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.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Bridgette Raes | Style Guide: The Truth About Men Who Wear Pantyhose
Saturday, June 16, 2012
A Couple of Regular Guys Talk Mantyhose with BridgetteRaes | Blog Talk Radio
Fashion that Makes You Go, "Hmm?" by BridgetteRaes | Blog Talk Radio, June 15
Wow. I have to give great applause to Kevin Wright and Rob Stephenson, who were guests on Bridgette Raes' radio show ("Fashion That Makes You Go, 'Hmm' ") yesterday. You guys were FANTASTIC spokesmen for the mantyhose, and Bridgette was great in providing such an open-minded forum for presenting the true aspects of it that rarely makes it into the public discourse.
While we've all watched with interest as the Emilio Cavallini unisex tights making a big splash back in March. Yet despite the benefit of the big publicity surge, most guys who are wearing mantyhose were left a little cold by the bold black & white patterns (skulls, etc.) Some may go for that look, but it's far from representative of most guys' legwear styles.
On the other hand, Rob and Kevin provide the 'regular guy' perspective that most any average guy could at least listen to and possibly relate to. Rob's a phone company worker by day and heavy metal band member and DJ at other times. Kevin is a family man who has been wearing legwear very openly for years and has become a much more vocal advocate lately--as has Rob. (Thanks guys, I can ALWAYS use the help)
As it happened, Kevin was trying to contact me when she was setting up the show--especially since a segment with Chan Kraemer of eMANcipate had fallen through. Unfortunately, I was on vacation with my family in North Carolina and more or less out of touch with the outside world. They were looking to have me be a guest on the show, but it just wasn't to be. No matter, because these guys were great representatives for all the rest of the guys out there who wish there were more understanding among the media and public perceptions.
It was very refreshing to hear Bridgette, a well-known fashion and radio personality, speak to the double standard that has long existed with respect to what women can wear versus what men can wear.
Make sure to listen to the interview. It can be accessed here:
Again, great job guys!
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Men Don’t Need Compression Stockings and Support Hose or Do They? | Compression Stockings & More
Reprinted from: Compression Stockings and More
Why Don’t Men Need Compression Stockings?
By Gregory
Because Guy’s legs…
■ Don’t get tired or achy from standing or sitting for long periods of time
■ Don’t swell (edema)
■ Don’t get varicose veins or spider veins
■ Don’t have any risk of deep vein thrombosis (blood clots)
■ Don’t have any risk of venous issues
■ Don’t get circulation problems in the veins
This all sounds pretty silly doesn’t it? Nevertheless... it is of course all not true. Wouldn’t it be awesome if this was actually all true and we could always be a beacon of health and have strength like Superman?
Unfortunately for many of us things don’t go that way. Men and women alike may have to deal with some or all of the above stated conditions and discomforts at some time of their life. It is also pretty clear that the longer one ignores seemingly minor symptoms like achiness, tiredness, mild swelling or smaller varicose veins the worse things may become as time marches on.
Many men try to be real “Macho” when they get an ache or pain and just suck it up. However, with some things just sucking it up or dealing with it may not be the best course of action. When it comes to venous issues preventative care and treatment measures for more minor symptoms and conditions could really make a difference. Taking action early on could prevent more serious and agonizing problems that may likely occur down the road if things are left unattended.
The point I am trying to get to here is that men can benefit from wearing compression and support hosiery just as much as women. Men definitely need to pay attention to their leg health too. We only get one pair and they have to last us a life time. Most of us make sure our cars get regular care and maintenance but many men tend to neglect caring for their legs and in particular their leg veins.
Before you think about shopping for compression stockings or support pantyhose you do need to discuss your symptoms with your physician. He will also be able to help you determine which level of graduated compression or support hosiery you will need. Before you can purchase compression hosiery you will have to accurately measure your legs for proper sizing and fit of your compression stockings.
For additional information please also read our posts…
Can Real Men Wear Compression Stockings?
NYLON GENE NOTE: I really enjoyed the author's little bit of facetiousness in pointing out the inconsistencies in we men's outlook on wearing something that could have such a huge beneficial impact on our health.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Is Spanx Considering a Line of Mantyhose?
“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...
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...
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
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Polls Closed: It's 'Miller Time!'... (Mantyhose at the Booth)
 |
After 16 hrs. on my feet, it's time to hoist a pint and celebrate 'democracy in action'. |
Turnout was 'moderate' in Ohio, as they said on the news. For us, that meant about 1,000 voters in our precinct. I served as a machine judge, meaning that I was one of those people who lead you to your electronic voting machine and prepare it to accept votes.
As such, virtually all the voters who came through the precinct had a chance to see the emerging men's legwear trend firsthand. Many hardly even seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary, while many others took a glance or two at my considerably darker tan legwear and proceeded on with their business, or our conversation, with hardly a sign of anything they considered radically out of the norm.
Many friends and acquaintances came through the precinct, too. However, at least half or more of those have become aware of men's legwear through past conversations or news media activities of mine. So, they wouldn't be expected to behave as if there were anything out of the norm anyways.
As regular readers will recall, this is far from the first time I've worked the polls on Election Day, nor is this the most noticeable style of legwear I've worn while working. Last fall (November 2009) saw me wearing black legwear with black shorts--with nearly the same lack of concern over it from the public who were in attendance. (See previoius Nylon Gene posting for details).
My reason for recounting my experience here is to further encourage those guys who have been wearing legwear for some time, but are still trying to work up the nerve to wear it more openly. As evidenced by this experience and others like it, no one is going to chastise you for wearing legwear with your outfit. As long as you stick to well matched clothing that is otherwise masculine in appearance, you'll be more than fine if you decide to give it a try.
Let us know here about your experiences... good? bad? indifferent?...
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Walking Mantyhose Advertisement at Amusement Park
I've long ago discovered that in most settings, other people don't readily notice when I'm wearing suntan-colored hose with shorts. The color blends in well enough with my skin tone that few people notice, unless they have reason and opportunity to focus on my legs for more than a second or two. (That does seem to be changing a bit, but more on that in another post). In any event, wearing suntan pantyhose (or, mantyhose, if you will) with shorts to an amusement park full of the biggest, fastest roller coasters in the U.S., as well as tens of thousands of other people, does NOT get noticed.
Sooo, if you're an active advocate for men's legwear such as I am, you might wear something like the T-shirt that I wore to Cedar Point when we went last Friday. As I've said, wearing skintone hose with shorts isn't likely to get noticed among the crowds making their way through the park or the lines for rides. However, it's another case entirely you underscore it with the shirt pictured here. For those who may have trouble reading the graphic, here's what it says (below the ActivSkin logo and URL):
Changing Hearts & Minds... From Pantyhose, to MANTYHOSE!
- Warmth-Without-Bulk for Athletes & Outdoorsmen
- Enhanced Leg Circulation for Energizing Support of Tired, Achy Legs
- Muscle Compression for Improved Performance & Stamina
- Protection Against Chafing & Blisters for Horseback Riders and Others
Of course, the first thing readers will want to know is how people reacted to my 'walking advertisement'? (BTW, my son wasn't bothered by it at all, he was merely making a casual observation when he said it). In a nutshell... nothing. They didn't. I could tell a certain amount of people with whom we waited in line (for all those hours) were checking to see whether I was wearing what my T-shirt was promoting. Yet no sign of disapproval or disdain could be detected, even when they weren't aware I noticed that THEY had noticed. Nor were there any whispered comments from behind, accompanied by giggling or snickering. I was paying attention to the reactions of others, and not a single person gave any evidence of negativity.
What's the 'take home' from all this? Basically, that people are slowly becoming more aware of the growing mantyhose trend, and when they encounter it, they don't really care if a guy's wearing hose or not. Mind you, I was wearing them in an undeniably masculine context, meaning that the other clothing I wore was typical 'guy clothes' and didn't call into question my masculinity. I can't speak to how people might react to someone dressing in a less-than-masculine outfit along with a pair of pantyhose. But then again, we're exploring the emerging male pantyhose trend here on The Nylon Gene, not dressing in feminine clothing.
So, maybe you've been considering finding out what this new trend is all about, but are afraid of how it might be received by others. Hopefully, the experience I've shared above will help get you past that. As the T-shirt says, "Why Not Try A Pair Today?"
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The Politics of Mantyhose
[Steve's comment]: An interesting article here. I’ve been wearing pantyhose or tights for about 10 years or so—-primarily for improved leg circulation, but along the way have found them to have other benefits as well. There've been dozens and dozens of articles on the rise of men's pantyhose over the past 8 or 9 years, but not that many scratch below the surface of the issue as this one does.
In the recent past, I've worked for a leading company that produces men's pantyhose, or 'mantyhose'. As such, I've developed a fairly popular blog (The Nylon Gene, www.nylongene.com) and have posted many articles asking such questions as why there's such a disparity between the way 'cross-dressing' is treated when it's a man versus a woman who's doing the crossing over. For instance, everyone thinks its ‘cute’ or sexy when a woman wears a man’s shirt or boxer briefs—or if she’s wearing a necktie or power suit, she’s not typically ridiculed for it. But, let a man wear something that’s in the least bit associated with ‘feminine’ and he’s laughed at, ridiculed, and treated with so much disdain and scorn as to make most guys afraid to so much as pick up a piece of women’s underwear for any reason at all.
So, you’ve got to ask yourself, why the difference? It seems that maybe the idea of a woman wearing men’s wear is seen as ‘reaching up’ to take on the air of the ‘superior gender’—while a guy wearing something associated with women’s wear (in this case, pantyhose) the negative reaction makes it seem as though he is ‘lowering himself’ to the level of the inferior sex. Mind you, I don’t subscribe to that notion—just making the observation. And, as was asked at the end of the article, why is it that some wives and girlfriends of those men who aren’t afraid to wear hose more disturbed by it than the men? Is there a certain inferiority complex ingrained in the women that makes them do that? Or, is it just recognition that society makes that judgment on the relative merit of male vs female, and they don’t want their guy getting degraded?
While many guys will take a ‘live and let live’ attitude towards men’s pantyhose, it’s interesting to note that the guys who DO get really stoked about it (‘he oughta have is ass kicked…’) sound like the ones who are most likely to consider women to be an inferior species.
I do value the differences between the sexes, and believe that men should be men and women should be women—just as God intended us to be. However, I don’t agree that pantyhose (other than the name, maybe) should be considered to be an inherently female garment. I also don’t believe that anyone should consider male or female to be superior to the other. Different DOES NOT equate to better/worse. Each has their own gifts and burdens and those should be embraced. But, wearing pantyhose or not, does not matter, if you like wearing them.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Puttin' on the Spanx (Shapers for Men)
Here's my $0.02 worth, which I posted as a comment below the article on the Telegraph website:
Thanks for reporting on this, Mike. Spanx probably has a prototype in her basement for the lower half for us guys, too. However, she's too late on that count, as ActivSkin's already beaten her to it with their full support 'mantyhose'. You can find them at http://www.activskin.com/.
I've been maintaining a blog called The Nylon Gene for the past year or so, which documents the emerging men's legwear trend and how it's gradually catching on--albeit on the sly underneath the average guy at the office's trousers. See more at www.nylongene.com and let me know what you think.
Friday, June 25, 2010
The Stupidest Men's Products Ever Invented (PICTURES)
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."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."
Monday, June 21, 2010
TIM Male Legwear, from Bulgaria, Is Latest Entry to Mantyhose Market
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.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Get Ready to Kiss Cargo Shorts Bye-bye
From a men's legwear perspective, there's little question it looks much better when paired with shorts that fit the wearer's body style, and size, appropriately. As many readers will certainly attest, it can be very difficult to find shorts that do this, when most of them are tailored more akin to clown pants. While I, myself, do in fact wear cargo shorts (as can be seen in the photo at right), I always go for those that fit well, and aren't excessive in the number of pockets, zippers, etc. I will probably wear them less often once these cleaner styles start becoming more available in stores.
For what it's worth, I posted the following comment on the article's webpage:
I'm sure I'm not alone in welcoming the demise of the ridiculously oversized, so-called 'shorts' that have been the scourge of menswear for nearly a decade or more. I'm about 5'-7" and have always had the hardest time finding shorts that look halfway decent on me, since they look huge even on larger guys.
The cleaner lines will be a huge improvement on the clothes we can wear in warm weather, now. They'll also be accentuated by another emerging trend that's slowly gaining some sway on the edges of men's fashion. That is, men's legwear. I've been a publicist for a company that's been selling sheer and opaque tights for men (aka, mantyhose) for more than 10 years.
Sometimes misconceptions get in the way of understanding, but the guys who are wearing them are basically regular guys who wear them for leg support and like the way they improve their look. Not so much about the wild patterns that often get featured in news articles, this trend is more about subtle shades that closely match skintone and will also add to the smooth lines referred to in the foregoing article.
I'd like to hear from you readers out there. How do you feel about the slimmer style shorts discussed in the article. What about the big, baggy style? Anybody going to be pining for them once they disappear? Also, one thing I noticed about the photos accompanying the article were that the guy pictured had very hairy legs. Of course, that's not going to work well with sheer hosiery--so it'll be necessary to at least closely trim leg hair if you're among those with lots of dark hair. In my mind, this would probably be a good idea even if the wearer weren't going to wear legwear. What do you think? Monday, March 29, 2010
Mantyhose: What It's NOT--What It IS...
I posted a comment on an article on "Men In Tights" on Mancouch.com (a blog about stuff guys like) today. With all the buzz going on these days about the topic of men's legwear, I thought my comments might be useful to repost here on The Nylon Gene. They may prove useful in helping those who read superficial treatments of the men's legwear trend get past some of the misconceptions out there...
We generally fear, or mock, that which we don't understand. So let's take a look at what 'mantyhose' IS and what it's NOT (generally speaking):
In general, it's NOT what's pictured on the guy standing in front of the Eiffel Tower, pictured at right. That's definitely something that's pretty far out there on the fringe of things. It doesn't represent what the vast majority of guys who wear legwear want to wear.
It's also NOT a gay thing. From what I've read on a variety of blogs and forums, gay men for the most part feel about the same way about pantyhose as the stereotypical woman does. They don't like them and don't want to wear them.
It's NOT an attempt to revert back to fashions of the 1700s. If it's sometimes pointed out that men were the ones who wore the tights in the Middle Ages, it's only to illustrate that they're NOT exclusively a female garment.
It's NOT a secret desire to cross dress, either. Guys who are wearing the male hosiery on the market today (which does come with a fly, BTW) aren't typically combining it with other female items to start dressing as a woman.
It IS a recognition that men are as likely as women to have tired, achy legs due to poor circulation, and that support hosiery provides relief if worn consistently. Sometimes they're worn under jeans or other pants--sometimes they're worn with shorts. Sometimes they're in virtually invisible colors that closely matches skintone--sometimes they're worn in more visible colors like black or dark grey.
It IS a way to attain added warmth beneath outer clothing without the added bulk of long johns or sweatpants. Some guys can live with long johns, others prefer the thin fabric that moves with them.
It IS a way for athletes (especially runners and cyclists) to keep the chill off the legs when they first go outside--yet avoid overheating after their body temperature rises with exercise.
It IS also a way for those athletes to enhance stamina somewhat with the moderate muscle compression provided by support styles of hosiery.
It IS a garment worn for fashion in some cases, in that guys are recognizing they can successfully add them to a masculine outfit if properly coordinated (i.e., not as shown in the photo above, by the Eiffel Tower).
However, for the most part, it IS something generally worn for more functional purposes. For my part, I initially started wearing tights or sheer hose for leg support. But after a few years I recognized I didn't want to give up wearing shorts for good, just because I needed to wear support-style hosiery to keep my legs from aching. I've been wearing them openly among friends and colleages for years now, and nobody questions my manhood because of it.
If you're a basically masculine guy in the first place, wearing legwear doesn't detract from it. Yet, if you're an effeminate guy it doesn't matter if you wear a Rambo outfit--you'll STILL look like a girly-man. (anybody here old enough to remember Michael Dukakis wearing the tank commander helmet during the 1988 presidential campaign?)
As with most everything, there are no absolutes. The foregoing statements represent the bulk of men who wear legwear today. Yes, there will be a few who will wear ostentacious patterns and colors out in public with shorts. Yes, there are gay men who wear pantyhose and like them. Yes, there are certainly cross dressers who wear pantyhose with their outfits, too. But, by and large those are NOT representative of the majority of men wearing nylon legwear--and on behalf of them I hope to shed a bit of light on the subject. Hopefully, this will cause more writers to stop and take a more reasoned approach to the "mantyhose question".
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Mantyhose & the 3 Secret Weapons for Entrepreneurs
Renee and Don Marton published an article on the Huffington Post on March 4th, entitled "Three Secret Weapons for Entrepreneurs". In reading it, I couldn't help but mentally evaluate how well ActivSkin Legwear models these weapons in their business model. The three weapons listed were: ...
Finding Underserved Niche
ActivSkin's underserved market is men who suffer from poor leg circulation--cramps, achy/tired legs, feeling of 'heaviness'. Although men are as likely as women to suffer from these complaints, there has not been a product analogous to support pantyhose (thus far) available to men. Yet, wearing support hosiery has a beneficial effect on this condition, and can prevent it from getting worse, too. Because of the nearly insurmountable association of sheer legwear and tights with women's wear, and the fact that no male products have been widely marketed prior to ActivSkin, men have been forced to just 'suck it up' and not complain too much about how their legs feel. That is, until the pain or discomfort gets so bad their doctor prescribes medical-grade hosiery--which everyone finds to be too hot, too tight, too expensive and too uncomfortable.
Buck The Conventional Widsom
ActivSkin certainly bucks the Conventional Wisdom, which says, "tights/pantyhose are for women ONLY!" ActivSkin has been in business for 10 years now, and has grown nearly every year since its inception. That shows that the conventional wisdom is mistaken, when it comes to men wearing this sort of legwear for legitimate, practical reasons. The CW also says that men wouldn't wear pantyhose or tights--even if they're beneficial--out of fear of being negatively labeled by peers. However, despite an uphill battle in the beginning, we've perservered and those mistaken misconceptions are slowly, but surely, fading away. Some men are still tentative about this emerging trend, but every month more and more are willing to give it a try--and once they do, many decide their leg health overrides those misplaced fears... A few even venture out wearing them with shorts--like myself.
Spot a Trend and Pounce 
Steve Katz, the founder of ActivSkin spotted a trend years ago when he discovered an online discussion board at the leggs.com website. Surprisingly, the bulk of discussion was being carried on by... men. Most notably, these men were focused on how they had discovered that women's support pantyhose provided definite, practical benefits to those with leg circulation problems. Others noted how they were also a good base layer beneath clothing for added warmth without the bulk of long johns. This discovery led him to circulate a survey exploring this hidden trend further, and ultimately led to the formation of ActivSkin (originally marketed under the brand name, Comfilon).
The company was a success from the beginning, finding enough customers for this underserved niche to maintain and grow the business for the past 10 years. ActivSkin still works to 'get over the hump', achieving breakout status, but believes it to be within reach. The current economic conditions in the U.S. and around the world continue to depress sales in all market sectors. However, ActivSkin has been able to hold its own despite being a small company. One additional entrepreneurial weapon that the Sarah Blakelys of the world need is perserverance--the ability to stay the course until the right combination of factors can launch you to the next level. And, that's what ActivSkin has demonstrated all along.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
History of Hosiery
I am reprinting information here that was gathered together by Christopher James, a young graphic designer who also happens to share a great interest in men's legwear. Chris has a website, called Graphic Illusions, to showcase his work, and has recently added a "Leg-Gear" page to his site. I included a brief mention of Chris in my recent Examiner article (Male Tights-Wearers Gaining New Sense of Confidence), and I'm hoping to do a profile of Chris a little later on. For now, I just wanted to reprint the great information he's pulled together--mostly from Wikipedia. Although Wiki-info can sometimes be of suspect accuracy, I can attest to many of the facts cited herein, and believe all of it to be sound. Read on ...
How many people know that men were the first to wear pantyhose?
Centuries ago men wore hand knitted stockings made of wool. In 1589, William Lee of Calverton, Notts, invented the first Knitting Frame. Excited about his invention, Richard Parkyns (a member of the Parliament for Nottinghamshire) arranged for William to meet Henry Carey and Lord Hunsdon (members of Queen Elizabeth Privy Council).
With a pair of wool stockings to show what great work William’s new invention has done, they presented it to the Queen for approval. The Queen at first rejected the idea in consideration of what it would do to her poor subjects. It would bring them to ruin by depriving them of employment, thus making them beggars.
The Queen turned to Lord Hunsdon and declared, “Had Mr. Lee made a machine which could give me silk stockings, I would perhaps been justified in granting him a patent”. Then looking at William she said “To enjoy the privilege of making stockings for everyone is too important to grant to any individual.”
Not giving up on the dreams William had for his invention he worked making and selling wool stocking until 10 years later when he had finally perfected his invention to knit silk stockings. Unfortunately the Queen passed away in 1603, a bit too late for William to present his improvements.
William took his invention and moved to France where he met the De Caux brothers, and drew up a very complicated but precise contract in partnership for the manufacture of stockings made from silk and wool.
Tights were made as a close fitting garment for men of nobility such as King Henry VIII of England, the material would be made of silk or wool, rather than the coarser fabrics used by the so called “lower classes”.
The technology remained reasonably the same, until the 1930’s when a new circular knitting machine meant garments could be made in one piece, and no longer needed to be sewn together. A man named Julian Hill discovered that by pulling a heated rod from a mixture of coal, tar, water, and alcohol, he could create a filament that was strong, sheer, and silk-like in appearance. Further research led research led to the first synthetic fiber, which soon came to be known as Polymer. In 1937, Du Pont patented his discovery.
At the World’s Fair in New York in 1939, synthetic fibers were first shown to the public. Taking the “NY” from New York, and adding “Lon” from London (the origins of stockings) came the word “Nylon”. The first Nylon stockings appeared in New York stores on May 15th, 1940. Women of course started wearing the newer, lighter, softer, nylon stockings and well over 72,000 pairs were sold in the first day alone, causing the Japanese silk market to collapse overnight.
In 1942, during World War II , nylon production was switched into tent and parachute manufacturing for the military forces. During this time, women who desired the look of wearing stockings would shave their legs and oftentimes draw a vertical line up the back of their legs to simulate the effect.
In 1953, Allen Grant Sr. of Glen Raven Knitting Mills developed a commercial equivalent named “Panti-Legs”, but didn’t introduce it to the markets until 1959. During this time another North Carolinian, Ernest G. Rice invented his own design (similar to what’s used today) and in 1956 submitted a patent titled "Combination Stockings and Panty".
It wasn’t until the 1960s that a combination of factors made them a veritable fashion necessity: improved manufacturing made them cheaper; spandex (or elastane) made them more comfortable; and the miniskirt made thigh-high stockings obsolete.
After the 1980’s pantyhose sales to women started to fall, as they began to prefer the “bare-legged” fashion. Pantyhose where no longer required in many workplaces as part of the female dress code. While sales remain low today by comparison, alternative styles are seeing growth. Fishnets, patterns and colors, opaque tights, low-rise, footless shape wear, and pantyhose for men.
About 14 years ago, L'eggs introduced an online discussion board on their website. Although intended for women, they soon discovered that the majority of respondents were men discussing the fact that they wore women's pantyhose. More surprising was that the reasons given were practical, legitimate uses such as leg support, added warmth, and so forth. More recently, L'eggs has done research and discovered that nearly as many men enjoy buying, and wearing their product as women. Currently, there are many companies, worldwide, making or selling pantyhose for men, sometimes referred to as 'mantyhose'.
Some of these are:
* ActivSkin
* Aries
* Doyeah
* Ela
* Levee
* Collanto
* Emilio Cavallini
* Gerbe
* Levee WoMan
* Lexwear
* Legwear 4 Men
* Lida
* TIM
* Shapings.com
* Hosiery Museum
* Luxelegwear
* Hosieria
Some examples of men today who wear pantyhose are:
NFL football players (who wear them under their uniforms for warmth); Hunters/Campers often wear them for warmth and to protect against ticks and other insects; Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have worn them under their uniforms for protection against sand fleas; Men with varicose veins or other circulatory problems often wear support pantyhose in lieu of medical hose to improve blood circulation.
There are thousands of men in the U.S.--as well as overseas--wearing pantyhose for hundreds of reasons. Men have been wearing pantyhose since the invention of stockings, and men are still wearing pantyhose today.
Many decades have passed since women have taken over legwear fashion, and men are finally taking back what was originally theirs. Although not really "taking back," since we don't want to be selfish... Women look great in hosiery, too... Men just want to show the world that tights and pantyhose are indeed a unisex article of clothing.
[Thanks, Chris, for assembling a great piece on legwear history. -Steve]
Friday, February 12, 2010
Examiner.com: Male Tights-Wearers Gaining a New Sense of Confidence
Just a quick little heads up for any Nylon Gene readers that may have missed it: I published a new article yesterday on The Examiner. It's titled: "Male Tights-Wearers Gaining a New Sense of Confidence." In it, I spotlighted a few of the men who are beginning to shed the old reluctance guys have often felt in the past about acknowledging to anyone that they wore tights or hosiery. The reluctance arose from a fear of insinuation that they might secretly be a cross dresser, when in reality they wear them for completely practical reasons like leg support or added warmth, etc. Guys like these in the article are who are going to make a difference in changing public perceptions of men's legwear. Read it and send these guys some kudos!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Charnos Launching a Men's Legwear Line?
Yes, you read that right. Unfortunately, it was a misunderstanding, Charnos--the British women's hosiery company--is not actively planning to launch a men's line of nylon hosiery. The notion surfaced late last week as a result of a Twitter conversation between the owner of the SheerGeek blogsite and Charnos Hosiery, which I picked up on with TweetDeck and chimed in with my own $0.02. (Click on the preceding link to see the complete conversation on SheerGeek's website)...
In a nutshell, Charnos posted the following on Twitter: "Tweet us your height, and what size hosiery you usually wear (S,M,L,XL)"
SheerGeek replied with, "When can we expect to see you enter this growing market?"
To which, Charnos replied, "We actually are testing the mantyhose market as we tweet! One of our tights testing team is a male: http://bit.ly/8HZsDP"
Well, you can imagine how many bells and alarms a bit of information like this is likely to set off. Many of the thousands of men currently wearing tights and sheer legwear are wishing to see an established major hosiery company launch a men's line, and thus would probably inundate them with calls and emails.
However, I don't know if this happened. I emailed them to inquire further, with the thought of writing an Examiner article on the topic after obtaining further information. Shortly thereafter, the following was posted to SheerGeek's blog by Ali Maynard of Charnos:
"Great to hear you are a fan of Charnos hosiery, but just to clarify Charnos is not going into the 'Mantyhose' market but we are really pleased to know that there are men out there who also love to wear Charnos hosiery.
Our resident male tights tester, Dan, is simply testing our existing range with a male perspective.
Thanks."
So, there you have it. It would seem, according to Charnos anyway, that they have no current plans to get into the 'mantyhose' market anytime soon. That's probably just as well, since we can't necessarily expect any of the large hosiery makers to cater much to a market that--while growing considerably--is still only a small percentage of the women's hosiery market. I still believe men who wear legwear are best off supporting the companies, like ActivSkin, who have been there from the beginning, working to provide what men are looking for and not trying to drive the market somewhere it doesn't want to go.
Still, this whole episode strikes me as rather strange. A Tweet was posted that DID say, "We are actually testing the mantyhose market as we tweet!" An odd way to phrase it if all they were doing is getting a male perspective on women's pantyhose. It could be there's more than meets the eye, and this was some sort of 'trial balloon'.
It is encouraging that a major hosiery maker acknowledges the fact that men do wear their products--as evidenced by their including one on their testing team. We'll see what happens...
[Follow Steve's Tweets on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/newmansa]
Friday, January 29, 2010
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]
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