over many years to come to its present form and is a necessity during those harsh winters. I hope you enjoyed reading my article on hosiery.

Let me know the tips you followed when selecting Women hosiery. Did it aid you in purchasing the right kind? Was your shopping experience better because of the tips? Were you able to prevent any runs or tears? I would be happy to hear about your experience and I hope you find my article useful in this regard.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to wash hosiery?

Always machine washes your hosiery and never by hand. Avoid high heat in dryers, harsh detergents, and fabric softeners as well. This would wear out the fibers of the hosiery in time.

Which fabric is used to make hosiery?

Hosiery is made up of a combination of spandex and nylon. The polyester blend is also available in the market and is wrinkle resistant.

How to select the appropriate hosiery size?

Refer to the size chart present on the hosiery packaging. Hosiery is usually stretchy so select a size that is 1 size less than your body shape.

Who is hosier?

A hosier is a person who sells hosiery, stocking, etc.

How to prevent runs and tears in your hosiery?

Wash your hosiery with care and then wet your hosiery a little and place them in a freezer bag and freeze them overnight. Freezing helps keep the fibers of the hosiery tight and makes them less susceptible to rips.

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