Hosiery For Men: August 2021

Wednesday 25 August 2021

Threads For Men Launches Today

Threads have launched their new Threads For Men tights today!

Since Threads started it has been clear to them that men are a significant market for tights. Threads founder Xenia Chen described this market as "huge".

So this is an exciting development in the hosiery industry: a mainstream brand that already embraces its male customers launching a new product aimed at them.

Xenia introduced Threads For Men for today's launch:

"Men have been wearing hosiery for decades, but there’s never been enough representation in traditional brands or mainstream media. We’re ready to change that. Threads For Men are everything our community has loved about our original tights for years, but designed with a few new features with men’s comfort in mind."

To coincide with today's launch we caught up with Xenia.

Hi Xenia. How are the Threads team feeling now you have launched the new Threads For Men Tights?

We are feeling really excited! This has been in the works for almost a year now so it feels really good to release the first product in the Threads For Men line. We started working on the prototype in October 2020, when we surveyed our male customers and asked them about what they would want in a “wish list” of features for the tights. So this launch has been a long time coming!

Can you give us more detail about the product itself - what features do these tights have and what makes them especially suitable for men?

At the beginning of our design process, we spoke to 150 of our male customers to get their feedback on what they would want most in a pair of tights for men. Our tights have everything our customers already know and love about our original tights, plus more features that specifically are designed to fit the male anatomy and enhance comfort. For example, we included more fabric and room in the brief area, along with a pouch (to make bathroom trips easier). This pouch is hand sewn with flat seams, for optimal comfort. Another feature is the legs are longer and the calf and foot areas are boarded to average male proportions. I’m also excited to tell you that this line will feature extended sizing with two additional sizes: E and F.

Are they made in Italy like the rest of the Threads range? Did the manufacturers face any technical challenges in making a tights design specifically for men?

Yes! These tights are made in the same factory in Italy like our other tights. Because this was the first time we were making a product like this, it took many iterations to get the product exactly right. Due to the intricacies of the brief area, it had to be handsewn (vs made through a machine).

What marketing are you planning to get consumers aware of Threads For Men?

Right now, we have a waitlist of over 1000 people and those on the list and on our social media channels will be allowed priority access to pre-order the tights. We also will advertise these tights on our regular social channels. We are also ramping up our affiliate program - so those who really love Threads and want to spread the word can also make some money on the side while spreading the word (you can apply for it here). We are also planning a broader photoshoot in the Fall, where we plan to have more male models in our various products.

So do head over to the Threads website to pre-order. The first 100 orders will include a small gift from Threads.

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

For lots of feedback on Threads tights from male customers check out their videos here and here.

Sunday 15 August 2021

Interview With Male Tights Model Alex Santana

On the blog we recently profiled three brands who were including guys wearing tights in product and marketing imagery.

We featured the brand Brown Skin Essentials, who recruited model Alex Santana to showcase their tights.

We recently caught up with Alex and here is our conversation.

Hi Alex. Can you tell Hosiery For Men readers a bit about yourself?

Hi thank you for having me. I’m 30 years old from Scotland and I’m a hairdresser and aspiring entertainer.

How did you get to model tights for Brownskin Essentials?

I got this opportunity by seeing the advert online and thought it would be a brilliant purpose for a photoshoot. Not long after I applied I was chosen and it was exciting!

What was it like taking part in the shoot?

The experience was amazing it was in a studio in SE London and they selected three pairs of tights for me to wear. The director and photographer were very professional and made me feel at ease being photographed. I loved it.

You have modelled two styles from Brownskin Essentials - the box pant tights and the new sheer to waist tights - how was the fit and wearing experience?

When I was wearing them I had actually forgotten for a split second it was a lingerie shoot! They were so comfortable and the material was soft and fitted perfectly.

Was this your first experience of wearing tights or do you wear them regularly. If so, what style or brands do you prefer?

I have worn tights before in the past but nothing like wearing the tights from Brown Skin Essentials. I got to keep mine also so I have worn them sense. In the past it’s been thermal tights.

Are you up for modelling tights for other brands? You could be in demand!

Absolutely! Sign me up again. I love everything about being in front of a camera. Wearing the tights was the icing on the cake for me and I’d definitely do it again.

Great to talk to you Alex. Let's hope other brands might get in touch with you.

Brown Skin Essentials are consciously aiming product publicity to men. They are disseminating this on their social media channels with the stated aspiration that they "want men to feel as comfortable in their tights as women."

Check out our interview with the founder of Brown Skin Essentials, Kumutha Ramanathan. We also recently featured the new Sheer To Waist Tights from Brown Skin Essentials.

Saturday 14 August 2021

Is Men’s Hosiery The Future Of Gender-Fluid Fashion?

Threads will soon launch the new Threads For Men tights.

In the build-up to the launch Fashion Magazine spoke to Threads founder Xenia Chen, Canadian drag superstar Tynomi Banks, and influencer Christian Thompson about shattering gender barriers — one pair of pantyhose at a time.

You can read the whole article below or here.

Men in tights are having a moment. Don’t believe me? Take, for instance, fashion-forward celebrities like Harry Styles and Lil Nas X, who have worn pantyhose under dresses on red carpets, press events and magazine covers. For Prada’s Fall 2021 menswear collection, the combined genius of Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons resulted in models strutting in skin-tight leggings and onesies (see look 22). The impact of men’s hosiery can also be seen on our screens: RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Witcher, and Marvel’s Avengers have all become phenomenons and hey, if I can see the outline of “America’s Ass” — the title (fittingly) given to Chris Evans’ Captain America — then it counts as tights!

Besides caped crusaders and obvious Robin Hood references, pantyhose is gaining popularity as a unisex accessory. Enter the new line Threads for Men, a collection of Italian-made hosiery, designed by Toronto-based Threads to fit male anatomy better and end the stigma surrounding men in tights.

Founder Xenia Chen started conceptualizing the idea after learning through Facebook ads that 50 percent (yes, you read that right) of their existing customer base identified as male, with ages ranging from 20 to 75.

“I thought these guys must be buying them for their wives or their girlfriends or moms,” shares Chen on our call. “I soon realized that these men were actually just buying for themselves.”

As Chen and her team began diving deeper into research, unexpected groups emerged.

“We have a lot of customers who do drag, so they’re more open about it. And then there’s another group that is more secretive, wearing [hosiery] for comfort and warmth. We actually have a review on our website of this guy who works out in the bushes — where there are many bugs and mosquitoes — and he says that he wears tights because it prevents insects from biting him.”

Function versus fashion has been at the heart of the tight-aissance since the 13th century. Initially worn by men during Medieval times (and later abandoned for trousers around the 1800s), early leggings were constructed from woven stockings joined together with a cod-piece, a pouch that protected men’s crotches. While there are many theories behind the invention of tights — for additional warmth, to protect men’s skin while riding horseback, and/or to cover their legs as tunics got shorter — the intended purpose was one of practicality.

For Canadian drag superstar Tynomi Banks, hosiery serves a pragmatic purpose: giving her shape and adding to the overall transformation. Wearing six (!) pairs of pantyhose at one time, Banks says tights are the key to “melting” everything together by hiding pad lines, further cinching her waist, and covering leg hair. “It’s like the skeleton or the blueprint before you build the house,” Banks says with a laugh on our call.

A seasoned queen, it took her until Canada’s Drag Race to consistently wear hosiery and padding, as many of her costumes required it. While Banks says both “really elevate the look,” when I ask her what it feels like to wear so many layers, she describes it as a sensation of “blood loss” and like being in “a coma.”

“Drag is uncomfortable. We look fabulous, and we love it, but it is uncomfortable. [Wearing those tights and pads] you feel like a couch. Why don’t you just call Leons and buy us? I could be your couch!”

The obsession with compression isn’t just popular amongst drag queens. Balancing the fine line between hosiery and leggings — the difference is in the thickness and material — athletes have been crucial to rebranding and recoding men in tights as “masculine.” The shift was immediate as NBA all-stars like LeBron James could be seen wearing them on and off the court, often under their b-ball shorts, citing better circulation and warmth as the reason for adoption. Under Armour, Nike and Adidas quickly followed suit, marketing tights as “compression” garments, and men’s athleisure — tights included — flourished.

“When you look at your favourite superheroes, they’re all wearing tights. Men in tights have been around forever, and you saw them on actors in the theatre or sports. So to me, it’s not even new. It just feels like it’s been there [all along].”

It wasn’t until Thompson started experimenting more with fashion that he considered adding pantyhose to his repertoire. However, he understands that for many men, it can seem daunting.

“For the everyday guy, I would say that there is [a stigma attached to wearing tights]. And I understand. It’s been very hard for men — we’re just starting to allow them to embrace taking care of themselves and [the thought that] they want to look good. We still have a long way to go, but the more we see it in fashion, on TV or just people wearing them in general, I think that will help alleviate the stigma,” says Thompson.

Threads for Men was founded for that exact purpose: to fight toxic masculinity and provide a safe space for men to express themselves.

“For decades, men have been expected to dress a certain way, and with [this new line], we saw an opportunity to break gender barriers we’ve set in the past as a society,” said Chen in a press release.

At the core of this barrier is the public’s issue with gender binaries within fashion. Genders have been segregated physically, with men’s and women’s collections on opposite sides of stores, and mentally, with masculinity and dresses being deemed mutually exclusive, almost since the beginning of retail. Gender-fluid fashion has had many ups and downs in the 20th century. Just as WWII saw women wearing pants and adopting more “masculine” silhouettes, the 1950s ushered in a time of rigid gender stereotyping. Then the 1960’s came and disrupted the entire fashion system with the help of YSL’s infamous Le Smoking suit (the first woman’s suit ever to be designed by a man) and David Bowie‘s androgynous style. More recently though, gender-fluid fashion has come back with a vengeance. Think: Alessandro Michele’s first menswear collection for Gucci in 2015, Billie Porter wearing a Christian Siriano ballgown at the 2019 Oscars and pretty much Lil Nas X’s entire wardrobe.

Despite WWD reporting 56 percent of Gen Z consumers have shopped in both male and female sections of the store, older generations haven’t been as quick to adopt this new perspective.

“The number of emails we get from men that are like ‘this has been my secret for 40, 50 years, and the only person who knows is my wife’ is crazy,” Chen comments on our call. “[I hope these men] feel because a brand is speaking to them and accepting them, they can finally accept themselves. We’re all about listening to our customers and making sure that people will feel included.”

For Banks, tights make her feel strong. “There is a power in putting on tights. It should be fluid, and it doesn’t matter what gender has it on. I feel sexy. I feel empowered.”

She recognizes this isn’t the case for everyone. Despite not wearing them out of drag, Banks encourages those nervous to wear tights outside to adopt a “mind your own damn business” mentality.

“I think people are doing it behind closed doors because they’re afraid of what other people would think. [Drag and Drag Race has helped] open those doors a lot more because the show promotes self-love and openness. Do you feel amazing and sexy and happy [wearing tights]? Then who am I to shame you?”

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Remember to join the waitlist for Threads For Men tights.

Stay tuned to Hosiery For Men as we will be covering the launch of this exciting new product.

Monday 9 August 2021

Hosiery Brands Including Men In Marketing Imagery

In late 2018 this blog undertook a detailed survey of readers in a MEN BUYING TIGHTS survey. With more than 400 responses, the data gathered was extensive. Many hosiery brands welcomed the valuable insights it provided on a key segment of their customers.

One of the questions asked: WHAT CAN HOSIERY BRANDS DO BETTER TO CONNECT WITH MALE CUSTOMERS?

Two key suggestions emerged from the responses:

Improving marketing towards male customers
Advertising and marketing imagery should show men wearing the tights product

Today on the blog we might allow ourselves a modest celebration because some brands are now actively embracing their male customers in ways that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago. And they are doing it in ways that are not tokenistic but aligned with their inclusive brand values.

Here are three brands that deserve applause, and our custom, for the efforts they are making.

Brown Skin Essentials

Brown Skin Essentials who aim to provide "the perfect nude for every skin tone", recently launched their new Sheer To Waist T-Band Tights for "men, women and everyone in between."

The Sheer To Waist have been designed to have a deeper brief from waistband to crotch to ensure they are the perfect unisex style.

The brand engaged a male model for the photoshoot for the new style and have been using the images extensively in their marketing campaign on social media.

On the blog you can read our feature on Brown Skin Essentials and interview with founder Kumutha Ramanathan.

We also recently covered the new Sheer To Waist Tights.

The Tights Club

The Tights Club recently launched a new range of recycled 50 Denier and 80 Denier tights.

You can read our recent interview with Leanne Goold, founder of The Tights Club. Leanne reached out to us at Hosiery For Men with news of the range as the brand are taking steps to be more inclusive towards men customers. One way they are doing this is to make sure that their new own brand sustainable tights are available in a much wider range of sizes.

As Leanne puts it: "I’m hoping to be able to deliver for more men now that our own range has launched!"

The new range is being promoted to men through The Tights Club's social media channels.

Here is one of the images and this is what The Tights Club say:

"Did you know that men wear tights too? In fact, in 2015 men bought 40% of all tights sold at the UK's largest online hosiery store (UK Tights)!

"Why? Often worn under trousers for reasons which are not too different to why women wear them - like warmth, comfort and support. And let's not forget they were originally men's clothing!"

You can read our review of The Tights Club 80 Denier Recycled Opaque Tights. Our review of the 50 Denier Recycled Tights is coming soon.

Threads Tights

Finally lets give it up for Threads Tights, a brand we have covered extensively at Hosiery For Men.

Threads have a large (and growing) community of male customers who love their Opaque Tights and Sheer Tights.

For lots of feedback on Threads tights from male customers check out the videos here and here.

If you have been following our recent posts and reviews you will be aware that Threads will soon be launching their new Threads tights for men.

Check out these recent images that Threads has shared on social media.

You can read our recent reviews of the Threads Opaque Tights and Threads Sheer Tights.

The blogger i love hosiery has also recently reviewed the Threads Opaques.

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

Let's see which other brands are now going to step up. We will certainly cover it here!

Thursday 5 August 2021

Hēdoïne Recycling Project

Luxury legwear brand Hēdoïne recently launched the Hēdoïne Recycling Project.

Hēdoïne already takes its responsibility towards sustainability very seriously.

You can read about this commitment and Hēdoïne's practical steps in more detail here.

Globally less than 1% of clothes are recycled and in Europe, 87% of discarded clothing ends up incinerated or in landfill. The Hēdoïne Recycling Project aims to recycle your pre-loved tights and leggings to keep them out of landfill.

This is how it works:

Once you have gathered together your pre-loved tights, submit your details on the form here. Hēdoïne will send you a shipping address to send them to. Once they are received you will get a £10.00 store credit!

You can send Hēdoïne any amount of tights and leggings, and from any other hosiery brand as well.

Make sure you enclose a paper with your full name and email, as Hēdoïne need that information to send you your store credit.