Bros After Hose: Men's Pantyhose Now in Stores

Introducing ... mantyhose!From the too-bizarre style files, comes "mantyhose." And yes, they sound exactly like what they are - pantyhose for men. The question is… why??!? Why on Earth would men want to wear pantyhose, the very item of clothing that I gave up on years ago and never looked back on because I always found them itchy and annoying? If you're a dude who enjoys wearing pantyhose, then more power to you - I swear I won't judge - but I just can't understand the need.

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Franceso Cavallini, vice president of upscale hosiery retailer Emilio Cavallini tells WWD that the manly tights make up 2 to 3 percent of their annual sales, noting there is "a cult following for mantyhose." The trend isn't new, apparently, as Cavallini notes it really started to emerge three years ago: "When we started our online shop we noticed that a lot of tights sized medium-large were being purchased by men … So I did a search on the Internet and discovered there is a cult following for mantyhose."

Seeing the need, he created a unisex line of tights, with greater breathability, "which is important since men perspire much more than women do." The tights are actually great for layering like long underwear to stay warm in winter, but there are many European men who are kicking it up a notch and wearing the hosiery with shorts. The men's tights include skulls, stars, stripes, and checkerboard patterns.

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"Mantyhose" sounds fairly unappealing to me, though they also go by "brosiery" and "guylons." May I throw one more option into the ring? Brotights.

- By Wendy Michaels
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