Hosiery, (UK:/ˈhoʊziəri/,US:/-ʒəri/)[1][2] also referred to aslegwear, describesgarments worn directly on thefeet andlegs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed ahosier; and those products are also known generically ashose. The term is also used for all types of knitted fabric, and its thickness and weight is defined bydenier or opacity. Lower denier measurements of 5 to 15 describe a hose which may be sheer in appearance, whereas styles of 40 and above are dense, with little to no light able to come through on 100 denier items.
The word hosiery is amorphological derivation of the Anglo Saxon word ''hosa'', which meant a woven garment for the lower body and legs.[3]
The first references to hosiery can be found in the works ofHesiod, where Romans are said to have used leather or cloth in forms of strips to cover their lower body parts. Even theEgyptians are speculated to have used hosiery, assocks have been found in certain tombs.
Most hosiery garments are made byknitting methods. Modern hosiery is usually tight-fitting by virtue of stretchy fabrics and meshes. Older forms include binding to achieve a tight fit. Due to its close fit, most hosiery can be worn as an undergarment, but it is more commonly worn as a combined under/outer garment.[4]
Hosiery garments are the product of hosiery fabric produced from hosiery yarn. Like the yarn used for making woven fabric, hosiery yarn comes from a separate spinning (yarn making) process, and is used with circular knitting machines to form fabric. One or more hosiery yarn is used to make knitted or hosiery fabric, and garments produced out of this are generally referred to as hosiery garments.
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