Tights from Emilio Cavallini
Some fads never make it from Europe to North America, but trend watchers are betting that men’s tights will overcome the odds. Last week, Victor Fiorillo from Philadelphia magazine waxed poetic about the women’s pantyhose he bought at a drugstore, noting that they’re warmer than long johns and would look good under ripped jeans.
Pantyhose for men, or “mantyhose,” were spotted in Givenchy’s spring-summer 2010 show and are showing up in such on-line stores as We Love Colors (we found an affordable $8 version) and Italian hosiery designer Emilio Cavallini’s on-line boutique (which showcases more expensive pairs).
But who would wear them? Says one store owner, “They’ll be über-chic in the next year, even for hipsters riding their bikes in the winter months.” Ah yes, hipsters.
• Mantyhose: in defense of men’s tights [Philadelphia Magazine]
Christel – there are some really weird people around when it comes to this subject who have a life dominating obsession with tights, and I cannot blame anyone who wears tights say under jeans or running gear from wanting to distance themselves from this kind of fantasy world.
There are two equal and opposite reactions whenever men and tights is raised as a subject. One is the euphoria of the ‘oddballs’, and the other is an overreaction to the effect that a man in tights should either be beaten to pulp or hanged from the nearest lamp post! Outside of these silly and irrational extremes, there is room for a genuine range of opinion for, against and everything in between. All too often, things get more polarized than necessary. The sheer (sic) heat this generates is fascinating in its own right!
January 28, 2010 at 11:40 am | by NickIf I ever went out with a guy who wore those tights I would throw up.
January 28, 2010 at 12:09 pm | by shirley wilsonChristel,
I am not talking about ‘more or less appropriate customers’ here, it’s just that in our experience, there are many men who would consider wearing male tights for ‘normal’ reasons, i.e. as an everyday item of clothing, but who don’t want to be associated with the more extreme or fetishistic (if that’s a word!) aspects of wearing. We don’t want them to be alienated or frightened off by ‘extremists’. As Nick above points out, we are seeking to stay in the middle ground, and avoid the extremes. I (and no doubt, many of our customers) would be happy if men’s legwear was a non-subject, and as un-noteworthy as t-shirts or jeans (and it is heading in that direction), but it hasn’t got there yet, and silly, finger-pointing articles in the press don’t really help.
January 28, 2010 at 12:09 pm | by Legwear4MenThere is always the biblical prohibition against a ‘man putting on a woman’s garment’, but even though this influence has receded in the West, I think there is still an innate sense that this is wrong. You see this in comments that men wearing tights is ‘weird’ or ‘just plain wrong’, where the writer is only making an assertion and cannot articulate why it is wrong, but is sure it is. Men in sheer nylon is a step too far, and most women I reckon do not want any feminization of men, which this is perceived to be. They are not fooled by the exaggerated ‘benefits’ of wearing either.
January 29, 2010 at 10:29 am | by BankmanEven on sensible discussion forums, you see a schizophrenic attitude, in that men write of wearing tights whilst shopping etc. with ‘no hostile reaction’, but they cannot make up their minds as whether they want to be seen or not, and so have to support each other in overcoming the fear or what others think because this isn’t mainstream. Why the constant need to justify this? Their conscience is telling them something isn’t right about what they are wearing, a point emphasised by an unwillingess to use real names in case others find out.
I use my real name. I have nothing bothering my conscience either. I don’t make fake excuses to justify why I wear either. The reason I don’t wear my hosiery with shorts isn’t because I’m afraid to be seen in them. It’s not a fashion statement I’m trying to relay. It’s not a look I’m after and that’s it.
As far as buying at stores, I never needed encouragement from others to overcome any fear. I’ve always gone to the store and bought hosiery not caring if anyone saw me. I’ve been asked if I was buying for myself and I’ve always told them the truth because they were trying to be helpful. I can’t go on nature hikes without wearing support hosiery because my knees hurt extremely bad and will/have gone out on me. I have the hardest time walking downhill.
As far as wearing sheers, I don’t see a problem with it either. I wear sheer hosiery. I like the way tights and pantyhose feel. I’m not trying to look like a woman nor do I feel feminized in them. They are comfortable and I have a right to enjoy the comfort is the way I see it. My wife knows I wear and she doesn’t think I look feminized either. My kids, parents and close friends know I wear hosiery and there is no issue with it.
I know I don’t see the world in the same way many people do. I don’t see my preference for wearing pantyhose and tights as an attempt to crossdress. It’s a unisex product to me. That’s how I’ve always felt about it since I started wearing them. I guess if I were to start wearing lacey tights or ones with flower prints and stuff like that, I would feel like I was trying to feel feminine, but I don’t nor do I want to.
Anyhow, I just want people to know there are guys like me that are perfectly normal that wear hosiery. I speak up on commentaries like these to give equal argument to the irrational and negative comments left by others. If people read this stuff and see that normal guys wear hosiery they may understand we’re not freaks. The more guys that buy hosiery, the more companies enter the market, which lowers prices and delivers a wider selection of products. There is a demand for male hosiery hence money to be made.
January 29, 2010 at 1:38 pm | by MattBankman,
We are not advocating that a man ‘put on a woman’s garment’; as stated previously, men wore tights for centuries before women did, and in any case, we are talking about tights which are designed and made specifically for men, so there is no question of cross-dressing here. Besides, the passage you quote from the Bible which refers to not wearing clothes intended for the other gender, relates to wearing of those garments with an intention of passing yourself off as the other gender; we are not trying to pass ourselves off as anything of the sort. And as for ‘exaggerated benefits’, I for one know the benefits to be real, as do most of our customers.
January 29, 2010 at 4:00 pm | by Legwear4MenMatt & Legwear
I used to wear tights under sports clothing, so I know there are some benefits, but they are often talked up by advocates to justify wearing. (I’m not, incidentally, ‘having a go’ at anybody on this.) I also realise that tights made for men is the subject, but when worn under shorts in public, it is impossible to tell this, and the default position is still imo that sheers especially are a quintessentially feminine garment. Men dressed like this may no more be trying to look female than if they carried a handbag, but the reaction from onlookers I think at best is this is eccentric behaviour, or worse kinky. This is reinforced by the fact men want to wear when women almost never wore, namely with shorts. You don’t need to wear tights in warmer weather with shorts, so is it not reasonable to assume the reason for wearing is sensual? Doesn’t this account for the fear of wearing in public? The loss of inhibition to do this is not a sign of being secure in your masculinity, but rather a retreat into a world where you aren’t worried by what others think of you.
Personally, I gave up wearing because I felt silly, couldn’t fool myself any more I wasn’t wearing ‘a woman’s garment’ even though it was to keep warm and wasn’t visible to others, and on reading a ‘non-fetish’ UK tights site was overwhelmed by the number of advocates who couldn’t resist talking about the ‘thrill when they first put them on’ or similar. Worse still are those whose accounts of wearing, with a little reflection, are clearly just fantasies (lies!), and who really hate to have this exposed for what it is.
February 1, 2010 at 3:54 am | by BankmanBankman,
You say that you used to wear tights, but stopped because you ‘felt silly’, and couldn’t fool yourself that you weren’t wearing a woman’s garment. I take it from that, that you were wearing women’s tights, in which case you are quite entitled to feel the way you did. But we aren’t talking about wearing women’s tights here, just men’s, so the foregoing doesn’t apply. And I would strongly disagree that sheers are ‘quintessentially feminine’. Either gender can benefit from sheers. Most men’s legs, when bare, look particularly bad; hairy, lumpy, often white as a milk bottle. A decent pair of men’s sheers will improve the look no end (except for the ‘hairy’ bit; it is still necessary to shave/wax/whatever – nothing looks worse than matted leg hairs under sheers – yuck!)
February 2, 2010 at 9:17 am | by Legwear4MenLegwear – ” Most men’s legs, when bare, look particularly bad; hairy, lumpy, often white as a milk bottle.” Oi, don’t tell everybody!! To get back to your post, I sometimes wore women’s tights and sometime those sold as unisex, though there was no real difference. I know the issue here is men wearing men’s tights, but as for wearing publically (which I didn’t), there is no difference, and in the eyes of the beholder I still maintain this is considered wearing feminine clothing hence the reaction against it. I do think men who want to wear sheers this way need to consider the effect they have on others, i.e. others may find this extremely embarrassing, and still others kinky. I also gave up due to the ‘weirdo’ element in this it’s not difficult to find. That aside, Steve Newman is a very articulate exponent of tights for men, but I have to be honest and say the final straw for me was seeing his picture in tights on his blog, and I thought ‘it’s wrong, it’s not the right thing to do’ despite what the tights subculture says. Publically, it is a loss of inhibition that goes to far. Tights for sport may yet catch on, and I still wear running/cycling tights without a problem, but I feel you have to draw the line somewhere.
February 4, 2010 at 4:30 am | by BankmanEffeminate: “Characterized by excessive softness or self-indulgence; having unsuitable feminine qualities; Having some characteristic of a woman, as delicacy, luxuriousness, etc.; soft or delicate to an unmanly degree; womanish; weak;
To grow womanish or weak.”
Synonyms: cissy, emasculate, epicene, sissified, sissy, sissyish, soft, unmanful, unmanlike, unmanly, weak.
February 5, 2010 at 9:15 am | by DefI don’t see what the problem is. If it’s practical – fine; that’s logical. If the wearing of hosiery is for aesthetic reasons, then there is logic in that too. I could see how shiny flesh hosiery could highlight the muscularity of a man’s leg in a similar fashion to moisturiser / oil etc. wearing with shorts? Of course! You don’t expect every bloke to don a skirt just because he wants to wear hosiery, do you? Did women stick on a moustache when first wearing trousers? Did they feel the need to throw on a tie? Women wear trousers with heels. Should they give up and wear brogues because that’s what men do? Face it – if a guy is wearing hosiery, he’s ripped up the rulebook. He can wear them with whatever he wants. That’s freedom, isn’t it? As for biblical prohibition – sorry, but that work of what some see as fiction has no legal enforcement (and worse, is usually misinterpreted) so let’s leave that one out of it if that’s okay. I’m fine if an individual wished to live by a 2000 year old (or thereabouts) codex, but many others don’t.
I think that the advent of hosiery designed for men is a great thing. It brings choice. It’s certainly not going to turn men off, oh, manly things, like going to the football, baseball, downing a few beers, driving like a loony, chilling out with a playstation, running after women etc. Does a small piece of clothing really have such a powerful impact? If so, let’s force terrorists around the world to wear ‘em – that’s going to make them submissive and femimine!
February 9, 2010 at 6:27 pm | by Ray“You don’t expect every bloke to don a skirt just because he wants to wear hosiery, do you?”
Actually, I’m afraid you do.
February 10, 2010 at 5:40 pm | by nedActually, Ned, I don’t. You see, I use cognitive skills to judge a situation for myself, and can easily separate hosiery from skirts. They don’t necessarily go together. Pretty much every guy I have seen wearing tights (and there haven’t been many!) was not wearing a skirt – or any other item of perceived female clothing. They tended to be doing sports in my part of the world, which is quite cold. They may be onto something. I thought it was unusual at the time, but it makes sense.
Please do try and think instead of judging, kneejerk style, on lame stereotypes.
February 10, 2010 at 6:31 pm | by RayRay – my comment was very much tongue in cheek. Going by what you can read online when this subject gets brought up, it is fair comment, as many tights enthusiasts openly want acceptance to be the first step to wearing skirts and other items of female attire.
In a sporting context, however, you are right and this is probably being a bit unfair. Sport is the only time you are ever likely to see a man wearing tights, though most that do go out of their way not to advertise the fact they are wearing, they are not a bunch of Rudolf Nureyevs! I don’t think most people have too much of problem with that kind of wearing.
February 11, 2010 at 8:09 am | by NedBankman
I’d have to disagree with how you are interpreting Deuteronomy 22, as you have taken it out of its original context.
If one looks into what was going on at the time Deuteronomy 22 was written; men were dressing as women and performing Canaanite worship rituals,
women were impersonating men for purposes of seduction, or in an attempt to join the military.
In the west women have largely trampled your interpretation of Deuteronomy 22, and not a word is said about it in the modern christian church.
i.e women are in the military and wear styles of clothes once reserved for men.
The tights made for men are slightly different from those made for women, as are the differences between mens and womens trousers.
By simply wearing a pair of tights with shorts without the intention to perform ritual worship, deceive or fornicate, I’d say that he is doing nothing wrong.
In my opinion God is a lot more interested NOT in what you are wearing, but WHY.
Please stop inflicting you misinterpretation of Deut. 22 in order to make people feel guilty about something that they shouldn’t be.
You have made your own decision to stop wearing, based on something you have incorrectly interpreted from the bible. That’s up to you.
BTW I hope you are obeying the rest of what Deuteronomy says too. :)
February 11, 2010 at 6:35 pm | by Keith Smithe