Friday 31 August 2012

Mantyhose fashion competition

Mantyhose.net have recently announced a Mantyhose Fashion Competition aimed at young fashion designers and stylists.

This is a perfect chance you to show your skills as a fashion designer, stylist or photographer.



Show us how you think men should or could wear tights / mantyhose / pantyhose!

You can apply from 10th of September 2012 to 10th of October 2012 with up to 5 stylings (up to 15 photos) showing tasteful, fashionable stylings of men wearing tights / pantyhose.

The best stylings / designs will receive:

  • a permanent place on the front page of mantyhose.net for one year with all team member names shown and direct links to their webpages
  • a permanent place in the official press images of mantyhose.net for one year
  • promotion through press releases starting in September 2012 that will reach mainstream printed and electronic media. Winners will also have a chance to collaborate on specific projects with mantyhose.net and leading hosiery industry figures from around the world.
Mantyhose Fashion Competition’s international jury is headed by Francesco Cavallini, vice-president of Italian design house Emilio Cavallini, and Chan Kraemer, founder of mantyhose.net.

Emilio Cavallini is a leading Italian hosiery brand and also the manufacturer of high-quality hosiery that sells worldwide, including a recently introduced range of unisex tights / mantyhose.

Apply by sending your images directly to: chan (at) mantyhose.net by email or by wetransfer (free, up to 4 gigs).

Further information can be obtained by emailing Chan Kraemer: 
chan (at) mantyhose.net

Thursday 30 August 2012

Reviewed: Penti 200 Denier Bamboo Tights

I have previously reviewed several styles of tights made by Penti, a hosiery manufacturer in Turkey. I have three more styles to review from the large range of samples that Penti kindly provided me with. When all the reviews are complete I will post links to all the reviews of Penti products.



This review is of the 200 Denier Bamboo Tights.

Materials and features

The 200 Denier Bamboo Tights are part of Penti's Classic range.

Penti describe these tights as "thick, 200 den, soft, natural antibacterial, bamboo tights."

The fabric used is 55% viscose, 40% nylon, 5% elastane.

In appearance these tights look quite like wool tights, with a similar, less dense weave.

They are sheer to waist, apart from a wide reinforcement band just below the brief, although this is not very visible when worn.

The tights have a cotton gusset and flat seams. The waistband is 3cm wide, and with good elasticity. The brief section has excellent depth.

In appearance they are almost completely matt. When worn under trousers they look similar to black wool socks.




Fit and sizing
The 200 Denier Bamboo Tights are available in four sizes : 1 (small), 2 (medium), 3 (large) and 4 (extra karge)




I tested the size 4. The fit was excellent and the tights have plenty of stretch.

Colour range
The 200 Denier Bamboo Tights are available in seven shades: 
  • Stone 
  • White 
  • Anthracite 
  • Black 
  • Antique Blue 
  • Sand 
  • Chestnut 
I tested a pair in black.

Price and availability

The 200 Denier Bamboo Tights cost $21.90 from the Penti USA store.

There is currently no pricing information on the main Penti website.

Penti tights are available from their Turkish stores and their network of international outlets.

The Penti store in the USA, is at 9 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA 02138.

For other enquiries about purchasing and shipping it is best to contact Penti directly.

Conclusion
The 200 Denier Bamboo Tights are very soft and warm opaque tights. They were really comfortable to wear and are very soft against the skin.

These tights would be a great choice in cooler weather for an additional layer under trousers.  As mentioned already, they look like wool socks when worn so no-one will be aware that you are wearing tights.

Look out for the forthcoming reviews of the Penti Mikro 200 tights and Extra Cotton Tights.

Just arrived: Charnos Run Resist Tights

Stockings Direct continue to provide great support for Hosiery For Men. They have now kindly sent me a sample of the Charnos 10 Denier Run Resist Tights.



These tights are part of a new range from Charnos that uses a new technology that makes hosiery products run resist. This means that little holes are prevented from turning into ladders.

I will test and review these tights soon.

Wednesday 29 August 2012

Reviewed: Ela Patrik Vital Activ 40 denier men's support tights

ACTIVtights, a hosiery store based in the Czech Republic, kindly provided me with a range of samples of men's tights made by the Czech manufacturer Ela.

You still read the Hosiery For Men feature on ACTIVtights.

I have already reviewed the Adam 64 Denier Men's Tights and the Ela David 20 Denier Men's Tights.

My final review is of the Ela Patrik 40 Denier Vital Activ Men's Support Tights.





Materials and features

The Ela Patrik 40 Denier Vital Activ Men's Support Tights are packaged in a cellophane sleeve, wrapped inside a card liner.

The tights are made from 78% Polyamide and 22% Lycra. The fabric is very soft and smooth, and has an almost entirely matt appearance. A unique feature is the use of Meryl Skinlife microfibre material: this prevents bacterial growth and helps to reduce odour and skin irritation.

Seams are flat and there is a subtle reinforcement of the toes are reinforced. As with the Ela David 20 Denier Men's Tights, the waistband is 3.5cm wide and very comfortable.

The tights are not sheer to waist, but have a reinforced boxer style brief. There is a rear comfort panel and male centre panel. The latter provides good support for the male anatomy and keeps everything comfortably in place.

The fabric is semi-opaque and leg hair is still visible when they are worn.

Fit and sizing

The Ela Patrik 40 Denier Vital Activ Men's Support Tights are available in three sizes: L, XL and XXL.



As with the Adam 64 Den tights and Ela David 20 Denier Men's Tights , I choose the XL size and this was a very good fit. I would advise anyone over 5'10" to go for the larger XXL size.

The high Lycra content provides a good fit everywhere, with no wrinkling of the fabric. The tights need very little adjusting and pulling up. There is plenty of room in the brief which comes up comfortably over the waist and hips.

Although these tights are mainly matt in appearance, glide under trousers was very good.

I would say that these tights provide light compression and support. I wore them all day and they definitely provided good leg support and an energising feeling. Under trousers they felt wonderfully comfortable.

Colour range

These tights are available in just two colours: Black and Beige.

I tested a pair in Beige.

Price and availability

The Ela Patrik 40 Denier Vital Activ Men's Support Tights are available from ACTIVtights for US$9.49.

ACTIVtights ship products worldwide.

Conclusion

The Ela Patrik 40 Denier Vital Activ Men's Support Tights are very reasonably-priced men's support tights.

ACTIVtights state on their website that 'these tights are really comfortable for everyday wearing'. I would agree with that assessment.

They are a good choice for cooler late summer and early autumn days. They would be perfect for men who work indoors all day and who need support and comfort, but don't want to overheat with thicker opaque tights. 

Tuesday 28 August 2012

Spotlight on Mercería Gari (Tights from Spain)

Hosiery For Men has a really wide international readership, judging from the blog stats that I check regularly. I have already written about several hosiery manufacturers and retailers that are not based in the UK.

Mercería Gari is hosiery store based in Zaragoza, Spain. I was please to be able to interview their sales and marketing director Nora Garizábal. The interview has been translated from the Spanish in which it was conducted.



Can you like to provide Hosiery For men readers with some information about Mercería Gari? Mercería Gari are a family business that was established in 1986. Based in Zaragoza, Spain, we are dedicated to selling socks, tights and stockings, underwear and lingerie. We have a reputation for the quality of our products and personal service we provide to our customers.

Do you have many male customers? Most of our clients are women who buy for their husbands and sons, but little by little society is changing and there are more men, especially young people as well as those who are middle-aged, who dare to buy their own underwear and also try new things.

It seems that in the UK and well as the USA and many other countries, tights are becoming more and more acceptable for men. What do you think about this fashion trend? Are there men buying tights for themselves in Spain also?
It's possible that here in Spain tights for men may become a more in demand product. However, at the moment, there are few manufacturers who are daring enough to launch styles directly to the male public.

This is a personal observation based on experience in our local area, Zaragoza. It is true that possibly in Barcelona or Madrid, someone else might say that this trend may already be more advanced there. They are the two most important cities in Spain and therefore, new fashion trends usually arrive their first.

What in your opinion are the advantages of tights for men? Are there any particular benefits for expample in relation to health, comfort or warmth in autumn and winter?
It is hard to answer this question completely as we haven't, as yet, made available any style of tights specifically made for men. The one thing I could say is that each person needs to wear products that suit their body. If it is possible to have a style of tights made spefically for men, then of course the fabric would be more comfortable as the tights would have been made carefully to meet men's needs.

Are there any particular styles or brands of tights that are popular with your male customers? The best seller is the Janira brand. But is will alweays depend on the needs of each person in terms of styles and sizing. However many men, before looking for comfort, are often guided by their fantasies.

If there are men that would like to buy tights from Mercería Gari what kind of service will they receive?
We differ from many other retailers in the variety of items and barnds that we stock. But above all we provide a professional, discrete and personalised service. We have more than 25 years of experience on this area.

Mercería Gari stocks the Spanish tights brand Janira. This brand is not available in the UK. Can you say something about this brand? Are their styles available in Large and Extra Large sizes.
Janira is a brand that guarantees quality with competitive prices. They have a wide variety of styles, in different fabrics and thicknesses, especially for the winter season. Janira hosiery is also available in wide range of sizes.

The ME and GE sizes, that we have available, provide more room in the brief with a rear panel, giving more space and comfort in the waist area for men who are both taller and less tall, or who simply wish to have more a more comfortable fit.

Alternatively, the Panty Maxilastic style is available in two deniers, Maxilastic 17 and Maxilastic 40. What makes this style special is the rear comfort panel, and a greater brief depth that reaches to the abdominal area. It is suitable for sizes up to 130kg and 190cm - thus catering for sizes that are not normally available with most brands of tights.



Are there any brands or styles of tights that you would recommend for men?
I would particularly highlight Cecialia de Rafael and Janira



From the Cecilia de Rafael range I would recommend:

Panty Coral: There are a range of colours in this style and these tights are opaque, shiny and soft to the touch. The Extra Large (GE) size has a rear comfort panel.



From the Janira range I would suggest:

The Panty Wonder 100: These tights are extra opaque, sheer to waist, with a uniform satin appearance and silky touch. The Extra Large (GE) size has a rear comfort panel.




The Panty Wonder 70: These are opaque satin tights, sheer to waist, hardwearing and with an elastic waistband. The Extra Large (GE) size has a rear comfort panel.



Legging Wonder 100: These are extra opaque leggings, sheer to waist with a satin appearance and silky touch. They differ from tights and for tall men may be more comfortable because they provide a greater length in the leg. It's recommended also that men might like to wear them with socks thicker or thinner than the thickness of the leggings.



Are you able to send orders by post to other countries? 

We can send items to any European country. To make an order to another country just get in contact with us via: info@merceriagari.com.

Thank you very much indeed Nora for your help with this feature. I am sure Hosiery For Men readers will find all the information above informative. It's great to hear about new brands and I hope to test and review some of the Janira tights very soon.

I have already reviewed the Cecilia de Rafael Coral 60 Denier Opaque Tights and they are a superb product and highly recommended.

If any readers would like the Spanish version of this interview to be published let me know.

Saturday 25 August 2012

Knittex Men Collection - An update

I have previously covered the forthcoming range of tights for men from the Polish manufacturer Knittex.



More details of the new Men Collection range have now appeared on the Knittex website.

There is information on the six styles of Knittex tights for men:




Also the two style of footless tights:



The website provides some detail on the sizes available and the different shades/colours of each style.

At present the are no details on the Knittex online shop on how to purchase the Men Collection. I will provide further information once I have received it. Stay tuned.

New UK-Based Online Hosiery Store Launches on August 30

Tights Boutique is a new UK-based online hosiery store launches on 30 August.


It's good to see that they are aiming to stock a selection of tights in Plus Sizes.



Tights Boutique is giving away a free Kindle to a lucky customer to mark the launch of the website. You just need to purchase anything from the store, and sign up for the newsletter during the launch window, August 30th to November 30th, to be entered in a drawing for a chance to win this prize.

I wish Tights Boutique every success and hope they will be providing a good service for male customers.