Pantyhose for men
Encyclopedia
In American English, the term pantyhose
refers to a garment traditionally worn by women, at least since their introduction in 1959. However, some manufacturers also produce pantyhose for men (or male pantyhose, "mantyhose" or men's legwear).
In 1996 L'eggs, a US pantyhose company opened a storefront together with a product-related bulletin board on the web. They soon discovered that most of the visitors talking about their products were men.
After conducting a survey in 1998, Steven Katz came to the conclusion that, in fact, many men were wearing pantyhose as a regular clothing item, and would buy leggings in a well-targeted male product range, if it existed.
Based on this survey and other market research, G. Lieberman & Sons (GLS Hosiery) began to manufacture and market ComfiLon in 1999, which became Activiskin in 2002. Comfilon/ActivSkin was so successful it inspired Levee, a German pantyhose manufacturer to create a unisex product line called WoMan in 2002. Wolford, a German luxury hosiery manufacturer also introduced 'Waistsocks' for men. Nearly every year since then at least one manufacturer has entered the market with a male product line, such as Collanto in Germany and Gerbe in France.
The market for men's pantyhose has continued to grow steadily since 1999. While ActivSkin, the leading seller of male pantyhose and tights, does not release specific sales data, they now sell to customers worldwide in 76 countries and have reported growth each year since their inception. An important component of that growth is continued expansion of public awareness of this phenomenon. A blog called The Nylon Gene was launched in early 2009 to provide background information on men's pantyhose, as well as opinion pieces and sample photography. To manage public relations and serve as spokesman for issues related to men's pantyhose in the U.S. media, GLS hired Steve Newman in 2009. The company expects to reach a tipping point in the near future with respect to public perception and growth of the male pantyhose and tights trend. As an addition to the constantly expanding family of men's legwear manufacturers, there is another producer in Eastern Europe called Tim Legwear that is testing the local market with men tights
and leggings.
One can find both sheer and opaque pantyhose for men, the denier ranging from 8 den (very sheer) to over 100 den (opaque). They usually come in black, brown, tan and navy blue colors. In the U.S., hosiery above 70 den are usually referred to as 'tights'. This threshold is subjective, and hosiery of lesser denier may be considered tights in the U.S. vocabulary.
Some men wear pantyhose under trousers, with or without socks, while an increasing number are now wearing them with shorts. They have found that it is not necessary to give up the benefits of leg support and comfort while wearing short pants. It is very difficult to notice pantyhose closely matching skin color, as long as leg hair is either removed or kept closely trimmed. As men's pantyhose continues to move from the periphery toward mainstream acceptance, more men are also wearing colored legwear (black, blue, dark brown) with shorts. You can see a some examples of men wearing pantyhose with shorts by visiting The Nylon Gene or the eMANcipate website.
and varicose veins
. They provide warmth and support for men who have Raynaud's phenomenon
. They can also worn as supportive therapy for vein disorders such as lymphedema
and deep vein thrombosis
.
The effect of non-medical grade support hosiery is given only only passing notice in much of the medical literature. This is primarily due to less experimentally-quantifiable information available regarding the contribution of non-medical grade support hosiery on leg circulation. That's not to say there is none available, however.
According to the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, "The single most important thing a person can do to slow down the development of new varicose veins is to wear graduated compression support stockings as much as possible during the day." They also list "wearing elastic support stockings" as a means of reducing the chances of getting new varicose and spider veins. In addition, a 2001 study cited by the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery concluded that, "Use of lightweight (low compression), ready-to-wear gradient compression hosiery is very effective in improving symptoms of discomfort, swelling, fatigue, aching, as well as leg tightness."
A significant portion of the population—both male and female—will eventually suffer from some sort of leg circulation problem, including venous insufficiency and related issues. There is no physiological difference between men and women that prevents it from developing in men in nearly equal frequency as women, therefore men can benefit from the preventative aspects of full length support hosiery every bit as much as their female counterparts. It is important to consult a physician when these problems worsen and varicose veins begin to appear, to make sure medical intervention is not necessary. Oftentimes, all that is needed to prevent this from happening is the regular use of full support tights or pantyhose.
s to get a bit of extra insulation against cold water. It also assists in putting on and taking off the wetsuit. Pantyhose are also an effective protection against box jellyfish
stings. The pantyhose were formerly thought to work because of the length of the box jellyfish's stingers (nematocysts), but it is now known to be related to the way the stinger cells work. The stinging cells on a box jellyfish's tentacles are not triggered by touch, but are instead triggered by the chemicals found on skin.
Pantyhose
Pantyhose are sheer, close-fitting legwear, covering the wearer's body from the waist to the feet. Mostly considered to be a woman's and girl's garment, pantyhose appeared in the 1960s, and they provided a convenient alternative to stockings...
refers to a garment traditionally worn by women, at least since their introduction in 1959. However, some manufacturers also produce pantyhose for men (or male pantyhose, "mantyhose" or men's legwear).
History
There have been anecdotes of men wearing pantyhose for practical purposes nearly since their original introduction in the women's market, but these stories have been typically difficult to verify because the men in question tended to refrain from discussing the issue. Such anecdotes have included:- NFL football players wearing them under uniforms in cold weather,
- Hunters and campers wearing them as a base layer beneath other cold weather attire,
- Men with varicose veins or other circulatory problems that may or may not require surgical hosiery,
- Horseback riders wearing them to prevent chafing and saddle sores.
- Soldiers who have to wade through deep water and want protection from leeches.
In 1996 L'eggs, a US pantyhose company opened a storefront together with a product-related bulletin board on the web. They soon discovered that most of the visitors talking about their products were men.
After conducting a survey in 1998, Steven Katz came to the conclusion that, in fact, many men were wearing pantyhose as a regular clothing item, and would buy leggings in a well-targeted male product range, if it existed.
Based on this survey and other market research, G. Lieberman & Sons (GLS Hosiery) began to manufacture and market ComfiLon in 1999, which became Activiskin in 2002. Comfilon/ActivSkin was so successful it inspired Levee, a German pantyhose manufacturer to create a unisex product line called WoMan in 2002. Wolford, a German luxury hosiery manufacturer also introduced 'Waistsocks' for men. Nearly every year since then at least one manufacturer has entered the market with a male product line, such as Collanto in Germany and Gerbe in France.
The market for men's pantyhose has continued to grow steadily since 1999. While ActivSkin, the leading seller of male pantyhose and tights, does not release specific sales data, they now sell to customers worldwide in 76 countries and have reported growth each year since their inception. An important component of that growth is continued expansion of public awareness of this phenomenon. A blog called The Nylon Gene was launched in early 2009 to provide background information on men's pantyhose, as well as opinion pieces and sample photography. To manage public relations and serve as spokesman for issues related to men's pantyhose in the U.S. media, GLS hired Steve Newman in 2009. The company expects to reach a tipping point in the near future with respect to public perception and growth of the male pantyhose and tights trend. As an addition to the constantly expanding family of men's legwear manufacturers, there is another producer in Eastern Europe called Tim Legwear that is testing the local market with men tights
Tights
Tights are a kind of cloth leg garment, most often sheathing the body from about the waist to the feet with a more or less tight fit, hence the name....
and leggings.
As normal clothing
Men who wear pantyhose as a regular item of clothing have come to the attention of the media with increasing frequency since 2002, beginning with a front page Wall Street Journal article on the subject, entitled "Kingsize, Not Queen: Some Men Are Taking to Wearing Pantyhose". Some of the reasons for wearing them include:- to stimulate circulation if working in a profession that requires them to sit all day, or conversely, if on their feet for extended periods of time. In addition, compressionCompression garmentCompression garments are pieces of clothing such as socks, pantyhose, sleeves, etc, that provide support that is especially useful for people who have to stand for long periods, or people with poor circulation. The garments can come in varying degrees of compression. The higher degrees require a...
can help reduce swelling and decrease the dangers of circulatory problems. - to improve athletic performance, energize and revitalize tired, aching leg muscles
One can find both sheer and opaque pantyhose for men, the denier ranging from 8 den (very sheer) to over 100 den (opaque). They usually come in black, brown, tan and navy blue colors. In the U.S., hosiery above 70 den are usually referred to as 'tights'. This threshold is subjective, and hosiery of lesser denier may be considered tights in the U.S. vocabulary.
Some men wear pantyhose under trousers, with or without socks, while an increasing number are now wearing them with shorts. They have found that it is not necessary to give up the benefits of leg support and comfort while wearing short pants. It is very difficult to notice pantyhose closely matching skin color, as long as leg hair is either removed or kept closely trimmed. As men's pantyhose continues to move from the periphery toward mainstream acceptance, more men are also wearing colored legwear (black, blue, dark brown) with shorts. You can see a some examples of men wearing pantyhose with shorts by visiting The Nylon Gene or the eMANcipate website.
Medical reasons
Pantyhose and other so-called "compression stockings" can be worn to provide relief from leg/ankle swellingEdema
Edema or oedema ; both words from the Greek , oídēma "swelling"), formerly known as dropsy or hydropsy, is an abnormal accumulation of fluid beneath the skin or in one or more cavities of the body that produces swelling...
and varicose veins
Varicose veins
Varicose veins are veins that have become enlarged and tortuous. The term commonly refers to the veins on the leg, although varicose veins can occur elsewhere. Veins have leaflet valves to prevent blood from flowing backwards . Leg muscles pump the veins to return blood to the heart, against the...
. They provide warmth and support for men who have Raynaud's phenomenon
Raynaud's phenomenon
In medicine, Raynaud's phenomenon is a vasospastic disorder causing discoloration of the fingers, toes, and occasionally other areas. This condition can also cause nails to become brittle with longitudinal ridges. Named for French physician Maurice Raynaud , the phenomenon is believed to be the...
. They can also worn as supportive therapy for vein disorders such as lymphedema
Lymphedema
Lymphedema , also known as lymphatic obstruction, is a condition of localized fluid retention and tissue swelling caused by a compromised lymphatic system....
and deep vein thrombosis
Deep vein thrombosis
Deep vein thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot in a deep vein. Deep vein thrombosis commonly affects the leg veins or the deep veins of the pelvis. Occasionally the veins of the arm are affected...
.
The effect of non-medical grade support hosiery is given only only passing notice in much of the medical literature. This is primarily due to less experimentally-quantifiable information available regarding the contribution of non-medical grade support hosiery on leg circulation. That's not to say there is none available, however.
According to the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, "The single most important thing a person can do to slow down the development of new varicose veins is to wear graduated compression support stockings as much as possible during the day." They also list "wearing elastic support stockings" as a means of reducing the chances of getting new varicose and spider veins. In addition, a 2001 study cited by the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery concluded that, "Use of lightweight (low compression), ready-to-wear gradient compression hosiery is very effective in improving symptoms of discomfort, swelling, fatigue, aching, as well as leg tightness."
A significant portion of the population—both male and female—will eventually suffer from some sort of leg circulation problem, including venous insufficiency and related issues. There is no physiological difference between men and women that prevents it from developing in men in nearly equal frequency as women, therefore men can benefit from the preventative aspects of full length support hosiery every bit as much as their female counterparts. It is important to consult a physician when these problems worsen and varicose veins begin to appear, to make sure medical intervention is not necessary. Oftentimes, all that is needed to prevent this from happening is the regular use of full support tights or pantyhose.
In scuba diving
Some scuba-diving men have been known to wear pantyhose or similar garments under their wetsuitWetsuit
A wetsuit is a garment, usually made of foamed neoprene, which is worn by surfers, divers, windsurfers, canoeists, and others engaged in water sports, providing thermal insulation, abrasion resistance and buoyancy. The insulation properties depend on bubbles of gas enclosed within the material,...
s to get a bit of extra insulation against cold water. It also assists in putting on and taking off the wetsuit. Pantyhose are also an effective protection against box jellyfish
Box jellyfish
Box jellyfish are cnidarian invertebrates distinguished by their cube-shaped medusae. Box jellyfish are known for the extremely potent venom produced by some species: Chironex fleckeri, Carukia barnesi and Malo kingi are among the most venomous creatures in the world...
stings. The pantyhose were formerly thought to work because of the length of the box jellyfish's stingers (nematocysts), but it is now known to be related to the way the stinger cells work. The stinging cells on a box jellyfish's tentacles are not triggered by touch, but are instead triggered by the chemicals found on skin.
Producing pantyhose for men
Reasons why manufacturers are now producing pantyhose for men:- the female market has been in decline since the late 1990s, while the male market is growing
- online hosiery retailers have reported that the majority of their sales are to male customers
- men are likely to require a longer lifespan from their purchases and will therefore pay more per item for greater quality.
Sources
- Lambert Stephen M., Hagan Melissa J "A randomised crossover study of low-ankle-pressure graduated-compression tights in reducing flight-induced ankle oedema" The Medical Journal of Australia, Sep 2007; MJA 2008; 188 (2): 81–84.
- Bringard A, Perrey S, Belluye N. "Aerobic energy cost and sensation responses during submaximal running exercise—positive effects of wearing compression tights" Int. J. Sports Med. May 2006;27(5):373–8.
- Norton, Amy "Compression tights may give runners a lift" Reuters Health/Medicine Online, May, 2006.
- Preston, Shelley "Wearing Pantyhose Is Serious Business For Some Guys" The Ledger, September 18, 2006.
- Annis, Elisa "An industry that lost its footing" International Herald Tribune, October 9, 2006.
- Helliker, Kevin "Kingsize, Not Queen: Some Men Have Taken To Wearing Pantyhose" Wall Street Journal, February 19, 2002.
- Temple, Matthew "Men in tights" FT.com, June 7, 2002.
- National Women's Health Health Information Center, U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services How can I prevent varicose veins and spider veins?, www.womenshealth.gov.
- Ramelet, A.-A. (2002), Compression Therapy. Dermatologic Surgery, 28: 6–10. doi: 10.1046/j.1524-4725.2002.01181.x
External links
- e-MANcipate.net, the original pantyhose for men website
- The Nylon Gene, A Men's Legwear Blog designed to educate the general public on reasons why men wear pantyhose, and provide visual examples
- Geraden's blog, a fine community place
- SheerGeek's website – a blog about men's legwear fashion, including: tights for men and pantyhose for men
- Legwear as Unisex Fashion online forum
- ‘Mantyhose’: Not your mom’s pantyhose