Thursday 27 June 2019

Just arrived: Chaffree Leggings

Chaffree is the underwear and hosiery brand that offers a range of seamless, sweat absorbing and chafe reducing garments for men and women.



Chaffree have kindly sent us a few more items to trials and review. We have already showcased the Chaffree Men's Knee High Long Socks.

We have also received a pair of the Chaffree Leggings.






Really looking forward to trying these out as the quality looks amazing!

Do check out our earlier review of the Chaffree Men's Briefs, as well as our review of the Chaffree Men's Boxer Shorts. Both are exceptional products and recommended.

Wednesday 26 June 2019

Reviewed: Platino Cleancut 15 Denier Knee High Shiny Socks

One of our recommended online hosiery and legwear retailers, The Tight Spot, recently suggested that we might like to try some hosiery from the Platino brand.




One of the items they sent us are the Platino Cleancut 15 Denier Knee High Shiny Socks.



This is the first time we have reviewed any products from Platino, a Spanish brand founded on 1927



Packaging

The Platino Cleancut 15 Denier Knee High Shiny Socks are packaged very simply. The knee highs are held by a simple card clasp with a hook integrated in the package so that they can be displayed for retail.





Materials and features


The Tight Spot describe these knee highs as:

"Wonderfully shiny knee high socks from Platino, which are made using unique knitting technology so that there is no visible, elasticated top of the socks and the material is clean cut. This means the material sits completely flat on your legs and will not leave any marks or be uncomfortably tight. These 15 denier knee highs are ultra light yet very strong, thanks to their micro-silicone coated yarns. The special fibres used also create the high shine finish of these glossy knee high socks."


This is a good description of the Cleancut concept: in both Platino Cleancut tights as well as knee highs, the manufacturing technology ensures that there is no separate piece for the waistband or cuff. The aim of this is to prevent pressure marks and tightness.

The knee highs feel incredibly light and silky when you take them out of the packaging. They literally weigh nothing.

From toe to the top of the cuff they measure just over 42 cm.

They have some anatomical shaping, being wider at the cuff and higher part of the calf than the foot.

The cuff is 7cm wide and very slightly darker than the sock. There is no additional stitching at the top of the cuff. You might expect this to be weak and fray easily, but it is actually seems to be very strong.

Toes are sandal type with no reinforcement.

In appearance they are shiny, with an oily, glossy look.

The yarn is 60% Polyamide and 40% Elastane.



Sizing, fit and wearing experience


The Platino website indicates that the Cleancut knee highs are available in two sizes:

  • M - II 
  • G - III 
At the Tights Spot only the M - II size is available, and this is what I wore for this review.

Looking at the packaging, I have concluded that the difference between the M and G sizing is probably the length of the sock.

It is slightly confusing as on the Tight Spot page, they are described as "one size", fitting UK show sizes 3 to 7.

I found the yarn to be very stretchy, which is not surprising given the 40% Elastane content. That stretchiness is welcome as my shoe size is actually UK 10.5. The fit on the foot was very good.



Fit on the leg is very snug indeed with no wrinkling. The demarcation between the cuff and sock is barely visible when worn.

These shiny socks were very comfortable, and just Platino claim, there is no pressure or discomfort. You can wear them all day and they won't leave any marks or indentations.

However, as you can see in the photo, they were slightly too small for my leg length and didn't reach quite to the knee. I do have wide calves as well as larger feet than recommended in the sizing info, so this is probably why they stretched more outwards and less upwards.

I think the G - III size would probably provide a more generous length.

Having said this and studied the packaging photo, I am not sure if these socks are designed to come right up to the knee but rather to near the top of the calf.

Colour range


The Platino Cleancut 15 Denier Knee High Shiny Socks are available in three shades at The Tight Spot:

Caresse - a natural shade

Dakar - a bronze shade

Negro - black.

I tried the Black colour.



Price and availability

The Platino Cleancut 15 Denier Knee High Shiny Socks are priced at £7.95 for a two-pair pack.

Conclusion

Hosiery For Men readers may not be aware of this, but sheer knee highs and shiny sheer socks are actually very popular with men in southern Europe who wear them with formal wear such as suits. In Spain, for example, they are known as "ejecutivos" and you can find them in the menswear section of all department stores. It looks like the wearer has sheer tights on under their trousers - well some might have but most will be wearing this type of sock.


If you like this kind of shiny look, check out the wide range of shiny tights at The Tight Spot.

The Platino Cleancut 15 Denier Knee High Shiny Socks are a good quality product and two pairs for £7.95 is very reasonable. 

I would have been more comfortable size-wise I think with the G - III size.

The next Platino review will be for the 40 Denier Total Confort Tights.

Just arrived: Chaffree Men's Knee High Long Socks

Chaffree is the underwear and hosiery brand that offers a range of seamless, sweat absorbing and chafe reducing garments for men and women.



Chaffree have kindly sent us a few more items to trials and review.

First up are the Chaffree Men's Knee High Long Socks.



Do check out our earlier review of the Chaffree Men's Briefs, as well as our review of the Chaffree Men's Boxer Shorts. Both are exceptional products and recommended.

Friday 21 June 2019

Reviewed: Emilio Cavallini Classic Black Mantyhose

Online hosiery retailer Leglicious now stock a selection of the men's tights/mantyhose by Emilio Cavaillini. They sent us a pair of the Emilio Cavallini Classic Black Mantyhose to trial and review.


In the men's tights collection at Leglicious you will also find the following additional Emilio Cavallini items:

Stripes Mantyhose

Stars Mantyhose

Classic Black Meggings


Several years ago we interviewed Francesco Cavallini, vice-president of the Florence-based Emilio Cavallini company. You can still read this feature here.





Emilio Cavallini are one of the few leading hosiery brands who have maintained production of a range of tights for men.

Introducing their "mantyhose' range they say:

"Who said tights are only for women?"

"With his outstanding mantyhose collection, Emilio Cavallini has finally given men their right to make their legs stand out."

"Mantyhose are a fun and trendy fashion item to complete and enhance your look – a must-have for the cosmopolitan and modern man."




Packaging

The Emilio Cavallini Classic Black Mantyhose come in attractive packaging. The tights are folded and housed in a smart rectangular black box.





Materials and features


Here's how Emilio Cavallini describe the Classic Black Mantyhose:

"These classic mantyhose by Emilio Cavallini are perfect for dancing or doing sports, as well as being a versatile, basic item to wear under your shorts or jeans to keep you warm on those freezing winter days. These unique mantyhose combine the maximum comfort and freedom of movement with a highly stylish look."



The Emilio Cavallini Classic Black Mantyhose are 145 denier opaque tights. They are made in Italy from 56% Cotton, 40% Nylon and 4% Elastane.

You can feel the quality of these tights as soon as you get them out of the packaging. They feel soft, but also quite robust.

Opaque coverage his total, as you would expect with 145 denier.

Finish is matte, with just a very slight sheen.

The brief is quite deep and measures 26cm from the top of the waistband to the crotch. There is no gusset or rear comfort panel. Seams are flat.



The waistband is 4cm wide and has an Emilio Cavallini logo.



Toes are reinforced.



Sizing, fit and wearing experience


The Emilio Cavallini Classic Black Mantyhose are available at Leglicious in two sizes: M-L and XL.



I tried them in the XL size.

The tights were easy to put on and very stretchy. I am 5'10" and I'm glad I chose the XL size. The fit was perfect. Although the M-L size extends up to heights of 5'11", I was glad of the additional room provided by the XL size. I am not sure if they would extend comfortably to someone who is 6'7".

My advice on sizing is to consider going up to XL if you are 5'10"or taller.

The Classic Black Mantyhose fit beautifully on the leg. There is enough Elastane in the yarn to ensure they mould themselves to the leg. There is no wrinkling or sagging.

One could tell that these tights have been designed for men: there is plenty of room in the thigh and calf area. The brief also has good depth. The waistband sits comfortable above the navel and waist.

Apart from the great fit, I found that these tights provided a really enjoyable and comfortable wearing experience. The high cotton content in the yarn provides softness as well as warmth, yet the tights had good breathability.



Colour range


The Emilio Cavallini Classic Black Mantyhose are available in Black only.



Price and availability


The Emilio Cavallini Classic Black Mantyhose are priced at £24.00.

Conclusion

I found there was a lot to like with these Emilio Cavallini men's tights.

The packaging is cool and aimed at men, and Emilio Cavallini do something lots of other brands can learn from: having product photos with guys wearing the tights. This is something that our "men buying tights survey" last year identified: men want to see advertising and marketing imagery that includes us.

The tights themselves are well-designed and well-made. Emilio Cavallini themselves mention all the ways that they can be worn: with shorts, with cropped trousers, with worn jeans that have holes in them or just for lounging around at home.

Well done Leglicious for stocking a range of men's tights. If you read our interview with Leglicious managing director Nicola Forkes, you will see male customers are welcome and Leglicious are committed to providing them with the same support and service as any other customer.

Anyway, if you want a quality pair of men's opaque tights, consider giving the Emilio Cavallini Classic Black Mantyhose a try.

Tuesday 18 June 2019

Interview With Elina Tunyan, Founder Of Garni Tights

In our last post we introduced Garni, a US-based hosiery brand, that has just relaunched their website.



As promised, we now publish our exclusive interview with Garni founder and CEO Elina Tunyan.




Hi Elina. Garni is a relatively new hosiery brand. Can you tell Hosiery For Men readers more about Garni? When did you start the brand and why?


Garni started in October 2018, and I started the brand with inspiration from my background in finance. Tights were part of my go-to work uniform, but they weren’t exactly exciting or comfortable to wear. Feeling squeezed in, cut off, twisted and itchy was part of my daily routine. With Garni, I set out to challenge that. Garni tights are made with a flexible waistband and super soft yarns: they are meant to move with you, and feel luxurious on your body.

In a quite crowded hosiery market, what’s unique about Garni?


Much of legwear and shapewear today sells to craft the perfect, slim body, but at Garni we’ve focused on freedom as our core value. This means that anyone can wear our tights, and that feeling free is essential when wearing Garni, rather than feeling constricted. We’ve centered our most recent brand refresh on freedom through movement: the idea that we have the freedom to move with our bodies in any way that we desire.

Our brand ethos is meant to be inspiring and vibrant, and we welcome everyone to come try what our legwear is all about, and how we are challenging the current market. We are at a price point and quality in which no one else is, and more than just a provider of tights, we provide an actual community of like-minded individuals.



Can you tell us more about the current range of Garni tights?


We currently carry three different styles of tights: opaque, sheer and fishnet, all in the color black. Each pair comes with our comfort waistband and soft seam that makes for an invisible look and exquisite feel. We will be expanding our style and color range in the future. Look out!







You mentioned to me that you have a growing male base linking with the Garni brand and community. Can you tell us more?


Yes, one of the things we embody is our ability to craft legwear that is fluid and meant for all bodies. Our models who wear the brand exist in a range of gender identities, some even wearing Garni to explore what their identity is.

Male customers will not feel excluded with the Garni brand and community. We are an inclusive brand that is open and welcoming to all, which is especially highlighted in our ethos and in our current brand identity.

I see that in your recent photo shoot you included a male model, styled in Garni tights? Was this a conscious decision to project inclusive values for the brand?


Exactly! We want to redefine beauty as freedom: freedom that is meant for everyone! Centered on inclusivity, we believe that tights function as a representation of the flexibility our identities can be. Tights move with us, as a way in which we express ourselves, and, we realized, rather than acting as a rigid armor, actually are a way in which we can be open and express ourselves. Garni tights bend and mold with our bodies, and don’t force us into shapes and sizes that are not truly us.



Which tights in the Garni range do you recommend as being particularly suitable for guys?


All of our tights are suitable for guys!



There is always quite a lot of media interest in the subject of tights for men. What are your thoughts about the greater acceptability of men wearing tights?


We hope that there continues to be a greater center on inclusivity in the hosiery world, and are humbled and thrilled to be joining a community of like-minded people.

To men thinking about trying tights, what would you say are the main benefits of wearing them?


Tights have been worn for years, but often with some nagging costs: restrictive yarns, cheap materials, sharp waistbands and annoying snags,to name a few. For both men and women alike, we’ve made a tight that finally feels comfortable and allows you to move about the world however you please: dancing, leading, or just lounging.

The benefits extend far beyond how they’re manufactured though. Garni tights iterate on expression, enabling the freedom to move through life beyond restraints.

Actually, our male COO wore our tights for the first time on our launch day, and recalled that the feeling was so luxurious and comfortable he wondered why more men didn’t make them a wardrobe staple. Since then, he’s been advocating for his male friends and prospective customers to wear them.

What are you planning for the future at Garni?


We are hoping to expand our community that we engage with, and want those who wear Garni to continue to feel empowered by our product and brand. We hope to add more styles and colors in the future too.

Thank you Elina! It's been great to talk with you and connect with Garni. I am sure Hosiery For Men readers will enjoy reading this interview, and will value the inclusiveness of the Garni brand towards male customers.

You can follow Garni on Instagram and Twitter.

Garni are also building a research and development group where they aim to get direct feedback from their community to inform new product development and branding. Hosiery For Men readers are invited to participate. If you are interested, click this link and leave your email.

Sunday 16 June 2019

Introducing Garni tights

At Hosiery For Men we like to showcase new and emerging hosiery brands. What often stands out is the passion and commitment that hosiery entrepreneurs show to realise their vision.

A great example of this is Garni, a US-based brand, that has just relaunched their website.



Garni sell "luxurious tights that set your spirit free."

And get this: in the photo shoot for the new website they even had a guy as one of the models! You can spot him on the website if you look around.

Garni currently have three styles of tights that are available in four sizes: S, M, L and XL.

Airspun - 18 denier sheer tights





Ganache - 70 denier opaque tights





Siren - fishnet tights





Stay tuned everyone, because we are shortly going to publish an exclusive interview with Garni founder Elina Tunyan, which covers the inclusive values at the heart of the brand, their embrace of male customers and more!

Thursday 13 June 2019

Reviewed: Aristoc 80 Denier Micro Fibre Knee Highs

Aristoc sent us a pair of their 80 Denier Micro Fibre Knee Highs.





Aristoc describe these knee highs as follows:

"These beautiful soft, Aristoc 80 Denier black knee highs are knitted using smooth microfibre yarns for extreme softness & a velvet-like touch."


They are part of Aristoc's Ultimate Leg Luxury range: a premium opaque collection of tights and knee highs.

Packaging

The Aristoc 80 Denier Micro Fibre Knee Highs are packaged very simply, with just a basic card clasp.



Materials and features

These knee highs are manufactured in Ukraine. The yarn is 94% Nylon and 6% Elastane.

They looked quite small when removed from the packaging, but the stretch is really impressive.

The feel is really soft and velvety.

The knit is impressive and ensures that opacity is total.

Toes are reinforced.


The cuff is 5cm wide, and with good elasticity. The way it has been sewn onto the sock is a indication of the quality of this garment.



Size, fit and wearing experience


The Aristoc 80 Denier Micro Fibre Knee Highs are ONE SIZE only.




The size chart on the packaging indicates that they fill fit UK show sizes 3-8. Well, my size is 10.5 and surprisingly the fit was excellent.

As mentioned above, the stretch is really good. The fit was perfect without any over-stretching.

In addition to the good fit, the knee highs felt wonderful, with a very smooth and soft feel the skin with a deep and even opacity that provided total coverage.

The wide cuff was particularly comfortable. It kept the knee highs in position without any digging in or constriction.

Colour range


The Aristoc 80 Denier Micro Fibre Knee Highs are available in Black only.



Price and availability


The Aristoc 80 Denier Micro Fibre Knee Highs are priced at £6.00.

They can be purchased directly from Aristoc.

They are also available from our recommended retailer UK Tights.



Conclusion


At Hosiery For Men we have become something of a fan of knee highs. They look smart under pants, but can also be worn with shorts.

They are a great alternative to tights.

The Aristoc 80 Denier Micro Fibre Knee Highs are great quality and a real bargain at just £6.00 a pair. For the comfort and quality they definitely get a recommendation.