Friday 24 October 2014

Just arrived: Wolford Cotton Velvet Tights, Velvet De Luxe 50 Tights and Men's Long Distance Knee-Highs

We have just taken delivery of a wonderful selection of samples sent to us by Wolford!



We have been sent:

  • Wolford Cotton Velvet Tights
  • Wolford Velvet De Luxe 50 Tights 
  • Men's Long Distance Knee-Highs






You can read our review of the Wolford Velvet De Luxe 66 Tights.

Just arrived: Socks by Falke and Doré-Doré

Luxury Legs have kindly sent Hosiery For Men something different for us to trial and review: men's socks!



As well as selling an impressive range of tights and other hosiery from top quality brands, Luxury Legs also stock a range of men's socks, including from one of our favourite brands, Falke.

We have been sent two styles to review:

The Doré-Doré Evolution Men's Harlequin Reinforced Merino Wool Socks and the Falke 'Lhasa' Men's Wool and Cashmere Socks.





Look out for the reviews which will appear shortly.

Wednesday 22 October 2014

Reviewed: Charnos Xelence 50 Denier Opaque Tights

Charnos Hosiery recently sent Hosiery For Men a very generous selection of samples from their different ranges.

Two of the samples were from the new Charnos Xelence range which is aimed at 'curvaceous women'.

In this review we focus on the Charnos Xelence 50 Denier Opaque Tights.



Material and features 

Charnos describe the Xelence 50 Denier Opaque Tights as follows:

'Charnos Xelence is custom made for curvaceous women up to dress size 32. Designed using the breakthrough LYCRA® XCEPTIONELLE technology this product has been carefully constructed and finished to accommodate differing body shapes of larger women."




The tights come in quality packaging. They are folded around a card rectangle and then wrapped in a clear plastic sleeve. Everything is then housed in a robust card envelope which provides impressively detailed product information.





The Charnos Xelence 50 Denier Opaque Tight are made in Italy. The fabric is 89% Nylon, 10% LYCRA® Elastane and 1% Cotton.

The material feels very soft and stretchy. In appearance the tights are matt with no real visible shine.

The tights feel quite light. These are not thick, heavy opaque winter tights.

Toes are lightly reinforced.



The legs are straight, but one can see that the fabric has been knitted to provide more space from the knees up. As the legs arrive at the inner thigh area, the tights have a band made with higher density yarn. This has been designed to reduce chafing or digging in between the legs.



The other unique feature of these tights is the waistband, which is around 0.8cm wide. This is described as a 'narrow anti-roll waistband'. But running below the waistband itself is a much deeper 8cm wide band, that has been designed for extra comfort and to reduce any tightness in this area.



The seams in the panty/brief are flat, and there is a cotton gusset. The brief has clearly been designed to avoid the need for the rear comfort gusset that is common in plus size hosiery.

Fit and sizing

The Charnos Xelence 50 Denier Opaque Tights are available in three sizes:
  • Light Shape
  • Medium Shape
  • Full Shape
I am not sure which size I tested as the sample sent did not indicate which size was in the packaging.



I found these tights to be a really comfortable wear. As a plus size style they certainly provided me with plenty of room in the leg. The high Lycra content in the fabric also made sure that there was a nice, close fit with no wrinkling.

The brief was particularly comfortable, with plenty of depth and a light, feeling when worn with no tightness or compression.

Under trousers, glide was reasonable. The tights, being quite light, were also breathable and I didn't feel my legs were getting overheated wearing them indoors.

Colour range
The Charnos Xelence 50 Denier Opaque Tights are available in two colours Black and Navy.

I tested a pair in Black.

Price and availability
The Charnos Xelence 50 Denier Opaque Tights from a very wide range of hosiery retailers, including:

UK Tights (£9.99)

My Tights (£10.00)

Stockings Direct (£10.00)

Stockings HQ (£9.99)

SockShop (£10.00)

The Tightspot (£9.95)

Conclusion
The Charnos Xelence 50 Denier Opaque Tights do seem to be an innovative product. The Oroblu Difference 80 tights are the only product I have seen with a similar waistband.

For men who might also need a larger size of tights, they might be a good choice, especially if you need a deeper brief and more space in the abdominal area.

The plus points for me in this Charnos style include the soft fabric, the excellent stretch and and the brief. I also liked this lighter type of opaque that can provide comfort and warmth, but with breathability.

Our next review in the Xelence range will be the 30 denier semi-opaque tights.

Tuesday 21 October 2014

Spotlight on LM Glow: Part 2

We recently published Part 1 of our feature on the UK hosiery brand LM Glow who have launched their Tall Comfort Tights.



In the first part of our interview with Charlotte May Harris, the founder of LM Glow, Charlotte provided background information on LM Glow and the particular features of the Tall Comfort Tights.

In the second part, Charlotte discusses how male customers are made welcome at LM Glow, and her thoughts on tights for men.




What kind of service will male customers receive at LM Glow? Do you welcome enquiries and requests for advice? 

Yes! Enquiries and requests for advice are very welcome. My email address is lottiemay@lmglow.co.uk and I’m always happy to receive enquiries, suggestions, feedback, etc. In particular, if customers have any questions about fit, please contact me as I might be able to give you personalised advice based on customer feedback. I’d also recommend any potential customers who have questions about feel or fit to check out the sizing guidance on our website.

I appreciate that some male customers may be nervous about being seen to buy tights. As we’re online, you don’t have to go into a shop and it is not clear from our packaging that you have bought tights. As this means buying the tights without having seen them in person, you can get a full refund if dissatisfied. 




There has been a huge amount of media coverage of tights for men (sometimes called 'mantyhose') in recent months. What are your thoughts about the greater visibility of men buying and wearing tights?
I think it is great. There are definite advantages to wearing tights and I’m glad it is finally becoming acceptable and popular for men to buy and wear them too. It’s important that the market caters for men as well as women and this is what I want to do with LM Glow.

To men thinking about trying tights, what would you say are the main benefits of wearing them?
The main benefits as I see them are comfort and convenience. Tights are a great addition to your wardrobe, giving you extra options in what you can wear. They are also excellent for wearing under trousers or jeans for additional warmth in winter and, if you’re wearing tights under something, you don’t have to worry about socks!

Finally, sometimes tights just make you feel sexy and give you that extra confidence boost.

What are your plans for LM Glow? Are you planning to develop the range of products further?
I would love to develop the range of products further. There have been requests for the Tall Comfort tights to be available in natural skin tones and this would be where LM Glow will hopefully go next.

Any suggestions from potential customers are always welcome and can be made by email to me at: lottiemay@lmglow.co.uk or on Twitter: @lmglowtights. To see what suggestions other people are making and to follow our offers and updates, please follow me on Twitter:


Thank you Charlotte for making time to speak to Hosiery For Men. We look forward to seeing how the product range develops.

A review of the LM Glow Tall Comfort Tights will be published soon.

Sunday 19 October 2014

Reviewed: Falke Pure Shine 80 Tights

Tights Tights Tights, the shop and online retailer based in the Metrocentre, Gateshead, sent Hosiery For Men a pair of the new Falke Pure Shine 80 Tights.

You can still read the Hosiery For Men feature on Tights Tights Tights.



Pure Shine are a new range from Falke, that also includes the Pure Shine 15 Tights and Pure Shine 40 Tights. These styles are also available from Tights Tights Tights.



Readers of this blog will know that Falke are one of our favourite brands. The exceptional quality and fit, plus the great sizing options, makes them a suitable for choice for men buying tights.

We have already reviewed a number of Falke styles including:

Falke Cotton Rib Tights

Falke Pure Matt 20 Tights

Falke Pure Matt 50 Tights

Falke Seidenglatt 70 Tights

Falke Cotton Touch Tights

Falke Pure Matt 100 Tights

Material and features 

Tights Tights Tights describe the Falke Pure Shine 80 Tights as follows:

"Elegantly shimmering, fine opaque tights with a fine mesh structure. An innovative material composition gives a particularly soft touch. They have a hygienic net gusset in small to large sizes, and a comfort gusset in XL size. These superb opaque tights have high quality quality flat seams and a durable toe with comfortable soft seam finishing."

The tights are packaged in a Falke card sleeve that is enclosed in a clear plastic envelope. The tights are wrapped around a card that provides guidance on how to put the tights on, should you need it.







The tights are made from 93% Polyamide and 7% Elastane, according the the packaging information. 


The tights feel luxuriously soft and velvety. They are perhaps the softest Falke tights I have seen and touched.

The tights are sheer to waist with straight legs. Toes have no reinforcement.

Seams are flat throughout and, as you would expect from Falke, expertly engineered and finished. The XL size that I tested has a rear comfort gusset.

The waistband is 3cm wide and very soft and comfortable. As with all Falke hosiery, there is a Falke tag attached. It's a small touch, but if you have a huge collection of black opaque tights, it helps to be able to identify the Falke ones.





The Pure Shine Tights provide an even opaque coverage throughout. Despite their name, I didn't find them to be overly shiny. It's more like a slight sheen throughout, or a 'shimmer' as Tights Tights Tights describe them.

Fit and sizing

The Falke Pure Shine 80 Tights are available in three sizes from Tights Tights Tights: Small/Medium, Medium/Large and Extra Large.

I tested a pair in the V / Extra Large size.



These tights were just a wonderful wearing experience. The fit in the XL size was spot on for me.

There is plenty of length in the leg. The brief was also deep and provided a comfortable fit over the waist with plenty of room in the abdominal area.

Colour range

The Falke Pure Shine 80 Tights are available in three colours from Tights Tights Tights: Elder, Black and Petrol.

I tested a pair in the Black colour.

Price and availability

The Falke Pure Shine 80 Tights are available from Tights Tights Tights. They are priced at £19.00.

If you spend just £20.00 at Tights Tights Tights you get free first class UK delivery.

Conclusion

The Falke Pure Shine 80 Tights are a superb addition to the Falke range this autumn and winter.

They compare very favourable with the Falke Seidenglatt 70 Tights which we reviewed recently. The Pure Shine tights do not seem to be significantly shinier that the Seidenglatt. However the black shade in the Pure Shine does seem to be a denser, darker colour.

As always with Falke, the XL size will be suitable for tall women and men, with plenty of leg length and a deep, comfortable brief.

If you like Falke tights, and want absolutely top quality opaque tights, you won't want to miss this style.

I am quite keen to try the Pure Shine 40 Tights now. They are the next Falke tights on my want list.

Saturday 18 October 2014

Just arrived: SmooFit tights and WarmUP tights from Japan

The Japanese hosiery brand Naigai have sent Hosiery For Men a very substantial package of samples to trial and review. These include a selection of the SmooFit men's tights, as well as the WarmUP men's tights.

We recently reviewed the SmooFit 80 Denier Men's Tights, and will be bringing you further information on these men's hosiery products soon.



Hosiery For Men goes blog hopping

I was recently asked to take part in a Blog Hop by a lovely fashion writer called Linda Hobden who writes a blog called Boots, Shoes & Fashion.





Linda is a reader of Hosiery For Men, and she nominated me and author Carol E Wyer to take up the challenge.

To take part we both had to agree to be nominated in Linda's Doing The Blog Hop post, and then answer four questions before passing on the baton to other bloggers.


You can read Carol's contribution on her brilliant Facing 50 With Humour blog.



So here goes.

1. What am I working on?

I always have a backlog of hosiery reviews to complete. Since I started the Hosiery For Men blog in 2011 retailers and hosiery manufacturers have been incredibly generous sending me samples. So I always have a lot of new tights to trial and review. Coming up soon are reviews of the new Falke Pure Shine 80 Tights send to me by a great hosiery store in the north-east called Tights Tights Tights.

I also have two reviews on the way for the tights made specifically for men by Comfort4Men, who are based in Germany.

I am also planning to feature in more detail a brand of tights for men from Japan called SmooFit tights. I have already reviewed their 80 Denier men's Tights model and the company that make them, Naigai, have now sent me a enormous box with their whole of their range for me to trial and evaluate. They want to use my reviews on their publicity for their products in Japan!

2. How does my work differ from others in this genre?

Well I am probably one of the very few male hosiery bloggers in the world. Many people might be surprised about a guy writing about tights, although most people are aware that men invented them and they only really became mainstream legwear for women in the twentieth century.

The blog I write also focuses on tights as practical and comfortable clothing for men. It's clearly a growing trends with many designers, as can be seen on the Men Wearing Tights With Shorts blog.

Tights are much more comfortable than traditional, bulky long johns. There is a huge range of styles, the quality gets better and better, and they can be worn stealthily under trousers, or styled with shorts.

There are several women fashion bloggers who review tights as well, but Hosiery For Men is pretty unique. I do also have loads of women readers which is great, and they tell me they find the reviews useful.

3. Why do I write what I do?

I really enjoy writing the blog. If I hadn't started it I would never have realised that there are so many excellent hosiery brands or had the opportunity to try so many styles.

Through writing the blog I have also made a lot of friends, both in the UK hosiery industry, but also people from the USA, Singapore, Turkey and elsewhere.

I also write because I believe in equality in fashion, and that people should be free to wear what they like. I had a great comment from a woman reader who said that she finds tights so comfortable and warm that she couldn't imagine why men wouldn't want to wear them also.

4. How does my writing process work?

When I review new tights I usually wear them at least once, and usually for at least a day, sometimes longer, to get a proper idea of how well they wear. I usually make some notes and then these get written up later for the published review.

For the features I write, I usually interview people by email and build the feature from their answers.

Thank you Linda for nominating me to take part in the blog hop. I am now passing the baton on to Andreas Lucius, who writes a great blog called Legwear Fashion For Men.



I look forward to reading his blog hop soon.

Thursday 16 October 2014

Spotlight on LM Glow: Part 1

The UK hosiery brand LM Glow recently launched a unique style of Tall Comfort Tights, which is starting to attract interest.



We were pleased to recently interview Charlotte May Harris, the founder of LM Glow. In the first part of a two-part feature, Charlotte tells us more about LM Glow and the Tall Comfort Tights.

Can you provide Hosiery For Men readers with some background to LM Glow? Why did you start the business and how has it developed?

I’m 5’11” and I started LM Glow because I was sick of ill-fitting, uncomfortable tights. I’ve spent years worrying about how to subtly pull up my tights before they end up around my ankles, having gussets cut into my mid-thighs, and stressing about whether my feet smell in my tights. In 2013 I finally decided to do something about it.

Nearly a year on, the Tall Comfort Tights are available to purchase in black. Specifically designed for heights between 5’8” and 6’3” and containing Bamboo Charcoal which helps reduce the effects of clammy and sweaty feet, they are for tall women and men who want to give their legs and feet an easy ride through life.



In a crowded hosiery retailing market what is unique about LM Glow?

LM Glow is completely focused on delivering comfortable tights for taller people.

Although the hosiery retailing market might seem to be crowded, I know as a tall person that I’ve found it hard to find tights that I’m happy with and the aim of LM Glow is to provide tights that are comfortable, long-lasting and meet the demands of your life, whatever they may be. If you’re struggling to find tights on the High Street, then LM Glow is looking to help you.

Can you tell us more about the LM Glow Tall Comfort Tights?

The tights are opaque black and are ideal for anyone who spends hours every day on their feet. Although, as previously mentioned, the tights are aimed at heights 5’8” to 6’6”, they have fitted heights from 5’2” to 6’6”. With 20% spandex content they mould to the body thus ending the curse of mid-thigh gussets whilst providing some support to the hips and thighs. This is further aided by a broad waistband.

Incorporating bamboo charcoal, a wicking material, the tights also provide odourless relief to the effects of clammy feet, allowing the wearer to get on and make the most of their day.



Do you have any male customers and have they provided any feedback on the Tall Comfort Tights?

I don’t currently have any male customers but men have modelled the tights and found them to be really comfortable. One, in particular, was very impressed about the feel of the tights and the fact that they fitted him even though he is 6’6”.


Tall Comfort Tights modelled by a man.


Stay tuned for Part 2 of our interview with Charlotte.

Wednesday 15 October 2014

Just arrived: Tall Comfort Tights from LM Glow

The hosiery brand LM Glow sent Hosiery For Men a pair of their Tall Comfort Tights.

We will review these tights soon. Stay tuned also for a feature on the brand.

Monday 13 October 2014

Wolford Opaque 70 Tights

A Hosiery For Men reader in China has sent us another picture of how he styles his tights.

The tights worn in this photo are the limited edition Wolford Opaque 70 Tights.



In the UK, the Wolford Opaque 70 Tights are available from Luxury Legs priced at £18.00.

Sunday 12 October 2014

Fogal Opaque 30 Denier Tights

A Hosiery For Men reader in China has shared the way he has styled opaque tights with shorts.



The tights worn are the Fogal 138 'Opaque' 30 Denier Tights. These are one of Fogal's best sellers and are available in a wide variety of colours.

In the UK they are available from Luxury Legs and Fogalworld where they are priced at £22.50.

     

Luxury Legs describes them as follows:

'They are semi-opaque tights with a matte finish made from a very soft 3D microfibre, extremely comfortable to wear. A perfect fit due to the use of nylon and spandex in each row the silky waistband along with the cotton gusset.'

The Limited Edition Wolford Opaque 70 Tights are back!

The Wolford Opaque 70 tights are back for autumn!



This great news was shared by our friends at Luxury Legs, who now have them in stock.

These tights appear just occasionally as a limited edition and then disappear. So you do need to get them while you can.



You can read a review of the Opaque 70 tights here.

Saturday 11 October 2014

Just arrived: Falke Cotton Touch Tights

I have just taken delivery of a pair of the Falke Cotton Touch Tights. I bought them as part of the Tights Please 25% off opaques 24 hour sale that took place last week.

I already have a pair of these tights in Black, but I like them so much I needed to get another pair.

I ordered a pair in the dark brown Cigar shade in XL size.

You can read my earlier review of this Falke model.



Thursday 9 October 2014

New tights in the Marks and Spencer Autograph range

We have reviewed several models in the Marks and Spencer Autograph range at Hosiery For Men.

This range is the premium range at Marks and Spencer, and in my opinion way above the rest of their hosiery range in terms of yarns used and quality. Two of the new styles that have just appeared have caught our attention.

40 Denier Luxury Velvet Touch Luxe Opaque Tights priced at £8.00.



100 Denier Merino Wool Blend Opaque Tights priced at £9.50.