Young Brunette Girl Wearing Black Stockings On The Antique Couch

Historically, even though the word sock is at least as ancient in origin, what men normally wore were often referred to as stockings, probably especially when referring to longer hose at times when they were the fashion for men.
History
Most stockings are made and worn as fashion garments. Sheer stockings have been popular since the 1920s. They were formerly made of woven cloth but now they are commonly made using knitted wool, silk, cotton or nylon. In the 1920s, the fashionable hemline for women rose enough to show the legs, and sheer hosiery that covered the legs was only available as stockings. They were first made of silk or rayon (then known as "artificial silk"), and after 1940 with nylon. In the 1940s and 1950s, film and theater productions were having stockings sewn to the briefs of actresses and dancers. This has been stated by actress-dancer Ann Miller and seen in popular films such as Daddy Long Legs.