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
hosiery,
lingerie and
gloves. 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 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), Kayser-Roth launched No Nonsense, which was one of the first brands of hosiery to be sold in
supermarkets,
drugstores and
discount department stores. In 1975, Kayser-Roth was purchased by conglomerate
Gulf+Western Industries. In 1985, Gulf+Western began divesting all of its non-entertainment enterprises, with Kayser-Roth being sold to the
Wickes Companies. 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
bras,
panties,
sleepwear,
socks 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. Today, Kayser-Roth products are featured on the television show
Gossip Girl (2007–2012) and have also previously been showcased on
The View (1997-present). ==References==