No Nonsense Hosiery

"From that memorable bright orange plastic package of nylons first introduced in 1972 to its current status as the no 2 brand of legwear and a growing manufacturer of intimates in the U.S." is the lead line from a Friday, April 04, 2008 press release touting No Nonsense's focus on comfort as the brand grows beyond the hosiery market.

Kayser-Roth & the No Nonsense brand present "Our history of innovation:

* First control top hosiery
* First transparent control top hosiery
* First shaping hosiery in mass market
* First age-defying hosiery products with graduated compression technology
* First natural moisture management athletic sock incorporating earth-friendly bamboo
* First shoe solutions collection including: foot tube, gel insoles, and slingback liner
* First completely convertible line of bras"

History of No nonsense

1973 No nonsense is introduced by the Kayser-Roth Corporation.

1978 The Kayser-Roth Corporation introduces the first control top pantyhose, No nonsense Control Top. Instantly recognizable from its iconic green package, No nonsense quickly becomes one of the most popular brands of pantyhose in America.

1986 No nonsense products are made using a production process called 16-point graduation, a technical breakthrough in pantyhose knitting from Kayser-Roth that allows for improved fit and comfort.

1993 No nonsense introduces Great Shapes, the first 'shaping pantyhose" that combines traditional pantyhose with the figure-enhancing effects of body shapers.

1996 No nonsense introduces Sheer Endurance, a beautifully sheer, beautifully strong hosiery collection.

1997 No nonsense takes Control Top one step further by introducing Transparent Control. Kayser-Roth's Calvin Klein Hosiery introduces a similarly invisible control top pantyhose.

1998 Kayser-Roth introduces its first age-defying hosiery products for No nonsense and HUE legwear. Both brands begin utilizing technology that delivers therapeutic benefits to women's legs.

1999 No nonsense introduces Almost Bare, pantyhose so sexy, so comfortable and so sheer, it's like wearing no pantyhose at all.

2000 No nonsense is the first to introduce the smooth toe seam in the value-priced, multi-pack sock category.

2002 No nonsense introduces nonstop, a durable, comfortable line of hosiery that meets the challenges of women's busy lives.

2004 No nonsense offers its first line of women's panties. Also in 2004, No nonsense is listed as the 17th most recognizable apparel brand in America (between Ralph Lauren and Lee) by Women's Wear Daily magazine.

2005 The new No nonsense debuts, complete with new packaging, a new website, fun marketing programs and lots of new products, including sleepwear; super soft and stylish athletic socks; fun, seasonal and novelty socks; and shoe comfort products, as well as socks for men and children.

2007 No nonsense moves up to number eight in the wwd 100, an annual survey of consumer brand awareness. The brand expands its product offering to include a selection of licensed T-Shirt and Ultimate Sport Bra's. Ultimate Shapers are introduced to meet the growing demand for the fast growing Shaper category. Ultimate Shapers provide soft, smooth, comfortable fabric with no-roll waistbands in 3 product choices, Waist to Mid-Thigh Shaper, Waist to Mid-Thigh Butt Lifter Shaper and Pant Lining Shaper.
I added this link to the company history link list.

D&G history

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Bra Fun

Try out Olga, the Traveling Bra for amusement--be careful of the music playing & the extended load time.

Snopes.com busts the myth about Otto Titzling--inventor of the brassiere.

Update 14 June 2008:

Crazy Facts Corner

* The amount of material it took to fully clothe a woman dropped by 80% between 1911 and 1922
* A hoop skirt was believed to be "the *only* article of clothing which stands a chance of saving you from quicksand."
* In Iowa it used to be illegal for a woman not to wear a corset.

# Today the biggest selling colour is white, while ivory and cream come a close second. Tea rose was a hot favourite from the Twenties right through to the Fifties.
# In 1971 skin tones were bestsellers and were second favourites until about 5 years ago.
# About 20% of sales are on fashion colours

Lingerie Industry Groups

• The Underfashion Club is an industry trade group whose mission is

It is the intention of certain members of the Intimate Apparel Industry to raise funds and expend energy to safeguard the present and future health of said industry by:
* Primarily supporting education of new talent.
* Secondarily by attracting this talent to careers in Intimate Apparel.
* Thirdly to act as a good citizen in the local community within which the industry exists.
* To accomplish these goals these members have formed the Underfashion Club, Inc

The group presents the annual--2008 marks the 50th time--Femmy Awards:

The Femmy Gala, recognized as a premier event in the Intimate Apparel Industry, is the fundraising vehicle which enables the Underfashion Club to support its extensive Scholarship, Awards, Internship and Grants (SAIG) programs. These efforts bring to life the Underfashion Club’s credo of "Education today for a better industry tomorrow".

• The Intimate Apparel Council

The Intimate Apparel Council is a division of the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA). Established in the year 2000, AAFA is the result of the merger of three organizations: American Apparel Manufacturers Association, Footwear Industries of America, and the Fashion Association.

Headquartered in Arlington, VA, AAFA represents the membership on legislation, regulatory and administrative issues in Washington D.C. It also provides information and educational services for its members and the general public regarding industry issues.

Although AAFA has just started, it traces its roots back to 1960 when the apparel industry executives formed the American Apparel Manufacturers Association as a venue in working together to meet the needs of the industry. Forty years later, AAMA merged with other organizations and became AAFA.

• Network Dessous is a specialty publisher of journals documenting and presenting trends in lingerie, underwear and swimwear. They have several international magazines.

Shapewear

Shapewear is a lingerie category defined by body sculpting garments that incorporate the latest technology in fabrics to provide smoothing and shaping benefits comfortably. Throughout history, women have gone to extremes to make themselves look good in their clothes, and women only have one body, so they can’t conform to every different style naturally. Thanks to the miracle of Lycra--10% blended with nylon or cotton does the fashion trick while allowing the wearer to continue to breathe--a real problem with earlier garments. Instant shape without plastic surgery!

Corsets are the earliest examples of gadgets designed to manipulate the body into a more desirable silhouette. Farthingales, bumrolls and bustles were devices that shaped skirts, producing the illusion of an idela body style. Girdles bound and constricted the tummy most uncomfortably. But, modern shapewear (or compression garments) is constructed of fabrics that are attractive, sleek and even sexy; often the aim is to smooth “lumps & bumps” to make outerwear appear better.

Compression garments come in many forms, from the type that tame the tummy to the types that slim the thighs and rear end. Some compression garments target a specific area and others are made to give shape to the entire body. Since compression garments came into vogue recently, women everywhere are pledging their allegiance to shapewear. This is where compression garments come into play. With compression garments, a woman can look like she has that perfectly trim tummy she’s always wanted or that tight read end. Some women think compression garments are virtual miracles.

Visual Slimming Tricks: Red Carpet Secrets presents four styles of shapewear: The cami shaper, the body suit, the bottom shaper, and the dress shaper.

Some of the newest styles are introduced by Shiny Style for Spring 2008. Included are Bordeaux, Hanes and Spanx.

"Everyone interviewed for this piece universally attributed one factor as Trinny and Susannah [TV style gurus Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine] and their 2001 What Not to Wear television show, which transformed the nation's attitude to underwear. Their relentless assault on laughably awful underwear shamed many of us to take a long hard look at our boobs and realise we, too, needed to go shopping. Wearing the right bra size miraculously made us feel more confident - giving us a better posture and making us look slimmer. So why Trinny and Susannah haven't branched into bras is a mystery, particularly since their Magic Knickers range, despite resembling semi-surgical post-operative apparatus, has been a huge hit."

A blog entilted Fashion Figure posted an Instyle Magazine on shapewear that visually describes the uses and variety of the garments in "Help Enhanciong God-Given Assets". I'm glad to have found this posting because InStyle often presents articles like this one in print, but not online & then I can never fidn the magazien when I want to purchase a copy--just frustrating.