We look fabulous, and we love it, but it is uncomfortable. While Banks says both “really elevate the look,” when I ask her what it feels like to wear so many layers, she describes it as a sensation of “blood loss” and like being in “a coma.” “It’s like the skeleton or the blueprint before you build the house,” Banks says with a laugh on our call.Ī seasoned queen, it took her until Canada’s Drag Race to consistently wear hosiery and padding, as many of her costumes required it. Wearing six (!) pairs of pantyhose at one time, Banks says tights are the key to “melting” everything together by hiding pad lines, further cinching her waist, and covering leg hair.
#Hot pictures of gay men in leggings skin#
Initially worn by men during Medieval times (and later abandoned for trousers around the 1800s), early leggings were constructed from woven stockings joined together with a cod-piece, a pouch that protected men’s crotches. While there are many theories behind the invention of tights - for additional warmth, to protect men’s skin while riding horseback, and/or to cover their legs as tunics got shorter - the intended purpose was one of practicality.Ī post shared by Tynomi Banks Canadian drag superstar Tynomi Banks, hosiery serves a pragmatic purpose: giving her shape and adding to the overall transformation.
We actually have a review on our website of this guy who works out in the bushes - where there are many bugs and mosquitoes - and he says that he wears tights because it prevents insects from biting him.”įunction versus fashion has been at the heart of the tight-aissance since the 13th century.
And then there’s another group that is more secretive, wearing for comfort and warmth. “We have a lot of customers who do drag, so they’re more open about it.
“I soon realized that these men were actually just buying for themselves.”Īs Chen and her team began diving deeper into research, unexpected groups emerged. “I thought these guys must be buying them for their wives or their girlfriends or moms,” shares Chen on our call. A post shared by Threads Xenia Chen started conceptualizing the idea after learning through Facebook ads that 50 percent (yes, you read that right) of their existing customer base identified as male, with ages ranging from 20 to 75.