tights terms
American Tan - the standard boring colour of tights in the 1960's - presumably the colour of well-tanned American legs!
back seam - a seam up the back of the leg. Originally as seam in 'fully fashioned' stockings where the flat garment was sewn into a tube. Fishnet or lace tights used to have a back seam. The term is more likely to be used now to be a dark line up the back of the tights, as far as the panty, imitating a seam.
Body-free - tights with cutaway panties, also called 'suspender tights'
body stocking - tights that also cover the chest area, or even the arms too.
Bridal - special white or pale sheer tights for weddings, often with motifs such as bows, wedding bells or lucky horse-shoes.
Capri - footless tights that end below the knee or mid-calf.
Control top - extra reinforcing in the body to give slimming effect
Cuban-heels - with reinforced heels or heel and toe sections
cut off - tights with the body cut off to produce stockings with no welt
decitex [dtex] - a measure of the thickness of the yarn - based on the weight of 10000m in grams (a metric version of denier.
denier [den] - a measure of the thickness of the nylon (or silk) - based on the weight in grams of 9000m (may have originally been 10000 yards) of nylon yarn. Indicates the sheerness of the tights/stockings. Varies from 5 very sheer, 15-20 standard sheer tights, 30-40 semi-opaque, 50-70 opaque or occasionally up to 150 or 180 den.
"denier appearance" - when other yarns are used which weigh more than nylon this term is used to describe how sheer or opaque the tights are - as in "15 denier appearance".
Extra large - large sized tights tend to have an extra gusset section in the back of the body section.
Fashion Tights - tights which are not boring, everyday tights; includes coloured, patterned, textured, fishnets, etc.
Fence-net - net tights with a larger mesh than fishnets. They don't seem to have an standard name; sometimes they are called whale-net or stringers.
Fishnet - netlike tights or stockings, with more holes than yarn, either in a diamond or a hexagonal pattern.
Flat seams - seams sewn to be less conspicuous - not showing through outerwear so much and being more comfortable to wear.
footless - tights that start at the ankle. Also called leggings.
fully fashioned - hosiery made in the old way as flat sheet that is then sewn together - not knitted as a tube.
garter - band of cloth tied around thigh to hold up a stocking; now tend to be elasticated and fancy worn for ornament.
glossy - tights with a shiny appearance.
gusset - extra piece of material inserted in to the body section for added comfort. Either a oval or diamond shaped piece where the legs meet; or a large insert at the front or back of the body in extra-large or maternity tights. The oval/diamond gusset is often made of a different material such as cotton or silk.
Hold-ups - self supporting stockings with an integral silicone rubber garter.
hosiery - general term for tights and stockings; the section of a department store for tights lovers!
knee-high - hosiery that goes from toe to just below the knee only, designed to be worn under trousers or very long skirts [ thought by some to be the work of the devil ! ]. Originally known as "pop sox"
lace-tops - stockings with a lacy welt.
lacy - patterned fashion tightsthat look like lace.
leggings - footless tights. Also thick cotton leggings, or exercise tights worn with leotard.
leg-warmers - hosiery tube from ankle to knee or thigh, often made of thick wool but occasionally opaque nylon or marl; popular in early 1980's originally used by dancers.
"Lurex" - a plactic covered metal yarn.
"Lycra" - an elastic fibre (elastane) made by Du Pont.
marl - knitted from a mixture of yarns - e.g. nylon and cotton, giving a matt appearance.
maternity - tights for pregnant women, with an added gusset. These are similar to the gusset used 'extra large' tights, but it is more 'U' shaped and worn at the front.
Matt - a finish that does not reflect light.
microfibre - very thin nylon fibres (60 time thinner than a human hair) used to make very soft-feeling tights. But I find that these 'soft' tights are prone to bobbling when washed.
Nude - very pale tan colour.
One-size - designed to fit all; usually up to 42 inch hips and 5ft 8 ins tall.
opaque - thicker tights which are not sheer, over 50 den.
open-crotch - with a hole in the panty between the legs. Also called crotchless.
open-toe - tights (usually very sheer "natural" colours) not sewn up at the toes for wear with sandals in the summer; introduced in 2001.
pantyhose - American name for sheer and semi-opaque tights up to 50 den.
Panty ( or pantyline) - the reinforced body part of the tights made of more opaque/heavier yarn to prevent damage and laddering; sometimes patterned. The shape may be a square shape; long legged for "control top tights"; a shaped high-cut panty (sometimes called "French Cut"); "sheer to waist" with no re-inforced panty; just reinforced along the seam and waistband; or crotchless as in suspender tights.
patterned - more than one colour, perhaps by knitting together different coloured yarns, or by printing into or on to the tights. Or by knitting different textures or different thicknesses of yarn (mixing sheer and opaque).
pop-sox - original name for "knee-highs".
Queen-size - another term for 'extra large'.
reinforced - parts of the tights that have been knitted out of thicker yarn to make them stronger, usually the toes and body/panty section. These parts are more liable to rough treatment from fingernails when putting on and taking off the garment and wear from toenails.
Sandal Toe - the toe section has not been reinforced, it is as sheer as the rest of the leg.
seam-free - tights knitted as one tube so that there are no seams in the panty. A hole is cut in the centre of the tube and the waist-band inserted. Most fishnet tights are now seamfree.
semi-opaque - tights between opaque and sheer in appearance, about 30 to 50 den.
semi-sheer - a term sometimes used for 20 den tights.
sheer - translucent tight made from thin yarn 20 den or less.
sheer to waist - tights without a reinforced (thicker) body. Term is also sometimes applied to opaque tights withour a reinforced body which are not sheer at all!
Sizing - some tights come in various sizes. Tend to be small, medium and large, sometimes plus extra large and tall. Some specialist tights (for keep-fit for example) may be given in UK dress size. The actual sizes vary according to manufacturer - a medium size from one might be the same as a small from another.
Spandex - another name for Lycra.
stockings - the individual legs of a pair of tights or hosiery that goes from toe to thigh only.
stringers - fishnets with very large mesh; first became popular in 2001, sometimes called fence-net or whale-net.
stirrup tights - toeless tights with a hole cut out for the heel, used for keep-fit or dancing.
suspender belt (or garter belt) - garment worn around the waist with four or more straps hanging down (suspenders) that clip onto stockings to hold them up.
suspender tights - a one-piece garment with no crotch and reduced panty (like body-free tights) that resemble stockings and suspenders. Or stockings that attach onto matching panties (introduced in 2005 by Pretty Polly and BHS, but not a great success).
textured - with a pattern knitted into the fabric perhaps leaving holes or raised bits.
thigh-high - thick socks or opaque stockings that go from to just above the knees; or another name for hold-up stockings.
tights - term used in the UK for any hosiery consisting of two legs and a panty whatever the thickness of the material. In the USA sheer tights are called pantyhose and the term tights is used when they are made of opaque fabrics particularly cotton or wool.
toe-free - tights open at the toes, normally nude sheer tights leaving the toes uncovered to be worn with sandals in the summer.
velvet - matt opaque tights with a velvety feel.
welt - reinforced top of stockings that you attach the suspenders to.
Whale-net - net tights with a large mesh - see "stringers"
"Wonderbum" - control top tights designed to give uplift to the buttocks; introduced in 2001.
web page by Jacques Hughes
updated 2008.