Tights at Sainsbury's

Sainsbury's is the second largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom.



I recently visited a branch and was quite impressed with the range of hosiery on sale. Moreover, the quality seemed to have improved greatly with many opaque styles being Italian-made. Prices were very reasonable.

Here are a few images of the styles on I saw on sale.

I may trial and review some of these soon. Any feedback from readers would be appreciated.

Interview with Rob SpeedKing Part 1

It's great to be able to publish a feature article on one of the most loyal and supportive readers of Hosiery For Men, Rob SpeedKing. Based in the USA, Rob SpeedKing is an active advocate for men's hosiery. 

I Interviewed Rob recently. In the first part of this feature Rob speaks about how he started wearing support hosiery and his preferred brands.

Can you tell Hosiery For Men readers about yourself?
I'm a married family man of nearly 20 years with two beautiful kids. 

I'm also a cable splicing tech for the local phone company by day and by the weekend, I'm show host, Rob SpeedKing of The Wake Up Dead Metal Show on MetalNationRadio.com along with being a well respected drummer in the Richmond, Virginia heavy metal music scene. 

I openly wear my hosiery and I try be a voice for men who wear hosiery.



Rob at the park in jet-black Hanes Alive full support hosiery

When did you start wearing tights (or pantyhose as you call them in the States)?
Right after I was diagnosed with Restless Leg Syndrome in 2010. The meds I was taking to control it was too much for me to handle and was affecting my job. My doctor (and nurse practitioner; I got a second opinion) suggested support hosiery/ compression therapy as an alternative. I had an open mind and gave it try. For the first time in years, I was able to sleep and my legs were at their calmest. Since then, I've been wearing support hosiery daily and I do my best to incorporate the look with my style. It took a while before the family and I were comfortable with me wearing in the open.



Rob visiting a Civil War battlefield. The hosiery style is Sears Nice Touch Firm Support in jet-black

What are your favourite brands of pantyhose? Are there any brands or styles that you particularly favour?
I tend to favour brands that offer full support such as L'eggs Active Support and Sheer Energy (medium support), Hanes Alive full support, Activskin support hosiery and various opaque styles. I have recently rediscovered Sears Nice Touch pantyhose/tights since they changed their products for the better. I also like various opaque styles and colors (mostly darker colors) that I pair with my support sheers. I have recently been pairing glossier/thinner sheers with my supports sheers for a more bold/polished statement and look.








Do you think that the major US brands such as L'eggs and Hanes are aware that male wearers are a significant part of their customer base?
Oh, for sure! Problem is, they have yet to truly embrace the fact that men wear their products. They do acknowledge it from time to time. Just recently L'eggs acknowledged a few tweets that I made that praised their Active Support hosiery and how it helps me. They "starred" the tweets, but didn't retweet them to the general public.

I get asked why I still buy a product from a company won't acknowledge men or really cater to men. I say they have something I need and it's affordable. The more we continue to talk to them and tell how to improve their products, the more they may be willing to work with us.

On the other hand, more and more online retailers of hosiery have taken notice of us and are now offering recommendations for men and or sections of their site that are for men. How cool is that?! We are finally getting heard.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our interview with Rob SpeedKing.

Spotlight on Comfort4Men Part 2

Comfort4Men are men's tights are made in Germany to the very highest standards. They are a high quality product specifically designed to provide an excellent fit and level of comfort for the male anatomy.



We recently published Part 1 of an exclusive interview with Angelika Weiss of Comfort4Men.

In the second part of this two-part feature, Angelika describes how the Comfort4Men brand has evolved, the most popular styles in their extensive range and the prospects for men's tights becoming more accepted and mainstream.

How has the Comfort4Men product range evolved? For example, there are tights with and without support.
We started selling our products in summer 2010 with only two products: the 70 denier and 140 denier support tights, both without a fly opening. Soon after we offered both styles with a the fly.
 

About a year later, we added tights without support for fashion and feel good reasons. We also listened to customer advice and then added men's underwear as well as a motorcycle base layer pant to our range.



Which products are currently your bestsellers?
Our bestsellers are: the 140 denier strong support tights, the 70 denier medium support tights, the 60 denier luxury tights and the 17 denier transparent (sheer) tights.

  

It seems that men's tights have always had a higher profile in Germany and Austria, with famous brands such as Falke and Wolford making men's tights (herenstrumpfhosen) in the past. Do you feel that tights for men have always been more accepted in Germany?
I can't really confirm whether this is the case. But I do believe that wearing beautiful and comfortable fashion is independent of gender anywhere in the world.

You are a German-based company. Are most of your sales within Germany or are you building up international sales?
50% of our sales are within Germany; the rest are worldwide. Overall we now sell to more than 40 countries. We are a Germany-based company and are bound by German law which means we have to mail orders with tracking. On the one hand this is very safe and convenient for our customers, but at the same time it is expensive although we do this without any extra charge.

Do you feel that tights (or pantyhose as they are called in the USA) for men are still are growing trend? What do you feel are the prospects of men's tights becoming more mainstream and accepted as a practical and fashion item?
In general, yes as societies are becoming more and more open-minded and modern men pay more attention to their body and health. This trend is long overdue isn't it?

Some men continue to buy tights that are designed and made for women. What do you feel are the advantages of tights that are made specifically for men?
We have developed a wide range of men's tights, specifically for the male anatomy and to meet the needs of men. Men's tights should be designed for men, particularly in the crotch area. The design needs to reflect the differences in anatomy between men and women.

Comfort4Men’s masculine design seems to be well-accepted by both men and women, and we are really pleased that more and more women are buying Comfort4Men products for their men.

It seems that most men's tights are sold via the Internet. Have you had any success in your products being sold in conventional stores?
Ordinary retail outlets couldn't possibly offer the extensive range of our products, which runs to hundreds of styles if all the colour, sizing, and fly options are taken into account. We believe it is forward-looking and convenient for our customers to order online.

What developments can we expect in the future at Comfort4Men? Are you planning to develop and market any new styles in the near future?
Yes, definitely! Hosiery For Men readers can be excited about what we are planning! To keep up to date with all developments at Comfort4Men readers can subscribe to our newsletter.

Thanks Angelika for speaking to us and providing more insight into the Comfort4Men brand. We look forward to featuring and reviewing the new styles that you are planning.

Spotlight on Comfort4Men: Part 1

Comfort4Men are men's tights are made in Germany to the very highest standards. They are a high quality product specifically designed to provide an excellent fit and level of comfort for the male anatomy.



At Hosiery For Men we have already reviewed and featured a large number of Comfort4Men styles, including:

40 Denier Men's Support Tights

60 Denier Luxury Men's Tights

70 Denier Opaque Men's Tights

80 Denier Opaque Men's Tights

100 Denier Men's Footless Tights

50 Denier Luxury Men's Tights



We are now very pleased to publish this exclusive interview with Angelika Weiss of Comfort4Men.

In the first part of this two-part feature, Angelika provides some background to how Comfort4Men was set up and how their products are made.

When and how did Comfort4Men start? Can you provide Hosiery For Men readers with some background on the company?
A close relative had to wear medical compression tights after an operation and repeatedly complained about the poor fit. He used to things like: “they pinch everything”.

I had worked in the fashion industry for years and thought that there must be a solution for this.

Two years and many, many patterns later, the concept was finally finished! Comfort4Men tights, with unrivalled comfort for the modern man.

I thought, there were probably many modern, enlightened men who would like to benefit from the indisputable advantages of wearing tights without having to compromise on comfort.

When I presented the idea to my family, the reaction was, shall we say, 'divided' on the subject. But I didn't allow myself to be dissuaded by this, because I was convinced that there weren't any good reasons at all why men shouldn't also wear tights.



Can you tell us more about how Comfort4Men products are made? 
All the separate parts of Comfort4Men tights are produced on different machines, such as circular knitting machines for the leg tubes or on weaving machines for the crotch fabrics. The sewing is done manually on special industrial sewing machines. Each product is individually made-up here in Germany for each order as it is received from our customers.

What are the particular design issues that need to be considered when making tights for men? Did you research these carefully before starting production?
The development of Comfort4Men took us more than two years and involved making hundreds of samples, as well as many trials and fittings to enable us to reach the high standard we have achieved today.

We noted that other 'men's tights' did not differ significantly in their design from women's tights, and often did not provide a better level of comfort.

This is not the case with Comfort4Men products, and it is something we are now very proud of. We believe we have developed a genuinely innovative product that is unmatched for the wearing experience and the level of comfort provided.



It seems that you pay careful attention in particular to the waistband, crotch area and fly opening. These seem to be unique features in Comfort4Men products. Can you say more about how you created these special features?
Yes, you are right because all of these aspects are very important for comfort.

At Comfort4Men we provide options in the style of waistband according to men’s preferences.

Customers can choose between a high waistband and a low waistband. The low waistband style is approximately 5cm (2”) lower and is tilted slightly forwards. The resulting improved fit of the tights prevents the waistband from uncomfortably slipping down in the rear when bending and squatting.


C401M Comfort4Men 40 Denier Pantyhose with support low waist and high waist

The specially-designed crotch is made of fine Ökotex 100 Microtouch material, that can be worn directly against the skin. The special design of the crotch allows for the additional space that men need, even with transverse stresses that are common with support materials.

The non-protruding, flat seams are an integral part of the overall design. The connection to the additional mono-elastic layer of material located over it guarantees maximum comfort in the crotch area.



The fly opening we have designed is extremely easy to use, and very comfortable according to the feedback provided by our customers.




Part 2 of this interview and feature will appear shortly. Stay tuned!

Biggest ever sale of men's tights/pantyhose at Activskin®

The leading brand and retailer of tights and pantyhose for men, Activskin® are holdest their biggest ever sale. The sale is in honour of Activskin®'s 15th anniversary.



Activskin® have a number of items that have sold slowly as well as other styles that are being discontinued.

It is really a gigantic clearance sale and you are urged to buy now to get great savings! 

There is a full list of all clearance items on the Activskin® website.

Discontinued items include:

A560 Microfabric Sheer-to-the-Waist Support Pantyhose 



A582 Microfabric Full Support Control Brief Sheer Pantyhose



A849 Thermofabric Light Support Tights with Fly in brown and navy



A857 Thermofabric Ribbed Light Support Tights



A4012 Thermofabric Full Support Patterned Tights



There is also a selected clearance on various styles. Check the Activskin® website to see what size-colour combinations are on clearance. Clearance styles include:

A535 Microfabric Light Support Sheer Pantyhose



A577 Microfabric Support Sheer Pantyhose



A660 Microfabric Sheer-to-the-Waist Support Pantyhose with Fly



A677 Microfabric Support Pantyhose with Fly



A699 Microfabric Full Support Sheer Pantyhose with Fly



A1730 Microfabric Sheer-to-the-Waist Pantyhose



A2019 Microfabric Full Support Sheer Pantyhose



A839 Thermofabric Opaque Light Support Tights



A849 Thermofabric Light Support Tights with Fly

The Few, the Brave: Men in Tights

The Few, the Brave: Men in Tights

This was the headline in the recent feature in the New York Times on the fashion trend of men wearing tights with shorts.



Good to see yet further mainstream media coverage of the visibility and acceptance of tights for men.

Here is the full article:

Given the winter’s crazy cold, it was hardly surprising to see men layering black sports tights under shorts for their workouts and outdoor runs — sensible, even. What was more of a shock was to see some of those men take the look out of the gym, incorporating it into their daily street wear.

Eli Halili, a 34-year-old jewelry designer in Manhattan, wears Adidas running tights at the gym. But his commitment to the look — what he calls “meggings,” as in “man leggings” — is such that he also has a thicker-ply version from the Norwegian ski wear label KJUS for everyday wear.

“They’re comfortable and fashionable, but you don’t feel like you’re too overdressed,” Mr. Halili said.

Like many trends seen on the men’s wear runways, and on those who sit very close to them, this curious athletic-inspired street look has a way to go before it earns mainstream acceptance, even as it is taken up by stylish men in the spotlight (in this case, Kanye West, ASAP Rocky and Pharrell Williams). Still, those who have adopted it make up an enthusiastic fan base.

Earlier this year, Lance Jubel, a 24-year-old account executive for Jil Sander, boarded his flight to Milan for the latest round of men’s shows in gray running tights and matching shorts, a slim-fitting long-sleeved red top and a dark double-breasted overcoat. Unlike the drawstring bottoms and sweats that are pervasive on airplanes these days, the outfit was a rather polished interplay between gym apparel and contemporary street style. It turns out that Mr. Jubel’s onetime roommate, a personal trainer, was an early inspiration for the ensemble.

“I thought the mix of casual compression tights and some tailored wear would make a unique look,” he said, noting that he usually favors a more tailored style.

For Cameron Cooper, a stylist at the Oak boutique in NoHo, leggings are a wardrobe staple.

“I bought shorts that just looked better with them,” he said, pointing to the knee-grazing black leather pair he was wearing. Just as Mr. Cooper, 40, wears shirts of varying lengths, one over another, he sees leggings as a similarly interesting layering component.

“They’re transitional, too,” he said. “You can wear them in the fall when it’s too cold for just shorts, and in the spring when it’s not quite warm enough for your summer things.”

Curiously enough, in a New York Times column 27 years ago, Bill Cunningham remarked on a street-style trend of men in tights, which he attributed to the influence of Jean Paul Gaultier. But the similarities stop there. Today’s style, dark and worn under slim-fitting knee-length shorts or cropped pants (also usually dark) seems more likely to be inspired by Asian influences — think sleek ninjas — and basketball players and runners.

For the most part, the shorts-over-tights combo does not challenge modern dressing codes in the way a skirt, also a men’s runway fixture of late, does. At the shows in Europe early this year, gray leggings appeared on the Marni runway, and leggings were shown under thick shorts at Emporio Armani. Issey Miyake presented psychedelic-print tights and matching suit ensembles that would make an Olympic figure skater dizzy. At Givenchy, where shorts over leggings is practically a signature, Riccardo Tisci sent out a spring collection awash in print leggings paired with matching shorts and sporty tops, while his pre-fall collection showed off a more wearable look in the form of black leather leggings and boxy leather shorts.

In New York, the look has been on the street at least long enough for there to be adaptations.

“I modified the trend to work for me,” said Eugene Tong, the style director at Details magazine. Mr. Tong took to wearing shorts over skinny jeans after working on presentations for the Public School label, where layering basketball shorts over pants is a styling staple.

For sure, men are more likely to own several pairs of slim-cut jeans than shorts, but pulling off the look calls for a certain aplomb.

“Like anything in fashion,” Mr. Tong said, “you have to be confident in your personal style.”

New Pierre Mantoux Curvy Tights in stock at Luxury Legs

Leading hosiery retailers Luxury Legs are now stocking the new range of Curvy tights from Pierre Mantoux.



Two styles are available: The Curvy 60 Tights and the Curvy 30 Tights.



Designed for those with a fuller figure, the generous sizing will also appeal to men. The Curvy 60 Tights are described as:

'These tights feature a super comfy waist, unique lightweight panty and for an anti-chafing effect there is an area on the thigh that is slightly reinforced. Thanks to the special LYCRA® XCEPTIONELLE hosiery knit, CURVY 60 provides a greater comfort than ever before.'

We look forward to trying these new styles in the future.