Back Seam: A seam that runs vertically down the center back of the hosiery leg.
Body-Hose: A hosiery garment that covers the entire body from torso to toes.
Body Stocking: A hosiery garment that covers the entire body from torso to toes.
Body-Suit: A tight fitting one-piece garment that covers a person’s torso, shoulders, and typically the arms, extends to the tops of the thighs attaching through the crotch.
Corset: An undergarment that is tight fitting and extends from just under the chest to the hips worn to shape and accentuate the figure.
Cosplay: Costume play usually denotes dressing up in costume of a fantasy figure.
Crotchless: A garment constructed with no gusset or with the central crotch construction opening enlarged.
Cuban Heel: A stocking with contrasting yarns at heal for reinforcement, usually has a seam running up the back of the leg and a reinforced toe as well.
Denier: A unit of weight used for determining the thickness of a knitted fabric in hosiery. The lower the denier value or number the more sheer and delicate the fabric.
Elastane: A polyurethane fiber that has stretch and recovery.
Elastic: Stretch springy usually woven fabric that resumes its shape after being stretched.
Fence Net: Very large fishnet with wider pattern resembling a chain link fence.
Fishnet: Diamond shaped pattern opening resembling a fisherman’s netting.
Garter: An elastic or stretchy band worn around the thigh to keep a stocking up.
Garter Belt: An item usually lace that sits at the waist and has straps that extend down to the tops of stockings. There are clips at the end of the garter straps that attach and hold the stockings in place.
Gusset: A piece of material sewn into the crotch of an undergarment for additional strength, fit, or change of fabric.
Intimates: Clothing worn next to the skin, under other garments, or worn close and personal on the body: Intimate apparel.
Keyhole: Shape at the back of the welt on vintage stockings where the back seam ends, located above the shadow welt.
Knee-Highs: Stockings that are more like socks and only go to just below the knee.
Knit: A fabric construction technique where a yarn crosses or connects to itself via interlocking links or loops resulting in a fabric.
Leggings: A tight fitting stretchy garment covering the body from the waist down to the ankles.
Leotard: A close fitting one-piece garment that covers a person’s torso, shoulders, and typically the arms to the tops of the thighs.
Lingerie: Visually stimulating, sexy and maybe even erotic clothing usually worn in an intimate setting or mood.
Linking: A term in knitting where two pieces are joined by connecting the loops together.
Lycra: An elastane polyurethane fiber that has stretch and recovery.
Nylon: Nylon is a thermoplastic silky material that is processed into fibers usually found in pantyhose.
Opaque: Not sheer. They are hard to see through but may still show some in areas where knit fabric is stretched. Typically over 40 denier.
Pantyhose: A one-piece garment that combines panties and stockings. Close fitting knitted undergarment called sheer tights in the U.K. May or may not have seams and or gusset at the crotch.
Polyester: Synthetic textile fiber
Stockings: A hosiery garment typically made of translucent nylon or silk, which fits over the foot, past the knee and typically held up by garters.
Yarn: Spun strands or extruded filament strands twisted together resulting in yarn.
Sandal Foot: Having no darker or reinforced areas at the toe or heel of a nylon stocking or pantyhose. That is that they can be worn with sandals.
Seamless: Smooth and without seams. *May still have linking lines.
Shadow welt: A light weight section of the welt on a stocking or vintage stocking located just below the welt.
Sheath: A close fitting fabric sleeve usually for the male anatomy.
Sheer: Not opaque. They are see-through.
Sheer toe: Same as sandal foot, toe is same tone as the leg with no darker or reinforced areas that change construction, color, or transparency.
Stay-Ups: Stockings with an elastic or lace band at the thigh that contains silicone to hold the stocking in place. These eliminate the need for garters.
Stirrups: Leggings that tapper at the ankle and have an extra band that extends over the heel and under the foot.
Thigh Highs: A hosiery garment typically made of translucent nylon that fits over the foot -past the knee and typically held up by an elasticized band at the upper thigh.
Vintage: Usually denoting an era before the industrial revolution, in hosiery it often denotes a pre-pantyhose and man-made fiber era such as the 1920’s.