Black hosiery/pantyhose completes an outfit anytime

Black hosiery never fails to complete an outfit.  It covers up your legs and hides imperfections. Makes legs look slimmer and longer.

Black tights with short black skirt - elongate the legs

Black tights with dress

TIght pencil skirts with pantyhose - superb combination.

Black tights with a short polka dot mini skirt

Black tights with a tunic

Proskins Slim Leggings - Review

Saw these Proskins Slim (compression) tights at a store (Activ360) in Novena Square.  These are tights with compression in the legs and are touted to help firming the legs as well as help in reducing cellulite.  These tights/leggings can be worn when you exercise or just lounging around your home.  It is also suitable for those who sit or stand for along hours in the office. Hmm .... so I thought I gave these tights a try since I always sit for long hours at work.  

These Proskin tights may look like any normal pair of black leggings/tights, and they have a rather shiny appearance.  However, they are different.  The fabric exerts a gentle, comfortable squeeze on the limbs to improve blood flow and enhance lymphatic drainage.  

These tights also contain caffeine (to boost circulation and promotes fat destruction), retinol (to improve skin firmness) and aloe vera (to soften skin).  These are packed into micro-capsules and woven into the yarns.  However, I really didn't care about the ingredients in these tights that are supposedly there to help make legs look cellulite-free and firmer and to slim the legs.  

When I first took them out of the box, they felt soft and light.  Nothing like those compression tights for active exercise (eg. 2XU, Skins).  They really felt like a pair of footless tights/pantyhose with a very thick denier.  Putting them on was easy as they are very stretchy, yet exerts firm compression on the legs.  Once I had them on my legs, I hardly noticed they were there, probably due to the fact that they were skin-tight (not too tight to cut circulation) and they seems to regulate the body temperature.  They do not feel hot at all, given the hot humid weather here.  These are also quite shiny and smooth, just like a pair of shiny hosiery.  

The compression on the legs was also great.  These seems to work like those support tights, just that these are footless, which also makes it great for wearing at home.  Works fine when I needed to sit in front of my computer at the desk for up to 2 to 3 hours at home.  They were so comfortable that I sometimes even wear them to sleep.  Keeps you warm on rainy/windy nights and cool on warmer nights.  

For the ladies, if you are wearing these to help slim your legs, you will have to wear them for 8 hours daily for up to 28 days to see the slimming effect.  These tights claim to achieve the following as the Proskins trial suggests:

• 76% slimming efficacy.
• Up to 2cm reduction on thighs perimeter.
• 65% efficacy reduction of fat nodes. Redensifying effect.
• 63% of users stated a reduction of cellulite.
• 67% felt their jeans were less tight.
• 72% of users felt lightness sensation.

Only thing is that these tights are not really cheap.  They are priced in the range of 2XU and Skins Compression tights (around S$150 for the full length tights).  

Personally, I am quite happy with the purchase and would consider getting another pair or 2 when they have some kind of sale/offer/promotional price.  

Study shows that you should wear pantyhose/tights/hosiery

A study published by the New England Journal of Medicine touted some remarkable claims in life extension and cancer research.

The theory behind the study comes from a Johns Hopkins University study that found a correlation between telangiectasias (spider veins) and longevity. An ancient oriental cure was to bind the legs of the afflicted person. It not only aided, but often cured this malady. The side-effects of which were noted to be: reduced sicknesses, longevity and a recovery of strength.

The trick to 'ancient leg binding' was not to bind the legs too tight, restriction of blood flow is not what is intended here. Systolic blood pressure in the two major arteries of the body has to be increased, but not restricted. 

Pantyhose seem to achieve this perfectly. The correct systolic blood pressure (systolic blood pressure is maximum pressure exerted when the heart contracts) forces the plaque build-up out of the heart and arteries harmlessly into the liver to be filtered. It also prevents cancerous cells from attaching themselves to the pulminary walls or other cells.

The increased speed of the blood flow without constant calistentation (extreme exercise) not only improves the purifying process but also (in effect) 'wipes clean' the interior vascular (vein) linings. 

So .... a little compression on your legs by wearing support pantyhose could do your health some good.  

When to recommend men to wear support tights/hosiery/pantyhose?

Men, who have a need for the leg support benefits (eg. DVT symptoms, medical conditions), should wear them just about all the time.  It's important that support legwear be put on as soon as you arise in the morning, before leg tissue begins to swell and blood begins pooling.  When one finds a comfortable style to wear, this presents no problem however.  The relief from discomfort provided will feel so good that most men will look forward to donning their support hose in the morning and leaving them on all day. 

Sports activity and outdoor recreation, where support for leg muscles are needed, are also occasions for wearing support tights or pantyhose.  Furthermore, sporting tights usually cost so much more than support tights/pantyhose.  


Men, who wear medical-grade compression hosiery will tend to wear them under long pants, due to the unattractive appearance of the medical-grade compression hosiery.  The non-medical grade, support hosiery (like the ones from Solidea or ActivSkin) are much less noticeable and provides a subtle appearance that easily blends in with the skin.  Though Solidea are marketed more for women.  Many men wear them  with shorts or even with 3/4 capri pants when weather permits.  Wearing support hose with 3/4 pants or shorts is actually quite suitable for hot-weathered places.  With 3/4 pants or shorts, wearing skin coloured support hosiery is actually not very noticeable.  Either people are not observant to see them, or they just bother to see.  Of course, the more adventurous men would wear hose in other colours like black, brown, etc.

Admittedly, it is still fairly rare to see a guy wearing shorts with his hose.  However, this is changing rapidly.  More blogs and discussion groups are popping up on the internet to document this trend.

I myself wear sheer support hosiery with shorts on a regular basis, like going to top-up petrol, watching movies (great for keeping legs warm in the cinemas). Even wear them when I exercise (at home though).

The barrier has been broken some time ago for men wearing tights, with all the running and cycling wear to be found in any sporting goods store.  NBA players have worn them in games, as well as football players in practices.  It's not difficult to imagine them blending into general use a few years down the road.  Legwear could one day be as fashionable as the green movement is today.

How to dry your tights/pantyhose faster?

Ever wished that your tights/pantyhose would dry faster, especially if you are on an overseas trip? If you ha an hotel room and there's a heater in the room during Fall/Winter, then you are lucky. What if there isn't a heater in the room?

One way I found to be quite useful is to use a thick bath towel. Those that the hotel provided are good enough.

First, you would wash your tights/hosiery as you would normally do. By hand and with warm water, with a little travel wash. Before you hand those clean, soaking wet tights over the clothes line over the bath tub, get hold of a bath towel.

What you want to do is to lay the tights/pantyhose flat on the bath towel. Then roll the bath towel with thepantyhose/tights in it. Then give the rolled up bath towel a good wring to squeeze the water out of the pantyhose/tights. Then hang the hose on the clothes line over the bath tub.

Amazingly, the tights/pantyhose would be dry the next morning or within the next 12 hours, without the use of the heater!! Works for me every time.

Legwear Fashion - Pictures of Models in Leggings

Some pictures of another type of legwear ... Leggings!!!