Men in Tights
Men in tights: Sales for skintight legwear for men soar on the back of superhero films
The men-in-tights trend, however, has not made it to any GQ list in recent memory. Nor will it says Dylan Jones, its editor. "The last time we had a man wearing tights in GQ was when Kevin Costner played Robin Hood."
That said, there are tights available for men, and there are men who wear them - the transvestite community aside. I'm told tights are popular with cavers, long-distance cyclists and chaps who work outdoors in freezing temperatures. Some footballers even wear specialist varicose vein tights after an injury, to improve blood circulation. (A very good website is)
If you want to share tights with your boyfriend, Unisex WoMan tights by Levee are perfect. They're available in black or skin-tone, 15 denier, in a range of sizes to fit up to 54in hip and size six plus feet. The website also has Collanto man-size tights, with a pouch rather than a gusset, in 3 styles, Fred, Filip, or Aurel, 20-50 denier. Meanwhile, some websites has black nylon/Lycra male tights with a fly-front, sizes s-xl, in Thermofabric by Activskin.
By Dan Newling
Last updated at 8:23 AM on 04th August 2008
For a thousand years, they reigned supreme as the 'must-have' legwear for every fashion-conscious man.
Now - over 500 years after they fell out of favour - tights for men are experiencing a remarkable fashion resurgence.
Some of the world's biggest lingerie manufacturers have started making them, and UK stockists claim they are selling out faster than they can re-supply.
New trend: Men have rediscovered the medieval passion for tights with stockists reporting soaring sales
The tights, ranging from ultra sheer, eight denier to thick, black ones, are designed to be worn under above-the-knee shorts. This lets the wearer benefit from their warmth
and show off sleeker-looking legs.
The demand comes amid an expansion in the market for men's grooming products, including eyeliner and mascara.
Kieran Hughes, director of tights stockists Precious Collections, said they are selling more than 1,000 pairs a month. He said: ' German men have been wearing them for years. More than 50 per cent of German men wear tights, including famous football players.'
Step on up: Men are buying sheer, support and patterned styles
But Natalie Theo, the Daily Mail's fashion editor, said: 'The whole concept is absolutely ridiculous. It's metrosexuality gone stark raving mad.
'It is not even as though tights would be comfortable. Yes women love wearing them in the winter, but men might find the tight waistband uncomfortable. And they've got hairy legs.'
One place where tights have won expert approval, however, is in the air. The Aviation Health Institute recommends that all plane travellers wear special 'high pressure' travel tights to combat jet lag.
It says oxygen starvation is a key factor in jet lag because there is less oxygen in the air in aircraft cabins. Travel tights can help increase the flow of oxygenated blood back to the heart by up to 30 per cent, by putting pressure on specific muscles.
That said, there are tights available for men, and there are men who wear them - the transvestite community aside. I'm told tights are popular with cavers, long-distance cyclists and chaps who work outdoors in freezing temperatures. Some footballers even wear specialist varicose vein tights after an injury, to improve blood circulation.
Superhero films spark new craze for tights among men
The latest raft of comic book hero films like The Dark Knight have sent sales of tights for men soaring.
By Richard Alleyne
Last Updated: 6:34PM BST 04 Aug 2008
Tights aimed at men are designed slightly differently from those worn by women Photo: AFP/GETTY
UK stockists are reporting record sales of sheer, patterned and support tights for men. Retailers say men's tights are not being sold as fetish garments, but as practical, comfortable and stylish everyday wear.
"I don't know what is going on – sales have gone mad," said Kieran Hughes, director of the tights stockists Precious Collections.
"In the past two months we have gone from selling 300 pairs of tights a month to men in the UK, to selling more than 1,000."
Men give three reasons for donning skin-tight legwear. Some simply like the added insulation they bring underneath trousers. Others put them on under shorts for cycling and claim they bring such health benefits as back support. And a few even claim that tights are the latest symbol of metrosexuality.
Mr Hughes claimed: "German men have been wearing them for years. More than 50 per cent of German men wear tights, including famous German football players. I can't imagine many footballers here doing that."
Online site Legwear4men reports that it is struggling to cope with demand, while Mytights reports that its new men's line sold out almost immediately.
Tights aimed at men are designed slightly differently from those worn by women – and not just because they come in sizes large enough to accommodate burly rugby players. They usually feature support panels, sometimes include front openings that resemble flies on jeans, and also have reinforced feet.
