THE PUBLIC EYE

THE PUBLIC EYE

The author has recently discovered not only the existence of Spanx, but that there are Spanx for Men, and... that there is even such a thing as 'mantyhose'! Read and enjoy...

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Walking Mantyhose Advertisement at Amusement Park

About a week ago, my family and I took a little day trip to Cedar Point Amusement Park here in Ohio, with another family with whom we're good friends. While there I was, in the words of my 14-year old son, "a walking advertisement" for mantyhose in general, and ActivSkin in particular. It wasn't so much the legwear I wore for the trip--it was the T-shirt. 

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

Why Not Try A Pair Today?

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?"

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The Origin of the Name "Nylon"

I received the following article from a Nylon Gene reader, in response to discussion and comments on the previous post titled, "History of Hosiery". Apparently, the popular story of it arising from a contraction of the letters 'NY' for New York, and 'LON' from the first three letters in London, is nothing more than a popular legend. Here's a reprint of the article, written by William B. Jensen, a Chemistry professor at the University of Cincinnnati, OH.

The story of the development of nylon and the tragic suicide of its discoverer, Wallace Hume Carothers (1896–1937), are well known. Nylon’s importance as a landmark in the evolution of commercial synthetic polymers is uncontested and its preparation is still used as a demonstration in introductory chemistry courses. Consequently, it comes as a disappointment that its name is totally devoid of both chemical and historical significance and was selected, not by the chemists involved in its synthesis, but by the managers and executives at Du Pont.

As detailed in Stephen Fenichell’s highly entertaining history of modern plastics and polymers, the more than 350 original contenders for the name of the new polymer included such choices as Amidarn, Amido Silk, Linex, Lastrapon, Moursheen, Poya, Rayamide, Syntex, Tensheer, and Wiralene. Among the more imaginative suggestions were Duparooh(short for “Du Pont pulls a rabbit out of the hat”), Dupron (short for “Du Pont pulls a rabbit out of nitrogen, nature, nozzle, or naphtha”), Delawear (Du Pont is headquartered in the state of Delaware), Duponese, and Wacara (short for Wallace Carothers).

Though the final choice of “nylon” has no intrinsic meaning, this has not prevented others from reading unintended interpretations into the name. Thus many of the visitors to the New York World’s Fair of 1939, where its discovery was first publicly announced, came away believing that it was named after the fair’s famous “Trylon” tower, whereas others believed it was a contraction of New York (NY) and London (LON). Reflecting the growing tensions between Japan and the United States shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War, the most bizarre interpretation came from a Japanese newspaper, which contended that Du Pont had developed the polymer for the explicit purpose of destroying the Japanese silk industry and that the name was an acronym for an anti-Japanese (Nipponese) slur.

(Chemical Education Today)

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If You Like The Nylon Gene...

I'd like to ask all my loyal Nylon Gene readers for a quick little favor. You may have noticed the little 'Blog Catalog' widget on the righthand side of the page (just below the 'Examiner' button). It's been there for quite awhile, and I should've pointed it out when I added it. Basically, if you like the blog, you can rate it using that pulldown located there. The ratings help boost The Nylon Gene's page rank with Blog Catalog, and others. Sooo... if you'd like to help promote this blog with me, just click on that little button. It'll only take a second. Thanks.

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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... ]

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A Positive View on Pantyhose... from a woman.

Sorry things have been so quiet here at The Nylon Gene for awhile. Steve Katz and I have been busy working up some ideas for refining the ActivSkin website, so I've not been as 'engaged' here on the net these past couple weeks. That being said, here's a link to an article from last week from a woman writer from the University of Cincinnati. It's entitled, "Pantyhose Benefit, Confine Fashionistas" Give it a read. It shows that there are women out there who haven't yet been indoctrinated to overlook the benefits that can be found in quality legwear.

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Happy Halloween!

Halloween's here, and today we'll see lots of people in costume. Some will go all out. Others--like me--just add a little something out of the ordinary, to shake things up a bit.

I've still got two kids of trick-or-treating age, and one of the other two are in the 'bordline' zone. All of them are old enough to go out without one of us parents going along. So, when Beggar's Night came this week, Mrs. Nylon Gene and I got to stay home and hold down the fort, passing out candy and seeing whether anyone did a double take at my legwear choice.

Legwear lends itself well to costumes, as was evident by observing all those who came to our driveway looking for candy. It used to be just about the only time males could wear tights or other hosiery without drawing odd glances. That, of course, has changed considerably these past several years, due in large part to advocacy activities of ACTIVSKIN and other sellers of men's legwear. Although most days, camo tights like these would probably draw at least a few comments, last night they didn't even warrant so much as a second glance.

OK, Kids... don't eat all of your candy at once...

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Steve Newman Interview on Blogging (WhoHub)

Please visit WhoHub to read an interview I've given on my experience with blogging, primarily with THIS blog, The Nylon Gene. Feel free to share it with friends or on Facebook/Twitter, etc.

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Bad News/Good News: ActivSkin Price Increases

OK, I've got good news and bad news. Which do you want first? (No, this isn't the setup for a stale joke). Here's the bad news: Price increases. ACTIVSKIN has kept prices steady for the past five years in the face of rising costs and shrinking margins. Suppliers have been faced with higher nylon and spandex costs and have wasted no time in passing those cost increases along to ACTIVSKIN. Shipping costs (from the mills) have risen, and packaging and office supplies have gone up considerably as well. Therefore, as of mid-October prices will go up pretty much across the board, to keep pace. What's the good news? Read on to find out...

Demand for products is still very strong, so ACTIVSKIN believes this price adjustment will be successful in the long term.

What this means for you, the customer, is that now is an ideal time to purchase the products you've been thinking of buying, but at a lower price than they you will see this time next month. Most products will go up around a dollar or two, depending on specific wholesale cost increases. Individually, this is not a lot, but the savings can be significant if you buy in quantity and act before it’s too late.

Gerbe luxury legwear wholesale prices went up a great deal, thus retail price increases will be more substantial than the other brands. ACTIVSKIN is not sure of the exact date of the increase, but anticipates it to be around October 15th.

Here's the good news: ACTIVSKIN is pleased to announce that Gerbe sheer Satin 20 knee-high socks--a very popular product that gets rave reviews from loyal followers--are now available in navy color. These sheer socks feature a reinforced heel and toe, comfortable top band, and a very nice finish. The support they provide is outstanding. So if you want to dip your toe into the luxury socks market and find out why Gerbe quality is worth the price ($16.99 per pair prior to the price increase), give this style a try. Gerbe products are virtually never returned by customers. Given the higher prices of these luxury items, you can be sure customers wouldn't hesitate to return them if they weren't happy with their purchase.

Plain and simple... Gerbe customers love Gerbe products.

To check them out, go to: http://www.comfilon.com/cataloggerbe.asp.

Last month ACTIVSKIN announced a new Style A560, which was identified as a sheer-to-waist pantyhose, with a fabric that was heavier than conventional sheer pantyhose but lighter than opaque tights. Some might call it, "semi-sheer." This new style provides full support with a very substantial amount of leg compression. Since it was introduced in August, sales of Style A560 have gone through the roof. The enthusiastic response took ACTIVSKIN by surprise! It was the most successful new product introduction in recent memory, surpassing even the phenomenal introduction of the A677 sheer pantyhose with fly opening. If you haven’t done so already, give A560 a try and see why so many customers love them! You can find them here: http://www.comfilon.com/catalogsheerpantyhose.asp.

It’s also time to start thinking about autumn and cool weather here in the temperate climes of the northern hemisphere. Style A866 support tights (and A876, which is identical but footless) are poised to be the most popular style going when those frosty mornings arrive. They glide well under trousers, provide good compression, and the fit is superb since they're so stretchy. They also feature a convenient but unobtrusive fly opening. Order yours now while all the sizes are still in stock at: http://www.comfilon.com/catalogoptights.asp.

For ACTIVSKIN customers in the southern hemisphere and other warm climates, consider our very popular A1730 STW all-nylon pantyhose. They're an excellent choice. http://www.comfilon.com/catalogsheerpantyhose.asp.

Happy wearing!

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My Story: A VERY Unusual Career Transition

Readers of The Nylon Gene have enjoyed my musings and rantings on the various aspects of men's legwear for the past six months or so. I thought you might find the story of how I got here in the first place to be of interest:

There are millions of stories, all around, of people whose lives have been upended as a result of the economic crisis we've been enduring in the U.S. for the past year or so. My personal tale is probably one of the more unusual career transitions you’ll hear of. Some may find it interesting or instructive. I went from civil engineer to men's pantyhose marketer almost overnight. That sentence alone is enough to get most people's heads to snap around. Read on…

March 2nd started out like most days at the engineering firm where I worked, until the department manager called me into his office and informed me that there were going to be layoffs--20% of the staff--and I was one of them. The company's fortunes had turned around drastically since December, when the year-end meeting had painted a not necessarily rosy picture, but a relatively sound one. My head was spinning as I began to clear out my office.

Fortunately, my wife and I had been making provisions for an undefined 'emergency' since the middle of the previous summer, so we were not without resources. We had saved about half of what we estimated we might need to sustain us with no other income for about 6 months, so we were glad we had made such decisions, despite not having had time to complete our preparation.

Previous experience taught us that six months is about what it takes to find new employment in good economic times. How long might it take given the dire circumstances facing the country in Spring 2009--and still today? I knew from conversations with colleagues that the civil engineering market was in dismal shape in Central Ohio. Many firms had been laying off engineers for several months, and several of my acquaintances had been unemployed since the previous October. So, prospects for finding an engineering position to replace my former one appeared grim. Where was I going to start looking first?

This is where my story takes a unique turn.

First, I need to provide some background information for those who are not familiar with how I came to be a legwear wearer. I had experienced leg pains and chronic 'heaviness' due to poor leg circulation since my late 30s. I’ve been wearing support hosiery at the recommendation of a doctor for more than 10 years. This has prevented the beginnings of varicose veins from advancing, and contributed significantly to my daily comfort level. Early on, I became aware of a company called Comfilon (later, ACTIVSKIN) that was launched in 1999 to sell the unheard of product, pantyhose and tights made for men. Since the support styles provide such good leg support, I became a customer and eventually befriended Steve Katz (the founder) and his wife, since Granville, where they are located, is only 35 miles from my home. Over the course of the years, I did a little 'pro bono' publicity work here and there, to help promote the emerging, but still small, trend of men wearing nylon hosiery for leg support or added warmth. I also did a bit of part-time work on the side in 2002-03.

Cut to the present... The day after I was laid off, I called Steve K. and asked if there were anything I could do to help out, and earn a little supplemental income to help us get through the job search period. We met for lunch the next day, and Steve informed me that the business had grown such that he needed someone to take over the marketing responsibilities, since they left him little time to attend to the many other tasks of running a business. Being already familiar with my writing abilities and enthusiasm for promoting men's legwear, he was eager to have me come aboard as his director of marketing.

Although the initial pay was less than I was making as an engineer, this offer had two major pluses going for it. First and foremost was that it was A JOB! Only two days after becoming unemployed in one of the worst economic downturns in recent history (never mind whether we call it a recession or a depression), I had found steady employment. Secondly, this opportunity afforded me the chance to pursue the rewards that can come from taking a small, but growing, company to a much higher level while at the same time advancing a trend that I truly believe in. There are many men like myself who complain of leg problems but don't realize their social programming is eliminating a solution that's right under their noses. If successful in my efforts, those men who have already taken the leap and tried men's support hosiery will be supported in their choice, rather than ridiculed for it.

Of course, there were minuses to consider also. If successful, I would be turning away from the engineering profession in which I had been educated and spent 25 years working. Since we have four children, two of whom will be entering college within the next few years, there was the issue of making do on a lower salary until such time the business experiences the sort of growth that will bring me closer to my former salary. Fortunately, this is where our prior prudence in preparing for a rainy day was crucial. The savings we had built up for such a purpose would allow us to supplement the lower income, so we could make ends meet. The decision to forego actively pursuing engineering jobs was aided by the recognition that I was probably not missing out on any plum job opportunities in the first place. That left the door open to pursue this challenging but exciting opportunity.

A secondary, but not insignificant, concern was my wife's feelings about it becoming general knowledge that "her husband wears pantyhose." Although I had made no secret about wearing legwear for leg health reasons, most of our friends and acquaintances were probably unaware because it just didn't come up in conversation on it's own. Even though I’ve often worn tan-colored hose with shorts in warm weather, they usually escape notice if one is not looking for them. Nevertheless, my wife feared that friends would harbor negative impressions of me--and her, by extension--if they became aware of it. My personal experience had shown me in no uncertain terms that most people who were aware of it did not jump to unsavory conclusions about cross-dressing and the like. They know and respect me, and generally assumed I wore them due to medical reasons, which is exactly why I do. However, no matter how much I shared this with Mrs. Nylon Gene, she had always had great difficulty accepting it as true.

Taking this new career path would not only present us with the uncertainties of making our way in the totally uncharted waters of a brand new product concept, which seemed to be on the verge of 'catching fire', but held no guarantees. It also presented my wife with the uncomfortable proposition of being thrust into the limelight over something that had previously been a source of embarrassment for her. The good news here is that all of her fears and misgivings were soon shown to be completely unfounded. Without exception, all of her/our friends were completely supportive of the idea (other than occasional musings from a few over whether it's wise to forego actively pursuing engineering work while pursuing this new direction). Most thought it has the potential to really take hold as men become more open-minded about adopting unorthodox solutions to improve wellness, and people continue to pursue wellness in favor of treatment.

The bottom line is that she witnessed firsthand the readiness of so many people to be open to this emerging trend, and the disappearance of negative connotations that may once have been more prevalent. Therefore, she was open to the prospect of me taking what is no doubt a radical change in career direction. Today, I wear them everywhere we go together--sometimes in darker shades such as black--and she has witnessed firsthand how people take men's legwear completely in stride. Nine months ago this would have filled her with dread. In fact, when I was scheduled to appear on a show Oprah was planning in January on the men's pantyhose trend, she was extremely relieved when it was canceled at the last minute due to a breaking news story. Today, however, she takes the publicity completely in stride.

So, it's been nearly seven months since I set out upon this unorthodox career transition. There have been many successes, and some disappointments. I'm still working diligently as the de facto ambassador of men's legwear, and it seems to be making a difference. It's been said that you should do what you love, and the money will follow. I love the work that I do, and that's a big plus. I believe the quote was from John D. Rockefeller. Let's hope he knew what he was talking about.

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An Interesting Blog Post: "Brand MAN-agement"

Nancy Friedman wrote a very interesting article last week entitled, "Brand MAN-agement." In it, she discussed how so many man-words and man-brands attempt to "masculinize activities and products usually marketed to women."

This, of course, is of interest to us here at The Nylon Gene, since much of our discussion centers around various aspects of the men's legwear trend, which has been dubbed 'mantyhose' by many in the popular press...

Although some of us here have debated whether use of the word, 'mantyhose' is a good thing or not, we can probably all agree it's not as bad as, 'man-pris' (capri pants for men), 'mandals' (men's sandals) and other verbal attrocities. Ms. Friedman even noted the emergence of the word, 'man-cession', which was documented by University of Michigan professor who is trying to make the point that male workers are hit harder during the current economic downturn. Nylon Gene readers will recall the July 5 post that shared the news that ACTIVSKIN was included in an online TIME Magazine Photo Essay on 'Man-cessories'--products coming into use by men that were formerly used primarily by women.

"Like manscaping, many man-words and man-brands attempt to masculinize activities and products usually marketed to women. The earliest example may be the manbag — a purse used by men — which first appeared in print in 1968 in, of all places, the Newark (Ohio) Advocate and American Tribune. 'The manbag is a natural progression in the men's wear revolution that started a short time ago with turtlenecks,' the paper informed its readers. (Turtlenecks!) The manbag (or murse) never became as ubiquitous as those Midwestern metrosexuals may have wished, but it never went away, either. Its survival may have been aided by the robustly male Chewbacca, who carried one in Star Wars. In any event, it exerted a linguistic pull on many other products formerly under the sway of the feminine mystique."

Why the rise of the 'man-word' of late? On the one hand, it seems to be a shorthand for men acting like (stereotypical) women in some isolated area, without the more socially-suspect act of trying to be a woman. Or, possibly an acknowledgement that men in the past have been too uptight about having anything to do with anything that smacks of the feminine, and today's guy is a bit more laid back about it.

"Back in the 1990s, TV's Seinfeld advanced the cause of man-fashion with the man-fur (worn by Elaine's boyfriend David Puddy) and the memorable mansierre, the bra invented by George Costanza's father to support men with, well, man-boobs. The mankini—a lime-green suspender-thong—worn by Borat in the eponymous 2006 movie spoofed not only stereotypical European swim attire but also the whole ?kini clan (bikini, tankini, monokini, trikini). The mankini was fictional, mostly (check Amazon for the $13.99 costume version), but mantyhose are quite real. Read all about them at e-MANcipate, whose goal is "to mainstream pantyhose for men." You may want to take along a pair or two on your next mancation—a term first heard in another 2006 film, The Breakup, and soon thereafter appropriated by a website (Mancation!) that offered all-guy getaways. The sorts of vacations where a dude can wear mandals—man-sandals—and his buddies won't snicker."

In any case, it doesn't seem that the 'man-word' is going anywhere soon, so we may as well get used to it. By the way, Nancy, you may want to update your article to include ACTIVSKIN and your friendly neighborhood mantyhose blog, The Nylon Gene... hmmm? [g]

BTW, Unfortunately, the full article is available only at Visual Thesaurus, which requires a subscription to gain access and read the article in its entirety. Don't scold me for posting a reference to something with restricted access. I signed up for a trial membership to VT so I could read it. Maybe you'll do likewise and find that you like VT enough to stay?

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Fall Legwear = Friday Night High School Football

One of the signs that Fall is here (unofficially) is that High School football is in full swing on Friday nights. Mrs. Nylon Gene and I went to watch our Hilliard Darby Panthers play Newark (OH), and also had the treat of seeing our 8th grader get to march with the band at halftime. It was middle school night. My purpose for writing of this in The Nylon Gene is because of the reaction of people in the stands to my wearing sheer black legwear to the football game (ACTIVSKIN Style A560, which are actually semi-sheer). The experience should be of interest to guys who already wear legwear. You'll never guess what happened...

NOTHING!... If you wear legwear, but worry that friends and acquaintances may accuse you of wearing women's wear--read on...

We arrived early, for the pregame festivities, although it was already fairly crowded in the stands. We walked around a bit, while we scanned the crowd for familiar faces. Finally we saw a couple of our kids' friends' moms and took a seat in front of them. While we made our way to the seats; sat and watched the game; waited in line at the concessions; or as I took my son's trumpet case to him after halftime; the black legwear was certainly in evidence. It's rather remarkable how few people took any notice at all, however, since a guy wearing sheer black legwear is still a fairly unusual sight. One might expect pointed stares from all quarters, and even some whispered comments--but that wasn't the case. But then again, I've come to expect little or no notice when I wear dark colored legwear. I should note that in my role as a leading men's legwear advocate, I primarily gravitate toward noticeable shades of legwear so that I can personally promote men's hosiery in my day-to-day activities, even when I'm not engaged in conversation about it. Despite this, a good many people take no notice at all when I'm wearing black or dark brown sheer hose with shorts.

That being said, there were a fair number at the game who did take some notice of my legwear. Most simply lingered momentarily with their gaze and moved on. A few stared a bit longer while trying to appear as if they weren't looking. Yet, to the best of my observations, none seemed to harbor negative thoughts about this novel attire. My perception of the predominant reaction was simply one of curiosity. This harmonizes with conversations on men's legwear I've had on many occasions with a wide variety of people.

For the benefit of guys who may be intimidated by someone noticing and staring at their legwear, it's important to remember the majority of people on the street have yet to be personally exposed to the existence of 'mantyhose' or men's legwear. However, there's a good chance they've read something about it, given the growing media coverage of late. The majority of these articles tend to dispel myths that would associate the new sheer and opaque tights for men with cross dressing and such.

Thus, when personally confronted with it for the first time, some may take a second look because it is something unexpected and out of the ordinary. It doesn't follow that they disapprove of what they see, nor that they think there's something 'wrong' with it. Think of the last time you saw a new model sports car with very unique styling. You probably turned your head to watch as it went by, and the driver didn't assume your stare was disapproving. It may have been... But one couldn't infer that just from the fact you were staring.

During my many travels while wearing dark-colored legwear with shorts, very few people actually stare at my legs. Those that do typically don't betray any negative perceptions with their faces, nor have I encountered any in my conversations about this growing trend. So it would seem that sheer and opaque tights for men have moved ever closer to the mainstream. The aforementioned media coverage has certainly raised public awareness of male legwear as a truly masculine option--establishing nylon legwear for men as a practical option to address a range of legitimate issues faced by men.

So, if you're one of the thousands who've been wearing male legwear for some time, but don't want to forego wearing shorts, take heart. Legwear for men is quickly moving toward the mainstream. You can wear your legwear openly while keeping your masculinity firmly intact.

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Chinese Interest in ActivSkin?

I've noticed that the ACTIVSKIN website has had more than 230 new visitors referred to us in the past month from http://zhidao.baidu.com/ This site appears to be some sort of Chinese version of eHow.com or Yahoo Answers. I learned that from using Google translate to get a rough translation of the main page. However, I can't find the question(s) that were posted referring to ACTIVSKIN, ComfiLon, or some other reference to men's legwear that would result in a link to www.activskin.com. Would one of our Chinese-speaking fans mind providing us with a link to the specific page on which ACTIVSKIN (or similar) was discussed, along with a translation. If it's too lengthy or cumbersome to post as a comment under this post, send it to my email and I'll take care of sharing it with the rest of the readers. Thank you in advance...

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New Packaging Idea for ActivSkin???...

A little Monday fun: Here's the latest packaging idea for ActivSkin. We'll put them in vending machines in all those businesses where people are on their feet all day long. We'll make a fortune! Yeah, that's the ticket...

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Mantyhose from 'The Land Down Under'

Last week, we hosted our visiting Australian ACTIVSKIN distributor, Ms. Teena Collins, in our offices. Teena was in the U.S. on other business, and while on this side of the planet decided to take advantage of an opportunity for us to all get better acquainted face to face. She manages the Australian ACTIVSKIN website, http://www.activskin.com.au/--used by many in that part of the world (including New Zealand) to order legwear and expedite shipping times...

The Australian ACTIVSKIN store carries all of the same products we carry here in the U.S., with the exception of Gerbe legwear. On occasion, when we receive orders from customers in that part of the world, we will refer them to Teena so they can receive their order sooner. She reciprocates as well, when the occasional order from North America makes its way to her. Since we're all part of the same team, we like to cooperate in a way that will serve our customers the best overall.

We had a very enjoyable visit with Teena and wish her the best when she returns home. If you are reading this from that part of the world and were concerned about shipping costs or times from the U.S., please don't let that dissuade you. Contact Teena at ACTIVSKIN Australia and patronize her store.

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FWIW: Pantyhose - Not Just For Women Anymore

In the For What It's Worth Department, a faux motivational poster is telling us basically what we've been saying on The Nylon Gene all along, albeit with tongue in cheek. One thing is evident though, the idea of legwear for men is out there among the 'marketplace of ideas' and it is attracting attention. The other thing is that we definitely don't take ourselves so seriously here that we can't take a little light-hearted ribbing. While we're at it though, maybe we Nylon Gene readers can slip over to the motivatedphotos.com site and vote up this poster? Each one has a place where you can vote either "Motivator" or "Demotivator". Let's let them know this one's a motivator!

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How Pantyhose Are Made

Some of you may have seen this before, but it's a very interesting video showing the production process for manufacturing nylon/spandex pantyhose. One thing that differs in the production of ActivSkin men's legwear is the addition of the fly opening. That feature adds several additional steps that are difficult to automate. This video was made at a facility producing women's pantyhose... maybe the next time we're making a visit to ActivSkin production facilities we can make a video showing this operation as well.

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How to Temporarily Stop a Run in Your Mantyhose or Tights | eHow.com

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While the above linked blog post was written mainly to an audience of women--who are probably mostly already aware of this technique--I thought it might be a useful item to share with the guys here on The Nylon Gene, especially if you're new to wearing hosiery. You may not have the slightest idea what to do if/when this happens to you.

If you're wearing ACTIVSKIN legwear with shorts--despite how durable we try to make it--some time you'll look down and see a 'run' (Europeans call them 'ladders') starting to go up or down your leg. Just do what's described in the linked article and you can (hopefully) stop it from becoming too noticeable. Just don't waste any time getting to it. A lot of times, once runs start they can get worse pretty quickly. It doesn't hurt to have some clear nailpolish handy somewhere.

Oh yeah... and if your hose look like the photo above, better just give up on 'em.

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Happy Father's Day!

I hope our readers had a happy Father's Day. I went on a 57-mile bike ride with two of my sons. Whoaa! I finished it, but definitely saw the value of training beforehand. I was wearing ACTIVSKIN A677 (support style) hose, and that could've been the difference between me being able to finish or not.

The three of us rode 17 miles on the local Rails to Trails path, and then we dropped Connor, my 13-year old off at home before Sean (my 15-year old) and I continued for the remainder of the day. Last year, I had been riding my bike a lot, and he was a year younger, so I was the one setting the pace.
A lot can change in a year's time, though! This year, I've not been out on my bike hardly at all and I'm yet another year older. He, too is another year older, but somehow it seems to be working for him :-).

Anyways, he set the pace this year and I was lagging. After lunch, when the food kicked in, I got back up to speed. But by the time we were on the return leg, I was hoping I had it in me to finish. My leg cramped up only one time over the duration, and I credit the compression provided by the ACTIVSKIN to keeping me from much worse occurrences. I feel certain I wouldn't have been able to pull this off without any real training or preparation.

Don't try this at home, Dads. If you're going to do something like this, make sure and build up to it. I hope someone who loves you bought you some ACTIVSKIN this year!

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Using LinkedIn - Building Your Network

I've maintained a profile on LinkedIn for several months, now--ever since a colleague of mine sent me an invitation to 'join his professional network'. Although I signed on and created the profile, I have only gradually begun to learn how best to use this latest version of the social media networks that are sweeping the online landscape lately. This past Wednesday that changed when I attended a workshop to learn, "The Essentials You Need to Use LinkedIn"...

The workshop, sponsored by the local (Hilliard, OH) Chamber of Commerce and led by Sandy Blanquera of Social Boomerang, was very informative. It was held in a technical institute training site, with computers available for all participants, so we could modify our profiles as we listened to Ms. Blanquera's recommendations. I brought my laptop, as you can see above. And no, I wasn't the only male in the room. It just looks that way from the perspective of the photo above. As you can see from the other one, there were other men in attendance.

As a result of what I learned, I've updated my profile to better represent what I currently do or specialize in. I've also been working diligently on expanding my network of connections. One of the important things about that is that it enables members to respond to one another's needs for infomation, etc. The more you offer to help someone in your network, the more likely they are to remember this some day when you are searching for infomation, or someone who can help you with what you are trying to achieve.

For me, since the success of ActivSkin rests a great deal on spreading the word about the benefits of this new trend in men's wear, and publicizing the fact that so many men are beginning to embrace it, this sort of networking is very helpful in getting the word out to various media representatives looking for content for their newspapers, magazines, TV shows and blogs. LinkedIn can be used in conjunction with Twitter to make a wider number of people aware of the existence of The Nylon Gene blog. The more people who are aware of it, the more who have the opportunity to receive unadulterated information--uncluttered by some of the baggage that obscures relevant conversation about men's legwear. In the absence of thoughtful, in-depth information, media attention can instead turn in the direction of superficial and inane. The best way to prevent this is to make our information as widely available as possible.

Yesterday's post talks about the Bit.Ly URL shortener for use in conjunction with Twitter, and encourages my readers to engage in frequent conversations on Twitter about our topics. I've also added a toolbar at the upper righthand corner of the page with a link to my LinkedIn profile. I would encourage you to visit it, and don't be bashful about sending me a request to join your network. It doesn't matter that we've not met personally, just mention in the accompanying message that you know me from The Nylon Gene.

See you on LinkedIn!...

P.S., You'll notice from the photos that I wore black sheer hose to the workshop (ActivSkin Style A677). Those who are still concerned over what people may think when they notice you're wearing nylon hosiery should take note of this. I make it a fairly regular practice to attend outside business meetings dressed similarly to this (maybe a dressier shirt in some cases), and I never encounter negative reactions or feedback. I do this primarily to raise awareness of the emerging men's legwear trend, but those who wear skintone legwear, or only under long pants, should take heart that they need not worry about unfavorable reactions from others--even if the do happen to notice (which most do not).

The lady to my left in the last picture can be seen looking at my legs. Some men who are not confident in themselves may become uncomfortable with this. But you should keep in mind that any time someone wears an out-of-the-ordinary style, people will look. Looking is not equivalent to disapproval. Think about how you react when you see something out of the ordinary. You tend to look a little longer, to check it out. Then you move on. The same is to be expected when someone wears dark colored legwear. However, I've become accustomed to the fact that it is generally just curiosity, and use the opportunity to engage them in conversation if possible.

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