Small Girdles Women
Pantyhose
Legwear/Fashion
In this article we look at modern women's one piece hosiery, specifically, history, composition, styles and views.
Pantyhose are tight fitting womens legwear which combine a panty (underwear) with stockings.
In the United States the term pantyhose refers to one piece legwear items that are sheer and lightweight, with heavier and more opaque garments referred to as tights. In the United Kingdom and elsewhere, the word tights can be used to refer to all tight fitting stretch one piece legwear, regardless of weight and opacity.
The word itself corresponds to the two original garments combined in pantyhose; panty (underwear), and hose (legwear).
HISTORY
It is generally accepted that pantyhose were invented by Alan Gant Sr. in 1953 [1]. They were first commercially produced in 1959 at the Glen Raven Mills in North Carolina (where Gant was president) under the brand name Panti-Legs [2]. Pantyhose were originally marketed as a convenient alternative to stockings, enabling women to eliminate foundational layers - such as girdles and garter belts - by combining their legwear and underwear [3]. Although there are several variations on the story of how pantyhose first came to be, the most widely circulated is that Gant had the idea of sewing stockings into nylon underwear for his pregnant wife, Ethel Boone Gant, after a particularly uncomfortable trip from New York to North Carolina. She hand-sewed the first pair herself, and Gant took them to the factory for further development. [4][5][6]
In another version of events, Gants niece Elizabeth Gant Bennett claims to have been the one who first gave him the idea, after seeing ballet dancers in New York wearing sheer tights during performances. In an interview in 1989 she stated:
"I had seen ballet performances where the dancers wore tights, I couldn't see why they wouldn't be practical for everyday use." [6]
Others claim that other mills in North Carolina commercially produced pantyhose before Glen Raven, such as the Chadbourne-Gotham Hosiery Co., who manufactured sheer nylon tights for sale in J. C. Penney stores in the early 1950s. [6]
Panti-Legs were originally manufactured in 10 different sizes, due to the fact that the nylon of the time had virtually no stretch. They were officially trademarked on Jan 26th, 1960. [7]
Sales of the new garments were originally slow due to the perceived security of foundation layers, as well as the high cost of pantyhose at the time. However, this changed with two influential innovations in the 1960s - DuPont Lycra, and the miniskirt. [8][9]
The introduction of the miniskirt in 1965 saw a sharp increase in the popularity of pantyhose, as it became unfashionable - as well as immodest - for women to have the tops of the stockings visible under the skirt [10]. This year also saw technological advances in circular knitting machinery which allowed manufacturers to construct each leg of the garment in one operation, meaning they could eliminate seams along the length of each leg. The introduction of DuPont Lycra into the fabric also meant that pantyhose could stretch, making them more comfortable and durable. During the 1960s pantyhose sales first eclipsed stockings sales, capturing a 70% share of the hosiery market by 1970. [10]
Pantyhose reached the peak of its popularity in the 1980s assisted by the introduction of spandex into the composition of the fabric, improving the comfort, durability and elasticity of the garments. [11]
The mid-1990s saw a decline in the popularity of pantyhose in favor of either bare legs, or heavier, more opaque legwear - a trend which has continued. [12][13]
COMPOSITION & CONSTRUCTION
Modern pantyhose are made primarily of nylon, usually blended with a more robust and elastic synthetic fiber such as spandex (also called elastane). Spandex is often used in the construction of pantyhose under the brand name Lycra (owned by Invista). Commonly, pantyhose can also include small percentages of natural fibers, such as cotton, in their composition.
In standard construction, the average pair of pantyhose is reinforced around the waist with elastic. The panty area is constructed with a thicker material than the legs, and will usually have a reinforced crotch section, called a gusset (often made with cotton for hygiene). This area also has a U-shaped seam connecting the two halves of the garment together. The section covering the legs uses the lightest fabric in the overall construction, and is the only section of the garment visible in daily wear. At the bottom of the garment is the toe section, which many manufacturers reinforce for durability. [14]
DENIER
The opacity/weight of pantyhose is measured in denier. Denier describes the mass of the individual fibers used in the composition of the garment. One denier corresponds to 1g for every 9000m of fiber e.g. a 50 denier pair of pantyhose weigh 50 grams for every 9000 meters of fiber. Generally speaking, hosiery denier can be grouped as follows:
- 5-15 very sheer
- 15-30 sheer
- 30-40 semi opaque
- 40-80 opaque
VARIOUS STYLES
- Cable Knit: Legwear knitted with crossover variations to create a braided texture, usually with heavier fabrics such as wool.
- Control Top: Used for a slimming effect, has the panty section reinforced with a stronger fabric such as spandex.
- Cuban heel: Hosiery with a reinforced heel sewn in, usually with a darker color for contrast.
- Fishnet: Hosiery manufactured with a open diamond-shaped knit.
- Fencenet: Similar to the fishnet, but with an even wider knit pattern.
- Footless: hosiery that only goes to the ankles. The ankle section of footless hosiery is usually reinforced with the same elastic as the waist.
- Full-Fashioned: Hosiery which is knitted in flat pieces which are cut out and then sewn together, giving them a visible seam at the back. Also called seamed.
- Matte: Hosiery with a non-glossy, or dull, finish.
- Metallics: The opposite of matte. Hosiery made with reflective yarns (e.g. lurex) for a high-gloss finish.
- Mock seam: Pantyhose manufactured in the usual way, but with an unnecessary seam sewn up the back to create the same look as fully fashioned hosiery
- Nude heel - Hosiery without reinforcement in the heel area. Popular with women wanting to wear open toed shoes with hosiery.
- Open-toed - Stockings that stop at the base of the toe with a piece that goes between the first and second toes to hold them down. They can be worn with some open-toed shoes, especially to show off pedicured toes.
- Patterned: Hosiery with a visible stitch pattern.
- Ribbed: Similar to cable knit, knitted with visible cables running the length of the garment.
- Sandalfoot - Hosiery with a nude toe, meaning the same yarn is used in the toe as in the leg.
- Seamed: see fully fashioned.
- Seamless - The opposite of fully fashioned. Hosiery in which each half is knitted in a single operation on circular machines, so that no seam is required along the length of the legs.
- Sheer to Waist: Hosiery in which the upper section is same thickness and color as the leg portion. Suitable for high slit gowns, miniskirts and lingerie.
VIEWS
Pantyhose can often elicit strong feelings among women, both positive and negative [15][16][17]. Although, certain industries still regard hosiery as a basic requirement for female staff e.g. nursing, air travel, changes in corporate culture have meant that hosiery is usually now optional for most women in the workforce [18]. Many women have welcomed these changes. [19]
Some of the negative views on pantyhose include complaints such as:
- they easily snag and run (also called laddering)
- they are uncomfortable in hot weather
- they are too constricting
- theyre not well suited to plus sizes
- they are made of synthetic rather than natural fibers
- they are old fashioned
Positive views include:
- they look professional
- they give the legs a smooth appearance
- they cover pale legs
- they feel pleasant on the skin
- they can appear slimming
- compression assists with circulation
- they are attractive to men
PANTYHOSE IN FASHION GENRES
Several fashion genres use pantyhose as a staple of their look. These include:
- punk: fishnets, stripes, ripped styles, animal skin prints. [20]
- lolita: white opaques. baroque prints, lace, ribbons [21]
- rockabilly: seams, vertical stripes, horizontal stripes, prints, sheers [22]
- gothic: black opaques, fishnets, horizontal stripes (black/red, black/white) [23]
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