I like to do a lot of yoga and often find myself struck by the differences in attire for men and women. Pretty much universally, women wear leggings and men wear shorts or sweatpants. I am curious how this all came about? Leggings and tights make perfect sense to me – they stretch with your movements, and they help your muscles stay warm and flexible. Shorts and baggy sweatpants, on the other hand, can bunch-up and get in the way. I think something similar can be said of swimwear – the common expectations are that women wear something form-fitting and men something baggy.
To me none of this makes sense. I like wearing form-fitting clothes! I swim laps to keep fit, and nothing is worse than baggy swim shorts – and nothing better than a nice swim brief. I’ve liked wearing tights and leggings for a long time. Back when I was a kid I’d play dress-up and try on my mom’s tights and pantyhose. This didn’t last long as I grew older, but when I became more athletic and started cross-country skiing and running, I found I really enjoyed wearing form-fitting tights in the winter – they are great for supporting your movement and keeping your legs warm!
For women, leggings today are high fashion and no longer just for the yoga studio. I for one would like to see more legging options for men! I haven’t gotten to the point in which I will wear leggings out in public, but often wear them around the house. Like many other form-fitting clothes, that can make me feel really good about myself. I find a good quality fabric that fits snuggly makes you more aware of your body which in turn can result in more confidence and pride (and encourage you to work out a bit more!).
I won’t tell a lie, even as an adult my interest in wearing nice tights and leggings has led me to try some products made for women. The styles available to women still far exceed those readily available and acceptable for men – thigh highs, fishnets, etc. – but at the end of the day, however, this isn’t what I want. I want tights and leggings made for men, with a man’s body shape in mind. And I want leggings or tights that work well for both the gym and a night out! I want something that feels right for my body, and is practical, comfortable, useful, and sexy!
What do you all think?
21 comments
I have been wearing leotards and tights since a boy. My mother dressed me the same as my 3 sisters in black leotard and tights and ever since I wear them every day
I’m a man in my 30s and my entire life I’ve been infatuated by spandex, leotards, etc. I secretly bought a one piece women’s swimsuit and women’s leggings, and I loved wearing the swimsuit over the leggings. My wife found out by accident one time, and her acceptance led me to expanding my collection to about 10 pairs of leggings/tights, and 6 leotards/one piece swimsuits. Don’t know if I’ll ever wear anything in public, but I regularly sleep in a leotard and leggings now and it feels fantastic. If it’s ever excessively cold, they also make fantastic base layers! I dearly wish tight/compression wear was more socially acceptable for men, it’s incredibly comfortable and I love the feel/look.
I’ve been searching for a nice pair of tights recently as I have worn out my old ones. I’m looking for something like the Lycra look, but with a pouch, and that “gathered” look on the ass that enhances the cheeks like women wear. I’d love to see BA release something like that!
Yes, many guys can wear leotard with tights as winter underwear during the cold winter months,enjoying the warm and snug feeling in them while wearing ordinary men’s outer street clothes over them.
I’ve also been doing yoga for years and adopted men’s dancewear for it ages ago. I actually tend to like unitards for this, and I wear a dance belt under them for support and to avoid the TMI issue. It seems that the idea of men’s leggings outside of sports is getting more acceptable, and I’m not against the idea if proper undergarments are worn (or built-in).