pantyhose

20 Mar 2018

Ask Me Anything Q&A March 2018

By Paul Duane

Jessica Wise

founder – The Litas

Devin Townsend

recording artist

Pat Bagley

Pulitzer finalist political cartoonist

Sean Whalen

men’s coach

Robert Clark

National Geographic photographer

Kurt Bestor

composer

Richard Dutcher

filmmaker

Marianne Willamson

author & spiritual teacher

Steven Wilson

Grammy nominated musician & producer

Peter Breinholt

singer / songwriter

Genpo Roshi

Zen Master Genpo Roshi

How can I stop stressing over the judgement of other people?
Flowers: Practical gift or waste of money?
Is photography still an art form or is it less hip now that everyone can do it?
What is your dream motorcycle?
How can I find my own unique clothing style?
Do women like men that Crossdress? I get asked this question SO MUCH… I decided to do a video exclusively about it:

Watch the Facebook Live recording here:

21 Feb 2018

Review: Platino Clean Cut 40

By Paul Duane

Platino’s Clean Cut line of pantyhose is famous for it’s luxurious shine and slippery feel. Certainly one of the most sensual looking and feeling pairs of pantyhose on the market, they are also very reasonably priced, usually right around $20. Often less. It’s no wonder that lovers of the leg hold them in such high esteem. In addition, their namesake feature: the laser cut, elastic free waistband is wonderfully comfortable. I often hear women complain that they don’t like pantyhose because they are constrictive, scratchy, and uncomfortable.

Pro tip: if you regularly find pantyhose to be itchy, I’d be willing to bet that you aren’t shaving your legs very often or very well. Give your self a proper close, smooth shave, try again (with some Platino’s), and then you can thank me. You’re welcome.

See? Doesn’t that feel nice?

These sheer tights are 40 denier – and honestly, they lean toward the heavy end of that. These are wonderful for the cold months. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they were actually 45 denier. They still do great in the shine department.

Sizing / fit: Ok this is kind of weird: the Clean-cut 40’s fit totally differently than the Clean-cut 15’s. I got some 40’s and 15’s in the same size. I wore the 40’s last week, and the 15’s today. The 40’s are much more generous in their fit – specifically – they run a bit tall. I know some of you taller people have a hard time finding pantyhose that won’t sag in the crotch – you are going to LOVE these. I’m not particularly tall for my weight range, so the pair I got were actually a tiny bit too long in the leg. That’s easy enough to solve, next time I’ll order a size smaller. Just be aware that they are very generous in the leg length when you are ordering. The conventional wisdom of rounding up if you are between sizes does not apply here. The 15’s, on the other hand, fit exactly, perfectly to size, without an inch to spare.

As for construction, they feel rock solid. I wore them all day including time in the studio, running errands around town, and at home with the dogs. At the end of the day, they showed zero signs of wear stress. I can tell I’ll be getting many wearings out of the Clean-cut 40’s.

Obviously these are good for showing off those legs in cold weather. Those of you who have to wear nylons as part of your work uniform such as airline attendants, I think that you’ll really appreciate these. Keep in mind the shine on these – your legs will attract a lot of attention and admiration. Be sure that’s the effect you are going for; that’s not appropriate in all situations.

Order your Platino Clean-cut 40’s right here:

11 Sep 2017

Review: Cecilia de Rafael Divine 9 sheer tights

By Paul Duane

On today’s episode of WTF to do in SLC, which was followed by Act II of “Clean up all of this goddamn mess from Burning Man”, I wore the Divine 9 denier super sheer tights by Cecilia de Rafael.

Amanda looks vastly better in them:

… but I wear them nonetheless.

In terms of looks, I love them. Super sheer, they add that ever so slight amount of perfect to your legs. They are the kind of tights that most people won’t notice, and won’t believe you when you tell them you are wearing them. I love how they look.

In terms of fit, they’ve got a back panel in the largest size. They definitely stretched in all the right places and felt completely natural when all the way on. SUPER comfortable.

A few detail shots of the construction:

As for durability, they made it through a full day of shooting and running errands all day. That’s the first hurdle. We’ll see how they do on subsequent wearings. I’m going to predict that the next couple of wearings will go just great.

And yes, the truck is still caked in playa dust from Burning Man. I just got home a day ago and haven’t even started unpacking or cleaning up my gear. Sad face.

In terms of feel – to the touch, they have a nice, soft, mildly silky feel. When you rub your legs together, they feel – for lack of a better term – “cottony” – although soft, they do not create a silky, slippery feel, one leg upon another. That being said, the fit and look of them were good enough that I was happy to overlook the lack of slippery feel (a characteristic I enjoy in hosiery). I’m on camera quite a bit and I feel that they looked outstanding on camera, so for that alone, I’m a big fan of these. Subtle, but still created the right look. I’ll be wearing them again.

Get yours here: https://www.hosieree.com/products/CeciliaDeRafaelDivine.html

30 Jul 2017

Review: Philippe Matignon Jade sheer tights

By Paul Duane

Maybe it was swanky signature logo on the packaging that set up my high expectations for the Philippe Matignon Jade pantyhose.

Maybe it was the rumor that this style is Kate Middleton’s favorite (the Duchess is known for her penchant for nude pantyhose, and is credited with bringing them back into vogue).

At any rate, I was excited to try them out. Today’s adventure that these sheer tights must endure:

photo shoot with model Zoe (shooting her in pantyhose for Hosieree‘s social media… so meta! ) which means I’ll be on the floor, moving things, and will inevitably kick off my heels and walk around in my bare / stocking feet for a few hours (which can be murderous on sheer hosiery)
photographing the SLC Jazz Festival (who knows that that will bring)
come home to a pack of stupidly excitable dogs who will jump all over me and lick me to death when I walk in the door.

First, a few details on these tights: In terms of construction, they are semi-boarded in the foot, sheer toe, sheer to waist and have light reinforcing around the seams in the waist. Stitching in the waist is flat-seamed, which is standard for hosiery in this price point. The toe seam is small, neat, and should you insist on wearing hose with open toed shoes, the Jade pantyhose would be a good choice. The fit was great; they stayed on very comfortably – no constant adjusting needed. As for feel – to touch them, they feel pretty average. Smooth, but not slippery. When you rub your legs together in them, they have a reasonably silky feel to them, a 7/10 in that department.

Where these nylons really shine – pun intended – is in their appearance. They create a gorgeous, subtle glow on your legs – enough to get people looking and wondering why your legs look so damn good. Even at very close range, my model, Zoe, had to ask if I was wearing tights.

There are different reasons for wearing sheer hosiery. If you are wearing them as a layer, or for the silky tactile sensation -there are slightly better offerings out there. If you are going to be showing some leg and want your legs to look extra magical without it being super obvious, AND you want a nice feel – the Philippe Matignon Jade pantyhose should be in your hosiery drawer.

I get why Kate likes these nylons. They really are gorgeous.

Get yours here: https://www.hosieree.com/products/PhilippeMatignonJade20.html

P.S. They did not survive being attacked by the dogs. That dog is certainly going to doggy hell for this.

12 Jul 2017

Review: Kunert Blue sheer tights

By Paul Duane

Pantyhose made out of garbage? From Germany?

Yes, and they are wonderful.

German hosiery maker Kunert is the first to make pantyhose from ECONYL® yarn, which is produced from recycled textile waste and old nylon fishing nets recovered from the ocean. They didn’t stop at the tights, the packaging is made out of eco friendly cardboard without any unnecessary plastic components.

I don’t speak German, and you might not either, but I think you’ll get the idea:

This was much easier to understand:

Let’s set aside the awesome green – cred that these nylons have and just talk about them on their own merits. Much like German luxury cars – Kunert quietly gets all of the details very, very right. Every seam is immaculately constructed:

Kunert gives every pair of it’s hosiery a tag with their logo on one side, and the style name of the hosiery on the other, for those of you who like to keep track of which style you are wearing. I realize that most of you won’t see why this matters – and for casual hosiery wearers it totally doesn’t. For those who wear hosiery often enough that it matters how long each pair lasts, it can really help you keep a mental note of which styles are wearing well and which aren’t. Most hosiery becomes nameless once you’ve taken it out of the package, worn it once, washed it, and returned it to your drawer. Not Kunert – they proudly wear their name.

The Blue pantyhose are interesting – overall I’d tell you they have a matte finish, as you can see in these photos:

But then they can render a bit of a shine, too:

The weave is consistent and not prone to separation. the color consistency is excellent. In terms of fit, I found the leg to be a bit long, which is a forgivable offense. Hey tall people – take note. You will appreciate the Blue. As you saw in a previous photo – they have a sheer toe, but the seem is rather substantial. Personally I don’t think you should ever wear hosiery with open toe shoes, but if you are inclined to, now you know what you are getting into.

I am brutally hard on my hosiery. I wear them in a working studio, I live with a couple of super excitable friendly dogs that have a special 6th dog-sense for when I’m wearing nice hosiery, which motivates them to scratch and jump all over me. You can take the number of wearings I get out of a pair, multiply it by 2.5, and that’s probably what a normal person will get out of them. That being said, I’ve worn my Kunert Blues out on a several occasions so far and they show zero sign of stopping.

In terms of feel: They have a very soft, cotton-esque feel when you touch your legs. Very comfortable. Many hosiery connoisseurs are looking for something with a very silky feel when your legs rub together (like with a good pair from Cecilia de Rafael or Platino): not happening with the Kunert Blue. It’s cottony softness all the way.

In summary: I really like these nylons. I love that they are made from waste, I really like their understated look on my legs (which is perfect for some occasions), and they are proving to be very durable. A very practical pair of luxury pantyhose. I’d be very happy to stock up on these as a go-to every day pair.

Get yours at https://www.hosieree.com/products/KunertBlue15.html

06 Jun 2017

Review: Kunert Chinchillan 20 sheer tights

By Paul Duane

Today’s review marks my first experience with German hosiery maker Kunert. A friend assured me that I would enjoy them – she was not mistaken. I’ve worn them out on two rigorous occasions: a busy party, and a day at work in the studio followed by going out for drinks. Kunert goes so far as to claim a “no runs guarantee”.

Game on, Kunert. I am famously hard on my hosiery, let’s see what you can take.

Some construction observations, right out of the package:

Semi – boarded, sheer toe.
They are supposedly 20 denier, feel more like 15 or 12 in my hand.
Attention to detail is outstanding: The style name, Chinchillan, is embroidered in the waistband:
Not only does this pair of nylons feature the super comfy, stealthy flat seams, they’ve done an impressive job with doubling the weave right around the seams. This is a classic stress point where a cheaper pair of hosiery will begin to fail under stress. Incredibly nice job here, Kunert.
They are obviously proud of their work, look at that tag:

Fit and Feel:

They stretch on very comfortably. I got a size that is technically one size smaller than I should be wearing, but they fit well anyway.
They definitely feel more sheer than 20 denier. More like 12-15 den
Waistband sits pretty low on the hip. These are not your mother’s pantyhose that go half way up your rib cage.
Top portion is loose and comfy. The upside, it’s super comfy. Downside, I had to give them a little tug now and then to keep them exactly where I wanted them. My guess is that if I was in a the next size up, this may not be an issue. Ladies, those of you who complain about pantyhose tops being tight and restrictive – you will love these.
I got them in “candy” color: I have *very* fair, Danish skin. The Chinchillan imparted a nice light, golden caramel color to my legs. On the package, they are labeled as being “matt-shimmery”. Normally I’d say these are two opposite points on a continuum with matte and super glossy being the two ends. Somehow, these manage to give an ever so slight shimmer to the outline of your leg while remaining matte and relatively undetectable on your skin. Very subtle, refined look. I’m a big fan of how these look on the leg.
Feel: Touch your legs while wearing them, and they feel not silky to the point of being slippery, but very soft. Certain styles of pantyhose feel very slippery and silky when you rub your legs together in them. Definitely not the case with Chinchillan. I’m fairly certain the tactile qualities of these nylons are due to the run-resistant weave and the yarns used: 72% polyamide, 28% elastane.

I put them through two days of wearing, one of which included lots of time working at my desk, followed by a fantastic warehouse party; the next day I wore them to work in the studio. I kicked off my heels and walked on the 100 year old wood floors, climbed ladders, moved photo gear around in them.

Those gorgeous old wood floors are notorious for tiny little rough edges that are absolute murder on sheer hosiery. I really didn’t expect the Kunert Chinchillans to survive my day in the studio but they did! They were still in perfect shape when it was time to go downtown to an upscale bar for drinks with an associate.

The people at Kunert obviously have their act together in the manufacturing process. This is a very high quality pair of nylons. I’m loving how they make my legs look. If you like that bare-but-holy-shit-why-do-your-legs-look-so-amazing look, you should definitely get a pair.

And here I am wearing them in my weekly WTF to do in SLC piece:

21 May 2017

Review: Glamory Classic 20 tights for men

By Paul Duane

One of the best kept secrets in the world is that many men love women’s hosiery.

…and not just women’s legs when adorned in them. A massive number of men love to wear tights, nylons, and pantyhose, themselves. (Ladies, I assure you that you know at least a couple of guys who do this, but you’ll never know) Although many of their wives and girlfriends will be forever kept in the dark about this sartorial secret, there’s one group that knows all about it:

Hosiery makers and retailers. Online hosiery retailers know this best; a surprising percentage of their customers are men. Several hosiery makers have tried creating and packaging pantyhose “for men”. Could there be a more convoluted marketing dilemma? Do the fellas like them because they are a woman’s item? Would they consume more of them if the stigma of crossdressing was reduced with more manly packaging?

I have tried “pantyhose for men” a few years ago from a company that was endeavoring to create an entire brand of sheer hosiery just for men. I ordered one pair and never bought more. I was unimpressed. The fabric was a bit rough, and even though they had a fly opening, that feature has never been important to me.

German hosiery maker Glamory is the latest to bring such offerings to the marketplace. I’ve already reviewed their Thermoman 100 footless tights (love them) I’ve put their Classic 20 sheer tights for men through their paces, and I’m here to report back.

Here’s what I’m looking for in a great pair of nylons: luxurious feel on my skin, the right color, great fit, durability, and price. They’ve got to feel good, look good, fit well, and not break the bank.

Glamory’s Classic 20 feature a reinforced “panty” area – henceforth to be referred to as the boxer brief top. At the top of the thigh, the fabric shifts gears a bit from the elegant, smooth weave of the leg, into a more course yet not totally opaque consistency.

Moving further up, the area right around your groin is made with a much thicker fabric that facilitates the fly opening. These are absolutely made to be worn as underwear. The opaque knit of the groin region turns these into something one could lounge around the house in around mixed, albeit intimate, company. One other note about the boxer brief top: It was wonderfully comfortable. Whereas women’s hosiery can be comfortable, it’s still a bit of a stretch at times… The Glamory Classic 20 are obviously tailored to fit a man in this area. I’m a big fan of the fit. Wonderfully comfortable from toe to waist in a way that precious few women’s pairs are.

They feature a boarded foot and reinforced toe, which I appreciate because the toe is an obvious failure point as your hosiery are put through normal stresses of wear. I wasn’t expecting a super nice fabric on the leg – an expectation inherited from my previous experience with men’s hosier from an unrelated maker. I was very pleasantly surprised! They felt really nice! I didn’t feel like I was wearing something made for a man – the leg fabric was soft, quite silky, and did a great job of being both sheer in appearance but definitely 20 denier in toughness.

The only drawback for me personally was that weave change at the top of the leg. I wear a lot of very short shorts, and sometimes that weave change can be visible (especially when sitting down).

All things considered: I’m impressed. My favorite feature of the product is the slightly modified patern that allows more room in the butt and groin area. These are definitely tailored for a man’s dimensions. Get a pair for yourself at https://www.hosieree.com/products/GlamoryClassic20Men.html

01 May 2017

Review: Oroblu Makeup 20 pantyhose

By Paul Duane

Do you like wine? I love wine. I can appreciate it at all levels – the cheap stuff, and the good stuff. It all has it’s place. That being said, once I find a favorite, I tend to stick with it quite habitually. For instance, I just can’t think of a reason to even bother with Sauvignon Blanc from anywhere but New Zealand. Theirs is the best, and it is very moderately priced. Why wander?

…because sometimes there are *awesome* things outside of what I normally do. That’s why. I’ve known about Italy’s Oroblu for many years, and I’ve never tried them because I’ve been really happy with the great hosiery offerings from northern and eastern Europe (Poland has some great hosiery mills). Those Polish pairs are beautiful, they feel great, and they are super inexpensive, which is nice because I beat the shit out of my hosiery. I am hosiery’s worst nightmare. I live with 3 idiotic dogs who love me (and thus jump all over me when I walk in the door), I often do shoots in places full of hazzards like splintery wood floors, scrap lumber, and other….hazzards.

I mean, ladies, take whatever I say about how durable these are and double it, and that’s about what you’ll get out of them.

I digress. Back to the tights at hand:

Oroblu makes damn fine hosiery.

Right out of the package, these 20 denier pantyhose felt more substantial than your typical sheer pair of nylons. It was obvious that attention to detail and the finest materials were selected in making these. They seemed like they were going to be on the opaque side of things, but as I slid them up my legs, the material went sheer and created an awesome “makeup” effect. I’ve had some super dry, irritated skin on my legs lately, creating unsightly red blotchy spots.

Black hosiery mask it pretty well, and it being winter up until recently, this hasn’t caused me any problems. It’s getting warmer, lighter colors are appropriate, and that means flesh tones on the legs. I was nervous to wear sheer nude hosiery out because of my irritated skin; the Oroblu’s did an admirable job of ironing that out. They don’t have much of a shine to them, the matte appearance makes them disappear quite easily onto your legs for those of you who like your hosiery to be sutble.

Color and appearance aside, these feel really, really nice on your legs. It’s just obvious that you are wearing something of high quality. Not a single microscopic thread is out of place (those of you who wear a lot of hosiery know what I am talking about). I put them through a couple of rigorous days of my typical routine: working at the photo studio, crazy parties, dumb dogs, etc. I’ve worn and washed them a few times and they still feel and look like new. I expect that the Makeup 20’s will carry me through many more adventures.

They are $20… just a little more than the crappy hosiery you’ve been buying at Dillard’s, and five times as nice. Ladies, if you are a frequent hosiery wearer, you will appreciate these finer things.

Get yours at https://www.hosieree.com/products/OrobluMakeUp20.html

25 Apr 2017

Review: Falke Pure Shine 15

By Paul Duane

Have you ever owned or driven a German luxury car? Audi… BMW… Mercedes… Porsche…

For whatever reason, Germans do cars better than everyone else. Period. There’s just something refined in every aspect of the design, every part, extra attention to detail is evident.

I’ve begun my exploration of German hosiery makers. Today I’m reviewing the Falke Pure Shine 15 sheer tights, color: Powder. A few observations on construction as they came out of the package: boarded, semi-invisbly reinforced toe, flat seams, back panel, no gussett, sheer to waist.

I have a problem with hosiery that’s just a degree too light, one’s legs look pasty and ridiculous in tones that are just a bit too light. Choosing from color swatches online can be a guessing game. “Powder” seems like it’s going to be light, but the color swatch seemed to indicate a nice tan nude tone, so I went with it.

Coming out of the package they look fairly dark tan, one can already see the golden shimmer of the light off of the fabric before you even put them on. Going on my legs – it felt like driving a fine German car. The fabric was sheer but absolutely confident in itself. Some tights feel like they are just looking for something to snag on – these do not. They are minding their own business, and that business is making your legs look and feel fucking incredible. Yep. There. I said it. These may be my favorite pair of pantyhose in the history of favorites, so far.

They are called “pure shine” and they definitely do have a glimmer to them – though it shows up a bit different than the shine on something like Cecilia de Rafael’s hosiery. While CDR produces a very glass-like shine, this pair of pantyhose have more of a “glow” around the edges, if that makes any sense. It’s difficult to describe but it’s incredibly alluring when you see it.

Ladies, if you want him glued to your legs, show up in some Falke Pure Shine 15’s. Your legs will have a certain glow and something-something to them that nobody will be able to put their finger on, but they’ll be dying to touch your legs with that finger.

As for feel: the fabric itself is absolutely perfect to the touch. They feel very soft and silky to touch, and on the recieving end, my legs feel really nice in them, too. It’s a sensual treat to wear these.

Paul Duane in falk pure shine 15 den tights

The only thing I did not absolutely love about the Falke Pure Shine pantyhose, is the back panel. That being said, I don’t like anyone’s back panel design. Depending on what’s happening in my life, sometimes I fit into sizes that don’t use a back panel, sometimes I do. That being said, Falke’s back is the lesser of some of the evils.

I am VERY hard on my hosiery. Between our excitable dogs, my tendency to walk around without shoes on in the studio, and events in a variety of situations, I am the ultimate tst fr hosiery. If they can survive me, they will serve you very well. These Falk nylons powered me through a photo shoot, then a very busy party at a venue aptly named “The Garage”, and then to an afterparty. Upon taking them off, they seemed to still be in perfect condition. I expect that these nylons will see me through many adventures before they run.

If you drive a lot, you owe it to yourself to drive some German engineering; your days will be more comfortable. If you wear hosiery often, you owe it to yourself to try out Falke.

These tights are $32. Yes. Thirty two dollars. Plus shipping.. and they are worth every. damn. penny.

I’m going to be reviewing a few other German brands this month, stay tuned.

Get your Falke sheer tights here: https://www.hosieree.com/products/FalkePureShine.html

vroom vroom.

29 Dec 2016

Catherine modeling Cecilia de Rafael

By Paul Duane

The very lovely Catherine models three styles from hosiery maker, Cecilia de Rafael: Barbara Bas stockings, Libero Seamless, and Malaga 5 denier sheer tights.
www.CeciliadeRafael.com
You may order them in the USA from
www.Shapings.com