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Show Henry II of France. Queen Elizabeth, who knew a good thing when she saw it, took up the idea, and two years later showed off her new silk hose. But it wasn't until 1589, when the mechanical knitting machine was invented, that more people could afford to follow fol-low the royal style. Once started, the fashion for silk stockings continued for close to 400 years. . In 1938, nylon hose were introduced, in-troduced, and brought about a whole new concept of leg covering within the next 30 years. Cotton and silk have very little elasticity, but nylon has thermoelastic qualities that can be heat-set to hold a shape. Consequently, it is possible to use circular knitting machines to turn out seamless hose that fit well. Pantyhose also are "knit on circular machines with the panty portion knit separately and then seamed together around a panel. ''s 0 woman's by MARY LEE What industry is more en7 thusiastic about miniskirts than the most avid girl-watchers? girl-watchers? Hosiery manufacturers, manufac-turers, of course particularly the makers of pantyhose. Mini-fashions Mini-fashions mean maxibusiness to them. In fact, hosiery manufacturers manufac-turers may even get the blame (or credit) for the shortest skirts in history. After all, if they hadn't developed pantyhose panty-hose that made the most of long-stemmed American limbs, skirts simply couldn't have shrunk to such slight proportions. propor-tions. But it's interesting to note that it was men who first wore hose. Back about 50 B.C. when the Romans went to Gaul, they found what they called "trousered "trou-sered barbarians." It seem that the tribes of Gaul strapped their trousers tightly at the ankles and knees with leather thongs for better protection. The forerunner of pantyhose, no doubt. However, it took 1000 years before stockings as we know them came into being. When the royal courts of Europe began to replace trousers with knee breeches, it necessitated a leg covering. The resulting hose, as they were dubbed by the Saxons, were handknit and badly shaped of various yarns. Finally in 1559 silk hose appeared, ap-peared, first worn by King |