Introduction to Hosiery

An ad for Holeproof Hosiery that was published in 1922 and was created by artist Coles Phillips. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. "Holeproof hosiery" New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed August 8, 2022. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e1-263d-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

By the middle of the twentieth century, London was an undisputed center of industry in South-Western Ontario. These companies, that spanned beer and cigars to banking and insurance, promoted jobs within the London community and supported residents. While this industrial history is generally well known by Londoners, one important aspect has been largely forgotten.

London was once home to six hosiery factories and, in turn, a booming hosiery industry.

By the 1920s, society had shifted in such a way that saw the future of socks forever changed. Standards of living were improving and so socks no longer needed to be warm and durable. Further, women’s fashion had transitioned from floor length gowns to dresses that were now short enough to show one’s legs and ankles. Stockings were no longer an item of necessity but an item of frivolity.