Hosiery Brands History

This is a list of hosiery manufactures and brands.

It is by no way a definitive list, where I can I have included a short history about the company or brand ,there so much information about some companies your could write a book about them, actually some people have.

Historical Foreword: The Great Hosiery Revolution

The history of every brand in this directory was fundamentally altered by two major events: the invention of Nylon and the Second World War.

Before 1940, hosiery was a fragile luxury. High-end stockings were made of Silk, which had no "memory"—meaning once it stretched at the knee, it stayed bagged. To fit the leg, silk was knitted flat and sewn together, creating the iconic "Fully Fashioned" seam. When DuPont released Nylon in 1940, it was marketed as "fine as a spider's web but strong as steel." It didn't sag, it dried instantly, and it resisted the dreaded "run."

However, just as factories like Berkshire and Aristoc began converting their machines to this new miracle fibre, WWII began. Nylon was diverted to make parachutes, and silk imports from Japan ceased. This created the "Black Market" era, where women used tea or "liquid stockings" (makeup) to paint seams on their legs. When production resumed in 1945, it triggered the "Nylon Riots," where thousands of women fought over limited stock. By the 1950s, the industry shifted again from seamed stockings to Circular Knitting (seamless) and the invention of Lycra, which finally allowed for the creation of the modern Pantyhose.

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Master A-Z Directory

A

• A. Peak / A Little Nonsense / Alberts / Allegri / Amar / Americal: Specialty and boutique labels from the mid-20th century.
• Active Support: Now part of the Hanesbrands Inc. (formerly Sara Lee) portfolio.
• Adams / Adolfo / Aire: Mid-century fashion-licensed or independent labels.
• Adrian (Poland): Established 1984. Famous for social-impact advertising featuring unconventional models to challenge beauty standards.
• Ann Taylor: Established 1954; hosiery evolved as part of its broader American womenswear retail identity.
• Anne Klein: American designer brand known for professional and luxury textured hosiery.
• Aristoc: Registered 1924 in Langley Mill, UK. Pioneers in Lycra (1960s). Ownership passed to Courtaulds in 1966.
• Atkins of Hinckley: Established 1722; one of the world's oldest hosiery firms. Sold to Coats in 1995.
• Atsugi (Japan): Founded 1947. Developed Japan’s first seamless stockings (1955) and pantyhose (1960).
• Attraction / Aurora / Avon / Azira: Mass-market and direct-sales hosiery lines.

B

• Bahner: Historic German manufacturer noted for technical and support knitting.
• Bare Leggs: Popular 20th-century brand later absorbed by the Sara Lee Corporation.
• Bear Brand: Established 1922 in Liverpool. Once one of the UK’s largest factories in Woolton. Famous for the "dancing bear" logo.
• Bellinda: Founded 1882 in the Czech Republic. A dominant force in Eastern Europe, surviving the transition to private enterprise.
• Berkshire Hosiery: Founded 1906 in Reading, PA. Operated the world's largest full-fashioned mill. Sold to Vanity Fair in 1968.
• Bonds (Australia): Founded 1915 in Sydney. An Australian household name famous for the "Chesty Bond" character.
• Brettles: Founded 1801 in Derbyshire; by 1830, it was the largest hosiery company in the UK.

C

• Calzedonia (Oniverse): Founded 1986 in Verona, Italy. Manufacturing: Italy, Croatia, Serbia, and Sri Lanka.
• Cervin: Founded 1920s in France. One of the last to use original 1950s machines for authentic fully-fashioned stockings.
• Charnos: Founded 1936 in Ilkeston, UK. First UK brand to use high-gauge US machinery post-war.
• Christian Dior: First couture house to license hosiery (1949), revolutionising luxury marketing.
• Corah (N. Corah & Sons): Leicester giant (est. 1815); primary manufacturer for Marks & Spencer’s "St Michael" for 70 years.
• CSP International: Italian group based in Castel Goffredo. Owns Oroblù and Sanpellegrino.

D – G

• Dim: Founded 1953 in Troyes, France. Famous for the 1960s "Dim Dim Dim" TV ads.
• Doré Doré (DD): Founded 1819 in France; gold standard for high-end hosiery. Invented the "Hand-Linked Toe."
• Elbeo: World’s oldest hosiery brand (est. 1741, Germany). Established a major UK hub in Cumbria in the 1930s.
• Falke: German family firm (est. 1895). Global leader in ergonomic, luxury legwear.
• Fiore (Poland): Founded 1998 in Łódź. Known for intricate fashion-forward patterns and Italian-machined lace.
• Gatta (Poland): Founded 1993. The largest hosiery brand in Poland, famous for celebrity collaborations.
• Golden Lady Group: Founded 1966 in Italy. Europe’s largest manufacturer, producing 200 million pairs annually.

H – M

• Hanes / L’eggs: Founded 1901. Created the "Egg" Campaign (1970), selling tights in plastic eggs in grocery stores.
• Holeproof (Australia): Founded 1921 in Melbourne. Famous for the "Computer Socks" campaigns.
• Kayser: Premier American brand (est. 1880) noted for luxury silk stockings.
• Le Bourget: French brand (est. 1924);  Le Bourget is the oldest French brand of stockings and tights. The company's name was adopted in 1927 to commemorate Charles Lindbergh's historic transatlantic flight, which landed at Le Bourget Airport. Originally starting with 12 workers in Fresnoy-le-Grand to leverage regional knitting expertise, Le Bourget has grown into one of the world's most recognised hosiery designers. 1949: Introduced their first nylon stockings.1961–1962: Developed their first seamless stockings. Late 1960s: Following the invention of "Têtu," a special run-resistant knit, they adapted to the rising miniskirt trend.1977: Launched collections of coloured "pantyhose-briefs" to match evolving fashion trends. Ownership Changes: In 1995, the family-owned company was purchased by the Edi group. In 1999, the Italian group CSP International (the world's third-largest hosiery producer) took control. In 2011, Le Bourget further expanded by acquiring the brand Well.
• Lupo (Brazil): Founded 1921 in São Paulo. The largest manufacturer in South America.
• Lurex: Trademarked metallic yarn (est. 1946) that defined the "glitter" hosiery era.
• Manzi (China): Founded 1997 in Yiwu. One of the largest hosiery manufacturers in the world by volume.

N

• Naigai (Japan): Founded 1920. Pioneer in ergonomic hosiery and compression tights based on leg health science.
• Nylon (The Fibre): Invented by DuPont in 1935. It replaced silk as the primary material for hosiery, leading to the "Nylon Riots" of 1945.

P – S

• Pierre Mantoux: Milanese couture house (est. 1932); famously worn by Diana, Princess of Wales.
• Pretty Polly: Established 1919. First hosiery brand to advertise on TV (1980). Used supermodel Eva Herzigová.
• Scholl: Footcare giant (est. 1904) that dominated the compression and support hosiery market.
• Selene (Argentina): A heritage brand in the Southern Cone, providing European-style hosiery for Latin America.
• Sigvaris: Founded 1864 in Switzerland. Global leader in medical compression with a major hub in Brazil.
• Today
  history of snag tights
  Snag Tights: Is a UK direct‑to‑consumer hosiery brand founded by Brie Read in 2018 to solve fit and inclusivity problems in tights; it grew rapidly by selling size‑inclusive, DTC hosiery and campaigning on size acceptance

• Spanx: Founded 2000; merged hosiery with modern shapewear.
• Swedish Stockings (Sweden): Founded 2013. World’s first brand producing hosiery from 100% recycled nylon.

T – Z

• Trasparenze: Italian artisan brand (est. 1985) known for avant-garde fashion collections.
• Voodoo (Australia): High-fashion brand launched in the late 20th century; part of Hanes Australasia.
• Wolford: Austrian luxury leader (est. 1949). Manufacturing: Bregenz, Austria.
• Wolsey: Founded 1755 in Leicester; holds a Royal Warrant and famously supplied Antarctic expeditions.
• Zhejiang Fenli (China): Established 1993. A key player in the "Yiwu Cluster" producing mass-market hosiery globally.