the.com/hosiery
Legwear with a PR department — socks and tights, but make it fancy.
means A catch-all term for stockings, socks, and tights — the retail industry's polite word for leg coverings.
from From 'hose,' the Old English word for a leg covering or garment for the legs — long before pants as we know them existed, 'hose' referred to snug leggings or stockings worn by both men and women. The '-ery' suffix (as in 'bakery' or 'jewelry') turned the item into an industry — hosiery became the trade and display name for the stocking business, giving sock-selling a storefront dignity it arguably didn't need.
- word root
- hose once meant any leg tube, no foot
- nylon debut
- 1939 World's Fair unveiled nylon stockings
- industry term
- retailers still say hosiery, not tights aisle
- denier scale
- measures thread weight, not actual durability