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Pantyhose for men

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Pantyhose for men (or male pantyhose) is pantyhose specially designed and manufactured for men. It usually has a "male comfort panel" that fits better the shape of men, and sometimes a convenient fly opening. A good hose for men is also made of carefully selected yarns with more reinforcement than women's, as men are, in general, more intensive users than women.

Apart from a few exceptions, male pantyhose is usually sold through online shops over the internet.

History of pantyhose made for men

Until the end of the 90's men wearing pantyhose were considered as crossdressers, transvestites or even transsexuals, as it was illustrated in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

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. After conducting a survey in 1998, another US. pantyhose manufacturer 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.

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 an 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.

Uses

As normal clothing

Men who wear pantyhose as a normal piece of clothing do it to improve athletic performance, energize and revitalize tired, aching leg muscles, and to stimulate circulation if they sit all day. In addition, compression can help reduce swelling and decrease the dangers of circulatory problems. And of course there are many men who simply like the soft material and the comfort that sheer pantyhose provides.

One can find opaque and sheer pantyhose for men, the denier ranging from 15 den to 100 den. They usually come in black, brown and navy blue colors, and without patterns. Most men wear male pantyhose under trousers, without socks. An increasing number of men are wearing it more openly, most frequently with shorts. You can see a few examples of what male pantyhose with shorts looks like. There are endless first-hand reports saying that men wearing pantyhose openly as part of a male outfit is generally accepted, and in many cases ladies are even giving compliments to men they see in pantyhose. With regard to appearance, most men shave their legs when wearing pantyhose openly. However, in contrast to women's practice, shaving is not seen as obligatory for men to wear pantyhose.

Fetish

Main article: Pantyhose fetishism

Medical reasons

Pantyhose and other so-called "compression stockings" can be worn to provide relief from leg/ankle swelling and varicose veins. They are also worn as supportive therapy for vein disorders such as lymphedema and deep vein thrombosis.

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.

Producing pantyhose for men

There are many 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
  • online hosiery retailers have reported that the majority of their sales are to male customers
  • the male market theoretically can be as large as female market
  • men require a different product from women on account of anatomical and lifestyle differences
  • media and fashion industry participants are finally getting used to the idea
  • men are likely to require a longer lifespan from their purchases and will therefore pay more per item for greater quality
  • 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 women buyers.

References

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