Now, let me start by saying this; I do not think this is weird (or any weirder than most fashion trends). What is silly is the fact that the company that makes "mantyhose" trys so damn hard to convince everyone that this is NOT weird.
Back in the glorious 1970's and 80's it was a common a sight to see punks and rockers wearing flannel underwear or tights under their shorts or torn jeans. Those of the gothy disposition had no problem sporting women's pantyhose and stockings. And who could forget the one word that will be forever linked to the heavy metal bands of that era: Spandex.
But wait, let's be clear here; these are not your mom's pantyhose. Whew! Thanks for the clarification, http://www.e-mancipate.net/!
The tights site states:
"Today it's mostly worn by women, but it was not so for a long time - pantyhose-like garments were worn exclusively by men for centuries."
Really? Wow! I should have paid more attention in history class. I really want to be in on the new trends, especially when powdered wigs come back into fashion (it's way overdue).
The site also gives some helpful advice for sporting "mantyhose":
"One may say it's too early to show the world than a man can wear mantyhose in style, as part of a regular outfit..."
Too early? I say it's never too early to show the world what's regular and irregular! Dammit, they need to know!
"Others will just do it and go out with friends..."
Of course! Who wants to get beat up alone? That's no fun. Can I also add; if one has no friends, this is probably not the surest way to meet some new ones. Not in such a closed minded country such as ours anyway. This ain't Europe and it sure ain't the 15th century. There's a reason Renaissance Faires are held far, far away from the general population.
"No, we can't give you any advices regards this [sic]. But we can show you how we imagine it..."
I can tell this is a company that has a Utopian vision for the future, can't you? The fact that they're spending a lot of time imagining men in panty...oops, sorry...mantyhose, shows they look forward to a day when fashion is truly unisex... or maybe they've been looking at too many of those websites that all seem to be blocked on the PCC computers).
Look, I'm all for this big unisex fashion trend. What a great step toward making us all look a little less different than each other. I like the idea of everyone looking the same! For as much as I was a severely anti-fashion (and therefore, a fashion) kid in the 80's, now I kind of wish we were more like cartoon characters. Charlie Brown always wore that same damn shirt and it was cool. And I sure as hell bet it was comfortable. And there are some who say Albert Einstein had a full closet of the exact same suits. Now that guy looked comfortable, and pretty stylish.
Maybe unisex fashion is the new big thing that will eventually lead us to a perfect futuristic androgynous society. David Bowie and George Orwell would be proud (well, probably not Orwell...that story was about a bad future, right?). At any rate, the future, much like the past, looks like a very high fashion (and scary) place.
So what has been learned? For now, probably the only men who should be sporting tights as part of a "regular outfit" are superheros...and even that becomes a little iffy when you're an aging recluse living with a young "ward".
I'll end with a quote that I think pretty much sums up our society and how unisex fashion will be viewed for quite sometime:
"Girls can wear jeans
and cut their hair short,
wear shirts and boots,
because it's OK to be a boy,
but for a boy to look like a girl is degrading,
because you think that being a girl is degrading"
- Madonna, "What It Feels Like For A Girl"
PS: Be sure to check out ABC's always tactful coverage of such trends:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4InK16VIB8
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