Support Hosiery works because it applies compression onto the wearer’s leg which stimulates blood flow “uphill” back to the heart. The effects are medically proven as this external compression has measurable effects on the blood vessels of the leg and the flow of blood through them.
Archive for the ‘Interesting Hosiery Facts’ Category
Compression from your tights
Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010Vicar invents stocking machine !!
Thursday, May 20th, 2010Stockings were hand knitted until the invention of the stocking frame in 1589. Its inventor was the Rev. William Lee of Calverton in Nottinghamshire.
Lee tried to obtain a charter (like a patent) from Queen Elizabeth 1 but was rejected because the first machine knit stockings were considered too coarse. Another factor being that a move away from hand knitting would mean a loss of employment for the many thousands who made a living from that work.
High Speed Hosiery Knitting
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010The machines that knit tights produce at very high speed.
A hand knitter would understand if told to “cast on 400 stitches and knit 2,200 rows” – but the time to do it would be a little more than the 3 minutes that a modern machine takes. And that’s for both legs of the pair which is approaching 2 million stitches.
How to wash and care for your tights
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010Here at Legwear we are often asked how buyers should wash and care for their tights, stockings and holdups, to prolong their useful life.
Here are our tips for caring for your hosiery:
Step 1
Use a mild detergent. Any basic laundry detergent can be used when you clean your tights. The detergent should not contain bleach.
Step 2
Turn the tights inside out. This will prevent any build up of lint during washing.
Step 3
Place the tights in a panty hose washer bag. These bags protect the hosiery from becoming tangled and damaged when placed in the washing machine.
Step 4
Put the tights in the washing machine. Use a delicate cycle to wash the hosiery and select a cold water wash. This protects the texture and the colour of the hose.
Step 5
Wash the panty hose by hand. You can wash them in your sink if you don’t have a washer bag. Remove any hand jewellery and handle the panty hose carefully in order to prevent runs.
Step 6
Dry the tights on a towel. You should not hang dry tights because this can cause the fabric to stretch. Tights should never be placed in a dryer.
What’s “Reinforced” Hosiery?
Monday, April 12th, 2010“Reinforced” is a word frequently seen on hosiery packs to describe the body and toe sections. Reinforced simply means that heavier yarns, often knit in a more durable stitch, are in those sections.
Abrasion can be severe at the toes were the fabric is rubbed between toes (and toe nails) and the inside of the shoe.
Similarly the body seam in tights is stronger when the sewing is into denser fabric.
So “reinforcement” delivers definite benefits to durability. However, sometimes a more elegant look is wanted. If so, look out for : (more…)
Hosiery Luddite
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010A word still in use to describe, “a person opposed to new technology” has it’s origins in the stocking trade. In the early 1800’s followers of a character known as Ned Ludd rioted against mechanisation of the stocking frame and destroyed machinery which they believed would take work from them. This was a very serious episode with hanging and deportation sentences given out to those convicted.
Why wear tights and stockings
Thursday, March 18th, 2010Tights, stockings and holdups are a low cost everyday item of clothing but consider what benefits different types of hosiery can provide :
- Sheer hosiery gives an even appearance to the skintone .
- Sheer hosiery can be used to change the leg shade.
- Opaque hosiery provides warmth.
- Show legs in a fashion colour.
- Patterned hosiery makes a fashion statement .
- They are perceived as sexy items of clothing.
- Support hosiery provides therapeutic benefits.
- Control styles shape and contour.
- Confidence and cover such as when wearing a mini skirt.
When did “Tights” come onto the market?
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010Tights have always been one of the types of hosiery but for many years were the preserve of stage performers and dancers.
Up until the mid 1960’s 95%+ of the hosiery produced was stockings but by 1970 this had switched with tights taking a big majority of the market share.
The reason for this change – the arrival of the mini skirt, with 1967 being the pivotal year. With hemlines at least 6” above the knee stockings and the attendant suspenders were simply not practical.
Hold Ups also first appeared in 1967 for the same reason, but did not provide the satisfaction and security of tights – or “panti hose” as they were then usually called.
What does “hosiery” mean
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010There is no simple universally agreed definition. The Oxford Dictionary simply says, stockings and socks; but then adds knitted or woven underwear ?
The common understanding is that it is term that covers all items of leg and footwear. i.e.Tights, Stockings (including hold up variety), Socks, Knee Highs, etc.
