Vintage men's tights adverts: Esda

Here is another image in our occasional series of men's tights adverts from what looks like a golden age of men's hosiery in 1970s Germany.

This image is from East Germany's largest hosiery manufacturer Esda.

Hosiery For Men is sustained by hosiery retailers and manufacturers who generously provide us with samples for review. Readers can also support this blog by clicking on any of the advertisements displayed and checking out the products on offer. Each time you do this you are making a valuable contribution and help to ensure that Hosiery For Men continues. Thanks for your continued support.

Behind the scenes at leading hosiery brand Pretty Polly

The brand incubator Pretty Green recently published a fascinating piece on Courtaulds, the only hosiery company in the UK that still manages their whole manufacturing process from knitting to packaging in one site and on British soil.



Around 900 pairs of tights are produced every week from the Courtaulds factory based in Belper, Derbyshire, for the well-known brands, Pretty Polly, Aristoc and House of Holland.



The feature provides an overview of the whole manufacturing process from the yarn to packing of the finished products.

The whole process to produce a pair of tights from start to finish takes approximately 4-5 weeks with about four hours of manufacturing going into each individual pair of tights





You can read the full article here:

Hosiery For Men is sustained by hosiery retailers and manufacturers who generously provide us with samples for review. Readers can also support this blog by clicking on any of the advertisements displayed and checking out the products on offer. Each time you do this you are making a valuable contribution and help to ensure that Hosiery For Men continues. Thanks for your continued support.

Reviewed: Maximus 70 Denier Men's Footless Tights

UK Tights are one of the leading online hosiery retailers in the UK. They have always catered for men buying tights for themselves and also have a men's tights section of their website.



You can still read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of our feature on UK Tights and our interview with managing director, Dawn Barber.

UK Tights have developed their own Maximus brand of men's tights. These tights have been developed exclusively for UK Tights and are made to their specifications by an Italian hosiery manufacturer.



We have previously reviewed the Maximus 100 Denier Opaque Men's Tights.

We now focus on the Maximus 70 Denier Men's Footless Tights.



Materials and features

The Maximus 70 Denier Men's Footless Tights are described as:

"The perfect combination of thermal coverage and mobility. Maximus' Footless Tights are designed for men who lead an active lifestyle and need something to perform perfectly without having to think about it. Footless tights are the answer to that problem. The removal of the foot makes for more maneuverability and feels like you're wearing nothing, but the thickness of the garment and it's insulation effect stays just as powerful. Maximus designs just for men, for outdoor pursuits, for every day wear, for anything you need. Their designs have to do what they're made to do perfectly and this new product does just that."



The tights are packaged in a silver card sleeve. Inside the tights are wrapped around a card rectangle and housed into a clear plastic bag.

The packaging doesn't provide any further information, apart from limited sizing information on the reverse.



These tights are made from 90% Nylon and 10% Elastane.

The fabric feels soft and warm. The weave is much less dense and heavy than the Maximus 100 opaque (footed) tights.

Opacity isn't total. Where the material is more stretched, as in the thigh area, it looks more like a 40 or 50 denier tight.

The tights are sheer to waist apart from a 4cm-5cm reinforcement band at the top of the thigh where is joins the brief area.

The brief is deep enough (just), and less generous than the Maximus 100 tights. There is no gusset, despite the information on the UK tights website. The waistband is also narrower at just 2cm. Seams are conventional.





Fit and sizing
The Maximus70 Denier Men's Footless Tights are available in one size only: Medium/Large.
There is currently no sizing chart available on the UK Tights website or the packaging.

This Maximus style fitted me well. The fabric clings well with no wrinkling or bunching.

Length was good for my 5'10" height but I am not sure that they would suit a much taller person.

I also found that the brief while comfortable, could have been more generous. It stretched less above the waist than the Maximus 100 opaques, and was veering slightly towards a low rise style.

Wear was very comfortable. The Maximus footless tights provide less warmth than the 100 denier footed style and are therefore more comfortable under trousers on cool, as opposed to very cold, days.

Colour range
The Maximus 70 Denier Men's Footless Tights are available in Black only.

Price and availability
The Maximus 70 Denier Men's Footless Tights are priced £8.95.

Conclusion
The Maximus 70 Denier Men's Footless Tights are perfectly decent, basic men's opaque tights. If you want to go for a footless style this winter these will serve you well and I am sure they would be quite hard wearing.

However, they don't have any of the usual features that one expects in tights made for men. For example there is no front pouch or panel for the male anatomy. As explained above, I also felt that the brief could have been slightly more generous.

If I was going to get some really top quality footless opaques this season I would probably go for the Falke Cotton Touch Footless Tights, available for £19.99 from UK Tights.

UK Tights also sell the Activskin Thermofabric Opaque Full Support Men's Tights With Fly. These are priced at £34.99 and come in Medium, Large and X Large sizes.

For those with a more limited budget the Kunert Warm Up Opaque Footless Tights at £9.99 look like a good buy. I haven't tried these but the reviews on the UK Tights website are all positive with a five star rating for almost all reviewers. One male reviewer commented: 'Top quality tights I'm a 6'2 man not a lightweight at 16 stone, size 5 fitted perfectly - I'm sure they would fit someone even larger with ease! Well recommended I'm ordering more very soon.'

Hosiery For Men is sustained by hosiery retailers and manufacturers who generously provide us with samples for review. Readers can also support this blog by clicking on any of the advertisements displayed and checking out the products on offer. Each time you do this you are making a valuable contribution and help to ensure that Hosiery For Men continues. Thanks for your continued support.

New from Activskin: A579 Microfabric Light Support Sheer Pantyhose with Panel

Activskin have just launched a new product - the A579 Microfabric Light Support Sheer Pantyhose with Panel.



These are described as:

"...a Hi-Glide™ mantyhose with a fabric that is identical to A679 but is unlike any of our other styles. Instead of a fly panel and the extra cost associated with it, it has a simple sheer male-comfort panel without a fly or gusset. The fabric glides exceptionally well, not only under trousers but also against itself. The brief provides light support, too, making it perfect for guys who want to be cool and comfortable and just a little bit of control at the abdomen. This style features a reinforced toe for added strength and durability. The M and L sizes have a panel that tapers to a point a few inches below the front waistband, and goes back under the crotch, providing all-nylon fabric that stretches to support your "male equipment," and it ends at the tailbone. The XL size has a panel that continues up all the way to the front of the waistband to provide for extra stretch for bigger guys, and the XXL size has that, plus the panel extends up the back to the back of the waistband, providing even more stretch.

"Sizes: M, L, XL, and XXL. If you are tall and thin, order large. If you are tall and big, order XL. The fabric that doesn't stretch out stretches up. Available in beige. black, and tan. This legwear comes fully boarded, which means it is steam treated to maintain the shape of the leg and gives it a high quality feel right from the package, an excellent presentation for an excellent first impression!

"Contains 84% nylon and 16% spandex."








Hosiery For Men is sustained by hosiery retailers and manufacturers who generously provide us with samples for review. Readers can also support this blog by clicking on any of the advertisements displayed and checking out the products on offer. Each time you do this you are making a valuable contribution and help to ensure that Hosiery For Men continues. Thanks for your continued support.

Spotlight on Compression à la Mode

Compression à la Mode was launched in 2013 with the aim of offering stylish and comfortable alternatives to the compression hosiery currently available on the European market.

Hosiery For Men recently interviewed Compression à la Mode owner Emma Cahill, and we are pleased to now publish this feature.



Can you provide Hosiery For Men readers with some background to Compression à la Mode? When did you start the business and how has it developed? 
CalM was founded earlier this year (2013) after I realised that I couldn’t be the only person in Europe struggling to find attractive compression options. It started with one brand, (RejuvaHealth from the US) and nine products and now stocks several more brands from all over the world and has over a hundred products online and counting.

When you started Compression à la Mode did you plan at the outset to stock products for men as well as women? 
The idea for CalM came from my (I’m female) struggle to find attractive and comfortable compression options but as soon as I started to talk about it I realized that there were definitely more of us out there. My grandfather for example had been prescribed flight socks to wear to combat his edema. After noticing him struggling with it and constantly elevating his legs, I suggested he actually wear the socks he turned into a sulky child. He pulled the out and they were nude and lacy and very difficult to put on and he said he’d been getting teased about them by his friends. Straight away I broadened my search for compression options to incorporate every style I could think of.

You are selling the Solidea Men's Dynamic Tights. These are a new product from Solidea. Can you tell us a bit more about this style? 
As I’m sure you know, most tights are designed with women in mind. The Dynamic tights incorporate all of Solidea’s amazing patented technologies with some adapted features aimed at making them more comfortable and practical for men to wear. The Dynamic offers 18-21mmHg compression which is perfect for men who need to care for venous problems above the knee. They are also a better fit for the male shape than the models designed for women. The Dynamic comes with an option for an open-toe which is great for men who don’t like any tightness around the toes (often a problem for taller men in women’s tights)






Are there any particular styles of tights or other compression hosiery that are popular with your male customers? 
The Catherine model (also from Solidea) is popular with men who need full-leg compression but don’t want to shave. A lot of men struggle with the silicone band of hold-ups as it is not designed to accommodate coarse male hair. The silicone often catches and can be uncomfortable. We tested some of the glues available to help with this problem but haven’t found any products we’re happy with yet.

The Catherine model can be worn comfortably with a suspender belt and comes in a range of compression classes and colours.



For men who have lower leg venous problems or who travel a lot, our range of cotton socks have been very popular. A lot stick to “plain black socks” whereas others go for cheeky colours and patterns and leave them peeking out of their work wear.

You also carry a much larger range of support and compression tights. Would any of these also be suitable for men, who might wish to try other styles other than opaque tights? 
As mentioned, the Catherine thigh-highs have proven very suitable. Our RejuvaHealth compression leggings would also be a good option in my opinion. All our knee highs and ankle highs are suitable once they are sized correctly.



Are you planning to further develop your range of men's tights? 
I have some new styles for men’s knee highs and sports compression leggings in mind. As the Dynamic are a new style, I don’t yet have a full picture of what men are looking for in a pair of tights. I know the higher denier options are great for when hair is an issue and I looked into dance skins as well on the recommendation of some of our male clients, but that’s about it. I’d appreciate any feedback your readers would have to offer.



What kind of service will male customers receive at Compression à la Mode? Do you welcome enquiries and requests for advice? 
As CalM is a small and new operation, when you make an enquiry you are talking to me directly. I welcome questions, concerns, feedback and am always happy to do some research to try and source something for a client. I’m happy to chat away to anyone with an enquiry. I must add that I am not a medical professional so when it comes to medical advice, I will always suggest you consult with your GP.

There has been a huge amount of media coverage of 'mantyhose' (tights for men) in recent months. What are your thoughts about the greater visibility of men buying and wearing tights these days? 
I welcome it! Men shouldn’t have to be labelled because they wear tights. Many are putting their health at risk by avoiding wearing compression simply because they view it as feminine! Athletes run around in sports tights all the time because of the comfort and benefits. Why can’t everyone else do the same and wear what they want. I was scrutinised for wearing medical tights, “at my age”, I don’t know if that compares but it had an awful effect on my morale and pushed me to start CalM.

Thanks for speaking to Hosiery For Men, Emma. I am sure readers will find this feature very informative and useful.

Hosiery For Men is sustained by hosiery retailers and manufacturers who generously provide us with samples for us to review. Readers can also support this blog by clicking on any of the advertisements displayed and checking out the products on offer. Each time you do this you are making a valuable contribution, and help ensure that Hosiery For Men continues. Thanks for your continued support.

Vintage men's tights adverts: Helanca

Here is another image from our occasional ongoing series of vintage men's tights adverts.

The image is from 1972, and name  brand is Helanca.

Hosiery For Men is sustained by hosiery retailers and manufacturers who generously provide us with samples for us to review. Readers can also support this blog by clicking on any of the advertisements displayed and checking out the products on offer. Each time you do this you are making a valuable contribution, and help ensure that Hosiery For Men continues. Thanks for your continued support.

Reviewed: Nylonica Linea Lusso Silk 40 opaque microfibre tights

Stockings HQ is an online hosiery retailer with a large range of tights, including many top brands.

They sent Hosiery For Men several pairs of tights to test and review from the Italian Nylonica brand, which is available only at Stockings HQ and Pantyhose HQ.

We have already published reviews of the Nylonica Linea Lusso microfibre 20 tights and Nylonica Linea Lusso Silk 70 opaque microfibre tights.

We now focus on the Nylonica Linea Lusso Silk 40 opaque microfibre tights.



Materials and features
The Nylonica Linea Lusso Silk 40 opaque microfibre tights are described at Stockings HQ
as 'beautifully made and sensuously soft and silky Italian opaque tights made with double covered Lycra for a perfect fit and extra strength.'

These 40 denier tights are made in Italy, like the rest of the superb Nylonica range.

The fabric is 77% Polyamide (nylon), 19% Elastane (double covered Lycra) and 4% Cotton.

As with other styles in the Nylonica Linea Lusso range, they are nicely packaged. The rear of the packaging provides useful sizing information.



These tights don't look very long when taken out of their packaging, but they stretch impressively.

The fabric is extremely soft to the touch. Opacity is not total and these are very much a semi-opqaue style. Coverage is even throughout and the tights have a smooth sheen.

They are completely sheer to waist. Legs are shaped at the heel and toes are reinforced.

Seams are strong and flat throughout and with the same quality engineering we saw in the other two Nylonica styles that we have previously reviewed.

The 4-X Large size I tested has a rear comfort panel made from a slightly denser, and stroger fabric.

The waistband is 3cm wide and and comfortable. It has a 3cm reinforcement band running below. The central front seam also has reinforcement on either side.

Fit and sizing
The Nylonica Linea Lusso Silk 40 opaque microfibre tights are available in three sizes: 2-Medium, 3-Large and 4-X Large.



I tested the 4-X Large size, which according to the packaging fits up to 5'10". Unlike the Nylonica Silk 70 tights I don't feel that this style would fit well if taller than this height.

Like the other Nylonica styles already reviewed, these tights are really top quality. The high Lycra content ensure that there is a snug fit on every part of the leg. The fabric is beautifully silky and smooth and seems to caress the legs. I also found that when worn all day they provided some nice leg support.

The brief has good depth and pulls comfortably over the waist.

Worn under trousers, the slight sheen provides excellent glide.

Colour range
The Nylonica Linea Lusso Silk 40 opaque microfibre tights are available in Black only, the shade that I tested.

Price and availability
The Nylonica Linea Lusso Silk 40 opaque microfibre tights are available from Stockings HQ for £10.95.

There remains an offer on Stockings HQ and Pantyhose HQ of 15% discount if any two pairs of Nylonica tights, stockings or knee highs/ankle highs are purchased.

The Nylonica Linea Lusso Silk 40 opaque microfibre tights are also available from Pantyhose HQ for $14.77. Pantyhose HQ delivers outside the EU.

Delivery from Stockings HQ is free in the UK if you spend more than £50.00.

Conclusion
This review completes our current survey of the Nylonica Lusso range. There is also a Skin 5 Ultrasheer style stocked by Stockings HQ. Nylonica also make a range of 'Classica' tights.

All the Linea Lusso styles reviewed so far have been wonderful quality and the Nylonica Linea Lusso Silk 40 opaque microfibre tights are no exception.

For a 40 denier style they certainly complete well with the Janira Panty Wonder 40 Tights, although are slightly more expensive. In appearance and feel they are also quite similar to the Marks and Spencer Autograph 40 Denier Silky Soft Tights, but are much better quality and more durable.

The silky sheen on this tights make them a good choice to wear under trousers on cooler days, when you don't want to overheat with a heavier denier style.

Another winning style from Nylonica. Slightly more costly than some other semi-opaque styles but as we have said before: you get what you pay for.

Recommended.