Better To Buy Cheap Stockings, Tests Reveal

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31080, 8 June 1966, Page 2

Better To Buy Cheap Stockings, Tests Reveal

It is probably better to buy two pairs of cheap stockings than one expensive pair. This is the main conclusion of the Consumer Council after a series of tests on seven brands of New Zealand-made nylons.

Brand for brand, it was found that there was no significant difference in the durability of stockings, the “Consumer” reports. If one type of stocking lasted longer than another, the controlling factor was its type rather than its brand name.

Fifteen-denier run-resist stockings lasted longer than plain knit The 15-denier micromesh had the shortest

life. The 30-denier stockings gave up to twice as much wear, type for type, on the average, as 15-denier. The hardest-wearing stockings of all were the heavy denier stretch ones.

“So if durability is the main attribute you look for we suggest you buy these,” the journal says. “However, as appearance rather than serviceability is often the dominant factor when women buy stockings, no doubt they will continue to wear the finer, but less serviceable 15denier stocking—and no doubt continue to complain.” New Zealand women, if not dissatisfied, were at least confused about the quality of nylons, the journal found, so it set out to find out why. Wrong Opinions

All the New Zealand manufacturers welcomed the tests on their stockings; but they did ask that one or two erroneous opinions should be corrected. For instance, many women believe that nylons are intentionally made weak so that they will not last very long. The manufacturers say, and they have “Which,” the British Consumer Association’s journal, to back them, that it is no trouble to make longer-lasting stockings. They would have to be of a much heavier denier, perhaps 40 or 60, and women would not like the heavier, thicker stocking. Denier is the measure of the fineness of a nylon yarn, the journal explains. The lower the denier the thinner the yam and the sheerer the stocking. Fifteen-denier is nearly the finest currently being used in stocking manufacture.

Admitting what every woman knows, that nylons are extremely delicate items, the journal adds that the life of a pair of stockings depends to a large extent on the wearer—where she goes, what she does and how she treats them. No laboratory test could hope to simulate the conditions, so a carefullycontrolled “wearer” test was made.

A panel of 220 volunteers was formed and covered as wide a variety of occupations as possible. Then, from each of six New Zealand mills one type each of 15-denier seam-

less and 30-denier seamless, a 15-denier micromesh, a 15denier run-resist and one type of stretch stocking were tested. Also in the test were 15denier and 30-denier fullfashioned stockings where they were available and some “special” lines.

Two experienced hosiery examiners looked at the stockings before they went out to the wearers. They measured them all to see if there were cases where two stockings of different lengths had been sold as a pair, as had been alleged, but found none. They did find too many flaws which suggested that quality control could be improved.

Then the wearers took over, being urged to treat the stockings in the same way as they would normally—not to expose them to too many hazards and to wash them after every wearing. Being particularly interested to know whether poor handling might be the main cause of premature failure of nylons, “Consumer” had a test within a test with two users as “special-care guinea Pigs.”

Special Precautions

Two out of the 12 pairs of each brand being tested were given to women who undertook to take special precautions to look after the stockings. Before they put them on or off or before the washed them, they removed any rings and put on gloves. They took care not to rub vigorously when washing, rinsed away any trace of soap and squeezed out excess moisture in a towel before hanging the stockings in a dry place. They took special care to prevent snagging and laddering, made sure that the heels fitted properly before they put on their shoes and they put on the stockings in the recommended way by fastening the back suspender first, bending the knee and then fastening the front suspender so that the stockings did not fit too tightlyFrom the tests it was shown that stockings given the special handling care did not show very markedly longer wear in every case, although some had a decidedly longer life. If anything did emerge It was that careful wear is as important as careful handling.