A stocking is a close-fitting covering for the foot and leg, usually made of nylon, wool, or cotton. Stockings can stretch from the toes all the way up to the thigh, though some only reach the knee. Before elastic waistbands were invented, people wore stockings held up by clips attached to a belt called a garter.

Today, when people say “stockings,” they often mean the thin, sheer kind that some people wear for formal occasions. But the word also appears in familiar phrases: a Christmas stocking is the large sock hung by the fireplace for Santa to fill with small gifts. The phrase in your stocking feet means wearing only socks, without shoes.

Stockings were once essential clothing for everyone, men and women alike. In the 1700s, wealthy people showed off fancy silk stockings beneath their knee-length pants and dresses. During World War II, when materials were scarce, some women drew lines up the backs of their bare legs with eyebrow pencils to create the illusion of wearing stockings.

Today, most people wear socks or tights instead, but stockings remain part of certain uniforms, formal wear, and holiday traditions.