Knee highs are

hosiery Hosiery, also referred to as legwear, describes garments worn directly on the feet and legs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed a hosier; and those products are also known generically as h ...

that cover the feet and legs up to the

knee In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...

. A fashion accessory for casual and classic cool or warm weather apparel. Typically worn by women in many societies, they are sometimes worn with modern

semi-formal Semi-formal wear or half dress is a grouping of dress codes indicating the sort of clothes worn to events with a level of formality between informal wear and formal wear. In the modern era, the typical interpretation for men is black tie for e ...

attire. Unlike ordinary

socks A sock is a piece of clothing worn on the feet and often covering the ankle or some part of the calf. Some types of shoes or boots are typically worn over socks. In ancient times, socks were made from leather or matted animal hair. In the late ...

, they are generally made of

nylon Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic. Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from petro ...

or other

stocking Stockings (also known as hose, especially in a historical context) are close-fitting, variously elastic garments covering the leg from the foot up to the knee or possibly part or all of the thigh. Stockings vary in color, design, and transparen ...

materials. There were also different types and uses of knee highs for women. Knee highs became popular during the 1960s and 1970s, worn in regular knee high length or top of the knee length so they could be folded over at the top, with the increase in popularity of the mini dress and

miniskirt A miniskirt (sometimes hyphenated as mini-skirt, separated as mini skirt, or sometimes shortened to simply mini) is a skirt with its hemline well above the knees, generally at mid-thigh level, normally no longer than below the buttocks; and a ...

. This style continued throughout the 1980s with above the knee and at the knee length dresses. And in the '80s they were worn not only with boat shoes and flats but also with sneakers that could be worn both dressy or casual. They come in many colors and patterns and transparency levels. They are more popular in cold weather, because they keep the feet and lower legs warm. They are sometimes worn with dresses or skirts whose

hemline The hemline is the line formed by the lower Hem, edge of a clothing, garment, such as a skirt, dress or Coat (clothing), coat, measured from the floor. The hemline is perhaps the most variable style line in fashion, changing shape and ranging in ...

is below the knee, and with trousers and

leggings Leggings are several types of leg attire that have varied through the years. Modern usage from the 1960s onwards has come to refer to elastic close-fitting high-rise garments worn over the legs typically by women, such as leg warmers or tights ...

to keep the feet warm, and with boots to catch perspiration; and sometimes form part of girls' school uniforms.

History

The Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, and Europeans wore articles of clothing similar to knee highs. It was during the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...

that the first type of knee highs was introduced. At the time women wrapped their feet with cloth and bind leather straps around their feet up to the calves. It was done in order for warmth and protection. Later on, knee highs were bought and sold and became a fashion accessory. During the 1920s knee highs become popular in America. In the 1960s they became a fashionable accessory which lasted through the 1970s and 1980s and made a comeback in the mid to late 90s thanks to the movie

Clueless ''Clueless'' is a 1995 American coming-of-age teen comedy film written and directed by Amy Heckerling. It stars Alicia Silverstone with supporting roles by Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy and Paul Rudd. It was produced by Scott Rudin and Robert La ...

They are still seen as part of many school uniform requirements. They have also been used in advertising for

Nehi Nehi (pronounced "knee high") is a flavored soft drink that originated in the United States. It was introduced in 1924 by Chero-Cola/Union Bottle Works and founded by Claud A. Hatcher, a Columbus, Georgia grocer who began bottling ginger ale a ...

, a brand of soda that is pronounced the same way.

Military

The

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

and the

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

required men to wear long woolen knee highs. They were to be worn for protection in the trenches, preventing foot rot. Many women sent long knitted socks to the troops during both

World Wars A world war is an international conflict which involves all or most of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World WarI (1914 ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Knee Highs Socks Hosiery Lingerie 21st-century fashion 20th-century fashion Knee clothing

History

Military

See also

References