Pantyhose for men

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In American English, the term pantyhose refers to a garment typically worn by women; however, some manufacturers also produce pantyhose for men (or male pantyhose).

Contents

[edit] History of Pantyhose for Men

In 1996 L'eggs, a US pantyhose company opened a storefront together with a product-related bulletin board on the web. Soon they discovered that most of the visitors talking about their products were men[1]. After conducting a survey[2] in 1998, another US pantyhose manufacturer[3] came to the conclusion that in fact many men wear pantyhose just as a regular clothing item, and they would buy a well-targeted male product range if it existed.[4]

In 1999 this company, G. Lieberman & Sons (GLS Hosiery) started to manufacture and market Comfilon, which is also known as Activskin. Comfilon was so successful that it inspired Levee, a German pantyhose manufacturer who created a unisex product line called WoMan in 2002. Since then each year at least one manufacturer has come to the market with a male product line, so as Collanto in Germany and Gerbe in France.

[edit] Uses

[edit] As normal clothing

Men who wear pantyhose as a normal piece of clothing do it:

  • like wearing a sheer pantyhose.[5]
  • to stimulate circulation if they sit all day. In addition, compression can help reduce swelling and decrease the dangers of circulatory problems.[6]
  • to improve athletic performance, energize and revitalize tired, aching leg muscles[7]

One can find opaque and sheer pantyhose for men, the denier ranging from 8 den to over 100 den. They usually come in black, brown, tan and navy blue colors.

Some men wear male pantyhose under trousers without socks or with shorts. You can see a few examples of what male pantyhose with shorts looks like.[8]

With regard to appearance, some men shave their legs when wearing pantyhose openly. However, in contrast to women's practice, shaving is not obligatory for men.

[edit] Fetish

Main articles: Pantyhose fetishism and Transvestic fetishism

[edit] Medical reasons

Pantyhose and other so-called "compression stockings" can be worn to provide relief from leg/ankle swelling and varicose veins. They provide warmth and support for men who have Raynaud's disease, which cold weather causes toes and fingers to go numb. They are also worn as supportive therapy for vein disorders such as lymphedema and deep vein thrombosis.

[edit] In scuba diving

Some scuba-diving men have been known to wear pantyhose or similar under their wetsuits 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.

[edit] Producing pantyhose for men

Reasons why manufacturers are now producing pantyhose for men:

Opportunities:

  • the female market has been in decline since the late 90's whereas the male market is growing[9]
  • online hosiery retailers have reported that the majority of their sales are to male customers[10]
  • men require a different product from women on account of anatomical and lifestyle difference
  • men are likely to require a longer lifespan from their purchases and will therefore pay more per item for greater quality[11]
  • surplus production plant and machinery may become available as manufacturers in the female sector outsource production to the countries in the emerging world
  • produce-on-demand methods allow the investment in stock to be minimised

Threats:

  • the male market is still a niche market and cannot at present achieve economies of scale
  • there is still a way to go before men (and their wives) regard pantyhose wearing as a normal fashion choice and not as unusual
  • hosiery manufacturers perceive that by endorsing the male pantyhose market they may put off female buyers

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ [2]
  3. ^ [3]
  4. ^ [4]
  5. ^ [5]
  6. ^ [6]
  7. ^ [7]
  8. ^ [8]
  9. ^ [9]
  10. ^ [10]
  11. ^ [11]

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantyhose_for_men"
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