Monday, September 21, 2009

First Day of Autumn: Men's Legwear is IN-Season - Examiner.com

ActivSkin A876 opaque tights--extend your shorts-wearing season well into FallSeptember 22nd is, of course, the first day of Fall. If you haven't yet, you'll soon be feeling that chill air on your legs. Especially when you go out in the morning with your shorts, guys. If you've been thinking of giving the new men's legwear a try, now's the time. Opaque tights can extend shorts-wearing season well into November in many areas

There's been a growing amount of media coverage of the emerging men's legwear trend. We've read of regular guys wearing sheer pantyhose--or 'mantyhose'--for leg support to provide relief for poor leg circulation. Some wear them with shorts, others aren't quite up to it and only wear them under trousers. In any case, these guys wear them year-round because they help their legs feel better--and they may find that they just plain like the feel of them as well.

Runners Want Warmth-Without-Bulk
ActivSkin A677 sheer mantyhose in black: Runners discovering benefits of sheer legwear in keeping chill air at bayAs temperatures begin to drop, other men will start to pull on a pair of tights, too. They may be less motivated by leg health concerns and instead want something to take the chill off their legs without resorting to something heavier and bulkier. Runners and cyclists like the sheer or thin opaque tights sold by companies like ACTIVSKIN because they provide just enough insulation to help ward off cramps when September and October air first hits their bare legs, yet doesn't cause overheating after they've warmed up during exercise. Some makers of higher-priced dedicated running tights, such as CW-X have even acknowldged this aspect by incorporating sheer mesh panels into some of their products.

Since many of these products come in moderate- and full-support styles, athletes using them also get the benefits of muscle compression. Many athletes are already aware of the beneficial effect of compression shorts on stamina and endurance. Support tights provide this same benefit for the entire lower body.

Outback Tights
Tights are a boon to hunters and other outdoorsmen for relief from ticksHunters, campers and other outdoorsmen also like them for a base layer under their outerwear when they're hiking around in the 'outback'. Not only that, but the form-fitting garment is an excellent defense against ticks and similar backwoods pests. Fall is the time when the hunters head for the woods, yet there are still a lot of hikers and campers out there well into the colder months. As men's legwear continues to make inroads with the 'regular guy', there will continue to be more and more who may just surprise you when they roll up the pant leg of their Carrharts to reveal some nice comfy tights underneath.
The foregoing article appeared on my Examiner.com page today. Please pay a visit.
Posted by Steve Newman at 2:35 PM Share with Bit.ly Sidebar
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9 comments:

  1. Hey Steve your nylon covered legs looks nice :) I envy ;)
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  2. Thanks. But, who said they're mine?...
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  3. No, surely not? Not Mrs Steve's... :-)

    I do have to say (this is the real comment!) that tights look better in a sports context than being worn under shorts when temperatures are up and women as the traditional wearers have abandonned them. The reason is the purpose of wearing is more obvious, meaning for warmth or support, rather than what most still consider a 'strange' fashion choice for men.
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  4. While I concur that wearing tights or sheer hose under shorts in cooler weather, or in a sports context, is a little less outside the traditional mindset, I don't agree that this is a valid reason for not wearing them in the warmer weather. Since legwear is useful for leg support, it is beneficial regardless of the temperature.

    If men gain benefit from wearing them in both warm and cold seasons, why should they abandon them only in the warm months? Like myself, many men like wearing shorts, and if you also like the leg support benefits, you would prefer to not wear long pants when it's warm outside.

    Thus, even though the ostensible reason for wearing them in warm weather is not as apparent, that should not cause us to shy away from it. After guys who are already wearing legwear year-round become more relaxed about being seen wearing it with shorts, it will become more and more widely known as a garment worn for leg support as well as other reasons, like sports, etc. At that point, it will cease being perceived as a 'strange' fashion choice for men (as is already happening in many places).

    Thanks for your comment, though. Just because I express disagreement doesn't mean I don't appreciate your participation in the discussion.
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  5. Steve - thanks for taking my comment in the spirit in which it was meant.
    I am myself rethinking my attitude to wearing, as my better half has problems with it, really only connected with 'what others would think if they knew'. I am happier to dispense with the sheers because of the feminine associations they have, but don't have quite the same feeling regarding tights, which in any event are better for warmth.
    You have no doubt seen the articles on Selfridge's in London stocking (sorry about the pun!) men's tights. However, the pictures of men wearing are a disaster, as they were also wearing a kilt, which in effect is a skirt in this context. This can only reinforce the *image* of this being a fringe activity for men who like womenswear - and at the price, a rich man's choice!
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  6. I certainly look like the top picture. I am a 26 year old college student, and a professional network engineer. I do get some looks from both men and women at school, however, I typically am left alone. Some women actually speak to me about it and find it intersting and not offensive. I also go one step further, and also wear skirts. The Men's skirts from Etro, Marc Jacobs, John Paul G and others are starting to eek into the market as couture fashion. Hopefully, us regular men will someday have it at our local retail stores and it won't cost $5,000. Men's makeup is also fun to wear. It helps the face after shaving, and can highlight lips, eyes, and other areas. Makeup can be used to lighten or darken the face. Why not? Men in the 1700s, 1800s, and early 1900s wore all of this and nobody thought of it.
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  7. Thanks for your comments, Jordan. This blog is focused on the men's legwear trend and items directly related to it. Therefore, I discourage discussion threads from veering off into other territory. While I've approved the comments regarding skirts, et al, I feel strongly that pursuing these other directions is counterproductive and don't want this thread to follow that direction any further.

    One other item, Jordan. If you don't change your profile picture, you won't be able to post here in the future. I took the liberty of reposting the text and deleted the original post. In the future, I won't allow posts with immodest images for the profile photo.
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  8. I to wear tights with shorts. I also have leggings and cycling and running tights. They support my legs during strenuous workouts like weight lifting, leg strengthening, cycling, walking, running. I own various colors and styles. I have footless, footed, cotton, nylon, Nike, Reebok, Addidas brands. I own regular leggings in prints and various color tights. They are showing on men here in LA during winter cool months from Aug-Jan and basketball players or people wearing court shorts wear them. I havent had any bad comments. I only had a few young women ask but they just thought it was interesting. Once in a gym I worn them and one spanish gal asked. I mentioned I worn tan tights for preventing cramps and worn running tights with shorts. She liked the idea and the following weeks she worn leggings to class. I then was her friend and I worked out in class with her next to me and her behind me. She liked me wearing them. The other gals were young didnt mind. We all had a great workout.
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  9. Hey, great story Rik. Thanks for sharing it with us. Just goes to show how ingrained male tights are becoming these days. I think there's been a considerable shift in just the past year since we've been blogging about it like this here on The Nylon Gene, for instance.
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