In a follow-up to her Friday radio broadcast, Bridgette Raes posted a great article on Men In Tights on her blogsite, "BRSG". I will say, as to the double standard she refers to, I’ve often said that it actually betrays a certain residual bias against women that remains in our society even to this day–even among women themselves. Despite the ostensible equality with which women and men are viewed today, you have to ask yourself why there is such a noticeable difference between the way people view it when a member of one sex strays into the fashion territory of the other?
Bridgette noted that a woman can wear clothing ranging from the ultra feminine to jeans, t-shirts, boots and a short haircut and hardly anyone even takes note. Maybe she is even praised as being: strong, “a real go-getter”, or other positive adjectives. But if a man wears even one article of clothing that has typically been associated with women, not only do other men get worked up over it, but women may give him even more flack over it. His manhood might be called into question regardless of how strong and virile an example of masculinity he may otherwise be.
You have to ask yourself if this doesn’t reveal some sort of latent bias against the female? Is it because a woman who co-opts a certain fashion item from men is seen as elevating herself? (BTW, not too many of us are old enough to remember the days when women wearing pants was considered scandalous). If so, by contrast a man adopting anything with a feminine connotation is considered to be ‘lowering’ himself to the level of the less worthy sex and needs to be resisted so as to not betray his manhood.
Of course, when we try to come to terms with all of this, we hope we can be advanced enough in our view on the inherent dignity, and equality, of both men and women that we don’t behave this way. Some–many–men are wearing mantyhose for very legitimate reasons and knee jerk reactions against it have to be examined for what they really reveal about the people making them. Are they unknowingly acknowledging they don’t really view men and women as being equal in dignity? Let’s hope your blog and radio program can help us move beyond that toward true equality. Thank you, Bridgette.
Showing posts with label Mantyhose Blogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mantyhose Blogs. Show all posts
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Bridgette Raes | Style Guide: The Truth About Men Who Wear Pantyhose
Thursday, March 8, 2012
A Flood of Media Attention for Mantyhose
My Google Alerts email notices have been going haywire sending notifications of all the stories popping up this week with the keywords, 'mantyhose' or similar tags. I've shared a list of them below so you can go check them out. Every one of these appeared within the space of 2 days. Contribute some good comments and let them know you're out here.
Get Your Mantyhose On - WWD (Women's Wear Daily)
NOTE: This article (which appears to be the first to break the 'mantyhose' story) is only available to subscribers ($129/year), and you can only see the first few lines of the article.
Pantyhose for Dudes Are Actually Selling Quite Well - Business Insider
Men In Tights: What Do You Think of the Mantyhose Trend? - Style Caster [reported here at The Nylon Gene]
Men's Pantyhose is a Hot Trend Now? Really? - Guyism.com
Man-Tights: An Expanding Movement - Discovery News (Discovery Channel)
Mantyhose Has Got Legs! Men Are Snapping Up Tights, Italian Designer Emilio Cavallini Says - NY Daily News
Introducing Mantyhose. Yes Mantyhose - TIME NewsFeed
'Mantyhose' Is Happening! - The Cut: NY Magazine
Mantyhose - Are Men Really Ready to Wear Tights? - The Week (Lifestyle Section)
Panic in the Streets! Tights for Men Are Gaining Popularity - The Gloss
'Brosiery' and 'Mantyhose' Take Off as Men Seek Warmth, Comfort... and 'Fashion Statement' of Patterned Tights - Daily Mail (UK) [apologies for the long-winded headline]
Hose for Bros: Five Names for the New Mantyhose Trend - Racked.com
Real Men Shall Wear Tights and They Shall Call Them 'Mantyhose' - The Stir (CafeMom.com)
Mantyhose, Guylons, Brosiery: Men, Ready to Don Tights? - BrandChannel.com
Click-Worthy: Men Wearing Tights (or Mantyhose) Is a Thing - Divine Caroline.com
2012 Apocalypse Confirmed as Male Patterned Tights Go on Sale - Joe.IE (ManStuff)
Mantyhose Are a Thing - Fashionista.com (Fashion News Roundup)
Mantyhose: Tights for Men and Women - WDIV Detroit TV
Designer: Mantyhose--Pantyhose for Men a Fashionable Force To Be Reckoned With - ABC News
Keep your eyes open. There's sure to be more where this came from...
UPDATE: (Mar. 8) They just keep rolling in. Here are 11 more pieces that've run since I first posted this...
Would You Wear Mantyhose? - CBC News (Canada)
New Fashion Style: Men Wearing 'Mantyhose' - Opposing Views.com
Mantyhose May Be the Latest Trend for Men - ABC30-TV, Fresno CA
Men in Mantyhose? Male Celebs We Could See Joining the Trend - WetPaint.com
The Best Guests Come Bearing Gifts: Mantyhose, for Bros Looking for Hose - Guest of a Guest.com
Pantyhose for Men, Mantyhose, Emerging Fashion Trend - WPTV/ABC-TV5
Mantyhose: The Surging Popularity of Tights for Men - Digital Journal (NOTE: Features a pic of 'yours truly')
Will American Men Wear Mantyhose? - WXYZ/ABC-TV (Detroit)
Pantyhose for Men?! Seriously? - Women24.com
Fellas: Are You Man Enough for Mantyhose? - BestWeekEver.tv
Is America Ready for This Trend? Introducing 'Mantyhose' - KSEE-TV (ABC)
Hose Over Bros - The Soup (E Online)
[New for March 9th]:
Mantyhose for Sale: Men In Tights Might Just Be Fashion's Next Big Thing - International Business Times
Mantyhose Sweeping The Nation, Hosiery Manufacturers Report - Inquisitr
"Mantyhose": Pantyhose for Men - BangStyle.com
Mantyhose: High Fashion or Just Another Fad? - Christian Post
Mantyhose: Will Men Really Wear Tights, or 'Hose for Bros?' - Gather.com
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Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Five Great Celebrity Endorsements - Biography.com
Five Great Celebrity Endorsements - Biography.com
After all these years, Joe Namath's famous pantyhose commercial still holds sway. Among the five shown here, it definitely gets my vote for favorite by paving the way for the mantyhose trend. Broadway Joe probably predated ActivSkin by more than 20 years, I think. Then again, it's not hard to top the Richard Simmons and Johnny Rotten ads, and that Hulk Hogan one for Bigelow air conditioners is just plain odd. Follow the link to see the article and vote for your favorite...
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Spanx For Men: Mantyhose Comparison
A great article on the new "Spanx For Men" (SFM) product appeared March 23rd on the 9tailors website (9tailors: Get This - Spanx For Men). It raises a question or two, however.
To me, I see many similarities between the SFM underwear being marketed, and the emerging 'mantyhose' trend (pioneered here in the U.S. by ActivSkin) about which we read the occasional disparaging blog post here or there, or responses that are sometimes posted below articles on men's legwear. Typically, it is obvious they are written by those who have little or no familiarity with, or understanding of, the reasons driving so many men these days to have started wearing support hosiery (aka, 'mantyhose') under their trousers in ever growing numbers.
The 9tailors article begs the question: If ManSpanx are such a great thing, why would full-length tights or hose for men be so very bad? Let's compare the two.
Both are intended to provide some moderate degree of compression--around the midsection, and the legs. The only difference is SFM are limited only to the upper thighs. However, what about guys who have lower leg circulation problems, suffer from tired, achy legs, etc? Wouldn't ManSpanx that extended down to the lower legs also be beneficial in that situation? So, why would someone be accepting of ManSpanx and yet be so critical of mantyhose? I would suggest it's based less on rational thinking and more on ingrained mental paradigms that only need to be shifted. Probably the most significant difference between ManSpanx and mantyhose is whether they have feet in them. Obviously, ManSpanx do not. For some reason, this seems to be the biggest sticking point many people have with male legwear. It can be nearly indistinguishable at a distance from women's footless tights--but if they have feet in them, some have difficulty getting past this. For those who would draw an absolute line in the sand at wearing any sort of footed legwear, there are quite a few styles of mantyhose offered by ActivSkin, et al, that are footless. In addition, an overlooked benefit of footed hosiery is that it can make socks unneccessary, which also helps avoid feeling too hot. If footed legwear is worn with socks in cold weather or workplaces, they can provide supplemental warmth beyond what socks alone provide.
Another difference is that some forms of hose for men are sheer, like the pantyhose with which many are familiar. Yet, before rejecting sheer legwear for men out of hand, consider this. Sheer fabric is much lighter weight, and therefore cooler, than the material ManSpanx--or runner's tight--are made from. If you wear them under your pants, you'll be less likely to feel overheated throughout your day. Some of the 'early adopters' have already come to the realization that they can also be worn with shorts in settings where short pants are appropriate. The vast majority of people don't even notice sheer hosiery worn with shorts if a skintone-matching color is worn. For the time being--until more men gain enough confidence that societal perceptions have changed greatly--those wearing mantyhose with shorts remain in the minority.
So, I welcome the proliferation of Spanx For Men. I hope it will further the continual evolution of the public mindset, and cause that segment that is still ignorant of the realities surrounding the men's legwear trend to further educate themselves and therefore open their minds just a bit more. This will result in fewer being quick to reject this emerging phenomenon.
As I say in the tagline for The Nylon Gene: we continue to, "change hearts & minds: from pantyhose... to mantyhose."
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
SkinKiss Caffeinated Mantyhose - National caffeine | Examiner.com
Restrictive caffeinated pantyhose work out with a fury - National caffeine Examiner.com
The article links to clinical testing results on the SKIN KISS website, which provide further details for those interested. According to the blog author (and the test results), the caffeine in the hosiery also have the effect that most of us are accustomed to when we drink coffee--"resistance to fatigue". Who would've thought you could keep yourself awake with a pair of pantyhose? But, apparently that's the case.
I noted with some interest that the author apparently had few if any qualms about trying out pantyhose while researching this article. As a guy who's been wearing them for better leg circulation for years, I can attest to how much they can benefit guys who don't suffer from stereotypical hangups that can close us off from things that could be helpful to us. I suspect his willingness to give them a try is a product of the big shift in public perception of the men's legwear concept (aka, mantyhose) in recent years.
Ten years ago, hardly any male would dare admit having even TRIED wearing pantyhose--even if researching an article--let alone actually consider taking it up. Today, however, if a guy walks down a busy downtown street wearing hose with a pair of shorts, hardly anyone gives so much as a second glance. I can attest to this from firsthand experience, as anyone who's read this blog for any length of time is aware. Men's legwear may not have become commonplace yet, but it's certainly lost those misinformed association as for women only. If people pay any attention at all, they typically assume there must be some sort of medical/leg health reason behind it.
He seemed to be somewhat taken with the concept, but wished for some caffeine mantyhose that were designed for the male body (fly opening, more room in front, etc.). He may not be aware how many sources now sell tights and hose that ARE made specifically for men--although none are caffeine-infused (yet). Who knows, maybe that'll be the next big idea from ActivSkin?...
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Tights for Men: A History from 1510 to 2010 | Men's Tights Fashion
This is a good retrospective to remind us that tights were traditionally associated with men's wear (click link below to see blog post). The idea that tights are strictly a female garment is actually a very recent historical development. The blog, called, "Men's Tights Fashion" is relatively new. I'm not sure exactly when it appeared, since the blog posts aren't dated, but I don't think it's been around longer than this past fall. Although only a few articles are posted so far, they seem to provide a well-reasoned approach to the concept of male legwear--similar to what we try to provide here at The Nylon Gene.
I'm not acquainted with the blogger, but would invite him or her to share some background information below, or even write a guest post if so inclined?...
Tights for Men: A History from 1510 to 2010 | Men's Tights Fashion
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