Wednesday 15 May 2013

Just arrived: Gipsy 60 Denier Velvet Opaque Tights

The hosiery retailer Yo Sassy made contact with Hosiery For Men recently to ask if we could trial and review one of their products.



I was pleased to receive a pair of the Gipsy 60 Denier Velvet Opaque Tights. I have reviewed several styles of Gipsy tights previously and have been impressed with the quality and value.



Stay tuned for a review of these tights as well as more information on Yo Sassy.


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Sunday 5 May 2013

Reviewed: Couture Future 10 Denier Tights

Legwear International recently sent me a pair of the Couture Future 10 Denier Tights to trial and review.



Legwear International is a long-established hosiery manufacturer and retailer in the UK. I recently interviewed Kirsten Taylor, the Product Development and Marketing Manager at Legwear International, and you can still read this interview and feature on Hosiery For Men.



Materials and features

The Couture Future 10 Denier Tights are packaged quite robustly. The tights are folded over a plain rectangular card and then closed in a clear plastic sleeve. This is attached to a sturdier piece of card and then housed into the outer card envelope.



The rear of the packaging provides information on the product and sizing.



According to the product description:

'Couture Future® is a cutting edge range of hosiery developed using an innovative bonding procedure on the stitch structure of the garment. Thisd futuristic technology has led to the design of hosiery with incredible strength and durability but still gives the wearer a silky sheer feel with enhanced fit.'


Kirsten Taylor, Product Development and Marketing Manager at Legwear International has provided further information:

'The Couture Future 10 Denier Tights are created with the innovative LYCRA® Fusion® fibre, a ladder free, long-lasting, super-comfy yarn that makes legwear immune to laddering. We have been working closely with INVISTA and we are lucky enough to use this new technology in our brand new line to be named Couture Fusion, which will put an end to such mishaps for good.'

'This is a bi-component technology that allows the threads on the outer layer of the fibre to ‘fuse’ to each other during the stockings’ thermofixation process, making it super strong.'


Kirsten added: 


'Traditionally durability and sheerness were two elements that did not sit hand in hand. The traditional ‘ladder resist tights’ were thick and certainly not sheer by nature. Products containing LYCRA® Fusion fibre are extremely soft to the touch, and do not lose their shape no matter how often you wear and wash them.'


The Couture Future 10 Denier Tights are 68% Nylon, 31% Elastane and 1% Cotton.

The fabric is very soft and smooth.

Legs are straight and toes are without reinforcement. The tights are not sheer to waist as the panty/brief section is made with a slightly denser fabric. Seams are conventional. The waistband is 3cm wide and comfortable. The Extra Large size has a rear comfort gusset (see photo). Other sizes have a conventional cotton gusset.



Fit and sizing

The Couture Future 10 Denier Tights are available in four sizes: Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large.

I tested the Extra Large size.



These tights look really quite small as you remove them from the packaging, but they have an impressive amount of stretch.

One needs to take some care in putting them on, but it is clear that the fabric is indeed very strong and I didn't feel at any stage that I was going to damage them.

The fit in the Extra Large size was excellent. The fabric clings and moulds itself to your legs, and the tights genuinely feel like a second skin.

With careful stretching there was more than enough length in the leg. The brief was also sufficiently deep and stretched comfortably over the waist.

The fabric has a smooth, silky feel which is extremely comfortable. Under trousers the glide was excellent with no catching at all. They also stayed in place and needed no adjustment or pulling up.

Colour range

The Couture Future 10 Denier Tights come in four colours: Black, Nearly Black, Natural Tan and Nude.



I tested a pair in the Natural Tan shade. The photo above provides an accurate representation of this colour.

Price and availability

The Couture Future 10 Denier Tights are available directly from Legwear International and are priced at £4.99 (Medium and Large sizes) and £5.49 (Extra Large).

Conclusion
I have worn these tights twice now, once on a very cool day and once on a much warmer day. They definitely are robustly constructed and do indeed appear to be strong and durable. That is definitely a bonus for men who will buy them as we expect to get a decent amount of wear from hosiery.

I haven't reviewed any ladder resist styles up to now on Hosiery For Men, but I was really impressed with the Couture Future tights. As well as the durability, they are really very comfortable to wear and feel wonderful under trousers.

The Natural Tan shade is also very sheer and transparent, and appears barely visible on the skin. This would be welcome for men who wish to wear tights more 'stealthily'.

At such a reasonable price, these tights definitely earn a Hosiery For Men recommendation badge.