Ever wondered why some men look so good in those skin tight jeans? It’s not because they are wearing them against their skin! Many men have turned to wearing male tights as slimming underwear because of the support and body sculpting they offer. Like womens lingerie, male tights shape the buttocks, the thighs and help control the distribution of stomach fat. Is this the end of the rugged male? Hardly! Men have been wearing mens tights for centuries!
Male tights are not a new phenomenon and have been seen in several cultures going back for several centuries. European fashions dictated that men wear tights going past their knees as this was the dress of aristocrats. Portraits of English and French kings and queens show what appears to be knee and thigh high male tights. Men in India also wore the precursor to tights, called “churidar”, which are super tight fitting thin cloth pants. These pants are typically worn in very formal social occasions and had synthetic fibers been available, would have been incorporated in the style of the dress. Of course, there are those who wear male tights to cross-dress but male tights have been a part of the mainstream fashion scene for many centuries.
Male tights are not only fashionable but comfortable and even healthy. Diabetics also wear tights to increase blood circulation and prevent blood from pooling in the legs. Male tights protect the skin, shape the legs and promote better lower body circulation by compressing the feet. They provide additional warmth in cooler climates and serve as great insulation. The compression of the fabric on the skin protects against loss of moisture and also protects errant hairs. The fashion industry predicts sales of male tights and similar underwear garment to rise as runners and athletes look for light flexible legwear with good insulating properties.
The main reason though, for growth in sales for male tights, is that it has become socially acceptable for men to wear tighter clothing. From shows like Queer Eye for Straight Guy to Lance Armstrong popularizing biking to football players, tights are in. Men no longer have to wax and shave their legs to fit into tighter, less comfortable fabrics. Some women also prefer men who wear male tights as it serves as a form of male lingerie.