NEW YORK — With the faltering sheer hosiery market a major headache, industry executives are hoping to find some relief by pushing a fashion message.
“Hosiery is not a replacement commodity anymore,” said Frank Oswald, marketing consultant for DuPont Fibers.
“Manufacturers and buyers need to look to ready-to-wear fashions and exploit those trends in the legwear department.”
With all the short skirts and suits that were shown for fall, said Oswald, “there is more room for sheer business than there has been for a long while.”
Casual legwear, he added, “is very much with us. I don’t see that going away.” Overall, Oswald is cautious about the upcoming months: “I don’t see a downtrend for fall, but I don’t see increases to get high over, either.”
Several legwear manufacturers have focused their attentions on the casual trend as a new way of life. Hanes Hosiery — a subsidiary of Sara Lee Corp., where sheer hosiery production is to be cut back 5 to 10 percent in a massive corporate restructuring announced this month — has joined forces with designer E.G. Smith and his line of casual, colorful legwear for fall. “The casual trend is not going away and Hanes wants to be part of it,” said Debbie Hobbs, vice president of Hanes. Hanes is also launching a Silk Reflections line of casual legwear in August to accommodate customers who want more tailored, classic legwear.
Hot Sox, a company whose trademark has always been casual socks and tights, is optimistic about the next six months. Co-president Mark Gordon anticipates 15 to 17 percent increases in its Hot Sox and licensed Ralph Lauren women’s lines. “We’ve analyzed our business, and looks such as thigh-highs, over-the-knee socks and trouser socks have provided a big boost for us,” he said.