Monday 2 February 2015

Reviewed: Tabio 80 Denier Men's Leggings/Footless Tights

The leading Japanese hosiery brand Tabio recently sent us samples of the new Tabio 80 Denier Men's Tights and the Tabio 80 Denier Men's Leggings to trial and review.



We have already reviewed Tabio 80 Denier Men's Tights and you can read our review here.

We now focus on the Tabio 80 Denier Men's Leggings.



Material and features

The packaging of the Tabio 80 Denier Men's Leggings is the same as for the 80 Denier Tights.The tights are folded around a long piece of card and then wrapped in a cellophane envelope. Everything is then housed in a sturdy card box. The overall presentation is excellent and has clearly involved design for the male hosiery market.








The packaging also provides product information, although this is in Japanese.

The Tabio 80 Denier Men's Leggings are made in Japan. According to the Tabio website (translated from Japanese) they are made from 91% Nylon and 9% Polyurethane. 

The leggings appear to be a footless tights version of the Tabio 80 Denier Men's Tights.



The leggings don't look particularly long when removed from the packaging, but, as with the tights, they do have an excellent amount of stretch.

The fabric is soft and smooth and provides even opaque coverage. Opacity is very good but not total, as when the leggings are stretched at the knee and thigh, one can still see leg hair.

Legs are tapered, being wider at the thigh and narrowing towards the calf. The bottom of the leggings are finished with a 1.5cm wide cuff.


There is a wide band, knitted to a slightly thicker density, at the top of each thigh as it joins the brief.

The brief is the same as the 80 Denier Tights: deep and with plenty of stretch. At the front and rear, it has been designed to support the male anatomy with a panel on both sides with conventional seams. The front panel, which has been constructed with double fabric, has a well-designed fly opening. Where the two panels join under the crotch there is a well-engineered flat seam.

The waistband is 3cm wide and has been sewn onto the tights. It is very robust and provides good support.

Inside the brief there is a label (in Japanese), that provides washing instructions as well as other information.




Fit and sizing

The Tabio 80 Denier Men's Leggings are available in a single M-L size.

The Tabio website states that the leggings will fit the following dimensions:

Waist: 72cm (28") - 88cm (34")

Height: 160cm (5'4") to 180cm (5'11")

As mentioned above, these Tabio men's leggings./footless tights have lots of stretch.

Fit was very good even though, at 5'10", I am almost at the limit of the M-L sizing.

The fabric fits on the leg really well with no wrinkling or bunching.

The brief is deep and comfortable, stretching comfortably above the waist and hips.

Colour range
The Tabio 80 Denier Men's Leggings are available in Black and Charcoal Grey.

I tested a pair in Black.



Price and availability
The Tabio 80 Denier Men's Leggings are priced at ¥1,728 (Japanese Yen)

According to the exchange rates at the time of writing this is equivalent to:

£9.77 (UK pounds)

€12.98 (Euros)

$14.70 (US dollars)

According to my communications with Tabio, these tights are currently available only in Japan. I am still checking with them regarding international delivery if ordered from the Tabio website. If they become available at Tabio stores in the UK and elsewhere I will also provide an update.

Conclusion

The Tabio 80 Denier Men's Leggings, like the Tabio 80 Denier Men's Tights, are a welcome addition to the growing range of men's legwear that is now available.

After trialing both the tights and leggings/footless tights I would definitely say that Tabio have aimed to create quality products for men, and not simply rebrand women's tights. This is reflected in the packaging that clearly states 'TABIO MEN'S LEGWEAR'. This seems like a smart move and may make more men decide to give the tights and leggings a try.

Let's hope Tabio can make both products available for the European and north American markets.

A L-XL size would also be welcome.

Recommended. 

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