My Pantyhose Problems
A defect in stripes – uneven knitting?
Pantyhose is knitted by special machines, but of course every machine has its bad days. I suppose that sometimes
I get those “lucky” pairs too that have some loops are off in the weave like what’s shown in the images featured here. Also, sometimes I am lucky to see these defects in hosiery worn on other people, like on the image to the left.
I would like some day to come up with a defect catalog for what can go wrong during manufacturing. This is what I know so far already:
My List of Manufacturing Defects
Skipped Row
1) Inconsistent spacing in knitting, thus looking like vertical lines on hosiery
2) Partially skipped horizontal rows with threads appearing
3) Weak spots in the yarn that cause immediate runs, without even a snag present
inconsistent weave, rows of loops that look like verical lines
4) Different leg length such as one sewn as Medium and another one as Large (never encountered, only heard of it)
5) Legs and feet are sideways
6) Cuts, runs, wholes that occur during manufacturing
7) Poorly joined seams resulting in holes along the seams, ex. from the gusset
8) Pattern printed on the wrong spot (only heard of it)
Discoloration – uneven dyeing.
9) Wrong size labeling, for example a Medium pair gets accidentally packaged into a box for size Large
10) Inconsistent colouration of the fabric with visible lines or patches
11) Stitching mistakes, like fabric from the leg is tangled up in the seam of the control top
defect in semi-boarded pantyhose – seam is not aligned at the tip of the toe, but rather over or under the toe
Also, are some colours more durable than others? Someone told me that black yarn is the least durable. It could be because of the chemical dyes that are used to give it that colour.
The owner of Nika factory in Ukraine said that when he was just starting with this sensitive process, whatever small mistakes in the production factors would result in loads of discarded pantyhose.
I also notice form the factory videos that the seamstresses don’t wear any gloves. They handle the product with bare hands. So could that result in snags before the item even gets to you?
Anything else? Please let me know!
May you have a defect-free pantyhose day!
These 8 den pantyhose ripped as I was putting them on in multiple places without me even touching those spots. As you see, it’s due to some weak spots in the yarn that snapped immediately, causing runs.
I’ve enjoyed trying most all US pantyhose brands, just not the pricey $50 European ones. IMO, the highest quality nylons are Nordstroms house brand and Dillards Preston & York, both a flat weave that comes in identical packaging labeled “Made in Canada”. They appear to be the same manufacturer and I have never had a defect with either. Im curious of the Canadian hoisery mill’s name and if these nylons are available under another name, maybe even on this site. Thanks
Mike, thanks for saying that, it’s true, some USA brands are good too.
I know that Victoria Secret started using a Canadian manufacturer, but they had a lawsuit because they didn’t change the packaging from the previous manufacturer, etc.
Mondor is a Canadian brand, for example. It’s made in Canada. That’s the only prominent Canadian brand here, I’d say. So could it be that their factory does re-branding for other brands?
Usually this info is confidential, but sometimes they blab about it anyway or their competitor will talk about it.
Thanks, I found Mondor.com, they have an extensive line of opaque tights for skaters, dancers, gymnastics, etc and just a few sheer pantyhose. Can’t really say they manufacture for Nordstroms and Dillards since they don’t have a corresponding variety of hosiery and they don’t sell direct. Using their “find a retailer” doesn’t bring them up which is not too surprising. I love wearing a darker tan or brown like Mocha Beige, Coffee, Chocolate, etc that both Dillards and Nordstrom have dropped when they down sized their offerings and was hoping I could buy direct from the manufacturer. The search goes on!