A modern manufacturing process used to make seamless hosiery, resulting in a tapered tube, which is sewn closed at the toe.

Control Top: 

Tights and Pantyhose made with a heavier Lycra content in the belly area to act as a light control garment.

Cuban Heel: 

Fully fashioned stockings typically have a reinforced foot and back seam that come together in a triangle pattern on the heel.

Denier: 

Deniers can range from a 5-200. Denier describes the range of sheerness to opaqueness of hosiery.

European Heel: 

Similar to the Cuban Heel but with a pointed design instead of a triangle like in the Cuban Heel.

Fashion Tights: 

Knitted in a trendy or fun pattern. They are typically more durable than plain tights.

Fishnet: 

A small net design reminiscent of a fisherman's net. These are usually made from a nylon-lycra brand material and can be found in tights, hold-ups, stockings and socks.

Footless Tights: 

Tights that do not have feet. These are typically more sheer than leggings and are not required to fully cover the rear.

Fully Fashioned Stockings: 

Once the only type of hosiery worn by women. Stockings are made on flat knit machines and sewn together in the back, which is originally why there was a back seam. Authentic fully-fashioned stockings always have a top welt, adding give to the thigh portion of the stocking.

Garter: 

The elastic strap and clips that attach to the top welt of the stockings. A garter can also be an elastic band that holds stocking up, used often as a decorative accessory for a wedding.

Garter Belt: 

A garment made for holding up stockings. They come in a wide variety of shapes and styles including Garter Panty and Girdlette.

Gusset: 

The crotch area of pantyhose and tights. The Gusset is often made from cotton, but on higher quality pantyhose and tights they can be made from silk.

Hold-Up:

Similar to stockings, but no garter belt is required. The thigh area has silicone bands to help grip to the leg. These are sometimes called Stay-Ups or Thigh Highs. They come in all the varieties and deniers that tights and pantyhose come in.

Hosiery: 

Tights, Hold-Ups, Socks, Stockings, Leggings and Footless Tights collectively

Jeggings: 

Or Jean-Leggings. The same definition of leggings but substitute Jean material or cotton in a denim jean look.

Legging:  

Similar to the footless tights, but in a much heavier denier allowing them to be worn for full coverage of the rear.

Lycra: 

Trademarked by the DuPont Company as a man-made fiber. The product can be fabricated into a range of deniers, it is typically combined with Nylon for patterned tights.

Nylon: 

A man made fiber developed during the second world war when there was a silk ration. It soon became the standard for hosiery.

Nylons: 

A nickname for ultra sheer tights, stockings or pantyhose.

Opaque: 

Tights, Hold-Ups or Stockings made out of heavier denier yarn, not transparent.

Pantyhose: 

Pantyhose are typically sheer, close-fitting garments made of knitted sheer yarn with a cotton gusset or faux panty on the top portion.

Sandal Foot: 

These pantyhose or tights can be worn with open toe shoes to give the appearance of a nude foot. They are always seamless and can be made of any denier yarn.

Seamed: 

This term can be applied to all hosiery that has a back seam.

Stocking: 

It is often a misconception that all legwear is called "stockings", stockings are meant to be worn with garters.

Tights: 

Close-fitting garment made of a knitted yarn covering the legs, hips, and bottom. Typical in the United States Tights are opaque or patterned.  In the UK, Tights and Pantyhose are the same. In French and Italian the word for Tights is Collants, in German - Strumpfhose, in Spanish - Medias, in Catalan- Mitjanes, In Icelandic - Sokkabuxur, In Turkish -Tayt and in Chinese - 緊身衣.