We are now pleased to published the second and final part of this feature. In Part 2 Tracy discusses the support that Legwear Safari provides for male customers, and reflects on some of the backward attitudes that still exist in relation to men wearing tights.
What kind of service will male customers receive at Legwear Safari? Do you welcome enquiries and requests for advice?
We are currently making some improvements to the store and our development team is streamlining, tweaking and giving a facelift to some of our functionality, look and feel. Along with the new features is a brand new category which has been exclusively designed for our male customers. Size and buying advice: how they can buy for themselves and what they need to know when buying for someone else.
Along with a dedicated blog section to help our male customers get more comfortable with the idea and provide them with the right information they need.
Our male customers receive the same extra special service that all of our Legwear Safarians receive and we absolutely encourage requests for inquiries and advice when making purchases or just shopping around.
Consumer engagement is everything and we strive to make every customer feel more like a friend than a number on an invoice. We are highly service orientated and if we do not stock anything that someone is looking for, we will always do our best to source something to their requirements.
What brands and styles are particularly popular with your male customers?
Silky Silky and Falke are high up on the list in terms of popularity with our male customers. Pamela Mann coming in as a close third.
Sheer to waist is currently our most popular seller with the men all year round. But most definitely our sheers are top of the list. Sheers in white, nude or champagne with a lesser demand for navy or black.
There is always quite a lot of media interest in the subject of tights for men. What are your thoughts about the greater visibility of men buying and wearing tights?
People seem to forget that once upon a time it was men who wore tights – it was an essential part of every man’s wardrobe. In recent decades we may have all been socialised in believing these are now solely garments for a woman’s wardrobe. Some people are not comfortable with the concept of men wearing tights are immediate label them as gay or a cross dresser…or all sorts of things.
Where people got the idea that wearing hosiery is an indication of sexual preference is beyond me. Everybody from ballet dancers to cross dressers to nurses, teachers, and students, moms, dads and your gran wear tights.
At Legwear Safari we fully support our male customers and their privacy. So while the idea of men wearing tights takes off, our customers know that they can shop with complete discretion in our store.
Discrimination on the basis of hosiery is a ridiculous idea anyway, very last year. If you have a look at what is coming off the catwalks, hosiery for men is not only alive and well, its high end and trendy.
It is time for people to get with the times.
To men thinking about trying tights, what would you say are the main benefits of wearing them?
Warmth, comfort and support are the main reasons I would say men should try tights. Winter can be seriously cold and if you are on a motorbike in the icy morning traffic trying to weave your way to work, a nice pair of thick opaque’s will save your sanity!
For men that stand or sit all day, support hosiery for circulation is a must. Office bound desk jobs are very much a reality for everyone these days and while sitting is the new smoking a pair of support hosiery could really help with that horrible achy leg syndrome keeping you awake at night.
Men who travel a lot could really benefit from our anti-fatigue range from Falke: we sell a large amount to the local air hostesses so that speaks for itself.
From a tactile point of view, which I have learnt over the years is very much a priority for our male customers; the feel is that much nicer than the rough seams of jeans or work trousers. Try a few brands and sizes until you find something that you love and stick with that. And don’t be shy about asking questions or for advice.
What are your plans for the future at Legwear Safari? Are you planning to stock any tights specifically made for men?
It is most certainly high on our list! However, the unfavourable exchange rate has made us change direction slightly and we are still in the review process but thanks to blogs like Hosiery For Men, we are able to draw some real time quality scores directly from the consumer.
We have a number of brands in the wings, ready for their Legwear Safari debut, and hope to start rolling them out by next season.
Thank you Tracy for speaking to Hosiery For Men. It is fantastic to know that there are retailers like Legwear Safari that have such a welcoming and positive attitude towards male customers. I hope readers will check out the store and support you in whatever way they can.
great brands mentioned above only brand I can say the they need to opt to make more plus size hosiery in color and style they do have some just not enough is Pamela Mann if they did this I believe they would sell more hosiery
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