We were delighted when My Tights recently sent Hosiery For Men a pair of the SPANX Tight End Tights for us to trial and review.
SPANX have a global reputation as one of the most innovative makers of shapewear. In March of 2012, Founder Sara Blakely was named the world’s youngest, self-made female billionaire by Forbes Magazine and one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People. Headquartered in Atlanta, GA and opening retail shops across the United States, SPANX can now be found worldwide in more than 40 countries.
Amidst all the products aimed at women, there is also a SPANX for Men line with undershirts and underwear. Unfortunately, there isn’t a specific style of SPANX men's tights, but hopefully that will change.
Although there are several style of men's tights offering leg support and compression, I am not aware of any brands that offer control and shape support in the brief. So perhaps SPANX might be onto something here.
Materials and features
My Tights describe the SPANX Tight End Tights as follows:
"If you’re after tights that do more than keep you warm, look no further than the Tight End Tights from Spanx. Doing exactly what the name says on the tin, these tights will slim and trim along with nip & tuck. A little longer in the body than your everyday control top tights, these go that extra mile to make sure you feel as gorgeous as you look.
Made from a 70 denier fabric and super smooth yarns, these are just the trick for when the weather turns unsavoury, keeping your legs cosy and warm. Matte in appearance, these create a bold leg silhouette, perfect for making sure that your pins get noticed."
The packaging is very good quality. The tights are folded around a SPANX information card and then wrapped in clear cellophane. Everything is then housed in a well-designed and sturdy card envelop.
First impressions on handling the tights are very positive. They feel soft, but also dense and heavy. These seem to be quite a serious pair of opaques.
The fabric is made of 85% nylon and 15% Lycra, and feels extremely smooth. Opaque coverage is even and dense. The finish is matte with hardly any shine at all.
These tights have conventional seams, although they sit completely flat in the brief area. Toes are reinforced. The waistband is 3cm wide and well-made. There is a cotton gusset in a lighter charcoal colour.
They key feature of the Tight End Tights is the boxer style brief. There is a quite clear demarcation between the legs and the brief/panty, which extends into the thigh. This can be seen in the image below.
Fit and sizing
The SPANX Tight End Tights are available in seven sizes: A, B, C, D, E, F and G. However only sizes A to E are stocked at My Tights.
The sizing options on these tights are quite generous, with sizes C, D and E extending up to 6'0".
I tested a pair in size D.
As I put these tights on I was struck by the generous amount of stretch.
The overall fit was excellent, with the fabric moulding well to the leg with no wrinkling. There was no feeling that the tights needed to be over-stretched to fit a man: this style will work well for women and men.
The fabric feel extremely durable; another definite plus point for men. I feel that these tights could be worn and worn, and even take rougher treatment than normal and still be wearable.
The boxer brief fitted superbly. The control effect in this area is described as 'medium strength control'. While it provided a definitely tighter and compressed feel than ordinary opaque tights, the brief doesn't constrict or feel at all uncomfortable. In fact, I really enjoyed the snug feeling and how well the tights stayed in place. The brief has plenty of room and reaches comfortable over the waist. If you are carrying some extra weight in this area, the brief definitely smooths out your appearance.
Colour range
The SPANX Tight End Tights are available in Black only from My Tights.
Price and availability
Although there are several style of men's tights offering leg support and compression, I am not aware of any brands that offer control and shape support in the brief. So perhaps SPANX might be onto something here.
Materials and features
My Tights describe the SPANX Tight End Tights as follows:
"If you’re after tights that do more than keep you warm, look no further than the Tight End Tights from Spanx. Doing exactly what the name says on the tin, these tights will slim and trim along with nip & tuck. A little longer in the body than your everyday control top tights, these go that extra mile to make sure you feel as gorgeous as you look.
Made from a 70 denier fabric and super smooth yarns, these are just the trick for when the weather turns unsavoury, keeping your legs cosy and warm. Matte in appearance, these create a bold leg silhouette, perfect for making sure that your pins get noticed."
The packaging is very good quality. The tights are folded around a SPANX information card and then wrapped in clear cellophane. Everything is then housed in a well-designed and sturdy card envelop.
First impressions on handling the tights are very positive. They feel soft, but also dense and heavy. These seem to be quite a serious pair of opaques.
The fabric is made of 85% nylon and 15% Lycra, and feels extremely smooth. Opaque coverage is even and dense. The finish is matte with hardly any shine at all.
These tights have conventional seams, although they sit completely flat in the brief area. Toes are reinforced. The waistband is 3cm wide and well-made. There is a cotton gusset in a lighter charcoal colour.
They key feature of the Tight End Tights is the boxer style brief. There is a quite clear demarcation between the legs and the brief/panty, which extends into the thigh. This can be seen in the image below.
Fit and sizing
The SPANX Tight End Tights are available in seven sizes: A, B, C, D, E, F and G. However only sizes A to E are stocked at My Tights.
The sizing options on these tights are quite generous, with sizes C, D and E extending up to 6'0".
I tested a pair in size D.
As I put these tights on I was struck by the generous amount of stretch.
The overall fit was excellent, with the fabric moulding well to the leg with no wrinkling. There was no feeling that the tights needed to be over-stretched to fit a man: this style will work well for women and men.
The fabric feel extremely durable; another definite plus point for men. I feel that these tights could be worn and worn, and even take rougher treatment than normal and still be wearable.
The boxer brief fitted superbly. The control effect in this area is described as 'medium strength control'. While it provided a definitely tighter and compressed feel than ordinary opaque tights, the brief doesn't constrict or feel at all uncomfortable. In fact, I really enjoyed the snug feeling and how well the tights stayed in place. The brief has plenty of room and reaches comfortable over the waist. If you are carrying some extra weight in this area, the brief definitely smooths out your appearance.
Colour range
The SPANX Tight End Tights are available in Black only from My Tights.
Price and availability
The SPANX Tight End Tights are available from My Tights for £25.95.
Conclusion
Well I have to conclude that I am genuinely impressed with the SPANX Tight End Tights. This is the first time a SPANX product has been reviewed at Hosiery For Men and it scores very highly for quality and comfort.
Particular positive for men will be the matte fabric, meaning that these tights could be worn as long underwear in place of socks.
Also, the strong, durable material is welcome for men, given that we generally expect a lot more wear out of tights we buy.
Finally, the control brief would be great if one needed some support and shape control in that area. In any case, it fits great and is very snug and comfortable.
Of course, the pricing is on the higher side. But as we have written here again and again, you get what you pay for.
Conclusion
Well I have to conclude that I am genuinely impressed with the SPANX Tight End Tights. This is the first time a SPANX product has been reviewed at Hosiery For Men and it scores very highly for quality and comfort.
Particular positive for men will be the matte fabric, meaning that these tights could be worn as long underwear in place of socks.
Also, the strong, durable material is welcome for men, given that we generally expect a lot more wear out of tights we buy.
Finally, the control brief would be great if one needed some support and shape control in that area. In any case, it fits great and is very snug and comfortable.
Of course, the pricing is on the higher side. But as we have written here again and again, you get what you pay for.
I believe the 6'10" on the size chart is a typo: I'm sure it was meant to read 6'0" (the height increments by 2" in each line.)
ReplyDeleteYou are right. It is 6' 0" on the Spanx packaging. I will adjust the article
ReplyDeleteReview updated with corrections made to the sizing information.
ReplyDelete