stockings

Pair of close-fitting coverings for the legs and feet, now worn by women only; stockings were worn with breeches by men up to the late 19th century. Stockings are generally made of silk or nylon in various grades of thickness and in a range of different colours and patterns. They are attached at the top of the woman's thighs to a suspender belt which fastens around the waist.

Before the early 1600s stockings were often handknitted in silk, cotton, or wool; machine-made stockings then became available. They were worn by both men and women until trousers replaced breeches for men in the late 19th century and stockings became exclusively female garments. From the end of the 19th century through to 1940 artificial silk stockings were most widely worn. The introduction of nylon stockings revolutionized the stocking industry, making a wider range available. They were classified into groups, according to their denier (the unit of weight by which silk, rayon, and nylon yarns are measured). In the 1950s seamless stockings became available, as did knee-high stockings and tights (also known as pantihose).

Patterned stockings were available throughout the 19th century, but as hemlines rose throughout the 20th century patterned, ribbed, and coloured stockings became popular. In the 1960s stockings and tights decorated with stripes and geometric and lacy patterns became popular, followed by the dark and heavy ribbed tights of the 1970s. In the 1980s–1990s highly coloured and patterned tights became popular once more.