Kayser-Roth Corporation (a subsidiary of ) is an

underwear Underwear, underclothing, or undergarments are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer. They serve to keep outer clothing from being soiled ...

and

hosiery Hosiery, (, ) also referred to as legwear, describes garments worn directly on the foot, feet and human leg, legs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed a hosier; and those products are also ...

manufacturer based in

Greensboro Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina, af ...

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. The company currently markets three owned brands in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

: No Nonsense, Hue, and Burlington.

History

Julius Kayser & Co., the predecessor to the modern Kayser-Roth Corporation, was founded in the early 20th century by Julius Kayser and was a manufacturer of

lingerie Lingerie (, , ) is a category of primarily women's clothing including undergarments (mainly brassieres), sleepwear, and lightweight robes. The choice of the word is often motivated by an intention to imply that the garments are alluring, fashio ...

and

gloves A glove is a garment covering the hand, with separate sheaths or openings for each finger including the thumb. Gloves protect and comfort hands against cold or heat, damage by friction, abrasion or chemicals, and disease; or in turn to provide a ...

. In 1958, the company purchased the Chester H. Roth Company, forming Kayser-Roth. Alfred P. Slaner, the first head of the merged company, developed Supp-Hose hosiery. In 1962, Kayser-Roth acquired Interwoven hosiery company, continuing to use the Interwoven brand, until it was merged with Esquire brand in 1971 to Interwoven-Esquire. In 1968, a merger with

Penn Central Transportation Company The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American Railroad classes, class I railroad that operated from 1968 to 1976. Penn Central combined three traditional corporate rivals, the Pennsylvania Railroad, ...

was explored, however terms could not be agreed on. Kayser-Roth merged with the Commonwealth Shoe and Leather Co. that same year, acquiring the Bostonian shoe brand. In 1973, in order to compete with the L'eggs brand (currently owned by

HanesBrands Hanesbrands Inc. is an American multinational clothing company based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It employs 65,300 people internationally. On September 6, 2006, the company and several brands were spun off by the Sara Lee Corporation. Han ...

), Kayser-Roth launched No Nonsense, which was one of the first brands of hosiery to be sold in

supermarket A supermarket is a self-service Retail#Types of outlets, shop offering a wide variety of food, Drink, beverages and Household goods, household products, organized into sections. Strictly speaking, a supermarket is larger and has a wider selecti ...

drugstore A pharmacy (also called drugstore in American English or community pharmacy or chemist in Commonwealth English) is a premises which provides pharmaceutical drugs, among other products. At the pharmacy, a pharmacist oversees the fulfillment of m ...

s and

discount department store Discount stores offer a retail format in which products are sold at prices that are in principle lower than an actual or supposed "full retail price". Discounters rely on bulk purchasing and efficient distribution to keep down costs. Types (Unit ...

s. In 1975, Kayser-Roth was purchased by conglomerate Gulf+Western Industries. In the years under Gulf+Western's ownership, improvements were made to Canadian manufacturing plants, most notably in

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

and

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

. Forays into diverse markets such as the automotive industry were carried out. During the late-1970s and early-1980s almost every GM automobile produced had Kayser-Roth components on board. In 1984, Kayser-Roth acquired the women's underwear division of

Calvin Klein Calvin Richard Klein (born November 19, 1942) is an American fashion designer. In 1968, he launched the company that later became Calvin Klein. In addition to clothing, he has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewellery. ...

Industries and the use of the designer's name for that business. In 1985, Gulf+Western began divesting all of its non-entertainment enterprises, with Kayser-Roth being sold to the

Wickes Companies Wickes Companies was a diversified manufacturing and retail conglomerate. It renamed itself after its subsidiary Collins & Aikman in 1992. The company ceased operations in 2007. History Brothers Henry Dunn Wickes and Edward Noyes Wickes moved ...

. In 1993, the Mexican hosiery manufacturer Grupo Synkro purchased the company for approximately $230 million. In 1999, Italian Golden Lady, the largest hosiery manufacturer in Europe, acquired Kayser-Roth Corporation from Grupo Synkro and reorganized the company. During the 2000s, the No Nonsense brand expanded to include

bra A bra, short for brassiere or brassière (, ; ), is a type of form-fitting underwear that is primarily used to support and cover a woman's breasts. A typical bra consists of a chest band that wraps around the torso, supporting two breast cups ...

panties Panties are women's form-fitting underpants. Typical components include an elastic waistband, a crotch panel to cover the genitalia (usually lined with absorbent material such as cotton), and a pair of leg openings that, like the waistband, ...

sleepwear Nightwear – also called sleepwear, or nightclothes – is clothing designed to be worn while sleeping. The style of nightwear worn may vary with the seasons, with warmer styles being worn in colder conditions and vice versa. Some styles ...

sock A sock is a piece of clothing worn on the feet and often covering the ankle or some part of the Calf (leg), calf. Some types of shoes or boots are typically worn over socks. In ancient times, socks were made from leather or matted animal hair. ...

s for women and men, and foot comfort products. In April 2011, Kayser-Roth partnered to become an exclusive distributor of socks and hosiery for

Jockey International Jockey International, Inc. is an American manufacturer and retailer of underwear, sleepwear, and sportswear for men, women, and children. The company is based in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Jockey invented the first men's Y-Front brief in 1934 and it ...

. Today, Kayser-Roth products are featured on the television show ''

Gossip Girl ''Gossip Girl'' is an American teen drama television series created and developed by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage and based on the series of novels of the same name by Cecily von Ziegesar. It follows a group of students on Manhattan's ...

'' (2007–2012) and have also previously been showcased on ''

The View ''The View'' is an American talk show created by broadcast journalist Barbara Walters. , in its 28th season, the show has aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC as part of the network's ABC Daytime, daytime programming block since August ...

'' (1997-present).

References

External links

Kayser-Roth
{{Lingerie American companies established in 1958 Clothing companies of the United States Hosiery brands Lingerie brands Underwear brands Companies based in Greensboro, North Carolina Clothing companies established in 1958 1958 establishments in North Carolina Gulf and Western Industries 1975 mergers and acquisitions 1985 mergers and acquisitions 1993 mergers and acquisitions 1999 mergers and acquisitions Companies formerly listed on the New York Stock Exchange