The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word SOCKS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
S
O
C
K
S
More clues leading to the result SOCKS
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Belts/hosiery" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case belts/hosiery = socks.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does SOCKS mean?
SOCKS noun- A knitted or woven covering for the foot.
- A shoe worn by Greco-Roman comedy actors.
- A color pattern (usually white) on a cat's or dog's lower leg that is different from the color pattern on the rest of the animal.
- (WMF jargon) A sock puppet.
- A gun sock.
- A violent blow; a punch.
- To hit or strike violently; to deliver a blow to.
- To throw.
- A ploughshare.
- An opening into which a plug or other connecting part is designed to fit (e.g. a light bulb socket).
- A hollow into a bone which a part fits, such as an eye, or another bone, in the case of a joint.
- One endpoint of a two-way communication link, used for interprocess communication across a network.
- One endpoint of a two-way named pipe on Unix and Unix-like systems, used for interprocess communication.
- A hollow tool for grasping and lifting tools dropped in a well-boring.
- The hollow of a candlestick.
- A steel apparatus attached to a saddle to protect the thighs and legs.