NONONSENSE

Wearing Pantyhose Is Serious Business For Some Guys

Men are wearing pantyhose, but not for the reasons you might think. Truckers are wearing them to support their leg during long hauls. Some swear by them in help with restless leg syndrome. Some say they can help stabilize knee injuries.

Buy Photo CINDY SKOP/The Ledger (Photo Illustration)

"It's just like wearing a pair of silk boxers," he says. "Nothing wrong with that. I just like the way pantyhose feel."

As a married father of one, Bobby's family stands by his choice to wear pantyhose, but he still asked that we not use his last name for fear his friends and colleagues might make fun of him, or worse, consider him to be some sort of weirdo.

Bobby is not alone.

In an effort to get recognition for pantyhose as a genderless garment, online groups such as "Legwear as Unisex Fashion" and "Men Wearing Pantyhose for Health Reasons" exist for men who use hosiery as a functional piece of clothing. Those sites shun sexual content, and hundreds of men who contribute posts ask each other advice on what to tell their girlfriends or if shaved legs keep hose from slipping. Others give testimony on how hose helped them with restless leg syndrome or kept their legs feeling fresh after working on their feet all day.

Perhaps the man who best understands this niche group is Steven Katz, owner of Comfilon Activeskin Legwear of Granville, Ohio, an e-commerce site dedicated solely to selling pantyhose and tights designed for men. After inheriting a hosiery business that once made its bread and butter offering wares to small retailers, Katz searched for a new way to keep family business afloat. He and his wife, Constance Barsky, were surprised to discover an untapped market: men who resorted to buying women's pantyhose because there was nothing out there designed just for them.