Is Spanx Considering a Line of Mantyhose?

The huge flood of media activity regarding the mantyhose trend of the past few days is ebbing slightly, though at least a couple of Google News Alerts are still arriving every day. Buried in yesterday's New York Times piece on 'mantyhose mania' (Manlashes, Manscara and Mantyhose - NYTimes.com) was an interesting quote from Sarah Blakely, the nouveau billionaire creator of the wildly popular Spanx brand.

“I never say never,” she said. “Men are starting to become more and more vocal about what they need. We’ve been getting calls from stylists who tell us that A-list actors and top musicians are squeezing into our Spanx bodysuits for women for movies and music videos. And women are telling us to please do something for their husbands and boyfriends, who are squeezing into large and extra-large women’s sizes.” [emphasis: Nylon Gene]

Hmmm... Ms. Blakely may be beginning to see the light.  If those callers are 'squeezing themselves' into those women's articles for the practical benefits they offer, how long before she ascertains there is money to be made by offering what they need, only in products made for men.  She's a smart lady--if Emilio Cavallini can make money selling (2-3% of their $million annual sales) with an admittedly hard sell of boldly patterned tights for men, how much more so could Spanx capitalize on the market for men in need of support for tired achy legs, or to squeeze those few extra inches off their midsection?  They already have quite a few offerings for men already (ManSpanx/Manx).  Have you contacted Spanx to let them know how Nylon Gene readers feel about this?  It could be interesting to see where it leads...

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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. 

While not all styles of mantyhose have a fly opening, those that do have a very similar design to that used for SFM.  And, those styles that don't feature a fly, typically have some sort of stretchy 'comfort panel' sewn in to avoid the problem of too much compression in 'sensitive areas'.  Not much more need be said here. 

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."

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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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