Wednesday 26 May 2021

Introducing Jayne Nicole Hosiery

Jayne Nicole was founded by Jayne Nicole Jeary in Toronto, Canada, to provide 'luxury nude shade hosiery for people of colour'. 

Hosiery For Men recently spoke to Jayne about the brand.



What can you tell Hosiery For Men readers about the Jayne Nicole hosiery brand? When and why did you create it?

I knew the frustration of not being able to find nude shade hosiery in my skin tone was hitting my last nerve, but I was afraid to start, because I did not know how to. Then one day in early January 2016 I was scrolling on Facebook and I saw a post of a motivational life coach talking about procrastination and how it can stop you from going after your dreams. 



To make a long story short I invested in myself and took his course. I jumped in with the tools I was taught and went for it. My laptop and Google were my two best friends. I literally Googled everything and that is when I saw there was not anyone in Canada offering nude shade hosiery in skin tones for all. I found a couple of brands from the US which are sold here that had a deeper shade or two added to their existing collection but far from a range of shades choices like what is offered in their lighter nude shade offerings.

As I researched more, I found only five brands from around the world, mainly in Europe, that offered a beautiful selection of nude shade hosiery suitable for many skin tones. Can you imagine that only five brands globally offer this, as we are here in the 21st century and hosiery has been around since the 1920’s.

I reached out to those brands to see if I could become a sole distributor and sell them here and see if this was something that other women would want or felt the same frustration.

Fast forward I set up an online shop called it Shades Hosiery Club (SHC) and started my market research. I not only sold online but also participated in trade shows, Pop Up Shops, Livingroom Parties, sold them out the trunk of my car, Mass Camps you name it. After close to 2 years of SHC I said to myself this was something that not only I felt strongly about, but others felt the exact same way. And that is when I knew I had to do something about this situation. I had found my purpose which became my passion. I found something that I would be solving a problem to and in my own little way of making the world a little more inclusive.

I closed Shades Hosiery Club in 2018 and Jayne Nicole was born, and the journey began.



In a quite crowded hosiery market, what is unique about Jayne Nicole?

What makes my work stand out and unique is that I have created a solution for People of Colour not being able to easily find and purchase nude shade pantyhose in their shade. My brand caters to the beautiful skin tones of all. And I am the first Canadian, black-owned hosiery business that has created an all-inclusive product available for all skin tones, sizes, and gender.

Also, what makes me unique is that I not only offer the seven stunning shades of luxury nude shade pantyhose. They have incredibly unique names. Each stunning shade is named after some of my favorite self-love affirmations to remind us that we are everything that we say that we are.


I also offer an elevated service. I provide my customers the option to book a 1 x 1 zoom consultation with me, so that I can ensure they choose the best shade match. I also provide tips and care instructions. My aim is to have my customers experience to be as magical as online hosiery shopping can be.

Another thing I offer that sets us apart is our luxurious Jayne Nicole black satiny hosiery gloves. These gloves help to prevent runs and snags from fingernails and jewellery while putting them on. And Jayne Nicole is my passion that has become my purpose. I am trying my best to make wearing hosiery as a super feminine thing to do for yourself, we deserve it. The Jayne Nicole brand stands for inclusivity, equality, and confidence. I am super passionate about helping people look good and feeling confident no matter your skin tone or gender.

 

 Can you tell us more about Jayne Nicole tights and pantyhose? What styles are currently available?

Currently our collections consist of luxurious sheer denier 20 pantyhose that will illuminate all skin tones. They have a wide comfortable waistband, a smooth silky control top panty for body shaping and support, cotton gusset, boarded foot with a sandal toe. They are super transparent for that bare leg look. They are like a second skin, makeup for the legs.



I AM ELEGANT



I AM CAPTIVATING



I AM BEAUTIFUL



I AM GLAMOROUS



I AM EXCUISITE



I AM GORGEOUS



I AM FABULOUS




I AM IRRESTISTIBLE

We also have the Noire Collection of fabulous rich black 50 denier opaque tights. These are natural elegance just like the shade name, I am Elegant. They are the ideal opaque tight offering all the qualities needed for a well-balanced everyday life: smoothness, comfort, and long-lasting wear.



I AM ELEGANT OPAQUE

You told me that the Jayne Nicole brand stands for inclusivity towards all skin tones and genders. Do you welcome guys who want to buy tights for themselves? What kind of customer service will they receive?

Our brand stands for equality, inclusivity, and confidence for all which includes Men. They will receive the same awesome customer service that all our customers do. We offer 1 x1 Zoom consultations for that personal shopping experience to answer all your questions on fit, care and shade selection.



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 and pantyhose?

I think it is about time. People should feel free without judgement of others on how they should dress. It is funny because historically men created this category. Kings would wear tights as a sign of wealth and nobility. Which would later evolve to what we see in the marketplace now for mainly women. I think he can choose to if he so desires.

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

I would say they come with many benefits for example. The slight compression helps with blood circulation, they feel incredible, they are a great fashion piece, they make your legs look flawless, they will keep you warm under your trousers, they can protect against chafing between the thighs, prevent blisters from shoe friction and will keep feet dry and reduce foot odor just to name a few.

What are you planning next at Jayne Nicole?

Stay tuned! Exciting things coming.

Thanks for speaking to Hosiery For Men. Readers can follow Jayne Nicole at Facebook and Instagram.

Monday 24 May 2021

The Tights Club Launch New Range Of Sustainable Tights

Just over a year ago we introduced Hosiery For Men readers to The Tights Club, a tights subscription service. They provide the tights of your choice every month, with an added bonus that the products are environmentally friendly. However, as we found out, The Tights Club now sell tights on an individual basis too.



You can still read our interview from last year with Leanne Goold, founder of The Tights Club.

We recently spoke to Leanne again to catch up with how the business is going, engagement with male customers and the new range of sustainable tights that is launching today.

Hi Leanne. It's been a year since we first introduced Hosiery For Men readers to The Tights Club. What impact has the COVID-19 pandemic had on the business?

The pandemic hasn’t been great for business given that everyone’s been holed up for most of the year in their casuals so tights haven’t seen much action! But in some senses we were lucky because as a small start up we don’t employ anyone and our overheads are low. I would hate to have had to worry about people keeping their jobs.

It’s also given me some time to reassess where I want to go with the business. The result is our own range of tights made from recycled yarn and a switch from only selling subscriptions so that 
we can also serve all the commitment-phobes out there.



We know that The Tights Club welcomes male customers. Are you growing your male customer base?

We have had quite a bit of interest but the range of tights we used to stock was quite restrictive in terms of size which has been a barrier for quite a few of the men who have been in touch.

Inclusivity is something I’ve been keen to address from the start which is why our own brand tights are available in a huge size range and I’m planning to introduce sheers in a wide skin tone range too. So I’m hoping to be able to deliver for more men now that our own range has launched!

Which subscription packages are currently the most popular with The Tights Club subscribers?

It’s really evenly split between our two main products and our seasonal subscriptions which send you opaques in the winter months and sheers in the summer. Everyone wears their tights in different ways – I even have one subscriber who has been known to wear their 80 deniers throughout the summer!



That’s why we have tried to make the service as flexible as possible by providing seasonal options as well as allowing customers to set their own frequency or pause any time. By spacing out your deliveries you prevent a build up of unused tights at times when you don’t wear them that much.

Our seasonal subscriptions are on a break at the moment while we finalise our sheer product, but they will be back!

Tell us about the new range of recycled tights that you are launching at The Tights Club?

I’m so excited to finally have our own range of sustainable tights! They are made in Italy from pre and post-consumer recycled yarn, so they make use of fabric that would otherwise go to landfill. By doing so they not only save water and energy usage but also drastically reduce emissions because the creation of new nylon releases nitrous oxide which is a potent greenhouse gas. That’s why I felt that recycled was the way to go, rather than biodegradable – it addresses a lot of the issues around sustainability rather than just waste, including raw material usage and other forms of ecological damage.

The tights are available in UK sizes 8 to 34 and thanks to the 3D knitting technology they have a great stretch in all directions, so they should provide a good fit for all body shapes and stretch up as well as out for our taller customers! The 3D technology also makes the tights more durable which is another tick for sustainability.

In the new range we have two styles: 50 Denier Recycled Tights and 80 Denier Recycled Tights.

They are available in 6 sizes (UK sizes 8 to 34)


50 Denier Recycled Tights


 8
0 Denier Recycled Tights

The 50 Denier Recycled Tights are priced at £12.50, and the 8
0 Denier Recycled Tights at £14.00. Shipping is free on all orders (The Tights Club currently only ship to the United Kingdom). There is a 15% discount when purchasing more than two pairs.

In what ways do you think this new range will appeal to guys buying tights for themselves?

We are starting small in terms of the product range but I think the size range should be appealing. But clearly our main selling point is our approach to sustainability, so I’d expect us to appeal mostly to men who are also trying to reduce the impact they have on the environment. 




























It’s not just our products that are better for the environment, but our packaging has been thought through too. We pack the new tights in just tissue paper which although coloured is fully recyclable and obviously lighter for transport. 





All our paper labels are also fully biodegradable. And our mailing envelopes are made from recycled cardboard and have been certified plastic free (not all adhesives are plastic free). And we still have our recycling scheme for customers who want us to recycle their (clean!) used tights for them.



Great to catch up with you Leanne. We are looking forward to trialling and reviewing the new range of recycled tights. 

Saturday 22 May 2021

Reviewed: Opaque Tights By Threads

Hosiery brand Threads recently sent us a pair of their opaque tights to trial and review.




You can still read Part One and Part Two of our recent conversation with Xenia Chen, the founder of Threads.

In Part Two you can read about how 
Threads is aiming to launch a new style of tights for men.

This is our first Threads product review. For lots of feedback on Threads tights from their many male customers check out their videos here and here.



This is how Threads describe their opaque tights:

"Our opaque tights are our 60 denier tights. Comfortable and functional, with our signature Threads contoured waistband. Wear them with your favorite dress or skirt, or under pants as an extra layer for warmth. Made in Italy."

Packaging

The Threads Opaque Tights are very simply packaged. The tights are folded around a plain white card and then enclosed in a cellophane envelope. It is closed with a Threads sticker that identifies the size.





Materials and features

The Threads Opaque Tights are made in Italy, which is invariably a pointer to quality. The yarn is 85% Polyamide and 15% Elastane.

Threads describe the yarn used as 'microfiber double-covered yarn', which has been designed for enhanced comfort, and is also less likely to produce static and stick to one's clothes.

The tights feel quite strong and robust as they are removed from the packaging. Threads themselves say that they are 'built to last'.

The brief and waistband both have notable features. The brief measures 25cm from the top of the waistband to the crotch. It is made from a very elastic, stretchy more opaque yarn which is designed to hug you and ensure the tights stay up.



The rear of the brief has two rounded sections that are designed to sculpt and lift the buttocks.

The tights are not sheer to waist: there is a clear demarcation between the brief and the leg. Seams are flat and there is a gusset for comfort and fit.

The waistband is 5cm wide and super stretchy.

Toes are rounded and have no reinforcement.

Threads say that these opaque tights are made with an 'enhanced (longer) leg length'.

Sizing, fit and wearing experience

The Threads Opaque Tights are available in four sizes:
  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D


I wore a Size D.

I took some care putting them on. You need to ensure that the tights are the right way round, and that the panels in the rear of the brief are aligned over the buttocks. The brief itself has quite strong elasticity and you need to carefully stretch everything into place.

Once on, the fit was quite superb. There was a good length in the leg. Opaque coverage was even and consistent. The tights felt much softer and smoother when actually worn. There is no wrinkling or bunching as the 15% Elastane content ensures that the tights mould themselves to the leg.



The brief provided quite firm support - you can feel it hugging you and holding you in. But it did not feel at all uncomfortable. It keeps the tights in place removing any need for frequent pulling up. The brief stretched comfortably above the waist and hips, and provided a pleasant sensation of mild compression.



Price and availability

The Threads Opaque Tights are priced at $18.00 (USD) and $23.00 (CAD).

There is free shipping on orders over $29 USD / $39 CAD.

Conclusion

The Threads Opaque Tights are really good value for just $18.00 USD. They are really comfortable and the compression in the brief will appeal to those who like their tights to stay up and in place, as well as the feeling of support.







Thursday 13 May 2021

Reviewed: The Charmer Leggings From Hēdoïne

Hosiery brand Hēdoïne recently sent us their latest product - The Charmer Leggings.



Hēdoïne provides this description of The Charmer Leggings on their website:

"This is stay-at-home comfort meets saucy nights out (and in!) A design developed to upgrade your leggings addiction with a new versatile fashion essential.

"Sustainable warp knitting technology leads to leggings that support your movement, and feel barely there."


Packaging

The Charmer Leggings are packaged in an elegant box, that Hēdoïne have specifically designed for this product.



The box measures 28cm x 18cm x 4cm, and has a really sturdy design. The Hēdoïne logo is stamped onto the top. There is no other information provided on or inside the box, for either sizing of product information.

According to Hēdoïne the packaging is 100% recyclable.

The Charmer Leggings inside the box are wrapped in tissue paper.





Materials and features

The Charmer Leggings are made from 81% Nylon and 19% Lycra.

Removing the leggings from their packaging, I was struck by how light they felt. The material is really soft and warm.

The leggings are knitted with an intricate lace pattern. It's not a traditional fishnet; the images show the detail that has been created.



The material is very stretchy and breathable.

The leggings have built-in completely opaque shaping shorts, that are integrated with the waistband. The waistband is 5cm wide and is embossed with the Hēdoïne logo.



The shaping shorts and waistband are very elastic and stretchy. This brief is completely seamless. It measures 19cm from the top of the waistband to the crotch.

A Hēdoïne tag is sewn onto the inside of the waistband.



The cuff at the ankle is 2cm wide, and has the same elastic stretchiness as the waistband.



Sizing, fit and wearing experience

The Charmer Leggings are available in five sizes:
  • XS
  • S
  • M
  • L
  • XL
Currently only the S, M and L sizes are available for purchase. Hēdoïne will notify customers when the S and XL sizes are available if you sign up to a waiting list.

I wore them in the M size.



With my waist size I would normally go for the L size. With my regular Wolford, Aristoc and Pretty Polly leggings I just pull them on in a flash. It took some time and care to get The Charmer Leggings on, as I didn't want to damage that delicate pattern and also wanted to align everything correctly. Yet, despite trying the M size I found them to be really stretchy. The fit was very good overall, especially on the leg.



The shaping short was slightly tighter, but not uncomfortable. In fact its elasticity held everything in place. The tension provided is moderate and this will be good if you need some shaping support in the stomach area.

The cuffs similarly provided a close fit but were not too tight at all.



Price and availability

The Charmer Leggings are priced at £78, €90 and $110.

Worldwide shipping is free for orders over £55.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed wearing The Charmer Leggings. They are soft, comfortable and the fit on the leg is really good. Despite the open-knit design they are actually quite warm, as well as obviously being breathable.

You could wear these out with shorts (some of you are brave enough), but I liked wearing them lounging around the house and outside on my terrace.

Hēdoïne are certainly setting the pace with this leggings design. Who know what they will come up with next?

PS You can read a further detailed review of The Charmer Leggings on the i love hosiery blog.


Tuesday 11 May 2021

Just Arrived: Jayne Nicole 'I Am Elegant' Opaque Tights

We have recently been getting to know more about the Jayne Nicole hosiery brand.



Jayne Nicole was founded by Jayne Nicole Jeary in Toronto, Canada, to provide 'luxury nude shade hosiery for people of colour'.



Jayne Nicole have sent us a pair of their 'I Am Elegant' Opaque Tights to trial and review.



Stay tuned for our forthcoming feature on Jayne Nicole.

Threads Tights Share More Reviews From Male Customers

We recently shared a video from Threads Tights where they shared feedback and reviews from male customers.



Threads have now shared another YouTube video with more feedback from male customers.


As we said before, this is a great idea for hosiery brands to show how they are engaging with guys buying their tights and legwear.

If you watch this one right to the end, you will see just how much Threads values all kinds of feedback, including comments on design, fit and wearing experience.

Make sure you read Part One and Part Two of our latest conversation with the founder of Threads, Xenia Chen.

And stay tuned for our forthcoming reviews of Threads sheer tights and opaque tights.