Pantyhose Label Would Help Buyer Remember The Brand

You may be surprised to learn that hosiery, including pantyhose, is one of a very few garments that the federal government doesn't require to have labels inside.

Sometimes all you'll see inside a pair of pantyhose is a slender piece of colored thread, keyed to that manufacturer's sizing system. And sizes vary from one maker to the next, just as they do in other apparel.

In the mid 1980s, a U.S. Senate committee recommended that hosiery be exempted from labeling laws as long as its packaging contained the name of a "responsible" party - manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer - and an address.

Reversible garments and scarves are the only similarly exempted apparel.

Time to ask women senators

It's not clear why the Senate committee recommended the exemption for hosiery such as pantyhose. That detail would be buried somewhere in a report. In 1984-85 the Senate had one female member, Sen. Nancy Landon Kassebaum, R-Kansas.

Now that Kassebaum has company, perhaps it's time to ask her and the other women of the Senate - Patty Murray, D-Washington; Barbara Boxer, D-California, and Diane Feinstein, D-California; Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas; Barbara Mikulski, D-Maryland; Carol Moseley-Braun, D-Illinois - to take a closer look at pantyhose.

Think about it: When women's underwear, including bikinis, is required to have labels, it's hard to understand why manufacturers of pantyhose don't have to sew in a label.

Lack of labels with name of manufacturer and size is but one frustration women have with pantyhose.

Lydia Justice Edwards, Idaho's state treasurer who started the pantyhose "wars," thinks it would be a good idea if manufacturers had to put an 800 number in pantyhose labels so consumer would know where to complain about defective merchandise.

Unless you save pantyhose packaging, it's hard to know which styles and sizes wear best for you after you've got a stack of laundry.

Some makers have begun putting labels into pantyhose because women are demanding it.

But one executive in the industry says sewing labels in adds from 25 to 50 cents to the cost per pair.

Durability is the real issue

An even bigger beef is durability. Women who stuffed our mailbox, fax and phone lines with complaints and comments about pantyhose feel the industry operates on the planned obsolescence theory.

The hosiery industry says that's not true, and that if women want "sheer and lovely" they'll have to accept stockings that snag and run more readily.

Last year pantyhose sales reportedly dropped 7.5 percent. However, there also were reports that pant socks and opaque tights were making a stronger statement in the fashion world and at the sales counter.

In the past two years the hosiery industry has tried to create new products and use new processes to please customers, said Paula Killough, hosiery buyer for 35 Bon Marche stores.

New yarns are more durable and softer, and more flexible to fit the smallest and largest bodies. And the pressing process for pantyhose is being changed. While pressing makes the hose look neat, not wrinkled in the package, some heating processes damage the yarns and shorten the product's life.

Most hosiery makers don't list the denier, or fabric weight. But look for 20 denier and up to be in greater usage, Killough says. Sheer hosiery usually is 10 denier; opaque is about 70 denier. The heavier the denier the more durable the stockings will be.

But wait 'til you read Killough's estimate for your annual hosiery budget, it may blow you away. Counting all lengths and styles - knee highs, pant socks, tights, fancy pantyhose sheers and athletic socks - Killough estimates the average consumer will spend $360 a year.

The Federal Trade Commission is reviewing its hosiery guidelines that relate to deceptive marketing and advertising claims on factors such as the twist of yarn to a fabric's resistance to snagging.

To comment, write before June 14 to the Secretary, Federal Trade Commission, Room H-159, Sixth Street and Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20580, and refer to 16 CFR Part 22, Hosiery.

If you'd like a free copy of "The Sheer Facts About Hosiery" call (800) 346-7379, or write the National Association of Hosiery Manufacturers, 200 North Sharon Amity Rd., Charlotte, NC 28211.

Shelby Gilje's Troubleshooter column appears Wednesday and Sunday in the Scene section of The Times. Do you have a consumer problem? Write to Times Troubleshooter, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111. Include copies, not originals, of appropriate documents. Phone, 464-2262, FAX 382-8873.

------------ CASES CLOSED ------------

N.B., Renton: Congratulations! The Wall Street Journal has found you. Your subscription has been extended to May 1995 in consideration for the delay in delivery.

A.B.T., Bellevue: Artistic Greetings of Elmira, N.Y., says a refund is en route for the address labels you never received.

L.G., Denny Regrade: Nature's Jewelry of Chelmsford, Mass., has sent the earrings and pins ordered before Christmas.

A.P., Rainier Valley: Your $40.99 worth of diet pills (or refund) from Sterling Labs of Rahway, N.J., probably is being held up because the U.S. Attorney's office in Newark filed a mail fraud action against the company last August. Your order and payment probably are being held by the U.S. Postal Service while the case is resolved.

A.P., Wallingford: Glad that the Weekly Reader Corp. sent the posters to your day-care center and refunded $19.20 for missed issues.

L.S., Seattle: The Renovator's Supply of Conway, N.H., has credited you for $153.44, including $16.44 in shipping charges. You say you didn't order the part because you were told the item was out of stock and wouldn't be available for at least six weeks on back order, but you had already given your credit card number.