Tuesday 8 January 2019

MEN BUYING TIGHTS SURVEY: WHAT CAN HOSIERY BRANDS DO BETTER TO CONNECT WITH MALE CUSTOMERS?

More findings from our recent MEN BUYING TIGHTS survey are now published.

In the survey we asked:

What can hosiery brands do better to connect with male customers?


Respondents were asked to chose up to five suggestions that they felt were the most useful.

Here is a summary of your responses:




Two suggestions stood out for the number of positive responses:

  • Improving marketing towards male customers 
  • Ensuring that packaging states that the tights product is unisex. 
These suggestions were reinforced by the strong responses to two other recommendations for hosiery brands:
  • Project an ethos of inclusion and gender neutrality 
  • Advertising and marketing imagery should show men wearing the tights product.
Another suggestion that attracted significant support was a request that hosiery brands emphasis the benefits that men can obtain from wearing tights. This would presumably include factors such as warmth, comfort and leg support.

The overall message coming across is that hosiery brands need to be much more open and visible in relation to male customers. They need to acknowledge that we exist, value our custom and project a more gender inclusive ethos in everything they do.


Here are a selection of your additional comments and suggestions for hosiery brands:

Anything to help comunícate the benefits of and eliminate the “taboo” factor and preconceived notions and stigma.

Again, fit, fit, fit. I don't particularly like the specifically "for men" tights, instead preferring conventional designs but with a wider range of size options.

Publicity and marketing efforts should more often emphasize that fashion equality is important. Legs do not have a gender, and good legwear offers many benefits to any legs that wear it. This should be central to any marketing message. Until legwear is no longer perceived as "cross dressing" when men wear it guys who wear tights will, in the main I think, stay underground with it.

Packaging: If you look at the packaging from the newer companies (e.g. Heist, Hedoine, I See Your Legs) the packing is already neutral. Maybe add on the packaging the women/men symbol to indicate it is for both sexes.

Packaging showing female and male models (or at last add a male silouette) wearing the product.

Acceptance is key and that will only come by celebrities taking the first step. Sad, but true. I am not waiting for that though, and wearing tights and leggings in public. I also think they have to unite with designers to guide the way of wearing them.

I feel brands such as Wolford, Comfilon, I See Your Legs and Adrian are already doing a great job. Marketing guys wearing tights for whatever reason as normal. It is more the e-commerce merchants that could step up. Buying tights regularly on websites such as UK Tights, I would very much like them to customize the emailing marketing towards my choices as a guy. They claim they have a lot of male clients buying tights to wear themselves and they are very much aware I am a guy buying and wearing tights so it would be great receiving more dedicated male targeted marketing instead of receiving always the generic marketing emails.

Provide a size chart for men as they fit men differently.

Having been asked that question so many times by followers and two tights manufacturers i would mainly say connecting with male fashion bloggers.

I would emphasize the importance of finding popular public figures to showcase hosiery as a male/unisex garment.

Emphasise the benefits of support for your legs if you have a job where you stand all day.

I feel that many brands and online retail stores are still doing fairly poor when it comes to including men. Brick and mortar stores don't do anything when it comes to including men. In their advertising, brands (including many of those featured on this website) often speak of how great and inclusive their new plus size products are for all types of women, without even mentioning men. So much for inclusion. Some words of encouragement on a website or even just mentioning men would be very much appreciated and doesn't cost anything. A more gender neutral approach would also be very welcome.

Wolford for me have that subtle balance perfectly.

In general, all the above could well be considered, however, what I've noticed and what they really lack (not only manufacturers but also distributors) is that all the marketing is always towards women and there's no word or mention about suitability for men also. There's always this line: "...adds support and fashion for women....", nothing about men.

There needs to be a famous sports guy/s to promote tights as being good to wear and fashionable. This would encourage guys to wear. I know a lot of guys that have worn with fancy dress costumes say they are comfortable, but guys worry too much what others think. Skinny jeans and sports tights are helping move guys in the right direction.

Normalise tights as totally unisex.

2 comments:

  1. Following the results and the comments, manufacturer and e-commerce merchants should now have a clear picture what men like and want from them.
    However, I guess the biggest problem is to convince your female partner that tights from now on are unisex and perfect legwear for both sexes.
    Unisex tights would solve the odds that men's tights are only available online while normal tights are available in stores and online.
    I also find that Wolford has solved the delicate issue so far very good, my experience several Wolford stores, you are welcome to buy for yourself.

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  2. That is also my experience in Wolford shops. Very good professional service, knowledgeable staff who can make recommendations and no problem at all with male customers.

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