Jan
09
MAN DAY: Mantyhose, anyone?
Happy Man Day!
Now, we ladies all so concerned about how the goodies look in our packages. That is the exact reason why the creator of Spanx, Sarah Blakely, is a multi-millionaire….
Well, if you menfolk ant to look all snug and fit in your fab attire, try some Mantyhose. Yep, that’s right, pantyhose for men. It seems as though your European counterparts have been wearing them for years. I wonder if that’s why the slim fit is SOOOO popular over there….
Anyways, here’s a blurb from the Today show about Mantyhose:
For more than a decade, Mack wore women’s pantyhose under his clothesto keep him warm while he worked as a landscaper. But four years ago, Mack, 35, discovered “mantyhose” —pantyhose for men.
“It’s nice because they are specifically made for men, so I felt less weird about it,” said Mack, who declined to give his last name (because his wife does still feel weird about it). “They are tougher, less delicate than women’s pantyhose, but not as bulky as long underwear.”
He says that he enjoys the fit and feel of the “mantyhose” so much that he wears them year-round, even though he now holds an office job.
Mack is one of a growing number of men — from construction workers to athletes and businessmen — who’ve found a passion for pantyhose, claiming they wear the hosiery for support, comfort and aesthetic purposes. Luckily, there are now pairs made specifically for men so that they don’t have to ravage their wives’ or girlfriends’ dressers to nestle into a pair of nylons.
Coming to America
European men have been sporting hose for several years, but the trend has been slow to catch on in the U.S. (It is important to note that the trend has no connection to men who wear hose to cross-dress, since they prefer to wear pairs that are more feminine.) The “mantyhose” is also part of a larger trend of untraditional men’s underwear designed to lift, sculpt and suck in that beer belly — from the “mirdle” (man-girdle) to Australian designer Equmen’s Core Precision Undershirt, touted as the “Spanx for men.” A small group of male pantyhose enthusiasts from America, Canada and Europe even set up a Web site, the U.K.-based e-mancipate.net, “to speed up the mainstreaming process of male pantyhose” for men all over the world.
Find the rest of the article here. I would love for one of you to try a pair of Mantyhose and give me a testimonial!
Keep it strictly stylish!
Steve Newman
Comment by February 6, 2009 @ 2:45 pm
Just today I ran across your posting of this story, although I’ve read the material elsewhere before. I’ve been wearing men’s pantyhose for about 8 or 10 years myself. Initially for improved leg circulation, because I was getting the beginnings of varicose veins in my late 30s, I later came to appreciate other benefits provided by wearing ’support’ style hose. I think they’re pretty comfortable, and they keep my legs from being all achy and such. Anyways, they also help keep the chill off my legs on cold mornings when I go running or cycling, and also improve my performance–due to the compression factor. Anymore, I wear them almost all the time. I’m married with 4 kids. My wife can’t quite get past the worry over whether someone will think something negative about it. Me, I don’t have a problem being one on the forefront of a new but growing trend–that is, of men wearing pantyhose.
I’ve been quoted for a few news stories, so quite a few of my friends and acquaintances are aware that I wear them, and none have any negative comments about it. Also, I wear them with shorts fairly often, as you can wear shorts for more months out of the year if you include hose.
I hope to see the trend continue to grow, as it helps diminish the unwarranted stigma that used to be attached to men wearing hosiery. It used to be seen as some form of cross-dressing, but it’s now moved beyond that point and is somewhere along the lines of when women were still pushing the envelope with wearing pants, back in the late 50s/early 60s.