Friday, June 25, 2010

The Stupidest Men's Products Ever Invented (PICTURES)

I posted the following comment to The Huffington Post's June 25th article, The Stupidest Men's Products Ever Invented:

"There's no question most of the things on the list are downright stupid. However, I would plead the case for granting 'mantyhose' a little more slack. While the name can be a bit much to take when paired up with all the copycat 'man-names' for things (i.e., manpris, guyliner, etc, etc) the basic concept is fairly sound. Guys have been discovering what a lot of women have known for a long time, but won't own up to: hose can energize your legs when you've got a job that keeps you on your feet all day, or the 40s hit you hard with some varicose veins and such. There's as many men as women who are bothered by these, yet there's nothing out there to address it.

That's why so many men are starting to try them out these days. I know from firsthand experience, since I spent all of last year working as a marketing director for a company that sell tights and sheer hose made especially for men. Our sales were strong and consistent, and my blog, The Nylon Gene www.nylongene.com) consistently draws about 4000-5000 new visitors per month, looking for more info on the growing men's legwear trend.

So, before we are too quick to rank it among the most stupid men's items ever--try them out and see what you think. My blog provides tons of background info on the practical benefits provided by men's hosiery."
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost. To find my comment and replies, look for 6:49 pm on 6/25. I was about the 130th person to comment, and currently there are 200 comments.

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Monday, June 21, 2010

TIM Male Legwear, from Bulgaria, Is Latest Entry to Mantyhose Market

The following article was published on Examiner.com under my byline (Men's Legwear Examiner). 

If one needs any confirmation that the market for men's pantyhose and tights, aka mantyhose, is growing, the fact that companies are getting into this business rather than leaving provides ample evidence. For-profit companies don't lightly enter new markets, and only if they sense a potential for growth. In announcing plans for U.S. distribution beginning in Fall 2010, Bulgaria's TIM Legwear is the latest example of a women's pantyhose maker offering a new line of male hosiery.

Speaking from Borovo, Bulgaria,TIM's marketing director, Martin Panoyotov reports that they began working on the male hosiery line in mid-2009 following numerous inquiries during the preceding year and a half. Two styles, in 70 and 90 denier (a measure of hosiery sheerness), were first introduced as a market test . These were highly successful and led to the decision to introduce a full line of male tights and pantyhose. The TIM Male Legwear line includes the following styles:

  • Dynamic - 20 den Semi-sheer hosiery with comfort band, reinforced toe and brief, and no-fly front panel
  • Force - 40 den Semi-sheer hosiery and same features as Dynamic
  • Lord - 50 den Opaque tights with comfort band, sheer toe, reinforced brief, and no-fly front panel
  • Denim - 70 den Opaque tights and same features as Lord (available in footless or footed style)
  • Action - 90 den Opaque tights and same features as Lord
Each style is available in eight colors (natural, beige, tropic, cafe, white, light grey, graphite and black), and five sizes. They plan to extend the male legwear line in the future by adding more leggings styles, patterned tights, and stockings.

TIM Male Legwear is currently available in Europe and set for U.S. distribution in late 2010. U.S. distribution will be launched under the LegsArt brand. Based in Chicago, LegsArt was established in 2008 as the official distributor of TIM Legwear in North America. Beginning in the fall of 2010, LegsArt will offer the entire range of TIM Legwear for shipping to all 50 States and Canada. They have received several inquiries from retailers and wholesalers. TIM Legwear/LegsArt maintains a rigorous approval process for companies wishing to retail or wholesale their legwear. Both companies are privately held.

TIM's entry into the men's legwear market represents a vote of confidence in the growing acceptance of male hosiery as a legitimate product providing tangible benefits for men. Although women have long taken these benefits for granted, men are discovering unisex applicability, and manufacturers are stepping forward to fill the demand.


For more information on these benefits, refer to the list of related articles. For a review of TIM Male Legwear, refer to the related Examiner.com article: "Bulgaria's TIM Male Legwear Provides a Comfortable Line of Mantyhose Products".

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Thursday, June 10, 2010

A New Adventure Awaits...

As regular Nylon Gene readers have surely noted, for the past few months I've not been posting with near the frequency with which I once did. Due to reasons related to the economy, it was necessary for ActivSkin to curtail my marketing and publicity activities beginning around January of this year, which has necessitated seeking fulltime employment opportunities elsewhere.  That search came to a successful end this past week...

Beginning in July, I will begin working for the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) in the District Office located near Newark, OH.  I will be working with traffic, safety studies and public involvement, among other things.  This is a bittersweet turn of events.  I am eagerly looking forward to my new employment and getting to know what seems to be a great group of people, and it is a mixture of the engineering-related background for which I was educated (see my Sept. 16, 2009 article: A Very Unique Career Transition) and some of the things I've been engaged in during my past year as Director of Marketing for ActivSkin.  That is, engaging the public, writing, working collaboratively with others, etc.

On the other hand, I've thoroughly enjoyed being so deeply involved in bringing ActivSkin, and the men's legwear trend, more visibly into the public eye, and raising awareness of the many benefits that men have been missing out on all this time.  I believe we've made considerable strides in persuading the public that sheer and opaque hosiery have legitimate applications for men complaining of achy, tired legs or wanting warmth-without-bulk for athletic and cold weather outdoor activities--and many others. 

Since this effort began, the word 'mantyhose' has begun to enter the public lexicon.  Yes, it may sometimes be used derisively, but the same was once true of male earrings, too.  More often than not however, it has come to be used in a generally neutral context--if not actually positive in some cases.  I believe we can take some credit for that. 

Now, before any loyal Nylon Gene readers get ready to go out and hang themselves using a pair of ActivSkin A677 mantyhose out of despair--fear not.  I won't be shutting down the blog.  It has served us well for the past 15 months, and I see no reason it shouldn't continue.  I will still post the occasional article as time permits.  It will just be as a peripheral effort rather than a central focus, and of course occur outside of my normal day-to-day activities.  I'll still be an active proponent of men's legwear and it's benefits.  My new colleagues will certainly learn of whom my former employer was, if not already aware.  Of course, my resume included ActivSkin/GLS Hosiery at the very top, though it didn't come up during the interview.  Who knows, maybe some will be reading these words I'm typing right now.  Being in a traditional office environment, I'll have to become accustomed to long trousers once again.  One thing I'll miss is having my work attire include shorts most every day.  Ah well... can't have everything, can we?

Finally, I'd like to thank all the thousands of people who have read this blog regularly since it began, or just occasionally stopped in to see what's new.  Keep coming back, as I'll try to still provide new content as time permits.  Keep the comments coming and feel free to email me as well.   

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