by Daniel
I am happy to publish a further article by Daniel, in which he discusses a question to which many of us can relate: the differing attitudes of women to men who wear tights / pantyhose.
This has been on my mind for some time now and I'm thought about it a lot and wonder what other peoples' thoughts are. I hope people find it a thought provoking article.
I'm sure at some point many of you have asked this question. Be it when you first starting out adventuring and experimenting with tights or be it when you were used to wearing tights. What is it that makes some people interested or okay with it whilst others can't seem to fathom it. Is it because of an event when they were younger? Are they not very open minded? or is it to do with the oft-referred 'Nylon Gene'.
I have been wearing tights as a more regular item of clothing since about April time. Like many of the readers here, we quite possibly tried a pair of relatives tights on, be it our sisters or our mothers, some of us may even have tried a female friends tights on. It's in that event that something was triggered inside of us. The need for tights? The need for the feeling? The need for the adrenalin rush? So naturally you may consider buying your own pair at some point or trying a companions pair on again.
I had tried a relative's pair on a few times in secret and generally liked the feeling and the warmth they gave me. So several years later, I was joking around with my Girlfriend (whom I love to the Nth degree by the way) and jokingly said I'm cold but haven't got anything to keep me warm with except your tights. She dared me to do it, I did and as most girlfriends do, they laugh in a good way at first. Several times after that I tried them on again for her to see if I got the same reaction - it had deteriorated each time. To the point of, "Its me, or the tights!" so naturally I try and keep tights related conversations with her to the minimum.
Fast forward to December 2007. The Winter has arrived and brought a distinct chill with it also. Due to a crisis earlier in November, I had to get rid of my tights collection (which was annoying since I had just begun to get some more premium pairs e.g. Aristoc, Wolford, not to mention the 120 denier black opaques from New Look which are out of stock at my local branch at the moment) so I had no tights for the winter which was what I had in mind. I had to use long johns instead (yes, they keep you warm but boy are they cumbersome under jeans/chinos) I often think to myself "You can take the man away from the tights, but never the tights away from the man" which a lot of people here on Geraden's blog may be able to relate to. Due to the events of past I was unsure about spending a lot of money on a pair which may not last all that long in case they find out again. So I visited a branch of Primark and purchased some 80den Microfibre tights to wear in the colder weather.
I jokingly mentioned to a friend on my university course about wearing tights in the cold weather, she said that if I did it, could I show her to see "if they look better on you than on me lol" so naturally I obliged but didn't see her on my course that day but showed her over a MSN chat later that evening. She was 100% okay with it and has seen them today in the flesh and smiled and didn't even flicker when it occurred.
I kept asking myself, "Why Was This" she is not one for wearing tights at the best of times because she is uncomfortable in them, yet seemed okay with me wearing them to keep warm without asking the usual questions thus "Are You Gay, Crossdresser, Transvestite" etc (as to which I'm sure many of us have been there at some point) whereas my girlfriend ranges completely down the other end of the scale and isn't okay with it.
Is this another step closer to having tights recognised as a piece of everyday male clothing? Is she trying to block out negative thoughts? Is she trying to make me happy by appearing to be fine with it? On the plus side, it has given me more confidence to wear to university.
As many of you know through experience I'm guessing, if you act normal and don't draw attention to your legs than things will be better. Yes you will feel nervous the first few times but once you get into it and you are going about your day you will soon forget about it and begin to act more relaxed and normal.
Through events described above I am now also ok with buying tights, I use to be a bit shaky at the tills and use to think people were staring daggers at me whilst I look at the tights and feel how thick they were (I prefer thicker tights but am no way opposed to sheers, I think flesh coloured tights which tick the right boxes (material, look, denier, colour) are a valuable addition to any wardrobe!) to make sure that I got what I had in mind.
To people who are new to tights wearing: Don't be scared to go out and buy some for yourself, start with a cheap pair (some of Primark's opaques would be a great place to begin) just in case something goes wrong or you ladder them whilst your getting used to putting some on! The majority of checkout assistants wont think or say anything because to them its just another transaction. If you make a bit of conversation about the weather for example, they wont think about it all because they will be distracted. If you talk about the tights and who they are for, they may think up some pre-conceived notions which wouldn't be a good thing. But just act normal, relaxed and most people will act the same in return.
For more experienced people: What are you thoughts about different females (lovers, friends, wives, mothers, daughters, sisters etc) reactions and acceptance towards tights wearing today?
And to everybody: I hope this article has been thought provoking, contained information you can relate and may even give you some hints and tips for the future.
If you would like to comment on this entry, please click on the 'Comments' link below.
In my view women are threatened by mren, especially those close to them,
who wear what they preceiev as female clothing. They may be Ok with the
occaisional dressing up but feel uncomfortable with men wearing tights as
everyday wear. Its a dilemma. I would not dare ask my wife to wear only
skirts and dresses, indeed such behaviour is consdiered in the spectrum of
domestic violence.
I think it's a classic case of the NIMBY syndrome. (Not in my backyard).
My wife fully admits it. It is really unfortunate that a woman can wear
any type of clothing, weather or not designed for men or women, and society
is OK with it, but if a man wears something that is even hinted at as being
feminine or designed primarily for women, it is not OK for most of society.
Many, many words have been written about this subject over the years on
internet.
I can not understand it either. I am a Tights (Pantyhose) wearer everyday,
summer or Winter. My Wife has grown to accept it over time, although is a
little uncomfortable with it at times if we are out and I am in Barley
Bllack sheers for example and they are clearly visible. It took a long time
to get over the initial objections and we did this by my re-assuring her
that it was not a problem. I am not Gay, I do not want Men, and more over I
do not want to hurt her. They are only Clothes. I love the feel and look of
them on and with constant re assurance that I am still the same loving
Husband she at last accepted it. They are after all only Clothes, for me
the, You wear trouser and a sweat shirt argument never worked.
Ps. regards the title of the article: Why Do Some Females Think It's Okay?
I think it's more like Why Do Some Females Think I am Okay? (And here you
have an answer, too: there will be always other people who will think you
aren't OK, regardless if you wear pantyhose or not.)
Living in Switzerland, growing up in a macho family, and being a very
regular men's tights wearer, it would be unthinkable for me to ask
permission from my girlfriend if it was ok ! As long as I wear tights for
warmth, I would not expect to have any problems. I have always worn as a
matter of fact and would be scandalised if a woman would even dare forbid.
Having said that, I only wear tights under my pants or at home...like any
other underwear.I only wear colours like black, navy, brown and white,
never tan. I don't wear tights in the summer. I know that it would then be
considered a fetish. That is the real problem really. Al my friends (male
or female) have seen me at some point or another in men's tights ( changing
rooms at sports clubs, on ski holidays, staying with friends, changing in
front of girlfriends etc....), in winter. Nobody has ever found it wierd. I
realise that shorts and tan tights in the summer will raise questions
though and wifes-girlfriends could be then be embarrassed. It then becomes
a question of taking into account the other persons feelings. Why not agree
to dress as one wants when alone in public in the summer and be a bit more
sensitive to the other when accompanied.
my wife loves when i wear tights around the house and at work..she makes
sure they are cleaned and ready to wear everyday..she don't wear them
herself, but likes me wearing them..on halloween, she makes sure that part
of my costume includes tights. she had a robinhood costume made for me
last year, and all of our friends loved it ,too. they expressed on how the
tights made it more realistic, the tunic was short and the green tights
were very noticable on me.
I think that the reason is so basic that most of us have overlooked the
obvious. The fact of the matter is everybody, men and women alike, get
tired of someone else bringing up the topic of their underwear! I know it
seems a new and perhaps uncomfortable topic for most men but the person who
you are talking to has been wearing them their whole life. How would you
feel if someone kept bringing up the topic of thier Boxer shorts because
they were uncomfortable wearing them! Who cares! Give them a break and quit
brining it up. I speak from experience because my wife was uncomfortable
with me at first but not for wearing them (because I wear tights for
support) but because I kept seeking her approval, just wear them! Now I
have absolutely no problem wearing black, matte 60 to 100 denier with my
spandex running shorts just like everyone else is doing or tan, matte,
sheer with my casual shorts in the summer time. Even my mother nags me if I
don't wear them because she knows the pain I get in my knees if I get lazy
and don't and I'm 48. Please, take my advice and wear hose like you wear
your underwear, be discreet, don't wear shinney, high gloss bright colors
because the average man doesn't wear that anyhow. My rule of thumb (and my
wifes also) for buying tights or pantyhose is if you wouldn't wear a shirt
looking like that, then why would you put it on your legs? And by the way
the only way a sales clerk is going to look at you funny is if you do buy
tights or pantyhose that wouldn't suit you, even women who buy shinney neon
high gloss tights might get a raised eyebrow if the clerk doesn't think she
will suite them but a man buying basic black or tan will never get a second
glance, I know because I've been buying them for a couple of years now.
Interesting site and comments in general...I do agree with Acyclopath.