Courtesy of ItSocks, I’ll be receiving several Gatta tights styles, ranging from a light 40 denier to a heavy 600 denier fleece. Keep an eye out for reviews, the first upcoming next week! Be sure to stop by ItSocks, as they’re having a great winter sale on select hosiery. There’s also now a Men’s Tights section, which currently lists tights with XL sizes available (still tights marketed to women, but have a good fit for most men).
Rad Hourani is a fashion designer, who was born in 1982 to a Jordanian father and a Syrian mother in Jordan. After his high school graduation, he worked full time as a modelling scout and a stylist. Eventually he moved to Paris, where he designed his first clothing collection. Somehow, a mere two years later, he launched his namesake label for a fashion show and received notable attention. All at the young age of 25 (he’s 29 now).
What sets Rad apart from most other designers is his conceptional direction being predominantly focused on unisex designs, with a flair for goth. His fashions have become cult classics, often compared to established designers known for technical precision. In 2009, he hit the ground running with some outfits incorporating tights for women… and men, exuding a bleak-urban-future aesthetic. Rad has his own website where you can view the breadth of his designs: Rad Hourani. Meanwhile, please enjoy a few images I’ve located and posted below. Also, there’s a great interview with him on YouTube.
In Japan, there is a pop singer by the name of Nomoto Karia. Back in the summer of 2004, she released an album entitled “Karly”. The artwork for the CD consisted of photos of her, dressed only in a selection of colorful tights. The album was popular in Japan but remains mostly unknown in the USA and Europe.
On the inside of the CD booklet, there are several shots of her wearing tights, looking cute while sitting inside a white box.
When you think of multicolored retro fashion, it’s easy for the name Emilio Pucci to come to mind. Emilio was a Florentine Italian fashion designer born in 1914, who lived up until 1992. He was somewhat of a Renaissance man, delving into many different areas of interest. But when he managed to receive notable attention for an experimental stretch fabric he created for his own ski wear design in the late 1940’s, he decided to pursue haute couture as his life long profession.
I recently came to know about a hosiery retailer based in the USA called “Hosieree.” They have been in business on-line since 2005, selling internationally, and offer a wide range of hosiery products that includes tights, stockings, thigh highs, pantyhose, leggings, socks, knee-highs, and lingerie, plus products for bridal and maternity. Their hosiery brands are quite diverse, with names like Trasparenze, Falke, Oroblu, Fiore, Gabriella, Cecilia de Rafael, Levante, and many others (30 and growing). What’s rather unique about Hosieree, is that you can select a brand first and then view all of the product items across the available categories for just that brand.
Hosieree is male customer friendly, whether buying for a female partner or for himself. In fact, about 30% of their business comes from male buyers. They have an upcoming existing customer Winter Sale Event that the owner has allowed me to post here.
You’re invited to our store wide Winter Sale Event at Hosieree.
This is a best time to try a new model for less, or save some money on your favorites.
During this sale our customers will benefit from 10% Discount on ALL regular and sale price items, plus a Free shipping on orders over $65.00 (after discount is applied)! Promotion is valid from 12pm (EST) on 01/19/11 till 12am (EST) on 01/22/11
Valid code is required to process Promotion adjustments on your order.
Please use code WSB100112 in the Promotion Code field at the checkout. Your discount will be calculated automatically. Free standard shipping offer is valid for orders over $65.00 after discount is applied and for US destinations only.
Definitely give them a look! 🙂
NOTE: I changed the title… it turns out that the “Signature Lux 90” is not some exclusive style made for Neiman Marcus. It is the “Perfect Opaque” style, simply labeled differently.
I was a bit confused by a number of naming variations that Donna Karan had come up with for a line of opaque tights. You would find “Perfect Opaque”, “Signature Luxury”, “Signature Lux 90”, “Luxe Layer”, “Luxury Layer”, “Sueded Jersey” and so on. They’re all opaque tights… so what’s the difference? Well, in some cases the same style is just being resold under a different name. But, in other cases, there are some physical differences (ranging from slight to more substantial). And some hosiery makers will create a style that is distributed to only a few select stores.
I recently came to learn about the “DK Luxe Layer” tights, which are a very solid looking opaque style (could pass for 120 to 200 denier) with an inner micro fleece layer, sold through Bloomingdale’s. They have a terrific looking front panel that can serve both women and men very well. These are different from the “Luxe Layer” style also offered by Donna Karan, as the Donna Karan website shows a different panty/brief design (seam is up the front).
It’s not an uncommon concept, the idea of unisex clothing. Something is designed neutral enough so that it could be worn by a man or a woman. The item has no gender identity, so it is perfectly acceptable for either gender to wear it. Sometimes women buy items made and marketed for men, because there’s enough unisex appeal that it is appreciated by women too. But for the other way around? Well… that’s another story!
NOTE: This review is from the male perspective, but should be applicable to women of tall and muscular physiques. There are also qualities applicable to all customer types.
You may have read my long term review of Donna Karan’s Satin Jersey tights. I had taken a long break from buying new tights and only recently started refreshing my collection. In the past, my experience with Donna Karan was that the DKNY brand was sized a little smaller than her primary brand. I lucked out with a couple of styles that had fit me, but this changed with some newer ones. So I stopped considering DKNY. Fast forward 15 years, I decided to give DKNY another try. Hanes is the manufacturer (and all customer support goes through the Hanes help desk), which is generally regarded as a lower tier brand for hosiery, but these tights definitely show mid tier quality. I’d read a comment from a customer who said the Super Opaque style was generous in fit, so this was the style I bought.
DKNY Super Opaque Control Top Tights
Review upcoming shortly! Stay tuned…
Retro fashion styles have been booming lately. I could definitely see a female rock artist pulling off this look today, but Nancy Sinatra is a hard act to follow:
(photo courtesy of Rue des Archives)
“These boots were made for walkin’, and so were these cool tights.” 😉
Tights For Men 