Mainstreaming Men's Hosiery - IX
by Smoov
In order to make this excellent post by Smoov (and the equally excellent comments that it has attracted) more readily available to readers, I have grafted the entry on to the Mainstreaming Men's Hosiery series.
- Geraden
Just what is it that we are waiting for?
It definitely feels as if there's something happening - the signs are there that things are slowly beginning to change.
Who would have thought, a few short years ago, that respectable online hosiery shops would have a section openly dedicated to their male wearers, or indeed that there would be successful online shops selling nothing but hosiery for men?
The media are not only beginning to recognise and report on the fact that there is a movement towards legwear for men - they are beginning to report on it in a serious way.
For those who have longed for the day when they can wear tights in public these all seem to be very positive signs, but the more I think about it, the more I realise that they don't really mean a great deal.
Much more interesting to me is the fact that it is being proved TIME AND TIME AGAIN, by the more intrepid among us, that a man can go out in public wearing shorts and tights of practically ANY colour without eliciting a public reaction.
Even I am becoming addicted to public outings. I am no longer content to wear tights in the confines of my own property. I have been out most early evenings lately, cycling or walking through the centre of towns in broad daylight wearing shorts and tights. There's nothing intrepid about me, I can assure you. I currently wear the most discreet tights I can find, which happen to be Marks and Spencer 'Look on Legs' 7 denier tights in 'Nude', but the point is that I'm doing it. I'm walking down busy town streets wearing tights! And the interesting thing is how quickly my confidence has grown. A few days ago I was taking all the least busy roads I could find. Yesterday I was deliberately passing within 2 feet of teenage girls walking on the pavement. Not so much as a second look. My legs are shaved but that's no big deal these days either. Men with hairless legs are everywhere (even Superdrug sells Veet Wax Strips for Men now).
For those of you who have never experienced it, walking down a High Street in daylight, wearing tights and shorts, with the cool breeze wafting over your legs, and people milling about in every direction is a somewhat surreal experience, and very enjoyable, and very addictive, but unlike most addictions, this one leads to greater freedom - not less. I am really looking forward to trying my local city centre next, and then maybe trying a darker colour of tights. One step at a time though.
If you have ever sat at home in your tights, wishing for the day when you can wear openly in public I have to tell you that you need wait no longer. That day is HERE! Maybe not in the way you were thinking, but it IS here. All you have to do is shave your legs (you DO have to do that), pull on a pair of Nude Sheer 7 denier tights (don't forget the shorts!) and take that first step. With the 'invisibility' of modern high quality 7 denier tights, and the social acceptance of the hairless male leg you can wear tights in public TODAY and no-one will pay you any attention, if that is what you want. That is a fact.
I don't know the definitive answer to the question 'Will tights ever be socially acceptable male clothing?', but if you can walk around in public, get on a bus, go for a haircut, go to the doctor, the gym, or the swimming pool in tights, all of which have been documented, without any adverse reaction, how can you say that it isn't socially acceptable now?
It could just be that society as a whole doesn't have much of a problem with it at all. Maybe the only problem is with us.
HI
Everything you say is true...I have been openly been wearing tights in public for years and years with no problems at all..."What are men realy waiting for"..
Yes, it is gaining full acceptance. Now I won't stop wearing tights at the
moment it is becoming commonplace.
Smoov
I have to agree...having been out and about in tights under shorts for most
of this year no-one notices nude tights on men. The problem is that on this
basis we are not really advancing the cause of fashion freedom. The only
way to do this is to wear noticable shades with everyday wear. Easier said
than done though. I prefer to follow than lead the way, so I won't be
wearing barely black under my shorts just yet ! Althought thinking about
it, wearing black opaques under 3/4 length shorts in winter would be a good
look. I might just give it a go.
Ok, so what are we doing here, wearing our tights? Are we advancing the
cause of fashion freedom for men or are we making our legs feel good and
maybe look good? Or maybe a bit of both? I guess it varies from person to
person.
All I was trying to do was to encourage those who are still posting in the
forums saying 'I wish the day would come when we can wear tights openly' to
stop wishing and do it! It is a very scary proposition for a lot of men out
there, but if they start with nude sheers, which no one will notice, they
will:
a) be able to enjoy, for the first time, the incredible feeling of
knowing that they are out in public wearing tights
b) soon get fed up with getting no reaction whatsoever, and start to
explore more obvious colours, and so start to contribute to the cause.
I wore medium brown matt tights under shorts for three days in a row, even
to work, and I don't think anyone noticed. If they did, they haven't said
anything and haven't treated me differently. I couldn't keep it up though.
I guess I had an "intrepid streak," but that's given way to a genuine
desire to wear my long jeans again. Point is, I did do it, and quite a dark
color too. But then again, my legs are quite dark from a whole summer of
sunbathing, so they did blend. You had to look at my legs closely to tell.
I look forward to having a few days next summer in which to don dark suntan
tights.
Congratulations, Cedric. You wore what you wanted to wear, and found out
that nobody cares - at least, not enough to say anything. I remember when
girls were wearing combat trousers. I hated the look, but if I saw a girl
in combats I didn't feel strongly enough about it to express an opinion -
who needs the confrontation? - and I think the same will apply to the vast
majority of people seeing a man in tights. There's nothing wrong with
wanting to get back into jeans again either. The point is that, like the
ladies, we should be free to wear what we want, when we want.
Smoov - I'm not sure I want a reaction though. Geraden and yourself suggest
that we become bored with little reaction, but that's the way I like it. I
know it's not advancing the cause of men's fashion freedom, but I hardly
think it's as popular as many here are making it out to be. I really don't
think "the time is now." Frankly, I'm relieved that I could wear that dark
a colour - though they blended in with my legs - and receive no adverse
reactions/judgments. But I'm not at all eager to push it.
Cedric
Hi,
Hi Jean-Paul
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