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Pantyhose and Nylons - Background History - Who was the Inventor of Pantyhose ? click here
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1920 History of Hosiery
Fascinating Tale of People, Fashion and Knits. Fogal Presents: Hot Legs in Zurich
Jazz, Charleston, Coco Chanel. New fashion, new material: Knits, Jersey, simple fabrics. Underskirts are out, garter belts are "hot" again. Léon Fogal opens his first store in 1923 at the Zurich Limmatquai, selling and mending stockings. By 1930 three more boutiques open in Zurich, Basel and Bern. |
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| One of Fogal's first boutiques Freie Strasse 44, Basel, Switzerland |
Businesscard of Léon Fogal |
Betty Grable, U.S. movie star, auctions off her nylons for $40,000 in 1944 |
"Modern" factory with Cotton's patent flat knitting machines |
Vendingmachine for pantyhoses in 1950 |
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1930 Stockings, Garters and Panties
This decade brings us Marlene Dietrich, "The Blue Angel" dressed to kill in corset, black stockings and garter belt. Censoring in Hollywood: "We prohibit the showing of women taking off their stockings". Nylon is invented in 1938. The popularity of panties grows. Garments, including stockings are rationed because of the war. The much loved Fogals are mended again and again. |
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1950 M M Shows Off Her Legs Fogal: Seamless Stockings.
Marilyn Monroe reveals her legs in the Billy Wilder movie "Seven Year Itch". Around 1958 petticoats are worn under Vichy skirts and blue jeans enter the fashion scene. The year 1959 marks the invention of Lycra. In addition to stockings with seams, seamless stockings are now available. Fogal adds this novelty to its product line. |
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Love & Peace & Mini Skirts
Beatles, Rolling Stones, Woodstock: 3 days of peace, music and love. Mini skirts arrive on the fashion scene. Paco Rabanne creates metallic dresses. Opaque tights, in vibrant colors, replace the classic skin tone hues. |
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1969 A "Temp Job" Turns Into A Life Long Mission.
Walter Meier hands the management of the newly acquired Fogal boutiques over to his son Balthasar, who has just turned 21. "This happened from one day to the next. Originally I was supposed to handle this job for only three months. Well, the three months have turned into more than 30 years so far." |
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1970 Brand New: Pantyhose with Built-In Panty
Saturday Night Fever, the height of the disco craze. Pants are now well-established fashion items and T-Shirts are more popular than ever -and not just as an undergarment anymore. In fact, underwear is reduced to a minimum. Fogal invents the hose with built-in cotton gusset, which remains one of the most popular features of panty-hoses by Fogal. |
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Night clubbing - Fogal shopping
The nightspots of the decade: The Palace in Paris and Studio 54 in New York. Physical fitness and bodybuilding are hip. Super women wear shoulder pads. The bra is 100 years old. Lingerie is sexier and more seductive than ever.
Lycra is the favorite material of lingerie designers. Fishnet and lace hose are fashion highlights. On July 1982 Fogal opens its first international boutique, on Madison Avenue in New York. Later Fogal Shops are opened in Milan, Munich, Paris, London etc.
Haute Couture, Voluptuous Bosoms, New Lines
Lacroix, Gaultier, Mugler, Karan, Armani - breathing new life into Haute Couture. In 1994 the Wonderbra celebrates its worldwide triumph, so do hose with lifting features, making legs more slender and sexy. Fogal is the first hose manufacturer to launch a line of lingerie, which matches their hose in color and style. This new product line is called "In Addition".
Pastel colors are in Style
Sheer garments, body piercing, tattoos. Layered styles are hip. Anything goes in shoes -Gucci's Styletto holds the record in high heels. The latest trends: Invisible, soft lingerie, sports- and active wear, micro fibers that feel like skin. In 2003 pastel colors are trendily. And Fogal once again proves to be the trendsetter with innovative and creative designs in 87 colors. |
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High Tech for High Touch
Today's quality demands continue to be high when it comes to design, workmanship, comfort and materials used.
High-tech microfibers with LYCRA, fine elastic cotton material, silk and luxurious cashmere are the primary materials used in Fogal stockings and hose.
Fogal's products are certified "OEKO TEX" – i.e., all materials comply with the European Standards for Human Ecology.Lycra® |
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The Miracle Fiber for Beautiful Legs
Invented in 1959 by Dupont de Nemours, this elastic fiber revamped the entire hosiery business in the 80's. Lycra creates hose that fit perfectly, with a smooth look that's totally wrinkle and stretch mark free. Its elasticity not only makes them comfortable, but also allows total freedom of movement.
Hose containing Lycra, also last longer and are less likely to be damaged by snags and runs. The new LYCRA 3D fiber has additional technological benefits and allows the perfect combination of fashion, elegance, comfort and longevity... |
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