Legwear4Men

Now In Stock - UFASH Unisex Tights from Austria!

2011-09-29T15:35:00.002+01:00

Following on from the recent success of the new Adrian range of men's tights from Poland, we are pleased to announce the addition to our portfolio of another new range, this time from UFASH of Austria. The range comprises four models; the 20-denier 'Frida & Fred' model is sheer, with a high 13% Lycra content, and is available in colours Beige and Black. They have a reinforced brief section and toes, and conventional seams. Sizes M & L have a standard centre seam and gusset, whilst XL has an additional panel (which should be worn at the back for female wearers, and at the front for male wearers). Next is the 40-denier model, 'Lucy & Luca', which is semi-opaque, and comes in Tan and Black colours. The third model, called 'Anna & Andy', is 60-denier, and comes in Coffee (Dark Brown), Graphite (Dark Grey) and Black, sizes as previously. Finally, the 100-denier 'Zara & Zac' comes in Black only. The entire range come in useful, resealable plastic 'wallet' storage packs. UFASH also say they may add flat seams across the range in the future. Retailing for £7.75 per pair for the 20's, £7.99 for the 40's, £8.75 for the 60's, and £9.49 for the 100's they should prove popular. We have been very impressed with the evaluation samples we were sent; all models are comfortable, well made, and seem to be quite durable. They are in stock now.

New Doyeah models now in stock - 0398 and 0898 Tights with Male Pouch

2011-08-18T16:57:00.000+01:00

0898 beige

0398 black

Doyeah have just added two new models to their range of men's tights - the 0398 (footless) and 0898 (footed) 80 denier opaques. Based on the existing, best-selling 0858 and the footless 0368, they are essentially the same as the latter two models, but have a 'male pouch' for the male anatomy, and no fly opening. They are available in Beige (skin-tone), Black, Grey/Brown, and, unusually, White. They are one size, which the manufacturer says will cover heights of up to 6ft (185cms) and hips of 34-43" (85-110cms).

(0898 white)

(0398 beige)

Priced at £6.99 per pair for the 0898, and £6.75 for the footless 0398, they offer excellent value, comfort and durability. In stock now!

(0898 beige)

(0398 white)

Now In Stock - new Men's Collection from Adrian of Poland!

2011-08-06T11:18:00.005+01:00

Urban

We have just received our first order of men's tights from Adrian hosiery of Poland. Although they are an existing manufacturer (they started out in 1984 and are now the second-largest hosiery manufacturer in Poland, producing 1 million pairs per month!) they have only just released their new Men's Collection, which is comprised of 5 models; the 'Street' 20-den sheer-to-waist sheer tights plus a footless version of the same called 'Urban'. Then there is the 'City' 60-den opaques, also sheer-to-waist, with a footless version called 'Hunter'. Lastly, there is the interesting, and possibly unique (at least, in men's tights!) Argyle diamond-patterned 60-den opaque, which goes by the unusual moniker of 'Grating' (presumably referring to the similarity of the pattern to a metal grating). The footed models come in three sizes, M, L & XL, and the footless models in two sizes, S/M & L/XL. The sheer models will be available in 6 colours; Beige (Opal), Tan (Lion), Grey (Grigio), Black (Nero), Dark Grey (Fumo) and Dark Brown (Visone), whilst the opaques will come in Grey, Olive, Navy, Dark Grey and Black, with the 'Grating ' model in two colourways; Black/Grey and Navy/Denim. All are made from 85% Nylon/15% Lycra fabrics.

Hunter

Priced at a very reasonable £6.49 per pair for the Street model, £6.25 for Urban, £6.99 for City, £7.49 for Hunter, and £9.99 for the Grating model, they are now in stock; we are the first reseller to have them available. Get yours today!

City

Grating

Street

Legwear4Men 'Jeggings' (denim-look leggings) Arrive In Stock!

2011-01-25T15:50:00.000Z

After many months of waiting and development, we are pleased to announce that we now have the long-awaited L4M 650 and 640 denim-look leggings or 'jeggings' in stock. As far as we are aware, we are the first retailer to stock a 'male' version of this popular garment. We had the capri-length model 650 in briefly last year, but problems with availability of the fabric (now solved) meant that once the initial batch sold through, we weren't able to replace them - until now. And we also have the 640 full-length version in stock now too.

The leggings come in standard 'denim blue' colour (although the fabric is actually 60% cotton, 35% polyester and 5% elastane), and have standard men's jeans type-belt loops and zip fly, with 'dummy' pockets (not shown in these pre-production photos) stitched into the fabric (sadly, jeggings wouldn't lend themselves to 'real' pockets!), so they just look like very tight jeans! They are very comfortable, and much freer moving than 'real' jeans. They are available in M (32" waist), L (34"), XL (36") and XXL(38") sizes, although the fabric is so stretchy there is some leeway there, depending how close fitting you want them to be!

They retail for £13.99 per pair for the 650 capri-length model, and £14.99 for the full-length 640's.

In stock now!

More New Doyeah Men's Tights, plus L4M Bodystocking!

2010-12-17T16:06:00.001Z

Following the recent arrival of the two new Doyeah men's STW tights, the 0818 and 0888, the manufacturer have followed up with two new models, the 0378 and 0388, which are footless versions of the above. Identical in every other respect, they are in stock now at £6.49pp for the 0388, and £6.99pp for the 0378.

Also just arrived (by popular demand) is the new L4M model 270 sheer unisex long-sleeved bodystocking. Made for us in the Far East, the 270 is comprised of soft, silky 15 Denier fabric comprising 75% nylon and 25% elastane. It has sheer toes, and is open at the crotch. It comes in one size, which the manufacturer states will cover heights from 4'11" to 6' (150-185cms) and hips of 32-48" (80-120cms). Available in colours Beige (skin-tone), Tan and Black. Also in stock now at £29.99 each.

New Doyeah Men's Tights!

2010-12-07T17:40:00.000Z

We have today received into stock the new Doyeah 0818 and 0888 STW men's tights. Both models are similar, except that the 0818 has a 'trunk' (a tube for the male anatomy) whereas the 0888 has an open crotch. They are both available in Beige (skin-tone) and Black, and are made from shiny 10 denier fabric comprising 86% nylon and 14% elastane. They come in one size, which the manufacturer states will cover heights of 155-185cm (approx 5' 2" - 6' 0") and hips of approx 85 - 110cm (33" - 42"), the same as the existing, best-selling 0838 and 0828.

They retail for £7.49 per pair for the 0818, and £6.99 pp for the 0888, and they are in stock now!

Clearance Offer! Evona Fred and Felix Men's Tights!

2010-11-23T12:53:00.002Z

Going back to the early days of Legwear4Men in 2004, we had a good deal of success with the men's tights range from Czech manufacturer Evona. Alas, they stopped producing them in 2008, but we have just purchased their entire remaining stock of the Fred 50 denier opaque, and Felix 20 denier sheer styles. We are consequently able to sell them out at a worthwhile 25% saving over their original prices of £6.99 for the Felix, and £6.49 for the Fred, so they are now £5.25 and £4.87 per pair respectively, while stocks last.

Felix are currently available in all sizes (M, L & XL) and colours (Beige and Black), but the Fred style has already sold out of size XL in both colours; as a clearance item, we do not have equal quantities of all sizes. Evona sizing is on the 'generous' side, so we recommend going one size down from your usual.

New Model! L4M 410 Mk2 Sheer Tights!

2010-11-01T16:14:00.001Z

We have just added a new model to our 'own-brand' range of value-for-money legwear.

The revised Mk2 version of the existing, popular 410 sheers (the remainder of which, now black only remaining, will be sold off for £4.99 per pair) is now in a 6 denier 'ultrasheer' fabric, comprising 80% nylon and 20% elastane. They come in one size, to fit heights up to 6ft (185cm), hips 33"-43" (85-110cm), inside leg up to 33" (83cm), and represent excellent value at the same price (£5.49 pp) as their predecessor. They also come in a wider range of colours; Beige (skin-tone), Black, Brown and Grey.

In stock now!

Special Purchase! Legwear Express D500 's Clearence Stock!

2010-10-23T16:21:00.001+01:00

Special Purchase!

For many years, we stocked a very popular range of dance and exercise tights by American manufacturer Legwear Express, called the D500's. Then, last year, the manufacturer ceased trading, and we sold out our stock of D500's, and thought that was the end of it. However, we have now been able to purchase the entire remaining stock of D500's that were left when LE ceased trading, and, as the D500's are unisex, we are offering them on both our sites, Legwear4Men.com, and sister site First4Legwear.com, for the fantastic price of £3.99 per pair (original price £5.99 p.p.), a saving of 33%. As they are clearance stock, the colour choices are limited to colours White and Theatrical Pink (not normal pink, but a sort of pale skin-tone) in all sizes, S, M, L & XL, plus a very few pairs of Black in size S only. The tights are sheer-to-waist (no reinforced areas) matt opaques, made from 87% microfibre nylon and 13% elastane. They are soft to the touch, very comfortable, and very durable (as you would expect of dance tights). They have a single conventional centre seam, with a small cotton/nylon gusset (so as not to be visible if worn under a leotard or bodysuit).

At this price, they won't be around for long; get yours today!

ComfiLon 308 Men's Bodystocking Back In Stock - and now in Black too!

2010-10-13T16:53:00.002+01:00

At last we have received another delivery of the ComfiLon 308 Men's Bodystocking, after unprecedented demand caused both ourselves and ComfiLon to sell out! And, it is now available in Black as well as Beige. They are made from 85% nylon/15% Lycra, and the fabric is similar to that used in the existing 582 style. They have a reinforced body (from the top of the legs up to the shoulder straps) and sheer toes, with a convenient male 'opening' to accomodate bathroom visits!

They are available in Beige and now Black, and come in sizes M, L and XL.

In stock now for £24.99 each - get yours today!

New Product - L4M 895 'Colour-Flash' Unisex Tights!

2010-10-07T16:02:00.002+01:00

The new L4M 895 unisex colour-flash opaque tights are something of an eye-catcher! They have a conventional centre seam and gusset, with a wide waistband. The fabric is velvet-soft, and the tights come in one size, which will cover heights of 150-180cm (approx 4' 11" - 5' 11") and hips of approx 85-110cms (33.5" - 45.5"); they are 280 denier, 82% nylon, 10% elastane and 8% other, and have reinforced toes. They come in Black with blue and grey diagonal bands of colour.

In stock now at £9.99 per pair!

Fantastic Seamless Microfibre Men's Briefs from 'Nur Die' of Germany!

2010-08-06T14:35:00.002+01:00

We have just taken delivery of our first consignment of fabulous new Seamless Microfibre Men's Briefs from prestige German manufacturer Nur Die (which roughly translates as 'The Only'). The briefs come in sizes M (5) to XXL (8), and colours Black, White and Grey. They are made in one peice (hence no seams) from soft, breathable microfibre fabric (92% nylon microfibre and 8% Elastane), which is much lighter in weight than cotton, and serves to dissapate or 'wick away' any moisture from the body (whereas cotton holds on to moisture and can get 'damp') leaving you cool and dry. In fact, they are so lightweight and comfortable, you may forget you are wearing them!

The last word in comfortable, hi-tech underwear for men, you really should try these; you won't go back to old-fashioned cotton briefs after experiencing these! Remarkable value at £12.99GBP per pair. Order yours today!

ComfiLon 308 Men's Bodystocking Now In Stock!

2010-06-19T12:00:00.001+01:00

We are pleased to announce that we have just taken delivery of the long-awaited and much-vaunted ComfiLon 308 Men's Bodystocking! ComfiLon have had this design in the pipeline for seemingly ages (almost 2 years now), and they are now, finally, available to buy. They are made from 85% nylon/15% Lycra, and the fabric is similar to that used in the existing 582 style. They have a reinforced body (from the top of the legs up to the shoulder straps) and sheer toes, with a convenient male 'opening' to accomodate bathroom visits!

Initially they are available in Beige (skintone) only, but more colours may follow, depending on demand. They come in sizes M, L and XL.

Available now for £24.99 each - get yours today!

Now Live! - New 'Sister' Site 'First4Legwear'!

2010-06-07T11:47:00.008+01:00

We have just launched a new 'sister' site to Legwear4Men; called 'First4Legwear' it concentrates on quality tights and hosiery for ladies! Many of the manufacturers and suppliers we deal with at Legwear4Men also have ladies hosiery ranges, and we know from long experience with them that their products are of good quality and value, so we thought, 'Why should the girls miss out?' We have also had a large increase in the number of ladies contacting Legwear4Men recently for hosiery to suit taller and larger sizes, and we will be sure that the ladies hosiery products carried by First4Legwear will include larger/taller sizes too.

We will initially stock a wide selection of tights from the ladies range from Czech manufacturer ELA; they are of superb quality and value for money. ELA supply a number of large retailers with 'own brand' hosiery, but we are the first in the UK to stock their branded goods. STOP PRESS! Now Evona too! Also, we will carry Doyeah, E G Smith and EasyTherm Australia, plus the 'Unisex' styles from the Legwear4Men range will be available through the new site as well. Existing customers/account holders will be able to log on to the new site with their existing passwords and usernames. Our plan is to add new brands as time goes on, so we should end up with as large a selection of ladies tights and hosiery as we currently have for men!

Watch this space!

Yet More New L4M Products!

2010-05-24T16:28:00.002+01:00

We have just received into stock two new Legwear4Men models; the 850 Capri-length Footless Opaques, and the 490 Banded Sheer/Opaque Tights.

The 850's are unisex 70 denier velvet-soft opaque capri-length footless tights (not leggings; they would be too revealing without shorts or 3/4 trousers over them!); they have a single flat centre seam, and are sheer-to-waist (i.e. no reinforced brief section) with a conventional nylon/cotton gusset. The fabric is comprised of 90% nylon and 10% elastane. They are available in one size which is suitable for up to 46"/116cm hips, and colour Black. They are in stock now at £6.99 per pair.

The second new product is the 490 Banded Sheer/Opaque tights; again a unisex product (whilst they have a centre 'male' panel, this can be worn at the back for female use, and at the front for male use).

They come in two colourways; Black sheer with Black opaque horizontal/vertical banding, and Beige sheer with Black opaque banding. Again in one size, they will suit heights up to 6ft/185cms, and hips up to 47"/120cms. The fabric is 20 denier, 86% Nylon and 14% elastane. They are very comfortable, and make an interesing and distinctive addition to our range. In stock now at £7.99GBP per pair.

New 'Unisex' Category

2010-05-22T12:16:00.003+01:00

Whilst Legwear4Men carries a wide range of products aimed primarily at male purchasers buying for themselves (funnily enough!) we have over recent times, noticed a huge increase in the numbers of lady customers purchasing from us, sometimes for their husband/partner/bf/so, but often for their own use as well; particularly taller ladies who traditonally are not well catered for by the female hosiery industry, and have problems finding tights and legwear to fit them properly. Most women's hosiery is aimed at 'average' size women (whatever that means!) and generally doesn't go much above heights of about 5' 8"/1.72m. Since some of our products are marketed by their manufacturers specifically as being 'unisex' (most notably Doyeah), and many others are based on female designs, but just bigger/taller, they lend themselves readily to the taller/larger female market as well. With this in mind, we have added a 'Unisex' category to our web site; the products in it are not new; they are either produced as unisex, or are suitable for either gender, as they have no 'male-specific' features like fly openings. Hopefully this will remove the need for potential female customers to trawl our entire site, as all the suitable designs are in one place.

New Denim Capri-length Shorts from Legwear4Men.

2010-05-21T15:22:00.004+01:00

The new Legwear4Men Model 930 Denim Capri Shorts are high-quality denim jeans, but which finish below the knee and have turn-ups. Made from high-quality denim fabric, they have all the standard features of full-length jeans; rear patch pockets, standard front pockets (with a miniature pocket for loose change on the right), and standard-width belt loops, suitable for belts such as our own Model 131 high-quality leather belt. They come in three sizes; M (32-34" waist), L (34-36" waist) and XL (36-38" waist). Colour Denim blue.

In stock now at £19.99GBP per pair!

New Doyeah Sheer Unisex Briefs arrive in stock!

2010-05-12T16:57:00.000+01:00

We have just taken delivery of the new Doyeah 5236, 5237 & 5238 unisex sheer briefs. They are all one size (up to 37"/95cm waist), come in Black, White and Beige colours, and are made from 83% nylon and 17% elastane. They are seamless, and extremely comfortable. The 5236's are conventional briefs, the 5237's have an almost 'thong' back, and the 5238 are 'boxer' style. They are all in stock now, and sell out at £7.99 per pair! If previous experience of Doyeah briefs is anything to go by, these are likely to be very popular with our cusomers, so get yours soon!

Now In Stock - EasyTherm Unisex Full-body Undersuits from Australia!

2010-03-31T17:04:00.003+01:00

Just arrived are the new EasyTherm undersuits from Australia. They produce a range of microfibre one-piece unisex 'undersuits'; intended for sport use, especially surfing, scuba diving etc., they are however, just as suitable as a daytime, lightweight undergarment offering climate control without bulk. Available in sizes Kids, Adult Small, Adult Medium, and Adult Large, they come in Black, in either Footed, Footless or Stirrup (in Medium and Large only) styles, they retail for a very reasonable £14.99 a piece.

NB Many styles are now sold out, but we have just heard from EasyTherm that they have hopefully resolved their production problems, and should have more stock soon!

More New Products; Men's Capri 'Jeggings', and Microfibre 'Boyshorts'

2010-03-25T14:44:00.007Z

We have just taken delivery of two new L4M products; the first is a male version of the currently-popular denim-look leggings or 'Jeggings'. We have the capri-length version, model 650, in stock, and a full-length version, the 640, will follow shortly. Made from stretchy, denim-look fabric comprising 60% cotton, 35% polyester and 5% Lycra, they are cut to look like tight jeans; they even have belt loops for a standard 'jeans' belt, and dummy 'pockets' on the front (not visible in the photo; these were pre-production samples). Available in M, L and XL sizes, they come in Denim blue colour. They are wonderfully comfortable, and are ideal to wear with tights (the picture shows them partnered with L4M Model 450 STW sheers). They sell for £13.99 per pair.

Secondly are the new L4M Model 310 microfibre/Lycra 'Boyshorts'. These are in response to customer requests for a super-comfortable shorts-style men's brief; they come in M, L and XL sizes and colour Black. They have flat seams in the front, and the soft microfibre fabric offers supreme comfort and climate control, with better moisture dissapation than traditional cotton to keep you cool and dry! They are in stock now for a very reasonable £7.99 per pair.

Watch this space; we have more new models coming very soon!
PS EasyTherm update; there have been some delays to the arrival of the the new 'undersuits' from Australia. We are expecting them to arrive in the next week or two.

In Stock Now! TIM Legwear, plus coming soon - EasyTherm from Australia

2010-02-13T16:48:00.008Z

We are pleased to announce not one, but TWO new brands!

**Now In Stock!**
The first, TIM Legwear from Bulgaria, are an existing hosiery manufacturer who have just introduced a range of tights for men. We are the first, and so far only, reseller to offer their products! They comprise the Dynamic 20 denier sheer tights, Force 40 semi-opaque tights, Lord 50 denier opaques, and Denim 70 denier opaques. They come in a range of 5 sizes, 1 to 5, equivalent to S, M, L, XL and XXL, and will be available in colours Black, Beige (Camel), Light Grey and Grey/Brown (Vison), with other colours possibly to follow, depending on demand. Starting at £4.99 per pair for the Dynamic 20's, they offer excellent value for money! Now in stock for immediate delivery!

The second range is by EasyTherm from Australia, for whom we will be the UK and European distributor. They produce a range of microfibre one-piece unisex 'undersuits'; intended for sport use, they are however, just as suitable as a daytime, lightweight undergarment offering climate control without bulk. Available in sizes Kids, Adult Small, Adult Medium, and Adult Large, they come in Black, in either Footed, Footless or Stirrup (in Medium and Large only) styles, and will retail for a very reasonable £14.99 a piece.

They should also arrive in stock in the next two to three weeks!

New L4M STW Support, Footless Support & High Gloss Tights

2010-01-19T19:57:00.007Z

The new L4M STW Tights for men are manufactured for us in the USA by a well-known and highly reputable hosiery manufacturer. The High Gloss 480's are 40 denier, 87% nylon/13% Lycra fabric, sheer-to-waist, with just a reinforced finger-band below the waistband, and a cotton/nylon centre gusset. They are remarkably durable, and extremely comfortable.

They are available in Beige, Tan, White and Black in sizes L and XL, and sell for £10.99 per pair.

The 470's are our first own-brand support tights, and are also available in a footless version (Model 475). Manufactured for us in the USA by the same manufacturer, they are 20 denier 87% nylon/13% Lycra fabric, sheer-to-waist, also with a reinforced finger-band below the waistband, and a cotton/nylon centre gusset. They are remarkably durable, and extremely comfortable. Excellent value for money!

They are available in Beige and Black in sizes M and L, and Tan, in sizes L and XL. (The 475 Footless version comes in Beige, Tan and Black, in sizes M & L). Both styles sell for £7.99 per pair.

New Legwear4Men 260 Sheer Bodysuit

2010-01-18T15:37:00.009Z

The new Legwear4Men Model 260 Seamless Sheer Bodysuit is based on the best-selling Model 250 Bodyshirt; the fabric is the same (83% Nylon/17% Elastane, 20 Denier yarn), but it is designed as a one-piece bodysuit. It is totally seamless (apart from the hems around the edges) and is wonderfully comfortable to wear. Ideal for partnering with tights (the photo shows it paired with the Doyeah 0838 STW sheers), it is excellent for warmer days, when one of our Opaque Model 220 or 230 bodysuits may be too warm. Available in Black and Beige (skin-tone) and one size, which will fit most.

This unusual garment sells for a very reasonable £9.99 each! Available now.

New and Interesting Product!

2009-12-21T20:16:00.005Z

The new Legwear4Men Model 250 Seamless Sheer Bodyshirt is based on the best-selling Model 240 Body Cocoon, in that the fabric is similar (83% Nylon/17% Elastane, but in a slightly sheerer 20 Denier yarn), but is designed as a one-piece undershirt. It is totally seamless (apart from the hems around the edges) and is wonderfully comfortable to wear. Ideal for partnering with tights (the photo shows it paired with the Doyeah 0838 STW sheers), it is excellent for warmer days, when one of our bodysuits may be too warm. Available in Black and Beige (skin-tone) and one size, which will fit most.

This unusual garment sells for a reasonable £8.99 each! Get yours soon.

New Footless Tights from Doyeah

2009-11-17T14:35:00.005Z

We have just received our first delivery of the new Doyeah 0368 80 denier footless tights. These are essentially a footless version of the existing, best-selling 0858's, and are the same in every other respect. They come in one size, which the manufacturer states will cover heights of 155-185cm (5' 2" - 6' 0"), and hips of 85-110cm (33" - 43"). They are available in Black, Beige (Skin-tone) and Grey/Brown, at £5.99 per pair.

In stock now.

In Stock Now - ELA Men's Tights from the Czech Republic

2009-10-20T16:31:00.007+01:00

We now have all three of the new men's styles from the Czech manufacturer ELA in stock; 'David' 20 denier basic sheer tights, 'Patrik' 40 denier support tights, and the 'Adam' 64 denier opaques. All but the cheapest model have flat seams, and all have a male centre panel (similar to that on the Evona men's tights), and a reinforced 'boxer' style brief and toes. All are available in Black and Beige, and in sizes L, XL and XXL (although we would say their sizing is a bit different than that of most of our other manufacturers; ELA's size L is about the same as ComfiLon's M, XL is equivalent to ComfiLon's L, etc). We were pleased to note that their Beige colour is not as deep as that of other Czech manufacturer Aries; it is closer to the ComfiLon Beige. The Patrik support tights also have an 'antibacterial' treatment, and all the models even smell nice!

Selling for £4.99 for the 'David' sheers, £5.75 for the 'Adam' opaques and £5.99 for the 'Patrik' support tights, they offer excellent value; we were particularly impressed with the Adam and Patrik models, which are extremely good.

Get yours soon!

Two More New Legwear4Men Own-Brand Products!

2009-10-15T20:54:00.007+01:00

We are pleased to announce two more additions to our growing range of men's hosiery products.

The first is a new model of Control-Top tights, the 430 Sheer Control-Tops, shown here. Inspired by the now-defunct ComfiLon 610, they are very sheer 10 Denier fabric, with a reinforced brief section which is less restrictive than that of the 610. They are very stealthy (much more so than the 610's were) and the fabric is also softer and silkier than that of their ComfiLon forbears. They also benefit from a flat centre seam with a conventional cotton/nylon gusset, and invisibly reinforced toes. Made in one size, which covers M to XL, they are available in Beige, Tan, Grey and Black, and sell for a more-than-reasonable £6.49 per pair. If you were a fan of the 610's, you really should try these - you will love them!

Secondly, we have the new 460 tights, which are sheer in the leg, but have an unusual textured (though still sheer) lower leg. The texturing is a sort of fine rib, which is barely visible, but readily apparent to the touch. The brief section has a reinforced 'boxer' section, with a male front panel to accommodate the male anatomy, and the toes are invisibly reinforced. Again made in one size, which covers M to XL, they are available in Brown, Navy and Black, and sell for a value-for-money £7.49 per pair.

Both styles are in stock now!

New Colours!

2009-09-30T16:02:00.006+01:00

In line with our policy of listening to customers, and acting on their requests and suggestions, we have added more colours to some of our existing product ranges. These are;

Legwear4Men 420 Premium Sheer Men's Tights - new colour Lotus (a sort of light beigey grey, somewhat similar to pearl) in addition to the existing Beige, Grey and Black.

Legwear4Men 820 Opaques - new colour Brown, in addition to the existing Beige, White, Red and Black.

Legwear4Men 840 Control-Top Tights - new colour Brown, in addition to the existing Beige and Black.

Doyeah have also added new colours to some of their model ranges too;

The 0858 80 Denier style now comes in Grey/Brown (sort of Taupe) as well as Black and Beige.

The 0868 and 0358 open-crotch styles now also come in Brown, as well as Beige, Tan, Grey and Black.

These are all in stock now!

New Legwear4Men Unisex Matt STW Tights

2009-09-25T15:49:00.007+01:00

The recently-introduced Doyeah 0868 Open-Crotch Unisex Tights have proven to be popular with our customers, but we have had a few requests for a 'conventional' closed-crotch version of the same thing. So, in collaboration with our Chinese manufacturer, we have produced a new style of tights which are essentially the same product as the 0868, but with a conventional central flat seam and gusset.

Priced at £5.99 per pair, and available in Beige, Tan and Black, they come in one size (same as the 0868's) which will cover heights of 150-185cm (approx 5' 0" - 6' 0") and hips of approx 85 - 110cm (33" - 42"); they are 10 denier, 97% nylon and 3% elastane, velvet-soft, and have almost-invisible reinforced toes.

Long-Sleeved Bodysuits Now Available!

2009-09-09T16:22:00.005+01:00

Following on from the popularity of our existing short-sleeved Bodysuit, and in response to customer requests and enquiries, we have added the new Model 230 Long-Sleeved Bodysuit to our range. Otherwise indentical to the existing model, the new model has full-length sleeves of approx. 23" in length. This lightweight Nylon/Lycra men's form-fitting bodysuit is made from the same lightweight, opaque, shiny fabric as our existing best-selling Bodysuit. Ideal for wear with tights or other legwear, it offers comfort, climate control and is convenient to get on or off. Full back and bottom. This is the men's underwear solution for the 21st century! Try one - you won't go back to 'conventional' underclothes!

Available in sizes M, L & XL, and colours Black, White, Silver-Grey and Navy Blue. £22.99 ea.

ComfiLon 560 STW's Arrive In Stock!

2009-08-29T15:39:00.005+01:00

We have just recieved our first delivery of the new ComfiLon 560 STW support tights for men - ComfiLon's coolest support style for men ever! This style of sheer-to-waist tights for men is middleweight, transparent from the wide waistband down, and provides excellent compression. In short, that means at the end of the day, your legs will be cool and dry on the outside and energised on the inside. The Microfabric™ material is between sheer and opaque in terms of opacity, perfect for in-between weather and able to accommodate a wide temperature range for wearing under trousers or with shorts. The fabric is smooth and glides well under trousers, providing a massaging effect for your legs. The comfortable all-sheer brief minimizes moisture build-up and is perfect for even the muggiest of summer days. It features a conventional centre gusset for added strength and durability, and sheer toes for cool comfort, yet is inexpensive because it has no male-comfort front panel and no fly opening. Compression AND coolness? Yeah, ComfiLon can do that.

NB the Beige and Tan colours are a deeper shade than other ComfiLon styles.

Be the first to get yours!

Frequently Asked Questions; Why Are Men's Tights Dearer Than Women's?

2009-07-30T14:26:00.009+01:00

One question we are often asked here at L4M is, 'Why are men's tights more expensive than women's?'. Well, there are a number of reasons. First, men's legwear is more difficult to manufacture, as the 'male' features such as male centre or front panels or fly openings do not lend themselves to automated production like women's hosiery does, so the unit cost at the point of manufacture is higher (they have to be made by real people, not computer-controlled machines, and people are more expensive to employ than machines are!). Plus, men's hosiery is not made in anything like the numbers that women's tights are - there is one Italian manufacturer who makes 200,000 pairs of women's tights PER DAY! I doubt if there has been that many men's tights made ever, so consequently there are no economies of scale to speak of. Also, men demand a more durable product than women; they won't put up with a 'throw away' garment - they require a good few wearings from their legwear, so they tend to be more robustly made, and hence, more expensive again. Plus, frankly, you get what you pay for; there are tights and tights - men's tights are generally better made than many of the cheap women's styles, and they fit men's anatomy better, and consequently are more comfortable, and last longer. Finally, the only way the price of men's tights will go down is if men refuse to buy women's tights and only buy those which are made for men; that way the manufacturers will take notice, and more will begin to produce tights for men, and the price will drop over time. But for the moment I'm afraid, us guys will have to pay a higher price for our legwear.

New Unisex Crotchless Support Tights from Doyeah!

2009-07-15T17:49:00.007+01:00

We have just received the new 0868 and 0358 unisex crotchless support tights from Doyeah. These new products are unisex styles of support tights which are open at the crotch; this means underwear/briefs can be worn over the top of the tights, which makes life easier when you need to go to the bathroom! In common with most Doyeah tights, they come in one size, which will cover heights of 150-185cm (approx 5' 0" - 6' 0") and hips of approx 85 - 115cm (33" - 44"); they are 10 denier, 97% nylon and 3% elastane. They are available in four colours; Beige (Skin-tone), Tan, Grey and Black. The 0358 is essentially the same product as the 0868, but footless. Both styles sell for a value-for-money £5.99 per pair!
Get yours today!
PS We are also back in stock with the Legwear4Men Body Cocoon, which sold out almost immediately we got the first batch into stock!

More New Legwear4Men Products!

2009-07-02T15:48:00.009+01:00

This month, we have three new products to add to our growing own-brand Legwear4Men hosiery and bodywear ranges. All three are produced for us by our Far Eastern manufacturer, and offer excellent value for money.

First is a range of luxurious Sheer To Waist men's tights. They are low-waisted, have quite a high 'shine' to the fabric, and are extremely comfortable. They have no visible reinforcement from the sandal toes all the way up to the very narrow waistband, which is designed to sit on the wearer's hips rather than waist, enabling the tights to be worn with low-waisted jeans or shorts, without revealing the waistband every time you bend over! We find they work particularly well when partnered with the Doyeah 1097 men's briefs, which are similarly low-waisted. They have a single conventional centre seam and cotton gusset, and come in one size, to fit hips 33" to 43" (85-110cm), height up to 6ft (1.85m), and inside leg up to 33" (83cm). Colours are Black, Beige, Tan and Grey (the latter, again, by popular demand). They cost a very reasonable £6.99 per pair.

Second is a range of high-gloss unisex dance/exercise tights, which will replace the Legwear Express D400's in our range, once the latter sell through. They are 110 Denier, very shiny, and come in White and Beige. Again one sized, to suit heights of 155-185cm (approx 5' 2" - 6' 0") and hips of approx 85 - 110cm (33" - 42"), they have a single centre seam without gusset (being designed for dance use, they dispense with the gusset which could be visible under a leotard) and are very comfortable and durable, as you would expect given their design requirements! They will fit bigger guys than the D400's (which was a bit of an issue with the D400's - they only fitted smallish guys) and should prove very popular. These sell for a value-for-money £5.99 per pair.

Lastly, a bit of a departure for us. The last item is a Bodywear Cocoon; a what? you say. Well, we hadn't heard of them till recently either, but they are essentially a 6ft long tube of 30 denier nylon/elastane microfibre, which is closed at one end. Apparently, these are very popular in the Far East (where these are made) and are used for various activities from meditation to sleeping in, plus a few other things in between, the latter being facilitated by the fact that they are big enough to accomodate two people! We will say no more on their uses; suffice it to say we found they are great to sleep in - kind of a low-mass sleeping bag, which offers a very different sleeping experience. We found them to be ideal for the hot nights we have been having lately; just climb into one and forget about needing any other bedclothes - awesome! If you fancy trying something different, you can have one for the modest sum of £9.99 each (sadly, the young lady in the pictures isn't included... :-( ); go on - you won't regret it!

Until next month, when we will have even more new products!

New ComfiLon 866 & 876 Tights Now In Stock!

2009-06-16T16:04:00.003+01:00

We have just taken delivery of the new ComfiLon 866 and 876 full support opaques, which replace the old 869 and 879 models, whose maker ceased trading.

The new styles are worthy successors to their venerable best-selling predecessors, the 869 and 879 (for fans of the latter, we still have a few pairs in stock in all sizes). Now, better than ever, for athletic activity, on-the-job health, or whenever you need full support, these new styles have it! These tights for guys have an unobtrusive but functional fly and feature a sturdy stretch fabric with 20% elastane for good compression and excellent all-day support. Most demanded by athletes all over the world, support tights will keep your muscles energized and your feet dry thanks to the trademark Thermofabric™ material that’s designed to wick away moisture. So let your inner athlete out and choose to feel good all day. The two models are identical except that the 876 are footless.

Get yours today!

Have We Turned The Corner?

2009-06-09T14:33:00.005+01:00

Change is certainly afoot - we at L4M have noticed a massive increase in sales of legwear and associated items recently - in fact, we sold more product in the last 8 months since the start of our financial year in October, than in the previous two years PUT TOGETHER. Other things are also becoming apparent; we have a large increase in the number of female customers buying for their menfolk (judging by the accompanying comments or e-mails) than before. Prior to this year, we only had a handful of female customers (less than 10) out of thousands in total, but in the last few months we are getting more and more ladies buying; this is a good thing, as it indicates that Joe and Jane Public are becoming aware of men's legwear and hosiery, and more ladies are maybe buying as gifts for, or on behalf of their menfolk. We are also getting a lot more e-mail queries of a serious nature than before; by serious, I mean questions about sizing, specific requirements like support, or sports use (as opposed to the more bizarre, offbeat and obviously 'sniping' messages we used to get), plus, as already alluded to, questions from ladies buying for their men, regarding sizing, recommendations for a particular use etc. This is all extremely encouraging, and shows that the concept of legwear as a male garment has pretty much gained acceptance by the general public, and that the balance has 'tipped' past the point of no return.

I was particularly pleased to see the video from daytime TV posted by ComfiLon marketing director Steve Newman, visible here, which is very positive and extremely encouraging - way to go, Steve!

All in all, we see the future of men's legwear as very positive, and likely to continue growing apace - watch this space!

More New Products for Summer Arrive In Stock!

2009-05-07T17:30:00.007+01:00

We are pleased to announce the arrival of more new products! Some are completely new ranges of items we have not carried before, and some are additions to our existing ranges of products brought about by customer requests.

The first new range is our own Legwear4Men range of Leggings, which includes the 620 Capri-length (below-the-knee) and 630 Cycle Shorts styles. All are basically the same, except for the length of the legs, obviously! Made from a much heavier, more durable 90% nylon/10% elastane fabric than our existing bodywear range, all have a wide, deep waistband (to prevent roll-down!), flat seams, and a diamond-shaped gusset (to lessen the stress at the junction of the seams, and to accommodate the male anatomy). The 610 Leggings finish at the ankle, the Capri shorts just below the knee, and the cycle shorts above the knee. Available in Black, they come in sizes M, L & XL. As with the bodywear range, the exact size you choose will be up to the individual, depending on how form-fitting you want them to be; we found during evaluation, that the fabric has an enormous amount of stretch to it, so even the smallest size should fit bigger guys, even if they do look like they have been sprayed on! Ideal for sports use, or just casual wear, prices start from just £9.99 per pair for the Cycle Shorts, £10.99 for the Capris, and £11.99 for the full Leggings.

The second new range, of which we just have the first model so far, is the 910 Cargo Shorts. This may seem a bit far off from our core business, but we found we were often getting requests from customers (existing and potential) for cargo shorts which are a little shorter than those generally found in the shops, and as we couldn't source any from existing suppliers stock, we commissioned our Asian supplier to make some for us, and these are the result! More models may follow, as demand dictates. The shorts are made from combed cotton, and have a large cargo pocket either side, as well as conventional pockets at the front and back. They also have side adjusters (under the belt loops) to accommodate a wider size variation (which is why the sizes are quoted as 32-34" waist, etc). Ideal for summer months, for wear with sheer or ultrasheer legwear, they sell for a very reasonable £9.99 a pair, and come in Black (initially), and in sizes M (32-34" waist), L (34-36" waist) and XL (36-38" waist). Be first to get yours for summer!

Lastly, as we promised, we do listen to our customers requests, so we have added more colours to our existing 220 Short-sleeved Bodysuit range (which has proven very popular and has sold well). See also the 230 Long-sleeved and 225 Microfibre models.

Two New Models of Legwear4Men branded Men's Tights!

2009-04-01T17:08:00.006+01:00

We have just taken delivery of two more styles of Legwear4Men branded men's tights from our manufacturer in the Far East.

The first is a value for money 820 Opaque style, to complement the existing 810 Cotton Opaques we already carry. The new model is available in six colours (yes, 6!); Black, Beige, Brown, Khaki, White and Red (the latter being the result of customer requests) and comes in one size, to fit up to 36" waist, 6Ft height and 33" inside leg. The fabric is a soft 200 denier microfibre (but don't be fooled by the high denier figure; they aren't as thick or heavy as you might think - in fact they are really almost semi-opaque) comprising 86% nylon, & 14% elastane. They have a male centre panel with two flat seams (one either side), and there is a reinforcing band at the top of the leg (just visible on the right of the pictures) and at the toes. They are amazingly comfortable - they feel really soft when worn. They offer excellent value-for-money at £6.99 a pair.

The second is a men's 840 Control-top style (to help keep an errant bum or tummy in control!) and is available in Black, Brown and Beige. They come in one size that cover the same size ranges as the Opaques, and are in a semi-sheer (or semi-opaque, depending on your point of view!) 50 denier fabric, comprising 87% nylon and 13% elastane. They have a series of reinforced panels in the back and front of the brief, and the 'boxer' brief has an extended reinforced area (which extends further down the leg than normal - similar to the ComfiLon 582's) which is graduated; the patterns formed by the reinforced areas are just visible in the close-up details in the photo. Because of the nature of control-tops, we had to dispense with the male centre panel and have just one (flat) seam in the centre, with a cotton/nylon diamond-shaped gusset underneath to give room for the male 'equipment'! This has worked well though - they are very comfortable, but the extra 'support' or 'containment' for the derrier is noticeable, so all in all, we have a result! They also represent excellent value for money at £7.99 per pair (the greater complexity in knitting the control brief adding a little to the cost).

These are now in stock - be the first to get yours!

More New Products Arrive In Stock!

2009-03-05T17:12:00.003Z

Here at Legwear4Men, we pride ourselves on listening to our customers. So, we are pleased to announce a number of new products which have now arrived in stock, which are all the result of customer requests. All these new items have been manufactured for us by a leading sportswear manufacturer from Asia.

The first is a men's bodysuit (a bodysuit is similar to a leotard, or one-piece swimsuit, except that it has a pop-fastener opening underneath, to facilitate putting on/taking off, and bathroom visits!). Initially, it is available in black only, but if demand requires, we will add other colours as time goes on. Made from a very stretchy, silky fabric comprising 90% nylon and 10% elastane, it has the useful feature of being warm when the weather is cold, but not too hot when it warms up. As you can see, it has short sleeves and a round neck, and the fastening has four pop-studs, plus a cotton lining to the crotch (so it can be worn on its own if desired). The ideal partner to wear with tights or other legwear (a secondary benefit being that it will keep your tights up, if worn over them!), it is available in three sizes, M, L & XL, although the sizing strategy is a little different than with other clothing; the fabric is so stretchy, probably any size will fit just about anyone, but the variation means you can decide whether you want your bodysuit to be truly form-fitting, or looser fitting, like a t-shirt. For example, whilst we were working on the design, I have been wearing the smallest size, and I have a 42" chest, 34" waist and am 6ft tall, yet it fits me fine. So it is up to you whether you want your bodysuit to be tight-fitting, or looser.

The second new item is a sleeveless base-layer shirt (a base-layer shirt is a very lightweight, close-fitting shirt which is worn as underwear, in place of a vest or undershirt), which uses the same shiny fabric as the bodysuit mentioned above. It is v-necked, sleeveless, and again comes in black (for now!) in sizes M, L & XL.

Next are a couple of useful accessories; hosiery gloves and a mesh laundry bag. The gloves are soft white cotton (similar to the type you see being used by museums and libraries for handling delicate items like old documents and artifacts) and help to prevent your hosiery becoming snagged on rough skin. A worthwhile thing to have; certainly cheaper than wrecking your new tights on rough skin!

The other useful accessory is a mesh laundry bag. We have stocked these before, but these new ones are bigger, and have a stronger mesh to last longer in your washing machine! These will prevent your tights or other small items becoming tangled up and possibly damaged in the wash.

Lastly, a couple of items of 'logowear'! If you are unsure what to wear with your legwear, this high-quality cotton/elastane t-shirt has the full-sized 'Legwear4Men' logo on the front. Again, it comes in black, and sizes M, L & XL. And finally, a high-quality one-size cotton baseball cap in black, with the smaller 'L4M' logo (due to space restrictions) on the front.

We have other new products waiting in the wings - stay tuned!

Legwear4Men Branded Value-for-money Men's Tights Now In Stock!

2009-02-17T12:06:00.007Z

**Now In Stock!**

We are pleased to announce that we have now launched our new range of value-for-money men's tights under our own brand name Legwear4Men.

There are a number of reasons we have launched this range; one question we are often asked by customers is 'why are men's tights more expensive than women's?'. The answers are; men's tights are proportioned differently than women's (men are generally longer in the leg, shorter in the waist, have bigger feet than women, and also have other factors to accommodate! :-)) Men's tights are more complex to manufacture, as they do not lend themselves to automated production, hence they taken longer to make, and consequently cost more. Also, men are generally a harsher environment for hosiery than women, so their legwear needs to be more durable; plus, in our experience, men are far less likely to be content with a garment which only lasts a couple of wearings (like women's tights tend to), so hence an additional need for more 'robustness'. And, of course, men's tights are not made in anything like as large quantities as women's tights, so there are no economies of scale, to speak of.

So, bearing all this in mind, we have worked closely with a large Far Eastern hosiery manufacturer, and have come up with three designs which are very high quality, very durable, comfortable and have the required 'additions' to suit the men's hosiery market, and at almost unheard-of low prices, especially when you consider the quality of these tights. They are at least the equal of many costing 2-3 times as much as their modest asking prices, without any concessions to cost (except for the 'conventional' seams in the budget model - we simply couldn't include flat seams at this price, but that doesn't come close to spoiling them!).

The three styles are;

The Model 810, a cotton/nylon/elastane opaque, 300 denier, very warm and comfortable, and which would pass for socks if worn under trousers. Ideal for cold winter days! They come in one size, which covers heights up to 6ft (185cm), waist up to 36" (91cm), inside leg up to 33" (83cm), they have flat seams, a 'male' front panel (no fly opening) and a wide, comfortable waistband. Colours are Black and Beige. They retail for a very reasonable £5.99 a pair.

Second is the basic entry-level sheers, the 410 (now in Mk2 form - now 6 denier ultrasheer!). These are quality tights, in 86% nylon, 14% elastane. Available in Beige, Black, to follow soon, thay are also one size, to cover heights up to 6ft (185cm), hips of 33"-43" (85-110cm), inside leg up to 33" (83cm). The fabric is very silky, they have a reinforced 'boxer' brief section, invisibly reinforced toes, and a wide, comfortable waistband. Finally, they have an additional panel (which can be worn at the front or rear, but we recommend the front for male wearers) to accommodate the male physique! These sell for a very modest £5.49 per pair.

Last, but definitely not least, is the 420 Premium quality sheers. These comprise a high 50% elastane, 50% nylon fabric, which is again, very silky and comfortable, but stretches to accomodate 'bigger' guys, up to 6' 3" (190cm) in height, hips of 33" to 48" (85-120cm) and inside leg up to 35" (88cm). They also have a reinforced 'boxer' brief, but with male centre panel and flat seams this time, and reinforced toes. They are fully boarded, and have a comfortable waistband. Available in Black, Beige (skin-tone), Lotus and Grey (due to customers requesting this colour - no other men's legwear manufacturers do Grey any more) they sell for a value-for-money £5.99 per pair.

PS There are now many more models added since this date - see here for details!

Get yours today!!

More Doyeah Products! Seamless Briefs.

2009-02-09T12:56:00.008Z

Following on from the incredible success of the Doyeah men's tights (both styles have established themselves in our Top Ten most popular items ever, even in comparison to others we have been selling for years!) we are adding another item from their range; the 1097 Seamless briefs. Priced competitively at £7.99 pp, they are microfibre/elastane, and come in one size to cover 28-36" waist. They have a high-cut back (almost, but not quite 'thong'-like!). They are particularly comfortable, having no seams to dig in!

They are available in four colours; Black, White, Grey and Red.

Doyeah Men's Tights selling like hot cakes!

2009-01-17T13:02:00.007Z

I am pleased, and a little surprised, to report that the Doyeah tights have sold so well, we have had to re-order - after just 4 days! I have never seen anything sell like this before - the closest was when Gerbe brought out their men's range last year, but even they didn't sell in these kind of numbers.

One customer, when placing a repeat order, said 'These tights are SUPERB! I am going to stock up on them!'

***PS Doyeah tights are now back in stock!***

Doyeah Men's Tights from China arrive in stock!

2009-01-14T16:12:00.003Z

We have just received our first delivery of the excellent new Doyeah men's tights from China. They come in two styles; the 0838 10 denier sheer-to-waist tights, and the 0858 80 denier sheers, with boxer-style brief section. Both styles have a 'male front panel' and convenient fly opening. Unusually, they come in one size, which the manufacturer refers to as 'free size', and is reputed to cover heights from 5' 2" - 6' 0" and hips from 34" - 43". The 10 denier 0838's have 86% nylon, 12 % elastane and 2% cotton (in the 'male centre panel') and the 0858 80 denier style are 87% nylon and 13% elastane. Quality and comfort is very good, and they sell at the bargain price of £6.49 per pair (for either style).

Be the first to get some of these superb new men's tights today!

A Quick Review - 0858 80 Denier model.

One concerning aspect of the Doyeah tights was the fact that they are one size ('free size', the manufacturer calls it), but I am pleased to report that they fit me fine - I'm 6ft, 34" waist and 32" inside leg (in other words, towards the upper end of their stated size range), and I would say there is still plenty of room in them for bigger guys than me! The thing that struck me about them when putting them on for the first time, is how stretchy they are - they seem to just go on and on, and they are REALLY comfy - the fabric has an almost velvety feel to it. On the 0858 (the 80 den model), the fabric is sort of semi-opaque, a bit like the ComfiLon 569's - a sort of heavy sheer, but not opaque; it's difficult to describe in words. The fly opening on this model is quite similar to that on the ComfiLon 549's. The beige colour is really good and matched my (rather pale European) skin tone really well. They are nice and warm - it is hovering around 0 degrees here today. Build quality is superb; the seams are excellent (flat seams in the brief, conventional in the toes), and the attention to detail is really spot-on - even the packaging is really high quality. I can't yet comment on their durability, but they don't feel at all fragile - time will tell!

Nothing to complain about here - a superb product, especially considering the low price!

0838 10 Denier STW's

Well, if the Doyeah 0858 80 denier tights came as a pleasant surprise, the 0838 10 denier ultrasheer STW tights are simply awesome! The fabric is really silky and fairly shiny, and in the skin-tone colour they are really stealthy (unless the reflected light gives them away!). Although the makers quote the same size range for the 'one size' sizing as the 80 denier style, I would say they will not suit much bigger guys than me (6ft tall, 34" waist, 32" inside leg) as they are approaching the upper end of the range on me; whereas the 0858's seemed to have loads of room left, these don't. They have a very similar male centre panel, with flat seams and fly opening, to the Gerbe men's tights, although these are, of course, sheer-to-waist, whereas the Gerbe's are not. There is a reinforced area around the seams (just visible in the photo) and the toes have a near-invisible reinforcement. They are extremely comfortable, and appear to be reasonably durable (a little early to tell yet, I know) and certainly don't appear to be overly fragile (having said that, it is a good idea to handle them with hosiery gloves, as I did; they are only 10 denier, after all!).

Another surprise find, and especially so at the bargain price!

Happy New Year - and new products!

2009-01-04T15:45:00.003Z

Happy New Year to all - I trust you had a good Christmas!

We now stock the men's tights (and other items) from Chinese legwear manufacturer Doyeah and they have since become our best-selling brand.

They produce two men's styles; the 0838 10 denier sheer-to-waist 0838 and the 0858 80 denier tights 0858 and we now have both in stock (plus other models which have come about since this item was originally posted - see here for details).

More Blinkered, Ignorant Rantings

2008-12-02T12:38:00.003Z

Following on from The Times stunningly ignorant article subtitled 'Why Men Should Never Wear Tights', this article was brought to my attention by one of the guys on LAUF - thanks Kingfisher!

This new article, published on the Canadian site sachem.ca, can be read here http://www.sachem.ca/opinions/article/153619 . The author, an apparently intelligent man, still manages to plumb new depths of ignorance, blinkeredness (if that's a word!) and Victorian narrowmindedness - I thought The Times article was bad, but this is incredible! What planet is he from?? I did notice the item is in a folder called 'Opinions' - thankfully! And, the author's picture has a caption marked 'William Thomas - Humour' beneath it. If he thinks this drivel is meant to be funny...

Thomas also starts off with the dreaded 'M' word (mantyhose - that makes me want to throw up!). He refers to male legwear as a 'mass wardrobe malfunction', and states that wearing it 'would double your chances of Elton John following you home'. Here we go again - another ignoramus who thinks that gay men like men in legwear - where do they get that???? He then goes on to say that 'we already have a men's garment to keep you warm and cosy - it's called long underwear'! Why would any man in his right mind want to wear something bulky, scratchy, uncomfortable and which falls down all the time, when he can have a garment which is warm, lightweight, comfortable, doesn't move and isn't itchy? No contest! Why is it somehow thought 'manly' to wear something uncomfortable? Is this harking back to the days when monks wore hair shirts under their habits?

After passing through various desparaging remarks about wolf whistles from construction workers, Peter Pan etc, he says 'mantyhose is a very, very, very bad idea'. Why?? We (men) had tights first, centuries before women 'stole' them. He then continues to reinforce his blinkered views by comparing men who wear to Robin Hood and The Village People - back to the old 'gay' hobbyhorse again!

Next, he makes a totally unwarranted link between the advent of 'thongs' and the arrival of male legwear - wrong again! Tights pre-date thongs by about 2,000 years - go check your history, pal!

He laments that men's legwear is part of a moving of men's clothing 'toward androgyny'. Wrong again! We didn't start the trend of clothing moving towards 'unisex' - the women did that, by 'adopting' jeans, t-shirts, polo shirts, shorts etc (all of which were men's garments before the womenfolk stole them c. WW2) - so if he has to moan at anyone, it isn't us guys!

He makes out 'mantyhose is not fashion, it's fetish.' Wrong again, Einstein! Then he witters on at length about 'manbra's' (a solution without a problem, if there ever was one!) and 'prophecies' more garments making the crossover to the male wardrobe.

He concludes with 'Men are supposed to dress like men, look like men, smell like men, which sets us apart from women'. No argument there - I don't know any males who are attempting to do otherwise - or should we still be wearing trousers made of sailcloth, smell of sweat and have dirty fingernails? Come on man - this is the 21st century - not the 19th!

Times article - 'Beyond manbags: pantyhose for men'

2008-11-25T11:07:00.007Z

Subtitled 'Why men should never wear tights', this article by Times writer Carol Midgley, posted on the 22nd of November, is a stunning peice of blinkered, biased nonsense which just serves to expose the writer's staggering ignorance and archaic values. You can read the article in its full, unedited 'glory' at

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/fashion/article5171413.ece

She dedicates one paragraph to whining about Jonathan Ross's fashion faux pas, about which I will say nothing beyond pointing out that Jonathan Ross is a total plonker and hardly representative of most British males - thankfully!

Coming back to Ms Midgley's rantings, she commences with this statement; 'There’s no good way to say this, but some men like wearing pantyhose.' And? If I (or any other male) were to say 'There’s no good way to say this, but some women like wearing jeans and t-shirts.' (both of which were originally male garments which were subsequently poached by women) , the knives would be out in a flash, and I would be shouted down as 'old-fashioned', 'out-dated' and 'Victorian'. Why? What's the difference?

She then 'reveals' that what she refers to as 'mantyhose' (that expression makes me want to throw up!!) caught her attention some time ago, but she wanted to 'spare' the general public from the 'mental image' she seems to find so repulsive. Next, she comes up with a classic 'one rule for you' statement; 'The trend for straight men to invade female fashion territory is seemingly unstoppable.' Excuse me, but you started it! Why is it right for women, but not for men? In any case, we are not 'invading' anything; merely taking back what was ours for centuries before the womenfolk stole the idea in the early 20th century, so back off!

Next, she states 'Perhaps people like me who feel ill at the thought of a chap in American Tan should just get over it'; I think I would feel ill at the thought of a chap in American Tan too - thankfully that colour is not available in men's tights. She goes on to quote from Steve K's ComfiLon site, stating that ComfiLon 'does a very reasonable “ultrasheer” range starting at £4.40' - £4.40?? Where does she get that price from? Steve doesn't stock anything that cheap.

In the final paragraph, she says, 'But I would just say to any man thinking of embracing the 20 denier that having to wear tights is one of the very worst things about being a woman.' Is it? Why? She goes on, 'Still, if you don’t mind an itchy crackle-fest around your nether regions, then please be my guest.' What?? Whose tights does she wear? I've never had that problem. Maybe if she bought some decent quality tights in the correct size, she might feel differently about them. And she finishes off with, 'Oh, and don’t expect your tights to be much of a chick-magnet. In fact, I’d say that mantyhose is probably the perfect gift for the man who never wants to get laid again.' I for one, am not remotely interested in being a 'chick magnet', and have no desire to 'get laid', as she puts it. There are other reasons to live besides attracting the opposite sex, you know. She should put her blinkers back on, crawl back under her rock, and leave the rest of us in the 21st century to get on with living in a way we are comfortable with; we can do without her ignorant and opinionated rantings.

Links

2008-11-17T17:22:00.005Z

Here are links to the web sites of the manufacturers of men's tights whose products we stock, plus some other useful links for the male wearer! Note that not all our manufacturers have pages on their web sites for their male products, as some have discontinued their men's ranges; all that do are given here.

Aries

Manufacturer of the high-quality Goldwear range of men’s tights, Aries have been in the hosiery business since 1991. They are based in the Czech Republic.

Collanto

German manufacturer of men’s tights, and very good they are too!

Comfilon

Home page of US manufacturer ComfiLon, whose product range is one of the first and best of the men’s legwear products!

Please note , we are the ONLY UK reseller carrying the whole range of ComfiLon waist-high legwear – both Opaque and Sheer (Transparent)

E G Smith

E G Smith of New York manufacture high-quality totally opaque cotton/nylon/Lycra tights suitable for men and women! They are unusual in that they are one size, and yet claim to fit a wide range of sizes, thanks to their unique ‘memory’ yarns.

Gerbe

French high-end manufacturer of hosiery, Gerbe have the 'Rolls-Royce' range of men's legwear; whilst not cheap (real quality always costs) they are superbly comfortable and surprisingly durable too. They are also the first, and so far only, manufacturer to make ultrasheer tights for men.

Lida

Lida of Poland have been producing high quality hosiery for over 15 years, and now have two ranges of men’s legwear, the 406 ‘Man’s World’ opaques and the 407 ‘Active Man’, which are the first sheer hosiery for men to have built in ‘socks’!

Hints and Tips

2008-11-17T16:55:00.003Z

This is a revised reprint of the 'Hints and Tips' page on our web site.

Washing your hosiery. We recommend you wash your tights in one of the easily-obtainable netting wash bags which are available from most supermarkets these days – we stock one if you have problems getting hold of them; see the 'Accessories' page on the web site – and wash as ‘delicates’ on a 40 degree wash. Most manufacturers recommend that you wash new tights before wearing them; this removes any residual dyes etc., from the manufacturing process and frees up the fibres, which could otherwise stick together due to these residues. The result is that your tights will feel more comfortable; you may find (as we have from years of experience) that the tights will feel softer and silkier with each subsequent wash.

Putting your tights on. Advice on this point varies; most of the traditional manufacturers (i.e. those who make tights for women) suggest sitting on a chair or the edge of your bed, and gathering first one leg of your tights up, pulling them gently over your toes (making sure the toe seams are straight – aligned with your toes) whilst ensuring your toes have room to move – if you pull your tights on too tightly, it will be painful for your toes, by cutting off the blood circulation, and can also cause the premature demise of your tights, when the fabric fails because the tension is too great at the toe seam! Then pay the leg fabric gradually and gently up your lower leg to the knee, again being careful not to pull too tightly and risk damaging the fabric. Repeat the procedure with the other leg till you have both legs of your tights snugly pulled up to the knees, then stand up. Again, pay the fabric of first one leg, then the other, gradually up to the top of your legs, being careful all the while not to put too much tension on the fabric, and ensuring the leg fabric is paid out straight and not twisted around your legs, and finally pull the brief section up to the waist. Make sure the centre seam is straight (or the centre or ‘male’ panel is correctly positioned, if fitted). If you are wearing your tights over briefs (preferences in this respect vary from person to person! – see next section) you may want to position the waistband of your tights so it corresponds to the waistband of your briefs – this will reduce the tendency for the waistband of the tights to roll down; unfortunately, most men don’t taper in the same direction as women, so this can happen ;-). Alternatively, you may be more comfortable standing to put your tights on; as long as you can balance safely on one leg while you pull them on! I prefer this latter option personally.

Underwear – to wear or not to wear! All the tights we stock can be worn without any other underwear if desired (just to be clear, underwear, if worn, goes UNDER your tights, not over (unless you are Clark Kent!):-)), as most have a ‘male panel’ or extended centre gusset (or even a fly opening) designed to accommodate the male anatomy, but we would suggest from experience that certain styles which have just a ‘conventional’ centre gusset are probably best worn over cotton or micro-fibre briefs, or else the centre seam may dig in and be uncomfortable. But at the end of the day, it is down to personal preference; for example I prefer to wear lightweight cotton/Lycra or micro-fibre briefs under tights – I just find it more comfortable – but I know of others who prefer to wear nothing under their tights – to each his own!

Personal Grooming – skin, nails & leg hair. It goes without saying that hosiery is relatively fragile in comparison to other male garments, so this section may be news to male wearers, particularly if they are new to the concept of tights for men.

Make sure your nails are filed smooth, and not too long; jagged nails will destroy your tights very quickly!

Ensure the skin of your hands and feet is not rough; if necessary, wear gloves (hosiery gloves are available, or disposable vinyl ones which are available in many supermarkets will do) when putting on/taking off your tights. If possible, use hand cream to keep your skin smooth – many men’s grooming product ranges now include skin products for men – and ensure your feet, particularly the skin of your heels and soles of your feet, are not rough – again, there are many suitable men’s grooming products available these days to take care of this.

Leg hair is another ‘personal’ issue; on the purely practical side, leg hair acts as a ‘lubricant’ to tights causing them to fall down over time; most inconvenient! And on a visual level, nothing looks worse than matted leg hair under sheers! Yuck! Now, if you intend to wear opaques all the time and don’t mind having to periodically sneak off to ‘adjust’ your legwear, then fine; you don’t need to shave or ‘exfoliate’ your legs, but we would strongly recommend that you do. Apart from the fact that your tights will stay up better, and look better (at least, sheers will) you will find that your legs will feel much better in tights when hair-free – it’s difficult to describe quite why; but trust me! You will never look back – I haven’t! As to how to exfoliate your legs, that’s up to you; shaving is probably the most obvious, as us guys all have shaving gear anyway! But there are many options; wax strips, exfoliating creams, or purpose made male body hair shavers are all available, even from your local supermarket these days – how things have changed in recent years! If you intend to shave your legs, I would suggest doing it whilst taking a bath; the warm water will soften your skin and make shaving easier and more comfortable; use plenty of soap or shaving cream, and a different razor blade than the one you shave your face with! Shave towards the direction of growth of the hairs; you will find what this is with experience. You may need to make more than one ‘pass’, and don’t forget the backs of your knees – they may be out of sight to you, but not to anyone walking behind you if you are wearing shorts! – these are best shaved whilst standing, with your knees locked straight.

Choosing which tights to wear. Obviously, this will vary with individual preferences, but as a rough guide;

In the summer, choose sheer tights that match your skin tone as closely as possible, or maybe a shade darker; Beige and Tan are the order of the day, depending on your skin colour. These will look great with shorts or ¾ length trousers. (If you are feeling really daring, there are a number of companies producing skirts and/or kilts for men; these can look really good, when properly partnered with other suitable garments.) Remember, we are not setting out to look feminine (in any case, men wore both skirts and tights (or similar leggings or ‘stockings’ – these were invented by the Romans!) for centuries before they were ‘stolen’ by the womenfolk!) and in some cultures they still are commonplace items for men. It’s nice to have a choice – skirts offer a degree of freedom unknown to men, even in comparison to shorts.

In autumn/winter/spring or just cooler days, or under long trousers, jeans or combats, you may prefer to choose suitably colour-matched opaques; say black, navy blue or grey, depending on the colours of other garments you are wearing. These can look great, particularly if you are going for ‘stealth’ (watch out for that word – you will see it more often in the future!) and want your tights to look like good quality dress socks, and they also offer warmth and a degree of support.

Also available are other types of tights, like ‘control top’ (which have a tighter brief section usually comprising a larger percentage of Lycra) which can improve the look of your, er, rear end? and, of course, support tights, which are great if you are on your feet all day (or even if you aren’t!); they can make your legs feel a lot better at the end of a busy day than they would without! I speak from much experience!

Other variations are; STW (sheer to waist) tights which have no noticeable ‘boxer brief’, although these are less common in men’s tights, as the need in men is not really there to have legs visible up to the, er, armpits! Most men’s tights have a ‘boxer brief’ or darker/heavier section from the waist to the top of the legs; the reason for this is to extend the life expectancy of the tights by reducing the likelihood of the ‘sheerer’ leg fabric failing due to the greater tension around the tops of the legs and the rear end. You will find examples of all the above on the web site.

We do not currently stock any thigh-high (stockings) or knee-high (socks) products, as the demand is so small as to not be worth the major logistical problems of all those additional SKU’s! But we will monitor the situation – we are always open to customer requests and feedback. That is how we came to stock Footless, High-Gloss and some brightly-coloured products. Oh, and we don't stock Fishnet, back-seamed or patterned tights, as there aren't any made for the male market, and as already stated, we do not sell women's tights. We think it is unlikely that such styles will become available for men in the future; we can think of no legitimate reason why men would want to wear such styles, unless for cross-dressing purposes, a practice which we seek to distance ourselves from.

Colours. Most tights made for men come in skin tone colours – Beige and Tan for sheers, as well as one or two other colours, like Dark Brown, Off-Black, Jet Black and Grey, and in opaques they are available in Black (by far and away the most popular colour by miles), Navy Blue, Grey and occasionally Brown or Beige. Most of our ranges fall into these categories, with small variations, and we also carry one or two bright colours (like Red and White) and a few High Gloss/Shiny tights, but these are probably less useful to the male wearer except maybe in the local Amateur Dramatics troop!

One last hint – if you snag or ladder your tights, the best short-term fix can be found in the form of clear nail varnish. A small dab on the damaged area will prevent it getting worse and ruining your tights! You may be able to persuade your wife/girlfriend/SO to buy you a small bottle next time she goes shopping (of borrow some of hers; with her permission, of course! ;-)), but I think you will find no one cares if you buy it yourself!

We hope these hints have been helpful (and hopefully, a bit of fun too!), but if you have any other points or questions, feel free to e-mail us on info@tights-for-men.com and we will be happy to help.

Why Would Men Want To Wear Tights?

2008-11-17T16:52:00.003Z

This is a revised reprint of the article found on our web site under 'General Information'.

Someone once asked me, ‘Why would men want to wear tights?’ So, here are some reasons to wear;

1. Looks. This is probably the main reason that women wear hosiery, but is likely to come further down the list of priorities for men. Having said that, there are still benefits in this area for men too. Sheer tights can improve the look of your legs in a number of ways; blemishes such as scars, cuts & bruises, etc., will be lessened in appearance, and a more uniform appearance achieved. ‘Lumps’ & ‘bumps’ will be smoothed out, and the 'milk bottle' paleness of most Brit men's legs can be effectively disguised!

2. Comfort. Whilst this is a factor for anyone in choosing which tights to buy, it is probably the top of the list for most men! This is why it is important for men to choose tights which are especially designed for men; in case you’ve not noticed, men are usually a different size and shape to women! Men’s tights are designed in one of two ways, depending on the manufacturer; either from the ground up as a male garment, or as a ‘unisex’ product, meaning a much wider range of sizes, in the case of one manufacturer, covering heights of 4’ 10” - 6’ 7”! These make use of modern elastane fabric’s ability to stretch to several times its original dimensions, and still return to normal. The former approach uses designs which are entirely made from scratch to suit men’s dimensions; these will be longer in the leg, shorter in the waist, and can be ‘fully boarded’ - i.e., shaped to men’s contours, and so they have a ‘front’ and a ‘back’. Some even have a fly opening! Plus, tights stay up much better than socks, and are far more comfortable!

3. Support. My first encounter with men's tights was for this reason. My job at the time required that I was on my feet for 8 1/2 hours a day, with only my lunch break to rest my legs and feet. Result—I would get home at night with legs that felt like lead, and ached a lot. So, when I found a web site advertising support tights for men, I thought, ‘Why not?’ The rest, as they say, is history! The benefits to me were nothing short of miraculous—fewer aches and pains; my legs felt much better! I was sold! And I have worn tights ever since.

4. Medical/Circulatory. To some extent, this ties in with ‘Support’ above, because support tights can help improve circulation. Some people wear for this reason alone.

5. Warmth. It almost goes without saying that tights can provide warmth without bulk. Modern fabrics can be surprisingly warm whilst remaining very thin. In cooler, winter months, a pair of opaques can be a godsend, without feeling heavy or restrictive.

Some, or all, of the above, will apply in varying degrees to all potential wearers. Some, for example sportsmen, with benefit from the warmth without bulk, the support (which will also aid circulation) and the minimal restriction offered by modern fabrics. Everyone, though, will find some of the above applicable.

Does Wearing Tights Mean A Man Is Gay/Gender Confused?

2008-11-15T15:14:00.000Z

For some reason, Joe Public seems to think that if a man wears tights, he must be gay, or at least, gender confused. I have no idea where this line of reasoning originates; it is complete and utter nonsense. I don't know any gay men myself (or gender confused either, come to that) so I cannot ask anyone from those persuasions about their thoughts on the matter, but as far as I can tell, it takes a huge jump of faith to get from 'Wears/wants to wear tights' to 'must be gay or gender confused'. Why does wearing a piece of clothing which is comfortable, practical, convenient, offers climate control, support etc, make a man gay?? Some men prefer to wear briefs, and some prefer boxers; but that doesn't mean that those men who prefer one type think that those who wear the other must be 'gay', does it? It's just down to personal choice and comfort; if I prefer to wear a garment that combines underwear and socks in one item, what of it? My sexuality isn't threatened. And don't give me the old 'Because tights are women's clothes' argument, because, as already mentioned in previous posts, tights were originally a male garment, only 'stolen' by the womenfolk in the last century when skirts started to get shorter and shorter. So, if us guys want to steal them back, and make them once more a 'male' garment, and wear tights made for men, why is that an issue for some (closed-minded) people? Remember, before WW2, trousers were solely in the male domain, but women (maybe working on the land, or in factories, or even flying planes!) found them to be more practical than a skirt. Same with jeans, t-shirts, polo shirts etc - all were originally male garments, which have made the transition to the female wardrobe too. So if your wife/GF/SO thinks wearing tights is 'feminine', just say to her, 'I don't question your sexuality when you wear jeans or a t-shirt, do I? And they were designed for men! So don't give me a hard time when I wear tights (which were also designed for men)!'

Also, why is there a double standard here? Why can a woman wear absolutely any item of clothing (either male of female) and it's OK, but if a man wears/wants to wear something that the woman thinks of as feminine, he is 'gay' or gender-confused? If a woman goes into a menswear department and buys men's underwear, it is assumed that they are for her husband/BF/SO, but if a man goes into a ladieswear dept and buys women's underwear, it is assumed that it is for him and he must be 'gay' or a cross-dresser - why is that???

I liked Steve K of ComfiLon's comment; if a guy says to you, 'Why are you wearing tights? Are you gay?', just say to him, 'No, I'm not gay; but I know a guy who is, and he has a shirt just like yours!'

Next time your wife or SO wears one of your t-shirts, remind her she is cross-dressing, and ask her is she a lesbian - see how she likes it (and then duck!) :-)

Will Men's Tights Ever Be In The Shops?

2008-11-14T20:50:00.000Z

Another question we are often asked is if/when will men's tights be available in the shops?

What you must remember is that bricks-and-mortar shops sell stuff that moves quickly; they aren't interested in slow-moving (in their terms) items like men's tights. Plus, at this point, so few men even know there is such a thing as men's tights, never mind buy them, so the priority at the moment is to get them into the public eye, and try and catch as many potential purchasers on the web as possible. That way, the manufacturers of the product will be able to ramp up production, spend more on advertising, and get to the stage where economies of scale begin to bite, so all us male wearers can buy our tights for less! I don't think any 'real world' shops would be interested in stocking (no pun intended!) an item which has such a small 'niche' appeal, but if we all keep plugging away at making men's tights more everyday and mainstream (by buying and wearing them) then who knows; maybe one day we will be able to walk into a store and buy them over the counter, but I don't think it will be anytime soon!

As mentioned in a previous post, if one European manufacturer of ladies hosiery produces 200,00 pairs A DAY (I doubt there have been that many men's tights sold EVER!) then we have a LOOONG way to go yet!

Where Do I Start?

2008-11-12T18:01:00.001Z

We often get e-mails to the web site from new male wearers wanting recommendations for first-time purchases of men's tights, so here are some suggestions.

Firstly, DON'T buy the cheapest (on the reasoning that 'Oh, well; if I don't like them, then I've not lost much), because it is much more likely that you won't like them than a better quality pair, and we wouldn't want a new wearer to fall at the first hurdle, would we? I would suggest a good-value middle range style, such as Doyeah 0838 or 0858, ComfiLon 549/535/577, which are all excellent first-time buys, along with the Collanto LegSupport range, the Aries Goldwear support style, or if you want to start with opaques, ComfiLon 849/839/857, LE D500's, or either of the Lida or Collanto or Aries Goldwear opaques.

I would definitely NOT recommend you start with the low-to-no Lycra models, as they are not representative of the comfort, durability or general quality of almost any other style we carry; we wouldn't want a new wearer to be put off by these (unrepresentative) styles. If you fancy trying them after some of the other, better quality styles, then fair enough; just don't start with them! The same applies to the Collanto Adam cotton opaques, which are more like socks that happen to go up to the waist than tights; save them till after you've tried their own Aurel 40 or 70 styles (or any of the opaques recommended in the previous paragraph), which are much better in almost every way.

You may be wondering why I haven't mentioned the premium models, such as Gerbe, or ComfiLon 599's, any of which would make excellent first-time purchases for the aspiring newbie; I just don't want to be accused of 'pushing' the most expensive styles on the unsuspecting new boy! But you certainly do get what you pay for - the Gerbe styles and the 599's are all awesome in terms of comfort, and also surprisingly durable too, so if you can afford them, go for it; you won't be sorry!

Wearing Openly - Does Anyone Else Really Care?

2008-11-10T16:53:00.002Z

One subject which seems to be aired frequently on the forums and almost any other legwear-related site, is the matter of men wearing tights openly, with shorts or cut-offs. Almost every male wearer, it seems, has a blind terror of being 'discovered' wearing tights. I really am not sure why this is; the vast majority of the general public (aside from wearers) don't give legwear a second thought, and certainly couldn't care who wears in the slightest. It has been nearly 10 years or so that I have been wearing openly, as a part of my normal day-to-day wear, and in that time I have not had one single person either notice, or if they have, make any comment to me about it one way or the other; they simply don't notice. Correction; one person did notice - my cousin's (then) 7 year-old son, who was playing around with his toy cars on the floor of our living room during a family visit, when he stopped by my feet and looked up, and asked 'Are you wearing tights?' (I was dressed in ComfiLon 577's in Tan, with combat-type cargo shorts and sandals, as I often do in the summer months); 'Yes' I replied, and he just nodded and carried on playing. About an hour later, this time I was sitting on the back doorstep, while the lad and his 9-year old sister were playing in and around my car (which was a Smart ForTwo - which fascinated them), when he stopped and said to me, 'Why are you wearing ladies' tights?'. 'I'm not', I said, 'I'm wearing men's tights'. At this, his (apparently more street-wise) sister chimed in with 'They do make tights for men, you know. D'Uhh!' 'One of my school teachers wears them' she said to me, by way of explanation. 'Well, I didn't know!' protested her little brother, and with that, they forgot all about it and carried on playing. And that is it - not another word, from them, or anybody else.

Another case in point; I recently met up with a former girlfriend, who I went out with almost 30 years ago, and who had got back in touch. We arranged to go for a day out, catch up, get lunch etc., and just chat. I was wearing my usual t-shirt, shorts and this time ComfiLon 599's (which are awesome by the way!) in Tan, and deck shoes (which I prefer for driving). We spent the whole day together, drove a couple of hundred miles, and visited lots of places of interest; it was a lovely sunny summer's day. When we got back to mine at the end of the day, we sat in the living room with cups of tea and coffee, and chatted. It was only then that the subject of what work we now do came up, and I told her about the Legwear4Men web site, and indicated my nylon-clad legs. She sat up, looked hard, and said, 'Oh, I didn't even notice.' And that was that; no further interest, and certainly no questioning looks or anything like that. We have chatted a little more about it since then, and she thinks it's great; no problem!

I think it all comes down to confidence; if you are furtive and look preoccupied, people will be suspicious, whereas if you just carry on as normal, no-one will notice, and if they do, they won't care - they will assume there must be some good reason you are wearing them, and leave it at that.

Now, of course, a great deal of that confidence will come from your own perception of yourself in tights, and this is where tights which are made for men come in; I know that I, for one, could never be confident wearing women's tights, because I would know they are women's clothing, and that bothers me, but if they are men's, then I am confident and there is no problem. Sometimes male wearers say, 'Well, no one else knows if the tights you are wearing are men's or women's,' which may be true, but I know, and that makes all the difference in the world - remember the movie Independence Day - 'plausible deniability'!

Another area in which tights for men are important, is in a man's relationship with his wife/gf/SO, who may be dubious about his wearing of what she perceives as a 'female' garment, but is far less likely to be concerned if he wears a patently male garment. After all, there are male and female versions of jeans, t-shirts, polo shirts, etc, which all at some point made the transition from being a 'male' garment to being available for both genders; why not with tights too (which after all, started off as a male item anyway)?

If you haven't already done so, try it; I am sure you will find that no one gives two hoots! Enjoy!

Discussions about women's tights - why???

2008-11-01T14:49:00.002Z

It saddens me when I drop in on the various legwear forums and see threads discussing the ins and outs of various women's tights. Now that would be fine, if those doing the discussing were women, but they're not; they are men. These guys just don't seem to get it; men should not be discussing women's legwear - leave that to the girls! As long as men buy and wear women's tights, men's tights will never become mainstream, for a number of reasons. First, Joe Public will assume that all male wearers are just looking for an excuse to wear women's tights, and that assumption will not go away as long as ANY men wear women's tights. Now, before there were men's tights available, there was no choice if a male wanted to wear tights; he had to wear women's. Aha, you say; but men's tights are a lot more expensive than women's, and I can't walk into any supermarket or department store and buy them - I have to order them online. But don't you see; that situation will not change until all male wearers make a conscious, inviolable decision NEVER to wear women's tights again. This will send a message to the manufacturers that they cannot get away with just producing tights for women; if there is a large male market out there who are voting with their wallets, the manufacturers will sit up and take notice - that is the basis of 'supply and demand'. If men continue to buy and wear women's tights, a number of things will happen (or not happen); the remainder of the manufacturers (who aren't already making men's tights) will think 'Well, these guys clearly will buy any old thing as long as it is hosiery; they don't seem to care if they are made for men or not. Why should we spend valuable time and money on developing special ranges for men, when they really don't care; they'll buy anything.' So they are laughing all the way to the bank, while companies like those who make the men's tights such as we here at L4M carry, are going bust because so few men are buying them. We should support the manufacturer's who make ranges of tights for men, and not send them to the wall through our lack of patronage. I recently found out that one of our suppliers, Czech manufacturer Evona, stopped making tights for men, nor are there any on the Belly Star web site (another of our former suppliers); they also used to make (very good) men's tights, but not anymore, because our company was the only one buying them. And, Polish manufacturer Lida told me they are not going ahead with three new planned styles of men's tights, and they are cutting back the options to one men's model in one colour (black), because they found out they can make more profit selling women's maternity tights. And Ergee of Austria, makers of the excellent Climaxx men's tights, have now ceased trading completely. We really need to get behind these manufacturers such as Gerbe, ComfiLon, Collanto, Aries etc, who have gone out on a limb and risked financial doom by making and marketing tights for men; if we can't be bothered to support them with our male £'s, $'s, €'s etc, in another five years WE WILL NOT HAVE THE CHOICE, because no one will make them for men any more. So, if that happens, and a man wishes to continue wearing, he will be back to having to wear women's hosiery, with all the issues that raises; cross-dressing/fetish, incorrect sizing and proportions (in case you've not noticed, men are different to women, in various ways, and even aside from the other issues, women's tights will NEVER fit men as well as they do women; plain and simple) and, if you've never tried tights which are made for men, you won't know how much more comfortable and better fitting they are than women's (unless you are a woman!).

I made the decision years ago that I would not wear women's tights (once I had realised there were tights made for men available - that's why I started L4M, and that's why we will continue to only sell men's tights - it's a principle thing). Now, if you are content to wear women's hosiery (I'm sure there are some men out there who wear women's tights BECAUSE they are women's; now obviously, I don't expect them to rally to our cause) then fine; you will have to settle for tights which don't fit you properly, and contend with the feelings of guilt brought about because you are basically cross-dressing (there is no other name for it). But as long as the option exists, I (and my company) are going to continue to support the men's hosiery manufacturers. In fact, just to show that I am putting my money where my mouth is, L4M now works with two hosiery manufacturers (on opposite sides of the globe) who now produce some excellent value-for-money men's tights under our own brand name (prior to that, we have only resold existing products from other manufacturers, which we will continue to do), and hopefully, in sufficient quantities for economies of scale to come into play (that is why, up to now, men's tights are dearer than women's; they just aren't made in sufficient numbers to come out as cheaply as women's, which are made by the ton - I recently read about one European manufacturer who produces 200,000 pairs A DAY!)

Sorry to rant on, but it is up to us guys to make this happen; if we don't (and we just continue to buy and wear women's tights) then the choice will be taken away from us - and we will be the only ones to blame!

Bozeman

Styles and colours of tights for the male market

2008-10-31T11:17:00.000Z

From time to time, we get requests via our web site for items such as fishnets, back-seamed or patterned tights. We don't carry such items because;

A) No one makes them for the male market (I can't imagine why they would! Plus, of course, we don't (and won't) sell women's tights) and

B) we are not advocating that men should try to look feminine, and there is (currently) no legitimate reason why men would want to openly wear such items.

We want tights to be a male item, and have our own versions of the garment, and wear them for the right reasons - comfort, support, warmth etc (not fetish or cross-dressing). We are 'stealing back' a garment that the women stole from us men over a century ago; now if us guys benefit from the developments in hosiery that have happened since (Lycra, nylon, seamless legs, much greater comfort and durability etc) then even better!

Now, unless, as time goes on, and fashions (inevitably) change, maybe to a point where bright colours, wild patterns, shiny fabric etc., becomes acceptable for men to wear (in the general course of day-to-day fashion), then that's OK, but at the moment, I think the choices should be something like;

Colours - Black, Navy, Grey, Beige and maybe Brown (in opaques, at least) and Beige, Tan, Grey and Black in sheers.

Styles - plain sheers (for 'stealthy' wear under shorts or cut-offs) and plain opaques. (Remember, we are not setting out to be 'in-your-face' or controversial, or to look feminine; we just want to be able to wear what is a very comfortable and versatile garment without being considered, at best slightly odd or eccentric, or at worst, totally 'gay' or ridiculous).

If the changes mentioned above do happen, then we (L4M) will certainly look at adding new styles and colours to our range, but just for now, I think we have enough on our hands just getting tights accepted once again as a mainstream 'male' garment. If, or should I say when! that happens, then fine; but for now we should walk before we run.

Comments?

Bozeman

Discreet Packaging? Why?

2008-10-30T11:19:00.001Z

This post is humourous (although still true) so please take it in the spirit of fun in which it is given :-)

We often get e-mails or comments from guys who buy legwear from our web site, along the lines of 'Please make sure my order goes out in plain, discreet wrapping.' Firstly, our Shipping Info' page on the site does state that all orders go out in plain wrap, with just our return address on a label on the back, in case the parcel goes adrift in the post, so I'm not sure if they just didn't take the time to look, or if they are paranoid :-)

But, my point is; Why??? We only sell men's clothing - to men!! So why would it need to be in discreet packaging, as though we were sending them something dodgy, or, worse still, made for women! (We don't even sell any women's tights on this site, apart from some unisex styles). It's no different than if we were selling jeans, t-shirts or shoes etc., and no one would think twice if a parcel arrived from, say, Matalan or Peacocks, so why the secrecy? Come on guys, we really have to get over this furtive attitude, as though we were doing something iffy. Enjoy your legwear with confidence - that's why we (and the manufacturers we represent) make and supply tights which are made for men; so you won't have to feel guilty about it!

Bozeman

More Lycra = more shinyness? Another in our 'myth busting' series!

2008-10-26T15:57:00.000Z

Many hosiery wearers assume that shiny hosiery has more Lycra - this is simply not true; Lycra (or indeed, any elastane fibre; Beyer Dorlastan, Elapsan, Eastar) is actually matte in appearance, like rubber; the 'shiny' appearance of some hosiery is caused by the reflection of light off the nylon fibres which are helically wrapped around the (central) Lycra core. Sometimes more than one nylon fibre are wound in opposite directions (like the double-helix of DNA) around the elastane core; it is the nylon which causes the 'shinyness' or reflectivity of some hosiery, not the Lycra.

Opacity/Sheerness vs. Denier - Busting the Myth

2008-10-26T10:42:00.000Z

It is a commonly-held misconception amongst the general public that the opacity or sheerness (how much of the wearer's skin shows or doesn't show through) of tights is dictated purely by the 'denier' of the fabric. Firstly, the denier rating is one of mass, not thickness (specifically, 1 denier = the mass in grams of 9,000 metres of the yarn; the decimal equivalent, decitex, being the mass of 10,000 metres).

Secondly, the opacity or otherwise of a pair of tights is dependent on the density of the loops of the fabric, and their spacing, as much as the denier of the yarn, and also depends on the size of the wearer; the same pair of tights on two people of different sizes (not both at the same time! :-)) will expose more of the wearer's skin the tighter they are stretched, so the opacity will be seen to be different. As an example, we stock some sheer (i.e. see-through) tights of 110 denier, and some opaques of as little as 40 denier, so it certainly doesn't necessarily follow that more denier = more opacity.

So now you know!

Full Circle - the Return of Tights as a Male Garment

2008-10-25T17:14:00.001+01:00

Most people these days assume that tights (pantyhose in the US, Australia & South Africa) are a female clothing item, as in recent years, it has been the womenfolk in the main (aside from dancers, dramatists, plus some athletes etc) who have worn them. However, it was not always that way. The earliest garment that resembled tights were the leggings which were given to Roman soldiers in cooler climes, some 2,000 years ago. In more recent history, men wore close-fitting leggings or knitted 'tights' for centuries. In fact, in some European countries in the 14th to 17th century, it was actually made illegal for women to wear tights, as the men guarded jealously what they considered 'their' garment; it was considered very masculine to show a well-turned calf! It was only the advent of trousers in the 19th century which made tights as a male garment pretty much redundant. Then, in the early part of the 20th century, women started to wear tights or stockings as skirts got shorter, culminating in 1966 with the arrival of the mini skirt, and the advent of modern nylon tights (helped along the way by the appearence firstly of Rayon (sythetic silk or 'viscose') in 1894, Nylon on February 28, 1935 by Wallace Carothers at DuPont, and Lycra in 1959) which we would recognise today. Whilst it is true to say that the last century has seen tights as an almost exclusively female item, men have often worn them under trousers as long underwear, finding the lack of bulk associated with traditional 'long johns' to be an advantage. In some coutries, notably Germany and some Eastern European nations, tights were worn by boys (under shorts) until fairly recently (1960's-70's); this may be part of the reason that the same countries are responsible for the resurgance of male tights (Germany, Poland, Austria and the Czech Republic all having manufacturers today). At the end of the day, tights (generically speaking) are a garment which can be worn by anyone, regardless of gender (understand though; I am not advocating that men should wear women's tights - that is clearly crossdressing) and now that there are tights made for all ages and genders, there is no reason for men to wear women's tights. Now we can all enjoy the benefits (warmth without bulk, support, comfort etc) of tights!

A Brief History of Legwear4Men.com

2008-10-24T17:39:00.002+01:00

'How did you come to run a company which sells men's tights?' is a question I sometimes get asked by friends and acquaintances. Well, prior to 2004 (when we launched Legwear4Men), I would not have dreampt of such a thing myself. Basically, it started like this; back in the late 1980's, I got into cycling (mountain biking, to be precise) pretty seriously. I would go out every morning (yes, that's every morning!) at about 5:30 a.m. and cycle 20 miles along a cycle path which used to be a railway line, near my home, purely for exercise. Initially, I resisited the full 'clothing' (read Lycra) look, as I thought it looked silly, but soon found there was a good reason for it, so I reluctantly purchased the full hit; Lycra shirt, shorts and/or leggings, helmet, gloves etc., but drew the line at shaving my legs (as my cycling colleagues did). However, I soon found, that as well as looking very silly in shorts, my (very) hairy legs were causing my shorts or leggings to fall down all the time, which required me to stop and 'adjust' them periodically. 'Shaving your legs would soon stop that,' a friend said, so I (again, somewhat reluctantly) went for it, much to the amusement of my (then) wife, and found they were right; my shorts or leggings instantly stopped falling down! And it was much more comfortable that way. So, I have shaved my legs ever since (20-odd years). The tights came much later; I was searching the web one night about 10 years ago, (in the good old 'dial-up' days - NOT!) looking for clothing (as you do!) and found a web site with a banner which said something like, 'Men are beginning to discover something that women have known for years; that tights are a comfortable, practical garment with benefits for men as well' and went on to espouse the benefits of warmth, support, etc which tights can give. I was fascinated; 'Tights for men?' I thought. I was used to Lycra from my cycling; it wasn't too much of a step to include tights (as long as they were men's; I wasn't interested in wearing anything made for women) not least since my ex-wife had suggested, many years earlier, that I should try support tights to save my aching legs (I was on my feet most of the day at work) as she had found them to be beneficial, but I wasn't keen. Still, the seeds were all in place, so I thought, 'What the heck?' and ordered some. The rest, as they say, is history, and now I wear tights all the time; I haven't worn socks (by and large) for years. Fast forward to about 6-7 years ago, when I was chatting to a friend about how beneficial I had found tights to be, but was frustrated by the fact that I had to order them from far afield whenever I wanted more, as there was no one in the UK who sold them. To my surprise, he said, 'Well, why don't you do it (sell them)?' My initial response was 'Naaah!', but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made; I had a long background in retail, and more than a passing acquaintance with computers and the internet, so I went and had a chat with my brother (who was better paid than I was!) and discussed it; he thought it was a great idea, and lent me some money to get things started, and Legwear4Men was born! Since then, we have greatly expanded the range of makes and styles we sell, and now have an 'own brand' range of good value-for-money tights for men, made for us by a long-established hosiery manufacturer.

I will post as often as I can, and will keep things up to date with news and items of interest.

Please note, that as a UK-based company, we use the term 'tights' in the UK sense, not the American sense of opaque tights.

bozeman

Welcome to the Legwear4Men blog!

2008-10-24T12:01:00.001+01:00

Hi,

I am the owner of legwear4men.com, the first and only on-line reseller of exclusively men's hosiery in the UK. That's right; tights that are made for men, as opposed to just selling women's tights to men - anyone can do that! We have almost all the currently available brands of tights and legwear which are actually made for men. We don't sell women's hosiery, (unless you count our 'unisex' brands) and we don't intend to in the future (at least, not through this site; but we now have a 'sister' site first4legwear.com, which caters to the ladies). We are not a tights/pantyhose fetish site; we are advocating tights for men as a serious, practical garment for men, with many benefits which men have traditionally missed out on. We do not advocate that men wear women's tights, and we have no time for crossdressing or other 'off subject' matters; any such will be removed by the moderators.

We will post matters of interest with regards to men's legwear products; news of upcoming new makes and models, and will attempt to answer any points raised in your comments.

Bozeman