Tights and hosiery
Fine denier legwear knitted on the same certified yarn base.
One garment from waist to toe.
Tights are legwear knitted as a single piece: two legs joined at a gusset, with a waistband above. Nothing about the fit can be solved at the ankle, because the garment is held up at the waist and stretched over the whole leg.
They are described by denier, the weight of the yarn. Denier sets opacity, warmth and durability all at once, which is why it is the first number on every hosiery specification and the first thing a customer looks for on the pack.
Who orders tights and hosiery.
Buyers who plan by season and size on height and weight rather than shoe size.
Multi-denier ranges carried year round, where the same shade has to match across every weight in the range.
Opaque tights in fixed colours, bought in volume before each school year and judged on how many terms they survive.
Patterned and coloured drops with short lead times and small runs per colourway.
What to settle before we quote tights.
The waistband and the gusset decide the wearer's experience more than the leg does.
Denier. Sheer, semi-opaque or opaque. Every other decision, including which shades are even achievable, follows from this one. Setting it late means resampling.
Size grading. Tights are graded on height and weight together, not on shoe size. A grading table that ignores height produces tights that fit the leg and not the body.
Waistband construction. A wide flat band is comfortable and invisible under clothing. A narrow elastic band is cheaper and rolls down on some body shapes. This is the single most common complaint in hosiery reviews.
Gusset and toe. A cotton gusset is standard in everyday hosiery. A reinforced toe extends the life considerably but is visible through an open shoe, so it depends on how the tights are worn.
Specification.
What applies to every order of this construction. Anything not listed here is set by your tech pack.
| Minimum order | 200 pairs per colour and size range. From 120 pairs on request, at a higher price per pair. |
| Size range | Women 35–40 and men 40–45 as standard, split into more sizes on request. Children’s sizes to your size chart. |
| Sampling | 10 to 20 days. USD 100 per design on a first order, credited against the order if it goes ahead. |
| Production | Delivered within 60 days of sample approval. Urgent small runs in 20 to 40 days. |
| Knitting machines | Our workshop runs 60 knitting machines, from 120 to 200 needles. |
| Yarns available | Cotton, wool, cashmere, silk, bamboo, mercerised cotton, modal, viscose, lyocell, Tencel, polyamide, polyester, acrylic, elastane, copper, silver |
| Branding | Knitted-in logo in up to seven colours a row, silicone print, under-sole transfer print, embroidery, header cards and packaging to your artwork |
| Certification | Facility certified to ISO 9001, 10002, 14001 and 45001. Yarn from Oeko-Tex, GOTS and GRS certified spinning mills. |
Related constructions.
Buyers who brief us on tights and hosiery usually weigh these against it.
Over-the-knee socks
Above the knee, knitted with graduated elastane so they stay up.
Dress socks
Fine gauge, flat knit, mercerised cotton or wool for a smooth close finish.
Baby and kids socks
Small diameters with soft non-binding cuffs, from newborn upward.