“This winter the city’s most stylish men will have a secret weapon hidden in their trousers.”

No, no, no, get your mind out of the gutter, kids! That’s David Walker-Smith, the director of menswear and beauty of the famous London department store Selfridges, commenting on the fact that the huge (ha) new craze amongst British men is to wear tights (over their knickers and under their trousers) to keep their legs feeling warm and looking trim. In fact, demand for mantyhose has skyrocketed to the point where they’ve developed a line of them by lingerie brand Unconditional that are strong enough for a man at “a tough 120 denier thickness,” whatever the hell that means. And now dudes will get a taste of how expensive ladies’ “accessories” can be, as each pair costs a whopping $114. (REALLY!?) Hey, supply and demand folks, supply and demand. Those dudes must be seriously wanting to get their tights on. [Daily Mail]

There’s been a strange phenomenon occurring these last couple months, and I don’t think it’s going to stop anytime soon. Several companies have begun selling articles of clothing for men that had previously been reserved for women: bras, Spanx-like undershirts, pantyhose, girdles, and skirts. And it doesn’t stop there. Today, Just Jared reported that “All My Children” star Cameron Mathison wore a thong in last Wednesday’s episode of the show.

Most people have seen these items and been aghast. “I don’t wear girdles and pantyhose, and I wouldn’t want a man I’m dating to be of such a vain sort to want to either. And as shallow as it sounds, if a guy needs a bra, he needs a workout routine too,” said Frisky commenter DancerNinja. Contrary to popular opinion, I’m actually quite pleased that these items have become available for men and might enter their wardrobes.

First we heard about mantyhose, then about spanx-like six-pack undershirts, and now…bras for men? A Japanese online shop called Wishroom sold over 300 men’s bras in its first two weeks after launching last month. Like mantyhose and the 6-pack undershirt, these bras seem to be marketed not at cross-dressers or gay men, but at guys as straight as a ruler. “I like this tight feeling,” a guy groping his bra-clad chest happily stated to the interviewer, “It feels good.” (That’s not what she said). Clip above. 

Any idea what traditionally woman-centric product we’ll see marketed for men next? [Guardian U.K.]

Remember when we posted about men wearing skirts and some of you were concerned that guys’ legs are just too hairy to carry off the look? Well, Project E-MANcipate! has a solution: mantyhose. At the forefront of E-MANcipate!, a project “to accelerate the acceptance of male pantyhose as a regular clothing item,” is a push for hosiery manufacturers to create pantyhose designed specifically for men. “Don’t buy female pantyhose at all,” the E-MANcipate site urges. “Don’t strengthen those companies who don’t produce/sell male pantyhose. Buy male pantyhose. Do help with your purchasing power to those who are on your/our side.” 

So, why are the men behind the project so adamant in their desire for mantyhose, so urgent in their need for others to join their side? The site gives three main reasons, listed after the jump…