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OCCASIONALLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT ACTIVSKIN MEN'S PANTYHOSE
We get email and phone calls from new
customers with concerns about wearing a garment that, even though it's for
men, has a distinct resemblance to something a woman might wear. So in
order to quell such concerns, here are our responses to those questions.
Is this cross-dressing?
We get asked that all the time! ACTIVSKIN
is made for men. Saying that a man wearing men’s legwear is cross-dressing
is like saying that a woman wearing cowboy boots is cross-dressing.
The simple fact is that cowboy boots are made for men and women; they're
unisex, just as hosiery is.
The real question here is, "Will others
think that I am cross-dressing?" The vast majority of our customers
will proudly tell you that the answer is no. Just like every other new
fashion trend, there will be those very few who disagree with it.
Remember, ACTIVSKIN is made for men, and men who wear men’s clothing are
dressed normally.
On the other...er, leg, if you are a woman
and like to wear ACTIVSKIN because you are smart and perceive that it is
better quality and more durable than the cheap junk you get at the
discount or drug store, then yes, you ARE cross-dressing, but we still
love you!
How will people react to a guy in
pantyhose?
Even though ACTIVSKIN legwear is made for
men and is intended to be a men’s garment in every respect, in truth a
quick glance may fail to distinguish it from women’s apparel. Most people
won't notice, but in the unlikely event someone actually does see that
you’re wearing unusual socks or underwear, you might expect their initial
reaction to be that you’re wearing women’s hosiery. You know you’re not,
so be confident, and have fun watching their reaction. Most people are too
polite to care or say anything. They may raise their eyebrows, indicating
that their brain cannot figure out this disconnect, and just go on about
their business without so much as a comment or snide remark. Teenage girls
may giggle. We recently received this email:
Hi,
surfing the web I found your site and I am really pleased to found that
now there are pantyhose for guys. I'm sure they are more comfortable and
also looks very nice.
But what surprised me the most was to find such a big polemic around
guys who wears pantyhose! I've been wearing mine as part of my daily
clothing since I was 13 and I've never had a problem for
that, after I tried my first ones I never wore guy's socks again and I
can't remember me hesitating the first time I wore them in public, maybe
'cause I have an alternative dress style, but anyway
I can't see any prob with that, several of my friends wear them too. Now
that I've wore pantyhose everyday in public since 6 years ago or so, I
can say, no prob at all! If you think this could help someone else to do
it and stop feeling bad for that, please feel free to publish. I also
send you a pic of me, wearing my pantyhose in the streets of Paris.
Congratulations for your work,
Rob H.
Will people think I’m gay?
A few people will, out of total ignorance,
make this connection. It's because they think(1) you are cross-dressing
(you are not), and (2) cross-dressers are gay, which is definitely not
true. Studies show that most cross-dressing men are heterosexual, mostly
married, and normal loving husbands and fathers. Thus, to equate the
clothing one wears with being gay is a gross error. There are many
fashionable men who are not gay, and plenty of gays who are not
fashionable. In any event, the physical benefits and comfort of wearing
legwear transcends any stereotypes, so you can be confident in the apparel
you choose. Conversation: "I notice you're wearing pantyhose. Are you
gay?" Response: "No, I'm not gay. But I have a friend who is gay, and he
has a shirt just like the one you're wearing...." Get the point?
King Louis XIV of France in Majesty,
1701, painted by H. Rigaud. Note the silk stockings or tights, high
heeled shoes, lace, satin, wig, and bright colors.
Is this an aberration or is legwear for
men a fashion that’s here to stay?
Consider this: People today seem to think
of fashion as fixed, but it changes over time and geography, sometimes
slowly, sometimes rather quickly. Legwear was worn by men (think Robin
Hood) long before it was worn by women. Men today are relegated to rather
limited and some would say boring fashion choices. It wasn’t always so.
Three centuries ago men of the 1700’s wore silk stockings, high heeled
buckled shoes, lace, satin, and powdered wigs. They also wore bright
colors. They were the peacocks of the species. In the early 1800’s men
began to wear long pants and dull colors, and it’s been that way for 200
years. Women, on the other hand, almost always wore long skirts that never
showed their feet, much less their legs, but in the past century that has
certainly changed! And pantyhose, once the necessary accessory, are seen
less and less often on women today. Well, if they can’t appreciate the
practical benefits, maybe men can! So you see, fashions are dynamic.
Here’s another analogy. Twenty years ago it
was rare to see a man wearing earrings. But some did. Over the years, many
did. And we’re not just talking about gay guys, but straight guys, macho
guys, all kinds of men. It’s so common now, you don’t even think twice
when you see a guy with earrings. But it was once something to stare at.
Of course, in ancient times, men and women both wore earrings. As we say,
fashions come and go. So it’s time for legwear for men to come on the
scene, and for men to take advantage of the benefits and comfort it has to
offer. Let your softer side luxuriate in a softer fabric and a practical
garment that’s right for the 21st century.
Do some guys have a predisposition to
legwear?
We joke that there are two kinds of people
in the world: those with the “nylon gene” and those without. Those who
have it like soft fabrics like silk, nylon, satin, and the like. Those who
don’t are perfectly comfortable with cotton and wool. For women, it’s no
problem. They can wear either kinds of fabric. For men it can be
problematic. Men are supposed to be tough and macho in our society, so
they can’t have a softer side and like soft fabrics. But these same guys
have taken to silk boxers, Under Armour®, and thin nylon dress socks, and
many have discovered the valuable benefits of nylon hosiery. They
complained to us that women’s hosiery didn’t fit them well, and it was
embarrassing to buy and wear; why couldn’t somebody invent men’s tights
and pantyhose and stockings? So we did! Now they can wear it openly as
men.
Are you the only, lonely company making
legwear for men?
No, and not even the first, just the best.
There are others. We do have competition. There is one company in the US
which has a line of sheer pantyhose for men, and there are several
European companies that make tights and sheer pantyhose for men. We’re
pioneers, but our message is getting heard and copykatz are popping
up here and there.
Why don’t I see other men wearing
legwear?
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Men don’t talk about their underwear to
each other, especially if it’s unusual underwear. They tend to be
insecure. We do not know why. It’s only clothing.
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People’s eyes see what they expect them
to see, so if they see a guy in pantyhose, their eyes tell them that
can’t be, so they don’t see it. Don’t believe it? Go out in shorts (in
shorts weather, not in January in Ohio) and skin matching color sheer
pantyhose and see how many people notice. Probably nobody. It’s amazing
but true.
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Most men wear pantyhose and tights under
long pants, so unless you’re on your hands and knees inspecting other
guys’ socks, you won’t see it. If you are crawling around on all fours,
you have other problems. See a doctor.
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Men wearing legwear are in the minority.
It’s a small group of forward-thinking fashion pioneers who have seen
the light. Most guys are not fashion conscious and are not interested in
legwear. Or they don’t like tight garments on their legs. They prefer
baggy pants 3 sizes too big so they can show off their boxers when it
falls to their hips.
What will my wife of girlfriend think?
Or (worse) she can’t accept me in legwear, even ACTIVSKIN, so what can I
do?
This is a tough one. Women can often accept
other men who dress any way they want, but when it comes to THEIR man,
they want him THEIR way, which is to say, macho. And they don’t equate
somewhat fragile garments like pantyhose to being macho. Also, these same
women often don’t have the nylon gene themselves, and hate the feeling and
hate wearing legwear. (Often it’s because they don’t get a good brand and
don’t get the right size because they lie to themselves about their
weight). So if they can’t stand wearing legwear, how are they going to
accept, let alone encourage, their man from wearing it, even if they know
it’s for health benefits, for instance? It’s a difficult question,
especially if the man has the nylon gene. We recommend lots of open,
honest, and sincere communication. That sometimes works, but it can take
lots of time. It’s better and far more successful to break the news to
your woman before the relationship goes too far. If you are just getting
into a relationship, tell her early that you have the nylon gene; if you
wait till after your married, she’s likely to wonder what ELSE you’ve been
keeping secret. That won’t win you any points.
Some styles have a cotton/nylon gusset.
Men don’t have a need for a gusset. Why is it there?
Styles A549 (front panel with fly opening) and A569 (front panel but no
fly opening) were our early products and with their male-comfort front
panel, had a definite male orientation. That panel was expensive to make
and sew, however, and many customers wanted something less expensive. We
felt that we should explore that option, so we discussed it with one
supplier, who showed us a style of control top women's hosiery. We tried
it and liked it, so we made arrangements to have it produced for us to our
specifications. Without a front panel, it could be made very
inexpensively, because it would take advantage of all the automated
machinery used to make women's hosiery, including the sewing of the toes,
the sewing of the two leg blanks together, and the cotton/nylon gusset. We
questioned the gusset, because men have no need for it. However, it serves
an important purpose - it's strong fabric and it helps keep the seam from
tearing at the crotch, which is a zone of very high stress when the wearer
spreads his legs in sitting and walking. We were convinced that we needed
to keep it, because we had experienced torn crotch fabric in our other
styles on occasion, and the gusset added only a few cents to our total
cost. So that's why it's there - for better durability.
Why are you calling them “pantyhose” for men, since panties are made
for women? Shouldn't they simply be called men's hosiery, legwear,
stockings, or something like that?
When we first got into the business of supplying men's legwear in
1999, we avoided all use of the word “pantyhose.” Men don't wear panties,
so we shouldn't call it pantyhose, we reasoned. We called it legwear,
hosiery, and other names. However, we weren't getting found on the search
engines. We learned that it was because a large number of people were
searching for "men's pantyhose" or "pantyhose for men." Without the word
pantyhose on our web site, the search engines didn't find us! So we did an
about-face and used the word pantyhose (and variant "panty hose" - two
words) in the web site. And suddenly the search engines were onto us! The
fact of the matter is that in American English, there is no other word
that precisely describes what this garment is. “Tights” is used in Britain
to mean both opaque and sheer legwear, but elsewhere “tights” means just
opaque. "Hosiery," "legwear," and "stockings" can mean other kind of
garments besides sheer pantyhose, so they don’t really specify what we
mean either. Thus, whether we want to use "pantyhose" or not, we really
must if we want to get found by customers looking for that word.
And our all-time favorite:
Do I need to shave my legs?
The short answer? “Of course not.” The long
answer: First analyze the situation. Most women who wear sheer hosiery do
so for appearance and fashion. If they have light color skin and dark leg
hair, the hair will show through skin-matching hose. Many women (and men)
find this appearance objectionable, so these women shave their legs. Most
men, however, wear legwear for the benefits it offers (comfort, warmth,
protection, etc.); appearance is not a concern at all; or it may be
secondary at best. The following situations will usually not display
obvious leg hair: (1) wearing opaque legwear or dark sheer legwear, (2)
wearing legwear under trousers, (3) having dark skin and dark leg hair,
and (4) having light skin and light leg hair. So, if you’re concerned
about appearance, the only time it would matter is if you have light color
skin and dark hair, and wear skin-matching sheer legwear with shorts. Then
dark leg hair could be obvious. In that case it’s your choice if you want
to shave or not. Some men do, some don’t.
Now, after all that is said, you should
know that many men appreciate some non-visual benefits to shaving their
legs: legwear feels better, it stays up better (because leg hair acts as a
lubricant to accelerate the sliding down of stretched legwear), it
massages the legs better, and there is no itching or hair pulling, which
is annoying for some men. So is leg shaving for you? Well, lots of
athletes do it: bikers, swimmers, football players, runners, body
builders, and wrestlers for instance. Models and movie stars do it, too.
It’s not just a feminine thing, necessarily, and in fact, Men’s Health
magazine ran an article on body hair removal a couple of years ago,
because more and more men are doing it as part of their grooming routine.
And one nice advantage is that you can always try it with no risk. If you
find you don’t like it, just let the hair grow back in a few weeks.
For more extended discussion on these and
other topics, see the LAUF (Legwear as Unisex Fashion) forum on Delphi at
http://forums.delphiforums.com/legwearuf
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