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Pantyhose, sometimes also called sheer tights, are close-fitting legwear covering the wearer's body from the waist to the toes. Pantyhose first appeared on store shelves in 1959 for the advertisement of new design panties (Allen Gant's product, 'Panti-Legs')[1] as a convenient alternative to stockings and/or control panties which, in turn, replaced girdles.
Like stockings or knee highs, pantyhose are usually made of nylon, or of other fibers blended with nylon. Pantyhose are designed to:
- Be attractive in appearance,
- Hide physical features such as blemishes, bruises, scars, leg hair, spider veins, or varicose veins,[2][3]
- Give skin a tanner, less pale appearance,[4]
- Reduce visible panty lines,[5] and
- Ease chafing between feet and footwear, or between thighs.
Besides being worn as fashion, in Western society pantyhose are sometimes worn by women as part of formal dress. Also, the dress code of some companies and schools may require pantyhose or fashion tights to be worn when skirts or shorts are worn as part of a uniform.
- ^ Caputo, Joseph (July 7, 2009). "50 Years of Pantyhose". Smithsonian. Archived from the original on October 31, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
- ^ DeMello, M. (2009). Feet and Footwear: A Cultural Encyclopedia. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 163. ISBN 978-0-313-35715-2. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
- ^ Stalder, E. (2019). Fashion 101: A Crash Course in Clothing. Zest Books. Lerner Publishing Group. p. 293. ISBN 978-1-5415-8182-1. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
- ^ Parton, D.; George-Warren, H.; Seaver, R. (2023). Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones. Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed. p. 26. ISBN 978-1-9848-6213-6. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
- ^ Glen Raven, Inc.: Turnpage advertisement "How do gals get this sleek bell bottom look without the bumps of garters and panties? - They don't wear any. They wear Glen Raven Panti-Legs in Cantrece.", USA, 1966