Pantyhose (also called tights) are sheer, close fitting coverings of the body from the waist to the feet. Traditionally considered a woman's garment, pantyhose appeared in the 1960s and provided a convenient alternative to stockings. Like stockings, pantyhose are usually made of nylon. Pantyhose are designed to:

• be fashionable
• ease chafing between the foot and footwear
• keep the legs and feet warm
• hide physical imperfections such as blemishes, bruises, scars, hair, or varicose veins

Besides being worn as fashion, in Western society pantyhose is sometimes worn by women when formal dress is required. For example, the dress code of some companies and schools require pantyhose or fashion tights to be worn when skirts or shorts are worn or as part of a uniform.

Terminology

History

In the 1920s the fashionable hemline for women's skirts and dresses began to rise enough to show a woman's legs and sheer hosiery that covered the legs was only available as stockings. They were first made of silk or rayon (then known as "artificial silk"), and after 1940 with nylon.

In the 1940s and '50s film and theater productions were having stockings sewn to the briefs of actresses and dancers. This has been stated by actress-dancer Ann Miller and seen in popular films such as Daddy Long Legs.

In 1953 Allen Gant Sr. of Glen Raven Knitting Mills developed a commercial equivalent dubbed "Panti-Legs", but didn't bring it to market until 1959. In 1956 Ernest G. Rice filed a patent for "Combination Stockings and Panty", demonstrating a superior method, adopted by others thereafter. The patent was disputed for many years in U.S. courts, and eventually upheld, after Rice's own death.

Up till this point there was little reason for women to wear "panty hose". However during the 1960s improved manufacturing made them cheaper, spandex (or elastane) made them more comfortable, and the miniskirt made them a fashion necessity. In 1970 U.S. sales of pantyhose exceeded stockings for the first time, and remained this way ever since.

The popularity of pantyhose as a garment grew throughout the 1980s before starting to decline in the late '90s. At the same time, niche markets were born in fashion design, foundation garments, and pantyhose for men.

Composition

Most pantyhose are composed of nylon and a mixture of spandex, which provides the elasticity and form fitting that is characteristic of modern pantyhose. The nylon fabric is somewhat prone to tearing and it is common for very sheer hose to 'run' soon after snagging on something rough or sharp.