“ITEM m6” tights that are tall friendly for men

A few years ago, I happened upon a hosiery brand quite by chance. It’s called Medi, and they’re mostly known for manufacturing medical aids for wear after medical procedures, orthopedic support garments, and compression garments that promote healing. Medi created a subdivision product line called “ITEM m6” that addresses beauty & wellness, hosiery and under garments for the general retail market (mostly targeted to women’s needs, but also some products for men).

Why “ITEM m6”? The company is not forthcoming with the reason. Their website as well as parent company Medi’s website does not disclose it. I’m thinking there are different orthopedic/compression garment type classifications and “m6” was chosen for this particular class of retail compression wear. But it’s only a guess–the mystery still remains.

After careful review of the ITEM m6 product line, I found that the Opaque and Beauty styles would work best given my proportions (6′ (183cm), 219lbs (99 kg)). Reviews of these upcoming styles to follow next. Stay tuned!

What was lost was finally found

It is April 2020, and the last post made on this blog was just about 8 years ago. That is, by Internet standards, an extremely long period of time. There was no warning. No farewell message about the site closing… it just stopped, as has typically happened for a majority of blog sites that get started (I read a New York Times article saying that blogs have a higher failure rate than restaurants!).

To avoid a long, tedious explanation, the reason for the “dark” period was a credentials problem. The original admin email address hosting domain was canceled, with very little warning. WordPress has a very thorough & strict security program, and if you don’t keep your authentication details in order, you can end up losing your site. So, the site was “locked out.” Nothing to be done. Until… the luck of an old computer hard drive, where the original admin credentials were luckily discovered.

On the personal side, I am still alive and healthy. I have made some interesting hosiery discoveries over the years since the site went dark, and will post about them. Nothing “earth shattering,” but some thoughts & experiences that might be informative for anyone who may come back here.

One final note: I hope everyone stays very safe during this COVID19 CoronaVirus pandemic! Social distancing & adequate hygiene (washing of hands regularly, avoiding public surfaces that are touched, sanitizing new items that you bring home, etc.) is key.

‘The coronavirus would likely survive better on artificial fibers such as polyester than on cotton.’

So, if you’re thinking it might be feasible to create your own face mask using damaged nylon tights that you don’t wear any longer, think again. Use natural fiber fabrics like cotton. If you have cotton hosiery, the less polyester content the better. However, you could use pantyhose or thin tights material as a liner, for added comfort, with the outer layer being mostly natural fiber (like cotton).

Lastly, the COVID19 CoronaVirus lives longest on cold steel materials, and shortest on porous materials. When sanitizing surfaces, use an antiseptic fluid, but try to minimize using anti-bacterial liquids–their overuse can actually result in stronger bacteria and possibly a virus mutation that can survive it.

Stay safe out there!

Review: DKNY Satin Rib Silver tights

If money was no object, I’d be buying Falke most of the time.  But alas, their price point is a bit too rich for me.  Across the last few months of my expedition through the world of hosiery, looking for brands and styles that would fit me, I find myself coming back to DKNY/Donna Karan.  Apparently this brand seems to be the best overall in matching up to my proportions on an affordable level.  There is also an interesting history of many different styles that have since been discontinued, which is generally the tenuous nature of fashion.  Occasionally, some interesting styles come around at very attractive prices, as closeout items.  And if you get lucky with few bidders to compete with, a great price may be had indeed.

First Impression
I recently managed to find a pair of DKNY satin rib silver tights.  Although the denier is not stated, I would venture to say that they’re about 60 to 70 denier in appearance. The stripe pattern is rather masculine, so I figured I could wear these in place of dress socks.

Material
The material feels like good quality, with a raised stripe texture and slight sheen.  It is called “rib”, but usually that’s for closely spaced lines and they are well spaced apart here, like stripes.  I wasn’t expecting that they would stretch much, but the Lycra content proved to be reasonable and allowed for a good fit.  The toe seams are rounded, which allows the material to conform nicely to the foot, but the toe area does not appear to be reinforced.

Review: Elly Carezza Luna Piena 60

I’d not heard of the Elly brand until I discovered it on Hosieree.  Elly is an Italian company that was founded by Mr. Ubaldo Elli in 1963.  They started producing just stockings, but then moved to compression stockings and then finally pantyhose and tights.  Today they produce 400,000 pairs per month.  The brand is subdivided into two prominent product lines:  Antistress and Carezza.  I also discovered that they have a sub brand called LUI & LEI, a unisex line for both women and men.  However, it is mentioned into just two places on the website and not identified prominently as a separate line alongside Antistress and Carezza.  The Elly website is rather simple in design and the English side was not well checked for grammar and spelling.  I really think their web presence and website could do with an overhaul!  If it weren’t for Hosieree (and Shapings), I think Elly would pretty much be an unknown brand in the USA, because searches on the brand hardly show anywhere else.

First Impressions
I received a pair of Elly Carezza Luna Piena 60 denier style tights from Hosieree.  The packaging comes in a box, similar to the Fiore Elite styles, and is rather good quality.  The front looks quite old style, but classic European.  The tights are very well packaged, wrapped around card stock and inserted in a cellophane sleeve inside the box.  You definitely get the impression that these are meant to be very good quality.

Review: Donna Karan Ultra Sheer Control Top — Style 0B108

This review is something a little different.  A guest reviewer, named Irene, conveyed to me her impressions of Donna Karan’s Ultra Sheer Control Top pantyhose.  OK, I know these aren’t tights, much less opaque.  But I figured the ladies reading this blog would appreciate this one.  So, take it away Irene!

Thanks! There was a time when my legs were perfect, near modeling perfect, and I didn’t cover them with anything.  Not tights.  Not pantyhose.  If it got cold outside I’d simply wear pants, long dresses, or a very nice full length coat!  Well the ravages of time bring about minor imperfections in our skin and although my legs still look terrific, or so my male friends say so, a few small permanent blemishes here and there has encouraged me to wear hosiery more often.  Especially when out on the town!  I do like the feel and appearance of tights, now that they’ve become so much more comfortable compared to years past.  But I also like the sheer look and feel of quality pantyhose.  I never thought I’d say that.  Yet I gave pantyhose one more try last year and realized the game has totally changed.  Either hosiery makers finally get it, or as my friend here says the textiles have improved a lot.

I have to tell you that I really don’t like the idea of spending $20 on a package of pantyhose that lasts just a few wearings, if that.  Very sheer pantyhose has a very short lifespan, and it doesn’t matter if it’s Wolford or L’Eggs.  When you plan for a night out, consider very sheer pantyhose as a temporary accessory.  If it lasts the night, bonus.  If it doesn’t, oh well it wasn’t meant to anyway.  So the only way I’d be buying top quality fragile pantyhose would be on sale.

Tights are not pants, part III

Well, I wouldn’t have expected it, but my “Tights are not pants” series has proven to be one of the most popular on my blog.  With two installments so far, I think it’s time for a third… although it will probably be the last, as one can beat a dead horse only for so long 😉 .  I wouldn’t have thought it possible to continue, except that this fashion faux pas just keeps generating so much material.  Isn’t “faux pas” a great expression?  It literally means “false step” in French, the language of origination.  And it dovetails well with the premise, taking a false step by forgetting that you’re not wearing pants.

Don’t get me wrong–I think tight leggings or thick tights can be worn on the right body with little else, but there should at least be some coverage of the derriere and crotch by a short skirt, shorts, long shirt, or shawl.

Do you even need to ask?

Review: Samburu Crys 80 3D tights

SAMBURU is a subsidiary brand of Cecilia de Rafael, a lower priced economy line targeted for the younger generation.  The general impression has been that you get CdR quality without the higher CdR brand price in lesser packaging.  The Samburu hosiery line is quite small compared to the CdR brand, but there is a growing range of styles being offered.

I decided to sample a mid-range opaque style offered in the Samburu line; the Crys 80 3D. These tights come on a thick card stock hang tag with the material exposed, so you can see exactly what you’re getting.  My order was rapidly fulfilled and quickly shipped from Hosieree.

Shown here in granate, extreme magnification

Review: Fiora Marla 40 Den

I received these tights from The Stylish Fox, a USA based hosiery retailer that specializes in European hosiery brands (such as Trasparenze, Cecilia de Rafael, Fiore, Marilyn, Silvia Grande, and Veneziana).

Fiore is a very nice quality Polish hosiery brand with a wide range of offerings from sheer to opaque and solid to patterned.  Their hosiery is divided into several tiers, with the Marla style as part of their Street line.  This is the fourth style of tights by Fiore that I have reviewed.

Upcoming reviews — Elly and Samburu

I received two pairs of tights from Hosieree, by Elly Carezza and Samburu.  Reviews will be forthcoming in a few days.

Picture of the Day — Crazy Patterned Friday

Friday.  The last day of the work week.  Casual Friday.  The day for fashion pizazz.  So, what better way for the ladies to indulge in it than with some crazy patterned tights?  🙂