Men In Panty Hose- Love It or Leave It

Men In Panty Hose- Love It or Leave It

1. I’m a 29-year-old married male and I wear pantyhose daily. I wear them under my jeans or with shorts for comfort; as well as for the look they give my legs.

I would like to wear some sheer hose with a pair of tailored black casual dress shorts and a nice brown/black paisley button-down T-shirt. Do you recommend any styles or colors of pantyhose that would coordinate and what type of men’s shoe would look nice with it? Thank you for your time. (Garland, TX)

2. Your Web Site and Columns are GREAT!! Keep up the good work… I need your advice on an issue I have been struggling with since my beautiful wife coaxed me into wearing a pair of her pantyhose to bed.

I have always been a very straight guy and considered this a pretty weird request, but we both had drinks earlier, so it was a little easier and I finally gave in to my wife’s suggestion. I now understand why most women love pantyhose— they felt so slippery and nice against our new sheets that I was really taken. I loved the way they felt and have slept in them ever since.

Well, one day I decided to wear the hose with a pair slacks to work. When I got home, I realized that my legs were not sore from running around the office all day. I think the pantyhose are beneficial to a man’s or woman’s legs.

Two weeks ago, I tried an experiment to see if I could wear pantyhose with a pair of shorts to the mall and to find out if people could tell. I wore a pair of Silk Reflections in the Travel Buff color that you recommended to go with any skin tone. You were so right. Not one guy even looked twice, but two pretty young sales ladies I knew could tell I was wearing hose because I heard one comment, “Great Legs”. I think the shine gave me away.

I shave my legs more than my wife and wear nude or light tan pantyhose everywhere. I now have nylon shorts, nylon pants (which I love to wear sheer hose under). I even love swimming in nylons. I would never wear a dress or high heel shoes, but this attraction to men’s pantyhose has me questioning myself because wearing them feels so good. I know it is not considered “normal” (at least not in most circles) by society-at-large.

My wife continues to encourage me to wear them and loves to wear pantyhose also. In addition to a sock drawer, I now have a pantyhose drawer. Sharon, could you please advise me on this matter. Is this acceptable for a 26-year-old guy? Most people would say no. Your opinion on this issue would mean so much to me. (Mesa, AZ)

Guys, I’ve been in the fashion business for a long time. I’ve lived in NYC forever. I’ve done the club scene. Some of my dearest friends have been men who look pretty in a pair of heels. I’ve known men who could floof their hair out faster than you could purr, Barbra Streisand. I’ve known rockers who wore pants so tight that you could swear that they were pantyhose. I’ve spent time staring out of my art director’s window looking at men and their wives sneak into Lee’s Mardi Gras to buy who knows what.

Listen, if wearing pantyhose floats your boat and everyone is happy, good for you.

But short of Dame Edna (heck, you can now see “her” on the Ally McBeal television show) and Joe Namath, the idea of a straight man in pantyhose for fashion’s sake is out of the realm of my fashion expertise…if you choose to wear hose for circulatory comfort and support, that’s another story. And, the idea of pantyhose worn with shorts– on a man or woman- throws me.

But, that’s me. The Wall Street Journal recently ran a front page story about men wearing panty hose, and Comfilon manufactures a mannyhose complete with peepee pouch.

At least you guys are thinking out of the fashion box and there is something to be said about that. Style on!

–April 23, 2002

_{Read some of our letters to the editor about men in hose}