Men in pantyhose? No, no, no. And also? NO!!!!

   
       
There is a website called e-MANcipate that is crusading for the acceptance of men wearing pantyhose.
Some of the positive attributes the website flags for male pantyhose wearers include:

They're Sexy!
        Guys could really show off their legs in a manly way, and make the fashion palette more colorful.  Dressing up is  fun, and men should be finally part of it, too.
 
        They're Healthy!
        It helps to improve performance in sports or jobs related to heavy leg loads; is helps to survive long flights, keeps male legs warm during winters or cool during summers.
 
       

My favourite part is the testimonials - oddly enough, not accompanied by the photos of the 'real men' who espouse the virtues of wearing pantyhose. Like Mike. A truck-driver:

"I am an over-the-road truck driver and spend 11+ hours behind the wheel every day.  As a result my calves and ankles would swell up and ache badly, and my circulation was poor enough that a small injury to my shin turned in to venous ulcer that refused to fully heal for almost 18 months. 
 
My doctor recommended that I wear light to medium support medical T.E.D. hose, but I found them to be far too hot and extremely uncomfortable to wear all day.  They also cause both shorts and pants to bunch and ride up, and at $35-50 a pair I simply can't afford enough pairs to always have a clean pair to wear since I spend between 5 and 14 days on the road at a time. 
 
At the recommendation of my wife, I got several pairs of sheer knee-high support hose that I wear under pants, and I wear either light to medium support sheer beige pantyhose or thigh highs openly under shorts, and I've noticed a major improvement in how my legs look and feel, and my venous ulcer is almost completely healed.
 
I've only had a couple teenagers snicker once (who cares?), and I've worn them exposed into dozens of truck stops, restaurants and even to family events without even one negative comment or odd look that I've noticed. 
 
My wife convinced me to start shaving my legs which makes the hose fit and feel very nice, and as a bonus she thinks that they make my legs look "sexy".  I'll also admit that I very much like the way they feel and look on my legs.
 
I am completely convinced that if more men could get over their insecure bias against wearing a "feminine" garment and try a pair themselves, that within a couple years we'd be seeing men openly wearing hose with shorts as a mainstream fashion. "

Comments

[s]

oh! so NOT giving birth then, Mia?... are you purposefully leaving bigger gaps between posts now to keep us guessing? :)

as for the pantyhose, i don't think there's much to worry about. i have a feeling it will be quiiiiiiite a while still before men start to overcome their "insecure bias"...

[Lee]

I kinda like the look of them in the one with the model. But you would need something to go over the top...

[NumberChick]

what the? ummmmmmmm that's just plain bizarre. My husband watches me get dressed of a morning as I struggle to wiggle into a pair of pantyhose without putting a whole in it and he says he's glad he's not a girl. With a puppy and 2 little kids it's just safer (and cheaper) to wear pants to work instead mind you!

oh and we were all wondering Mia!! You're obviously not allowed to go out for the day without doing a post first otherwise we all presume you've gone into labour! I'm sure its getting close for you now though, so all the best!

[NumberChick]

putting a whole in it?? hole I meant! but yes, I'm doing well to get the "whole" of my legs in!

[JLo]

Well if the boys want to wear pantyhose we better get suspenders for them as well.

But I agree with Lee, please wear something over the top - its a little 'too much information' to wear them without anything cover the 'jewels' (so to speak).

p.s Numberchick you're funny he he

[Annie]

I can't help but picture the stereotypical truck driver in stockings.

... his legs are far from sexy.

[Carm]

"Cool in summer" I never heard of any stockings keeping your legs cool... LOL I just asked my mega manly boyfriend if he would ever consider wearing stockings... At first he just laughed and made As If comments and then to my surprise said that maybe in 10 years if they came in fashion and everyone was wearing them....... What???!!!!!!!

[Rosie]

So, like Skins, but in colours, and lighter in weight?

Not a good look. Skins don't even look good on AFL players/runners, some of the fittest men in the entire country, so why would Joe Average want to parade around in them? And scare jane Average to death?

[gigdiary]

Nice turn of phrase, Rosie, 'Joe and Jane Average', very funny, you make it sound almost attractive, makes me want to aspire to be, well, apart from the pantyhose, Joe Average.....

I'll swing off my vine now and rescue my Jane....

[Allie]

Yes I cannot understand how they can say pantyhose or hoisery can keep you cool in Summer. Perhaps in Spring with stay-up stockings or suspenders and a skirt they are less stuffy than pants, but hardly suitable attire for a man.

The point I am interested in knowing your responses. If men do decide to wear hoisery, should they infact be forced to shave or wax their legs. Surely hoisery does not have a place on hairy legs.

Thanks for the fun post Mia!

[Amy]

Haha! More men in stockings and the streets would be a giant ballet stage. Things would be bouncing all over the place. Yay!

[JLo]

Yes Allie, I'm with you - the hairy legs would have to go or else there would be lots of men walking around with legs resembling kiwi fruit.

[Anna]

I am with Mia on this one.

No,no, no did I mention NO.

Males wearing pantyhose is bordering on cross dressing.

[daveraj]

Many men already wear 'pantyhose' or Skins. They are scientifically proven to improve performance.
http://www.sportstek.net/compression-sportswear.htm

Many Aussie rules players wear them mainly to assist with recovery. I started wearing the skins because the entire team was using them. They definitely do work.

Otherwise society already accepts men who wear tights and shave their legs. They are called cyclist.

Society also accepts men who wear skirts. Some people call them Scottish kilts. But Islanders and Indians wear them as well.

Mia, I am disappointed in your commentary. Being an ex-fashion editor, I thought you could see the appeal of pantyhose on men..... in a fashion sense. You need to pair up pantyhose with a nice cod piece. Then sell the whole Renaissance 'retro' look. You can call it the Romeo and Juliet look. :). Getting men to wear bubble skirts or ra ra skirts might be pushing it.

[gigdiary]

Pushing it ???

Oh My God! Hello!!!

[F365]

There are very few garments that can be attributed solely to one gender. Examples of these include bra's and well, anything to do with breasts. All other items have been worn by both at some point through the ages. Strumpfhosen (precursor to tights / pantyhose) were originally worn by men in medival times.

I think that women are much smarter when it comes to taking care of themselves. They understand that creams are a good thing, understand that nails and hair have to be looked after and understand anything unco-ordinated is cool. Women also have far more variety in clothing and good on them. If a man wants to wear pantyhose for whatever reason, comfort, energy, he likes the look, likes the feel, they are his girlfriends / wifes, who cares?

On the clothing front, why should women have so much more choices in the workplace? (off direct topic, but aligned in some way....)

Fabrics for men:

Cotton
Wool
Polyester
Linen
Silk (shirts)
Nylon (only for sporting gear)
Leather
Various blends of the above

Suit variation is only around number of buttons and whether single or double-breasted
Few variations for trousers
Shirts have a choice of 3 generic cuts
Shoes, lace up or loafer style!

Guys choices in work clothing:
Which suit, which shirt, which tie which shoes,.....

Colour choices for men, black, navy, grey, blue

Ability to accessorize outfits: negligible, beyond tie-pin or lapel pin, none.

Fabrics for women:

Cotton
Wool
Polyester
Linen
Leather
Silk (various kinds)
Organza
Calico
Bamboo
Tafetta
Satin
Rayons
Nylon (sheers, semi-sheers, opaque, blockout)
Lace
Merrino
Cashmere
Etc....(the list is very long)
Various blends of the above

Girls choices in work clothing:

Which skirt suit:
• Tailored
• Casual

Which trouser suit:
• Tailored
• Relaxed

Which skirt:
• Various lengths
• Various cuts:
o Tailored
o A-line
o Pencil
o Flared etc....

Which dress:
• Various styles available giving variations on :
o Length
o Sleeveless
o Short sleeves
o Longer sleeves etc.

Which shoes:
• Don’t get me started on this one!!!!

Colour choices available for women: endless

Ability to accessorize to vary outfits: endless from different coloured stockings to jewellery to different make up shades to belts to scarves and so on.

[f365]

That should have read:

I think that women are much smarter when it comes to taking care of themselves. They understand that creams are a good thing, understand that nails and hair have to be looked after and understand anything unco-ordinated is uncool!

[Sheer Geek]

I find it amazing that women should be so against men crossing the gender divide when that is exactly what they have been doing for the last two generations. Complaining about men experimenting with legwear is nothing short of bigoted hypocrisy.

There are now several hosiery manufacturers producing a range of tights and pantyhose for men, which means that there must be a significant market out there for their products.

If a man wants to wear tights/pantyhose, then really, where is the problem?