Winter is upon us here in the Northern Hemisphere and as such, it’s time to dig out the tights again. Unfortunately, I tend to dislike them as I much prefer the freedom of a skirt without anything bifurcated on underneath. That is largely due to the fact that I find them uncomfortable even if I do enjoy the way they look.
Since I know many of you love wearing tights and have a lot of experience with them, I thought it might be a great idea to start a discussion here where you can share any tips or tricks you use to make them comfortable.
To get things started, I’ll mention my primary issues with them: slipping down, pinching and pulling leg hair. Tights are infamous for sliding down and I have solved this problem by wearing a second pair of briefs with a good elastic waistband on the outside of the tights. This way, they don’t slide down at all even if things might feel a bit constricted down there.
As for the pinching and pulling leg hair, I haven’t found a good solution yet. I have shaved my legs in the past and that solves the latter issue, but it is not something I want to do all the time. As far as the pinching is concerned, I suspect that is just an issue with the fact that most tights aren’t made for the male anatomy and there isn’t much I can do about that.
So, with that said, what are your tips, tricks and advice for making tights comfortable? What problems do you have or have you had with tights and if you have solved them, how?
Von den genannten Nachteilen kann ich nichts bestätigen. Ich liebe Strumpfhosen, trage sie sehr gern. Sie sind sozusagen eine zweite Haut für mich.
Sehr schön! Ich trage sie tatsächlich gerne, weil ich finde, dass sie gut aussehen. Allerdings, nerven mich die paar Sachen, die ich oben genannt habe…
Have you tried going up one or maybe two sizes? I’ve found it really helps with the rolling down issue, and might mean it pulls leg hair less.
I have tried that actually. Larger sizes don’t roll down or pinch as much, but they slide down more often unfortunately.
I quite like the fleece lined tights/leggings, they both tend to have a better elastic waist to stay up and the fleece makes them a lot more comfortable, No pulling hairs or pinching. And they are totally opaque too.
I much prefer tights/leggings to trousers, the loose crotch and the leg seams moving and rubbing.
I like them too and am currently wearing a pair of them. They are much more comfortable than other tights. I only have the one pair though, so I will have to see about getting more.
Quality is important. Bad quality hosiery is a prime driver of people not liking tights or hose.
Fit is of paramount importance. Don’t go totally by the size chart on the package. Tights have to fit, well, tight. They can be snug fitting, but having a decent pair of medium to high quality tights will lead to less problems.
PUT THEM ON RIGHT. These are not pants. You don’t just step into them or yank them up. You put them on by sitting down, bunching them up to where the toe of one side is between you two thumbs. Put your toe in, and GENTLY slide the material up your leg. Stop at the knees and repeat for the other side. The key here is to evenly distribute the material. There should be a small amount of effort in this, otherwise the tights are too loose.
Be sure the legs are not twisted as well.
The type of underwear one wears is important. If the material is slick, the tights will slide off that. Boxers are a no, most briefs are as well. To be honest I don’t wear underwear, Yes I know the advertisers of late have their models with, but this is because of censorship. Look at old adds for hose and you will see this has not always been. Worn this way there is no bunching, nothing for the hose to slide down.
IF you have a good pair of hose or tights under a skirt you can and will forget you are wearing them. If they are crummy hose or tights you will constantly be reminded.
I find hose and skirt on a hot day to be far more thermally comfortable than slacks or jeans when I have a good fitting pair on with my skirt.
Finally. Shave your damned legs. It’s 2024 guys, and the difference between un shaved and shaved is just that much better.
Thank you for the advice!
Quality is definitely important! I’ve worn cheap tights from the grocery store and they were absolutely horrid. The only problem is that they never wear out because I never wear them.
My wife showed me how to put them on properly. It isn’t hard, but as you said, it’s a different and more delegate process compared to pants.
I do wear underwear with them, but since they are so tight, I tend to wear thongs made for men. I don’t care much for women’s underwear because I find them uncomfortable since they are not built for my anatomy.
A larger size, plus shaving my legs makes them more comfortable.
Shaved legs definitely makes them more comfortable!
I have found that hosiery stays up better if I put hand lotion on my legs before I put them on. Shaved legs hold better than hairy legs. This does not do much good if the hosiery does not have much spandex in the fabric.
Waist bands will roll. Shop around to find a brand that does better. I started wearing a shapewear tank-top in order to reduce my middle-aged belly. I have enjoyed how it holds my waistband in place for quite some time. (The tank top goes over the waistband.)
Hosiery that stays in place does not make me itch as much as hose that is slipping.
https://joeypress.wordpress.com/2012/09/04/helpful-pantyhose-advice/
Joey
I’ll have to try lotion. Does it still work with hairy legs? I’ll take a look at your post. Thank you for sharing!
You don’t need to shave your legs to enjoy pantyhose. I usually stretch them a little when putting them on so when they settle into place they push my leg hairs downward.
People who insist that men shave their legs to wear pantyhose are gatekeeping. Whatever way you enjoy your pantyhose is up to you.
I don’t care much for shaving my legs, but I do find shaved legs more comfortable with tights. I still don’t usually shave them though.
I’ll try stretching them. I haven’t done that before.
Buy tights that fit. Which is easier said than done, since most tights are made for women with generally wider hips and shorter legs than men. But there are men’s brands out there such as Glamory, and unisex tights that come in larger sizes such as Snag. I have found both to be extremely comfortable, like your legs are being given a hug 🙂
I’ve looked into tights made for men, but they only seem to exist in English-speaking countries. I haven’t found any sources here in Germany. I may experimentally order a pair from the UK and see how they are.
I think I’ve written about this before here, but here goes. Tights don’t work. By re-engaging the legs and the crotch, the movement of the legs ineitably tugs at the dangly bits – erasing the benefit of the skirt over pants. Tights are just elastic pants (OK, the stretchiness helps – a BIT). The better solution is long, very long socks. I wear socks that reach all the ay over my thigh muscles, stopping just below my glutes. There, decent elastic (or if help needed, a simple elastic band garter) will keep the socks up all day long (maybe not for a marathon run, but for most typical daily activities). The danglies stay nicely in their bikini holster, while the socks move with the legs without bothering the crotch. Now, I an a fairly fit and slender fellow, and I suppose this would not work so well for a more rotund guy, but for me, it is problem solved. My legs are warm, and yet I have the same freedom of movement as I do in warm weather. I was recently at a museum exhibition dressed just this way, and a photographer asked to take my pic. In one pose, with one foot up on a bench, you can just barely (if you look close) see the top of that foot’s sock. I’d post it here if I could (Alex, shall I send it be email?).
Long socks are not a bad idea at all. I haven’t been able to really find any that are long enough though. I have long legs and everything I have tried ends at just above the knee if I’m lucky. They would certainly solve most of my problems though!
This is a subject I know a lot about. I’ve been wearing pantyhose/tights most of my life. In the beginning I nicked my mother’s NoNonsense and loved them cause I didn’t know any better. Then I stole my sisters UnderAlls. Amazing. Then I started buying my own but didn’t have cash. Cheap drug store or thrift shops. Then I got a job and started learning. Here’s what I know.
1. Don’t buy cheap. They all suck
2. Buy seamless. They are made differently and create a natural pouch for the family jewels.
3. Or buy tights for men. But not the ones that are women’s tights that they only change the package and charge more for. Threads for Men are the best I’ve ever worn. They have this crazy brief but it’s created perfectly for us.
4. Some brands make longer legs. This is brilliant. Guys don’t have hips. We don’t need wider there. But we tend to have longer legs. Threads and Les Belles are two brands that make longer legs. Snag also makes many different sizes, some that agree with the male physique better.
5. Shaving definitely helps. But like you, I don’t want to shave. Can use a barbers razor to shorten the hairs which limits pulling and takes two minutes to do. Lotion helps too. Or you can just shave thighs up and it seems to work to keep them up and limit pulling.
6. For skiing, I wear a leotard over them. Keeps them up beautifully. Wear otherwise also but skiing always.
7. Underwear is critical. Last thing you want is more material there. With seamless, underwear is unnecessary. With seamed tights, I wear a dance belt. Google it. Remarkably comfortable despite what you’d think they’d be like. These are worn by ballet dancers and are created to make it all work. And they do.
8. It’s different with skirts but under pants/shorts, what tights are made of matters. Cotton/wool/fleece don’t slide well. Higher spandex work best. Microfibers great. Avoid 100% nylon, they always fall.
9. I don’t listen to this advice but should. When the elasticity fails, throw them out.
10. When you put them on, do it right. Don’t just pull them up, roll them all the way down to the toe and pull up appropriately. Helps to tuck the material in between the legs in a way that’s comfortable. Adjust the bits to be comfortable.
Yes, they are higher maintenance but I think they’re worth it for comfort mostly. Warmth sometimes. I think they look good and because they can be so colorful and patterned, can really be expressive. I’m not a fan of the leggings and socks cause it breaks up the line.
People often do complain that they need to adjust them. But watch guys and we are constantly adjusting our junk. Women mock us for it. I think I do it less with tights than boxers.
Thank you so much for all the advice! I will definitely have to look into those points, especially the seamless tights because I’ve never actually tried them. That would certainly eliminate a lot of the pinching. Tights with longer legs would also be greatly beneficial as I have long legs and big feet but no hips at all.
One alternative approach is what are called Suspender Tights in the UK – see https://www.uktights.com/product/1088/trasparenze-100-denier-cortina-suspender-tights. I have a pair of these particular ones and they’re really comfortable, pretty warm and allow your bits to breathe/move as they wish but without the fiddle of real stockings/suspenders.
I actually have a pair of these and I do like wearing them! They certainly solve the issue with the pinching but tend to slide down. I’m beginning to think my problem is really that I have no hips. 😀
A lot of really good tips have been mentioned here.
Many thanks for that!
I also love wearing pantyhose (tights) with my skirts. Unless you live in a climate zone like South Florida and want to wear skirts all year round, you can’t avoid pantyhose or leggings. I really like pantyhose, but I don’t like leggings at all because the edge to socks with leggings bothers me. Pantyhose often add the right finishing touch to an outfit with a skirt and allow you to achieve beautiful effects with different color variations and materials. I recently attended a wedding of a couple friend of mine and instead of suit pants, I wore a burgundy knee-length a-line skirt and burgundy pantyhose with black boots and a cropped, gray suit jacket and white shirt. The reactions from the bride and groom and other wedding guests were very positive.
Now to the fit: As many have already written here, it is essential to choose the right size of pantyhose. In my opinion, you don’t need special pantyhose for men. They don’t necessarily have to be very expensive brands either. My favorite by far are the ones from Snagtights (www.snagtights.de or http://www.snagtights.com or http://www.snagtights.eu). They fit really well, even for taller people regardless of gender. They don’t slip, don’t roll down and don’t crease. They are very comfortable on the skin. Value for money is sensational (approx. 11 to 12 EUR, minus a possible discount of 10%, 15% or 25% depending on the quantity). They are available in many different colors and thicknesses (including 30den, 50den, 80den and 120den), so you can find a color of pantyhose to match almost any outfit.
Pantyhose from Calzedonia and Oroblu are also very good in winter. I particularly like the models with modal, Tencel and cashmere (Calzedonia: 60% modal, 29% polyamide, 8% cashmere, 3% elastane; Oroblu: 65% modal, 22% polyamide, 8% cashmere, 5% elastane). Both models are also available in XL and, in my opinion, also fit men 6‘2“ (185 cm) tall and possibly taller, as the waistband sits high (high waist). They are very warm and feel super soft on the skin. No pants can keep up with them.
I would like to emphasize that I do not receive any money or other benefits for the above recommendations, but that it reflects my personal opinion only.
On the subject of shaving your legs and lotion: I don’t like wearing pantyhose with hairy legs and had the hair on my legs lasered away several years ago. A few hairs remain and I shave them off regularly. Alternatively, you can try IPL, but I have no experience with that.
It is also very important that you regularly rub body lotion into your legs, especially in winter or when it is cold, the skin needs moisture.
Underskirt against the cold: Even though this thread is about pantyhose in winter, I would like to mention another way of wearing skirts against the cold. I had an underskirt made from 2 layers of fabric by a seamstress. The underskirts I’ve seen in the stores are often made of polyester. I don’t like that. I therefore bought fabric made of 100% viscose (Tencel) in a fabric store and the seamstress sewed on an elastic waistband. The fabric is super soft and extremely comfortable. It tends to pilling a little when washed, but you can’t see it under the skirt.
Thanks for mentioning the leggings to socks transition. I’m not a fan either. Just seems like it’s scrunched and I don’t like the breaking if what was a smooth line. But, some like it and I get that. So I think whatever feels the most comfortable, people should be allowed to wear what makes them the most comfortable
Thank you so much for the advice! I will definitely take a look at the Snag Tights. I haven’t paid much attention to the material the tights are made of, but will do so now. I actually like leggings in the winter because I like the look of boots, leggings and socks rolled up above the boots.
It is a good look, tights, boots +/- the rolled down socks. It’s my go to when I want to wear a skirt and tights but just don’t have the courage to. Love not having to wear the socks but it stupidly helps me gain courage.
It’s often the small details that give us a confidence boost. I have some of those as well, such as wearing dark skirts. I feel more confident in dark skirts than lighter ones because it somehow feels like people will notice it less even though I know that isn’t the case.
@Alex: Yes, in addition to the size, the material plays a major role in the wearing comfort. Basically, I agree with Greg that you should avoid cheap brands and not expect too much in terms of quality. However, the price of Snagtights is excellent in relation to their quality. They are also suitable for men due to their large sizes. And are therefore recommended. That’s my impression.
As far as the size of the Calzedonia pantyhose made of Tencel (modal) and cashmere I described is concerned, I can provide some additional information on size suitability using the size chart provided. In XL, they are suitable for body sizes from 61“ to 75” (155cm – 190cm) and a body weight of 175 to 220 lbs. (60kg to 100kg) and therefore falls within the range of many men. With my measurements of 5’11” and 200 lbs. it fits very well.
I have included the links to the pantyhose for Germany and the USA below.
By the way, Snagtights also has a webshop for the USA: https://www.snagtights.us
@Greg: As for the question of leggings and socks or pantyhose and socks or just pantyhose without socks with boots, that’s a question of personal taste. Everyone should do it the way that suits their personal taste.
Greg, I would like to encourage you to wear what you like. That goes for everyone else here too, of course. If you like wearing pantyhose and boots without socks: Go for it! Don’t let yourself be discouraged. Is it because you don’t feel “masculine” enough without socks? If it’s important to you not to look too “feminine” and therefore wear socks: There are other ways to combine a masculine look with a skirt and pantyhose without socks. Much of this has already been discussed here in other threads: Color of the skirt (rather e.g. black, blue or olive green than e.g. pink and rose), cut (e.g. based on the typical shape of a kilt, utility kilt), material (rather solid fabric than flowing), wide belt with large buckle, pockets and studs on the skirt, combined with garments with masculine connotations such as shirt and jacket, chains on the waistband of the skirt, etc….
For me, the biggest hurdle was in my own head. Once you’ve overcome that, you ask yourself what you were actually so afraid of.
Links
https://www.oroblu.com/de/cheryl-kaschmir-und-modal-blickdichte-strumpfhose
https://www.oroblu.com/us/cashmere-and-modal-opaque-tights-cheryl
https://www.calzedonia.com/de/product/strumpfhose_aus_weichem_modal-kaschmir-gemisch-MIC048.html?dwvar_MIC048_Z_COL_COLLD=019&Z_COL_COLLD=2240&newId=MIC048_color_2240
https://www.calzedonia.com/us/product/soft_modal_and_cashmere_blend_tights-MIC048.html?dwvar_MIC048_Z_COL_COLLD=019&Z_COL_COLLD=2240&newId=MIC048_color_2240
I mostly have cheap brands because I haven’t really bought any new tights since I first started the journey and was in the “trial” phase to see if I even liked it. I just purchased a few pairs of fleece-lined winter tights that are higher quality and they definitely make a difference in terms of how they fit.
Thank you for the suggestions! I will definitely check them out and probably spend too much money! 😀
Yes, the demons are all in our heads when we pause with anxiety before going out dressed as we wish. This has been a concept discussed for years over at LAUF, where I first learned to wear tights openly.
I agree it’s the biggest hurdle to get over. But those darn demons are occupying the brain and despite going out numerous times without receiving ridicule (actually getting more positives from kilts/skirts), they still stop us.
We always talked about baby steps. Taking these slow steps at our pace to slowly break the ties these demons have on us. For me, it’s the addition of socks to tights. Cause that can. Create the illusion I’m wearing athletic tights and not footed women’s tights. Even though it’s still pretty obvious.
What I find amazing is the fact that wearing a skirt and tights, it’s still the tights that give me the most pause. Even though I’ve been wearing tights since I was seven and skirts for only the past four years. I feel pretty comfortable in opaque tights under shorts. Especially with socks. I feel remarkably comfortable in a kilt. Less so in a skirt but ok.
But add tights to the skirt and I’m back to being a beginner, heart beating like mad. So I add socks to the skirt/tights and it eases the mind some.
One day I do look forward to wearing whatever I want without any worry. And I’ve made slight forays there. Wore a skirt and fishnets (of all things) into the Thai take out restaurant. Sky did not fall. I just posted a picture at the men’s and unisex skirts forum at Delphi of my look in floral lace tights, skirt and boots with socks of course (haha).
https://forums.delphiforums.com/mensskirts/messages/147/1
I like the look. Which is something I feel that also gives me confidence to quell the demons. If I think it’s a good look, then confidence soars.
They do stop us and they are insanely difficult to get rid of or to at least quiet down. It takes a lot of practice and stubbornness. I understand what you mean about feeling less secure about combining tights and skirts. I think it’s the addition of yet another article of clothing that is from the women’s department even though they go together and no one is going to find it any stranger for a man to wear tights with a skirt than just a skirt alone.
Congrats on going out in fishnets and a skirt! I haven’t done that yet, but I also rarely wear fishnets. Usually I wear thick tights for warmth or none at all because I find it to be more comfortable.
Liking your look is crucial to feeling comfortable and confident! I would say that applies even when wearing clothes from the men’s department.