Friday 20 January 2012

Reviewed: Penti 80 Denier Micro Opaque Tights

I recently wrote a feature on Hosiery For Men about Penti, one of the most prominent hosiery manufacturers in Turkey.

Penti are aware that their tights are popular with men and kindly sent me a very generous selection of samples for testing and review.

For first review of Penti hosiery, I tested the 80 Denier Micro Opaque Tights.




Materials and features

The 80 Denier Micro Opaque Tights are part of Penti's Classic range.

The 3D fabric used is 91% Polyamide and 9% Elastane.

These are quite thick opaque tights, much thicker and heavier than other 80 denier tights. The opacity is almost total and there is even coverage. The material is very soft and feels comfortable when worn.

The tights are not totally sheer to waist, having a reinforced band just below the brief. Other than that the brief is the same as the leg.

Seams are conventional. The waistband is 3cm wide and comfortable.

The packaging indicates, in words and graphics, that the tights have a cotton gusset, however there wasn't one sewn into the pair I tested.

These tights are almost completely matt in appearance and only have a very slight shine if they catch the sun or artificial lighting.

The tights are robustly made and I feel they would withstand plenty of wear.

Fit and sizing

The 80 Denier Micro Opaque Tights come in four sizes: 1(Small), 2(Medium), 3(Large) and 4 (Extra Large).

The size chart shows that the 4/XL size fits up to 185cm, so would comfortably accommodate a height up to 6'.



I tested the size 4/XL and can confirm that the sizing information is accurate. This size had plenty of length in the leg and would have stretched to fit someone even taller than my 5'10". The brief also had plenty of depth and meant that the waist band was able to sit comfortably above the waist.

I wore these tights to work under trousers and the glide was good. However, they are very warm tights and I found that indoors I was overheating slightly. I feel they would be better for wear outside on cold days.

I also found that the 80 Denier Micro Opaque Tights are quite a tight fit. That was fine for me - they stayed in place and didn't need pulling up. The close fit also provided some mild leg compression which I like.

Colour range

The 80 Denier Micro Opaque Tights are available in a wide range of shades:
  • Mustard
  • Sand
  • Grey 
  • Stone
  • Chestnut
  • Antique Blue
  • Black
  • Graphite
  • Dark Blue
  • Anthracite
  • Red
  • Mustard
Not all of the shades are available in 4/XL, however all the darker colours are.

I tested a pair in Black and the tights were a very dark, even colour.

Price and availability

The 80 Denier Micro Opaque Tights cost 9.50TL (Turkish Lira). Converted at today's exchange rate this is:

£3.35
$5.19
€4.00

Penti tights are available from their Turkish stores and their growing network of international outlets.

There is also a Penti store in the USA, at 9 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. They can be contacted via the Penti USA website.

If are a Turkish resident, Penti hosiery can be purchased via the Penti online shop.

For other enquiries about purchasing and shipping it is best to contact Penti directly.

Conclusion

These are solid, well-made opaque tights. They are comfortable and very warm. The larger sizing is a positive feature for men, especially taller ones.

I would agree with Ph Turk, a Hosiery for Men reader from Turkey, who provided a positive assessment of the 80 Denier Micro Tights.

The addition of a gusset and flat seams would be a further improvement.

7 comments:

  1. Thanks for your kind comments. I hope Penti will interested to unisex pantyhose by your comments

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  2. Thanks PhTurk. In your latest photos on Flickr you are wearing some argyle style tights. Are they the tights made by Adrian? If not, what brand are they?

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  3. The tights from Penti too. There are 3 colors more. Are you a flickr member? I started a new blog on the net. I will work about it. http://phturk.blogspot.com/2012/01/kulotlu-corap-uniseks-olmak-zorundadr.html

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  4. Unisex pantyhose,it's about time! men have legs too and it's time to come out of the stone age that Mens fashion have been in for 200 years. It's time that men enjoy the same fashion rights that woman have enjoyed for over 60 years. Unisex should be the norm in all clothing, in fact gender should be removed from clothing and human being be allowed to wear what they wish. If a guy wishes to wear a skirt, pantyhose and high heels or any thing we call feminine today he should, nothing wrong with that as long as he takes care of his grooming and shaves his legs so they look their best when out on the town or working in the office.

    EQUALITY in FASHIONS

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  5. Very nicely detailed review, HFM. These tights sound like they're excellent for the colder weather. I wouldn't mind paying 50% more for flat seams, generous gusset, and invisibly reinforced toes. Given all of the positive points and considering the price point, would you say these are the best tights value you've found thus far?

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  6. Thanks tightsformen. Yes, these are very good quality opaque tights. If I was buying them in Turkey at the exchange rate mentioned I would say they are very good value indeed. However, I am not sure at what price these are being sold at by the Penti USA shop. I will email them and ask as that will be useful to know.

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  7. These tights are being sold in their Cambridge, MA USA retail store for $18.50/pair. Not cheap, but in my opinion worth the money for the quality, comfort and fit.

    Matt472s (from LAUF)

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