This page deals with the more recent history of hosiery from the turn of the twentieth century. Although hosiery has been worn in one form or another since man step on the planet it was then worn for purely practical reasons , warmth and protection of the legs . Initial a woven garment like all clothing was for many centuries it was very thick in appearance , Hosiery followed the developments of the textile very closely and  and over time with new fibers and way of using them developed hosiery become slowly finer the biggest change was the invention of the knitting machine and with cotton  finer hosiery was now possible and for the very wealthy silk was imported from china was now used to produce the very  finest of hosiery.

Further reading .. Hosiery History

www.legsource.com/
www.mytights.stockingl

To be continued when I have time....