GoGo Therafirm Legwear

I read a post on "Ruminations of a Twenty-Something Momma" about this graduated compression legwear. The tights, pantyhose, and trouser socks that GoGo Therafirm sells are for women, which would not normally be a topic of conversation here on The Nylon Gene. However, I liked the discussion of benefits provided by compression hosiery. It reads very much like the reasons behind male legwear, or 'mantyhose' that we've been discussing and promoting for some time now.

Longtime Nylon Gene readers are aware of the means by which compression hosiery facilitates improved leg circulation (Leg Troubles Know No Gender Boundaries). The Ruminations posting describes the following activities that are made more comfortable by wearing a pair of GoGo Legwear:

• Flying - Leg and foot swelling is a common occurrence during air travel because of increased pressure in the leg veins. Compression legwear can help reduce this swelling and make you feel relaxed the whole flight through.
  
  
• Sitting - Sitting for extended periods of time causes blood to pool in leg veins. Compression hosiery helps counteract the pooling by aiding with circulation, keeping blood moving and the added benefit of feeling more alert and awake in the process.
  
  
• Standing - On your feet all day? The increased pressure of standing for long periods of time makes you more likely to develop complications, such as spider and varicose veins. GoGo Legwear is scientifically proven to aid in the prevention of these complications, granting your body the proper circulation needed to supply you with the necessary amount of nutrients and oxygen.
  
  
• Running - When you're on the move, GoGo is moving right along with you, providing your body with the blood flow needed to maintain energy and alertness. As an added bonus, the soft microfiber yarns massage your legs as you go, providing the ultimate comfort during work-outs and exercise.

In addition to the foregoing, GoGo Healthy's website includes two additional activities where women with tired, achy legs can benefit from wearing them:

• At the Gym - It goes without saying--when you are working out, GOGO is working with you! You can actually feel the soft yarns massaging your
  legs as you go!
  
  
• On a Date - Read above and repeat. I highly recommend the thigh-high stockings.

Our Twenty-Something Momma blogger describes women dealing with all sorts of unpleasant discomforts at the end of the day: tired, aching legs, swollen feet, appearance of varicose veins or spider veins over time. She identifies GoGo Therafirm hosiery as a solution. I say, "you bet!"

The only thing I would add: If women who engage in the foregoing activities suffer from these things and can benefit from compression hosiery, wouldn't the same thing be true for men?

A New Men's Legwear Blogger on the Scene?

My Google Alerts notified me yesterday of a blog post entitled, "Tights For Men the Latest Fashion Trend" on a blog I hadn't noticed before. It's called Men's Tights Fashion/Fashionable Tights for Men and Pantyhose.

Currently, there are three articles posted there:

"Men's Tights for Slimming Underwear"
"Mantyhose: The Male Pantyhose"
"Tights for Men, The Latest Fashion Trend"

The articles are fairly well written, incorporating many of the points supporting male legwear we've been discussing here on The Nylon Gene for some time. Some graphics or photos would be a welcome addition, and dates for the articles, but more importantly it would be nice to know who the author of the blog is.

The world is beginning to pay more attention to the men's legwear trend. So it behooves us to capitalize on it and provide as much credibility as possible by letting people see who these guys are, who want to transform men's tights and pantyhose into a regular male garment.

It is encouraging to see many more voices begin to speak up and chime in the chorus to support this emerging trend. It reflects an increase in confidence of the men who are stepping forward to place their name and face alongside the legwear--in effect saying, "I truly believe there's nothing at all wrong with men wearing hosiery for practical, legitimate reasons... and to prove it, I'm putting my reputation on the line to help make the case."

Likewise with the new offerings on the market for men's legwear--most recently from Bulgaria. Those capital ventures reflect a growing recognition that there's a market there to be tapped. These are all encouraging signs that have come about in only the past year. Let's keep 'em coming.

[PS, I plan to write more on the new developments in men's legwear products soon. Keep an eye out for it here, or on my space at The Examiner.com]

Another Manifestation of Philly Mag's 'Mantyhose' Story

Another article, entitled "Mantyhose is 'Great European Fashion Trend'" appeared on the SockShop website Jan. 27th describing how it is expected to, "...take the U.S. by storm, according to a new report." I suppose being "uber chic by next year," as the original Philly Mag (In Defense of Men's Tights) article puts it, is similar to taking the country by storm. In any case, this example shows the value of getting coverage from a larger, established news organization. The more prestigious the original venue of the article, the more spinoff articles there are elsewhere in the ensuing days and weeks.

Mantyhose Story Is Getting 'Legs'

I wrote to tell readers about the Philadelphia Magazine article, "In Defense of Men's Tights" last Friday. Now it seems to have been picked up on by Toronto Life. Karen Liu published an article yesterday called, "The Next Big Thing From Europe: Mantyhose". This story may have the potential to be picked up and reprinted in a number of markets. That's always a good thing for raising the awareness level of men's legwear--even when the legwear in question tends to evoke some strong negative reactions because of the style depicted.

It's a fairly short article that mostly refers to the previous one from last Friday. However, Ms. Liu does note that, "pantyhose for men, or mantyhose, were spotted in Givenchy's Spring/Summer 2010 fashion show", and also that We Love Colors, a company specializing in tights in a wide range of colors, now offers several lines of tights for men.

I did a little searching on the Givency line and found the referenced legwear that showed up subtly in the Spring/Summer 2010 line. Even more notable is how much more pronounced it was in the Fall 2010 lineup. Some of us who follow these things have seen hosiery show up in designer fashion shows in the past, but these were typically from John Paul Gaulthier, et al, and tended toward the more bizarre end of the spectrum.

What's notable about the Givenchy items is how the look is somewhat closer to something you could actually see on a street somewhere, someday. Very little that appears on any fashion runway is something the average guy would be wearing in the foreseeable future, but the appearance of male tights and shorts in this lineup appears to bode well for the eventual entry of men's legwear into the mainstream. That's the trajectory that trends often follow. First, the fringe elements, then the 'hipsters' (as referred to in the article), and eventually the fashionable--where it begins to be truly commercially viable-- and finally the vast mainstream.

I posted a comment on the article's website, following one from Darrell at Legwear4Men taking the writer to task for overlooking the true U.S. roots of the male legwear trend (Ohio's very own ACTIVSKIN Legwear for Men). In it, I commented on the paradox of media coverage focusing on the wilder patterns that only a small fraction of men are wearing, compared to the basic, non-flashy legwear that most men wear today. I've reposted it here below:

I have to echo what Legwear4Men said above. Media coverage of men’s legwear is an odd kind of paradox. On the one hand, it is rare to see feature stories on the plain ol’ tights or sheer hosiery the vast majority of guys wearing them actually have on their legs. Yet there’s a high level of coverage of the really splashy-looking tights (ie, the Emilio Cavallini checkered tights shown above) that only a tiny minority of male legwear wearers would wear. Myself, I wear tights/sheer hose for leg support, and wear them with shorts without reservation. Yet, I would never wear the checkered or striped tights in EC’s catalog.

Why the disparity in coverage between what real men are really wearing, and the styles that maybe 1% would be seen in? Maybe partly because plain and ordinary doesn’t sell as news. Maybe because it’s more ‘fun’ to display styles that are much more likely to evoke a good, “ewwwww”, or “ROFLMAO”, etc, etc.

I don’t get too excited over it, though. I’ve been closely involved with publicizing the emerging men’s legwear trend long enough (see my blog, The Nylon Gene, http://www.nylongene.com) that I can see the gradual, and sometimes grudging, increase in overall acceptance of ‘mantyhose’ despite the somewhat negative impact the wild patterns have on public perceptions.

Little by little, people are coming to realize that they aren’t representative of the legwear that makes up the bulk of the market, that there are some very practical reasons for wearing it (as in the Philly Mag article), and guys can wear it without sticking out like a sore thumb.

Philly Magazine - Mantyhose: In Defense of Men in Tights

Nylon Gene readers will be interested to read the following article in Philadelphia Magazine, Mantyhose: In Defense of Men in Tights, by Victor Fiorillo. It's a great article that includes the author revealing that he had purchased a pair of tights at CVS to wear under his suit to work this winter. He goes on to tell how he was vindicated to his co-workers by consultations with a couple of reknowned fashion experts.

He goes on to share several suggestions for those 'daring' men who decide to try out tights to fend off winter's chill, or otherwise energize their legs. These include a recommendation and weblink for Emilo Cavallini's new unisex line (which cost $27), or for a cheaper alternative, visit a local drugstore and buy a pair of women's tights.

Two of my own additions: First off, unless they've recently changed this, the Emilio Cavallini tights are not available in the U.S. direct from the maker. You'll need to find a reseller from whom to purchase them.

Secondly, there's definitely a middle alternative that the author must not have been aware of, and that of course is ACTIVSKIN's male tights. These can be had for $14 to $20 a pair, for opaque styles. If looking for a lower insulation factor beneath one's trousers, the sheer styles can be had for $9.99 and up. Visit the website and check out the catalogue.

Related Article:
Here's another one, (Men In Tights, Loving It [Hose]) which quotes and links to the aforementioned Philly Mag article. The predisposition is basically favorable toward men's hosiery, or 'mantyhose'. However, one misconception appears in need of clarification.

The author concludes by stating that the 'fingertip rule' should apply to tops men might wear with their tights. The fingertip rule is used for women's tops and skirts, and says that they should be long enough to extend to the tips of your fingers when you extend your arms down your side. Like so many who are newly acquainted with the men's legwear trend, she supposes that we're going to be wearing tights with no other lower body garment (i.e., either shorts or long pants). Those of us in the know understand that this is a non-issue. Very few, if any, men would ever venture out in tights without wearing pants over them.

Otherwise, these are two good articles that should further advance the acceptance of men's legwear by society as a whole.

Save Our Legs. Support Men's Legwear

There's a new 'cause' to support. If you're not already familiar with them, Facebook allows users to start a 'cause' to generate support or donations for something the user strongly believes in. These causes allow other Facebook users to read about it, without requiring them to belong to a Facebook page if they don't want. A loyal Nylon Gene follower, Kevin Wright, has created one called "Save Our Legs. Support Men's Legwear"...

Kevin is an example of the 'second wave' of male legwear proponents that have started to move to the forefront in the effort to promote nylon hosiery as a legitimate male garment with practical applications. For some time now, there have been a select few men who have stepped into the spotlight to proclaim that, "yes, we wear tights, and you can wear them while retaining your masculinity." These included Steve Katz, Chan Kraemer, myself, and a limited number of others as well. Now, a new wave of men are taking up the challenge that was laid down, and are themselves stepping out in front and encouraging others to see for themselves the practical benefits of 'mantyhose.'

That's where the 'Save Our Legs' cause comes in. Kevin is asking men (as well as sympathetically inclined women) to join the cause on Facebook, so it can be a visible sign of how many supporters there actually are out there. When joining, you are asked if you would be willing to commit to share the cause with five others. If everyone who joins is willing to share their information with at least a few of their friends, it will begin to spread 'virally' and take on a momentum of its own.

One of the biggest obstacles limiting the growth of the men's legwear trend is the men's own reluctance to let others in their circle of friends to know that they wear it. Fear of ridicule or rejection plays a big role in this reluctance. However, the new reality is that there are now more than a dozen or so companies selling tights and pantyhose made for men--most notably ACTIVSKIN, of course. Media coverage of the trend has reached the point where the default assumption on the part of most people is that a man wearing nylon legwear must be doing so for leg health reasons, or maybe athletic benefits. The days when unfavorable presumptions of cross-dressing and the like are just about long gone.

I was chatting online with Kevin when he launched the 'Save Our Legs' cause last night. That was less than 12 hours ago, and already it has grown to 12 members, and surpassed the first two growth milestones. That's a pretty strong start! So, if you are a friend of male legwear in the slightest, please help us (I'm an admin for it, too) keep growing. (When you sign on, you can use my name as the recruiter)

It's Been Too Quiet on the Men's Legwear Front...

What with 114 blog posts on The Nylon Gene in 2009, I certainly need to pick up the pace here in January 2010 if I'm going to match or exceed that number this year. There have been a lot of activities that have competed for attention with my blog, but I'll try my best to rectify that. ... and yes, there are still things to right about in the men's legwear arena. Chan Kraemer has revamped his e-MANcipate site, and I'll be writing a review of that forthwith. Likewise, there's certainly something to be said about how all of this deep freeze that much of the U.S. is enduring right now is great weather to add a pair of opaque tights beneath one's trousers before heading out to work. Am I right...?

So anyways, Happy 2010 to all the loyal Nylon Gene readers. I'll make sure to do my best to keep the new decade an interesting one for the guys wearing hose. [Should auld acquaintance be forgot... ]