Thursday 29 May 2014

Reviewed: L'eggs Active Support Pantyhose (Tights)

Hosiery For Men recently interviewed the USA-based metal DJ and men's hosiery advocate Rob SpeedKing.

You can read Part 1 and Part 2 of the interview.

It's great to welcome Rob SpeedKing to Hosiery For Men as a guest reviewer.


It also means that readers can read reviews of some of the most common brands of pantyhose and tights in the USA that are not so readily available here in Europe.


We start with Rob's review of the L'eggs Sheer Energy Active Support pantyhose.





L'eggs pantyhose (tights in the UK) have been a major staple in the American hosiery market for decades. For years, they were known to be packaged in the well recognisable "egg" that they would come in. Buy the 1990's, this all changed and their pantyhose was packaged in the their current configuration.

Mostly geared towards women, more and more men are buying L'eggs products, especially their Sheer Energy Medium Support Sheer style, Sheer Energy Full Support (which is becoming more difficult to find in stores), and their popular Active Support Full Support pantyhose. They are an extremely affordable line of hosiery for people who are on a tight budget.

I personally buy the Active Support hosiery that was recommended to me by my physycian when I was diagnosed with Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS).

Materials and features

Panty/ Brief: 84% Nylon, 16% Spandex; Leg: 71% Nylon, 29% Spandex

These are thick pantyhose/tights (roughly 40 denier, but this is not stated on the package. This is an educated guess) and provide VERY good compression for full support.

They are very soft and smooth to the touch, have a sheer toe (they can come in reinforced toe, but it's rare to find them) and they have a noticable shine. The seems are not flat, but are not uncomfortable and they come with a cotten gusset for extra strength. The waistband is about roughly an inch wide and holds up rather well.

They are not boarded and and come stuffed in a small box, so do not expect them to look smooth at first.

They are VERY durable and can last a long time with multiple wearings and washing without any damage. With proper care, they can last up to 10-15 wearings/washings or more.

Fit and sizing

I'm 5ft-10in and roughly 220lbs with a size 38 waist, so I need to wear a size "Q" for perfect fit. I can fit in a size "B", but this would really push the limits.

When you first take them out of the package, they look all balled up and would seem a bit short. Once you put them on, they have A LOT of stretch with a good snug fit in the control top brief. Once on, they feel like they are an absolutely a perfect fit for you. That's how versitile they are!

Their sizes are "A", "B" and "Q".

In my opinion, for most men of average size, size "Q" is best.



Color range
L'eggs Active Support only come in two main colors, Suntan and Nude.

According to other sites, there is a jet black shade, but you will be hard pressed to ever find them in the stores.



Rob wearing L'eggs Active Support in Suntan.

Price and Availability

L'eggs Active Supports can be widely found all across the United States at most retails stores, drug stores and some convenience stores, for example: Wal-Mart, Krogers, CVS Pharmacy, Rite-Aid and many other retailers.

They are generally priced between $5.00-$7.00 depending on where you buy them from.

Conclusion

L'eggs Active Support by far has the best value for your bang. They provide great full support compression which will keep your legs envigorated all day while making them look fantastic!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Men Wearing Tights Under Shorts - It's back!

It's great to welcome the reappearance of the Men Wearing Tights Under Shorts blog.

This excellent blog had been tracking for several the style being featured by countless menswear designers, including leading fashion houses such as Prada and Givenchy.

The whole archive shows how widespread and innovative this style is becoming.

Take a look at the blog and see tights for men being deployed at the cutting edge of men's fashion and style!

Here are a few of the most recent images on the blog.





Saturday 17 May 2014

20% off entire Nylonica range at Stockings HQ

Stockings HQ are offering a fantastic 20% off the whole of the superb Nylonica range for one week only.





At Hosiery For Men we have reviewed several Nylonica styles including:

Linea Lusso Silk 70 Opaque Tights

Linea Lusso Silk 40 Opaque Tights

Linea Lusso Microfibre 20 Tights

All of these styles are recommended.

The Linea Lusso Silk 70 opaques in particular are simply incredible in every aspect and were garlanded with our Best Opaque Tights of 2013 award.

They are on sale for just £14.36, which is a great saving on the normal price.

Monday 12 May 2014

Interview with Rob SpeedKing Part 2

We recently published the first part of our interview with Rob Speedking, metal DJ and advocate for men's hosiery.

In the second part, Rob discusses experiences of buying tights and pantyhose, the benefits of wearing hosiery, and wearing openly as part of normal, day-to-day clothing.

Where do you normally buy your hosiery? Have you had any positive experiences when shopping for pantyhose?
I usually find L'eggs just about anywhere, but their Active Support pantyhose, I tend to find them at my local drugstore or Walmart (Asda in the UK). I generally find Hanes Alive at nicer department stores such as Macy's and Kohl's. Sears Nice Touch, of course, exclusively at Sears departments stores.

I have always had positive experiences when out purchasing hosiery. Usually the people at the store want to help you or are curious to know about why I'm buying hosiery. When they do ask, I am more than happy to educate them.





You frequently tweet about support pantyhose. Does support hosiery provide any particular benefits?
Yes!!! The compression and support they provide help with circulation and believe it or not, stamina! As a thrash metal drummer, I saw increased performance, endurance and stamina...not to mention quicker recovery! I also noticed that I can stay on my feet/legs longer without much fatigue. They also help keep my legs calm so that they don't shake so badly or be painful from inactivity or too much activity.



Rob at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C., wearing Hanes Alive full support in 'South Pacific' colour.

You are known to be a guy who wears pantyhose and tights openly as part of your day-to-day clothing. What has been your experience as a guy wearing hosiery openly?
Suprisingly positive! Many of my family and friends and quite a few of my co-workers know that I wear and wear openly. I have made it a point to be open about it because I have nothing to hide and do not care to hide it. As a metalhead, I have the "I don't give ****" attitude towards what others think. It's my health and my life. If I gotta wear for my health, let's have fun with it and fit it to make my style unique and comfortable. If someone has a problem with it…tough!



Rob wearing George brand opaque tights (navy colour) over support sheers


Have you any thoughts to share on the Hosiery For Men blog? Do you find it a useful resource for men who wear tights and pantyhose?
I find this blog to be a fantastic resource for men who are looking for great European hosiery. The only hang up I have is that most Americans find those brands a little out of reach or hard to find in stores and are stuck having to buy them online. Hopefully we can see more American styles and brands that are affordable and more accessable here in the future.


Rob, thank you so much for speaking to Hosiery For Men. We hope readers find your experiences interesting. It is always inspiring to read about guys who wear hosiery openly.

Hosiery For Men readers can follow Rob on Twitter at @djspeedking1.

Readers will also be pleased to hear that Rob will be contributing to the blog in the near future as a guest reviewer.

Sunday 11 May 2014

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.









Saturday 10 May 2014

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.

Monday 5 May 2014

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.