Interview with Anatoly Borodin – a Russian Pantyhose Photographer

jessica head shotI am pleased to present this interview with Anatoly Borodin, a photographer and an entrepreneur from Moscow. He runs a popular pantyhose fetish-oriented website pro-kolgotki. It has been 10 years since he started photographing women in pantyhose and he is currently working on publishing a high quality printed photo book of his best work. This is a crowdfunding campaign to spread a word about the beauty of women in pantyhose. Anatoly proved to be the most interesting person to interview so far. Some of his answers took me by surprise, some made me disagree, some made me wonder whether he is the next Pierre Molinier, and some made me realize that my degree of pantyhose obsession is no match to his. To sum it up, Anatoly left me with even more questions than answers. Enjoy the read! 

 

How do you select your models? Is it a requirement for them to love pantyhose? I remember helping to dress models at a Vancouver fashion show and many had no idea about basic concepts like “backseam is supposed to be at the back” type of thing.

Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.comI look for amateur girls who want to have good photos of themselves in order to publish them on their own blog and to improve their self-esteem. These are ordinary girls from Moscow, Kiev and other Russian and Ukrainian cities.

There’s no requirement to love pantyhose. If it was in place – I wouldn’t find any models. LOL.

I simply publish a job post in fashion & modelling communities with explanation that ‘we shoot underwear and pantyhose’. Then I make a selection of the best girls who have replied to my job post.  Usually it is 50% of all the replies. Then I contact them and ask if they’re OK to pose in underwear. At this point another 50% of girls leave. The reason for double-checking is that models are usually young absent-minded girls with ‘a wind between their ears’, honestly. So they reply to all castings and all job posts without even looking at the details. Calling a potential model and double-confirming the type of shooting is essential – it saves a lot of time and energy.

I do not tell that the session is of certain fetish type. Because it’s not! Surprised?
Yes, my sessions are NOT related to pantyhose fetish. Don’t want to go deep into details, just check the vocabulary’s definition of ‘fetish’ and you’ll get the clue. My sessions are about women and their true tender beauty. Pantyhose are just a garment that emphasises the femininity of certain girl in a certain session.

Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

Yes, women DO NOT KNOW A THING ABOUT PANTYHOSE. For more than 15 years I’ve been researching this alluring riddle, testing hundreds of pairs of pantyhose, learning the hosiery industry on all continents. Completed hundreds of interviews with women of different cultures and ages learning their attitude and wishes towards nylons.
My conclusion is that women do not really care about hosiery. They purchase random tights at random places without looking at either the brand name or the visual quality.

I don’t judge. I understand them completely. The woman’s world contains so many more important things like health, relations, and daily tasks, looking after kids and so on. The list is endless. A pair pantyhose is at the very end on that list, if there at all.

photo by Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

I adore seeing women wearing pantyhose in everyday life, there aren’t so many of them around. That’s why I came up with my project’s idea – to create more real women wearing pantyhose. It’s all right that they wear pantyhose only at my sessions. But the pantyhose wearing index it’s already above zero. Do you get my point?
This is our reality, and there’s nothing good or bad about that.

photo by Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

Is there a type of pantyhose that is the most difficult to photograph? There are a lot of little details to watch for during any photoshoot, especially the lighting.

Surprisingly, seamless sheer pantyhose is the most difficult to shoot, like Wolford Fatal 15. I love the idea of seamless pantyhose, but it is almost impossible to show them in a beautiful way without going to too explicit images.
The thing is that seamless pantyhose are unthinkable to be worn with any underwear. The seamless concept is so super-sexy and so super-feminine that I can’t allow my model to have anything under them. Any kind of panties look weird and odd under a pair of seamless pantyhose.

Another disadvantage of seamless pantyhose is that they’re too matt and too thin to be clearly visible on the photographs. So it usually takes a lot of efforts to place the right lighting and take a shot under the right angle to make a good photo.

That’s why I don’t shoot seamless pantyhose in my sessions anymore. Too much of hassle of balancing the image between being feminine, tender and pure and the explicitness.

photo by Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

Do you retouch your photographs? I’d like to know where you stand on this, some fashion photographers pride themselves on never releasing an image without first spending a few hours on it in Photoshop.

Yes I always retouch every photograph. One photo takes from 10 to 30 minutes of retouching. One issue of my magazine contains up to 400 photographs. So one issue release takes from 66 to 200 hours of my daily work.
I love what I do, so I’m working without weekends, and at night. But don’t get delusional, a good photograph that people would want to pay money for is always based on hard work and years of experience. Throw away the stories of ‘get rich in one month in two clicks’.

AND! Do not ever listen to any ‘fashion photographers’ who say that. Everybody retouches photos. Without retouching any photo look ‘too ordinary’ . It’s a general trap that many starting photographers get into… sometimes for life.

The whole point of artistic depictions that people would like looking at is in ‘creating a vivid unusual image that one can’t find in everyday life’. It has a lot to do with the increased contrast, vividness, color balance and many other things.

photo by Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

It is a known fact that amateur photos get way more attention on social media than studio photos. Why do you think this is the case?

In my opinion amateur photos are quite popular because of higher level of intimacy on them. A photo of yourself taken in your private kitchen or your bedroom is much more intimate and ‘true’ than any studio photo. But popular doesn’t mean profitable. People want to watch amateur photos for free, and don’t want to pay.

Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

 

Do you have any entertaining photoshoot stories? One time I was at a fashion show in Toronto where the model was in such a rush to put on that jacket, she walked out with the hanger still on her back.

Can’t recall any specific funny story. Mainly because of my sessions are completely directed and pre-arranged. So I’m the conductor of the set and can do whatever I think is reasonable.

There was one plus size girl who brought her red evening dress but didn’t bring any heels. I asked her about what she was thinking about when she packed an evening dress and her sneakers… So we had to shoot her in that dress and with bare feet. The result was still nice.

Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

Oh! Let me tell you the biggest fun: girls do not have a clue of what does them and what doesn’t fit them.

Women do not have a clue of matching pantyhose and underwear colors. They think ‘it’s OK’ and ‘nobody sees it anyway’.
But men see. If you’re a girl reading this, get this clear: yesterday you wore stockings under your skirt and I guarantee most men you met on that day knew you were wearing stockings. Don’t ask how. We, men, train our skills.
If you’re a man reading this, you’d probably agree with me.

photography by Anatoly Borodin, model in yellow tights and high heels

Moreover, when you’re young you never know in whose bed you will end up today. It’s OK. But in order to look holistic, tasty and stylish – please, PLEASE (PLEASE!) think of matching your underwear and pantyhose colors.
There’s nothing more tasteless than a white panties under a black sheer pantyhose. It just degrades you down to a country redneck girl (is that OK to write like that? LOL).

Black pantyhose = black/dark panties.
Nude pantyhose = nude/white/light panties
Colourful pantyhose = up to you, think of and try the complimentary colors.

(Red vs blue, yellow vs violet, pink vs sky-blue, orange vs dark-green… should I continue or you’ve got the point?)

Not saying about all other accessories, belts, bracelets, watches, earrings, and lipstick’s color matching the whole outlook.

Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

And finally:
Some girls come to my sessions having their periods. This is awkward, but to me it is funny! I mean no offense. I’m laughing at myself getting into such an awkward situation. It’s inconvenient for the girl in first place. And when she doesn’t feel secure, the photos would be a complete crap. I can’t even press the shutter button when I see a tense insecure girl in front of me.
When a girl decides to come for an underwear session at her ‘days’, this means she just wants money. I understand and don’t judge. But we won’t get any good result out of that. There’s no easy solution for this, because I can’t ask my potential models about their periods over the phone. It would be too awkward. So all I have is to rely on girls’ discretion, and to laugh at such situations.

Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

Looks like you are an open-minded kind of guy. What is your opinion of men who wear pantyhose for comfort and enjoyment? This is probably one of the most common questions I get.

If that’s making you feel good, then IT IS GOOD.

Yes I wore pantyhose and I found it exciting. The good pantyhose make your legs look and feel so smooth and sleek. I regret I can not wear skirt because when pantyhose are under your pants the legs can’t touch each other. Although I’ve tried it at home. I believe that this sensation of your legs covered by sheer pantyhose touching each other is very important!  And very revealing! Like the whole unknown universe opens before you! A universe of women’s feelings, sensations, thoughts, and motivations. This experience has allowed me to feel what women feel, and as a result to better understand them.

photo by Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

And here I’d like to say that I understand WHY women hate pantyhose. I really do! Because after wearing a pair of sheer pantyhose for 10-12 hours they bring a lot of discomfort at the end of the day. I felt that my legs were like in a cage. And especially the sweat that have spread along the legs, making pantyhose feel like something wet and rubbery.

BUT ONLY THE LOW-QUALITY ONES! Hear me out! Only the low quality pantyhose bring that kind of discomfort by the end of the day! The good ones, for instance Wolford Satin Opaque 50, or Neon 40, are so luxurious that you wouldn’t want to take them off. I’ve experimented with many women of different ages and ethnicity. All of them declined to take them off after a 4-hour long session.

Listen to me; it’s a man telling you this stuff. Don’t take this as an advertisement, I simply haven’t found anything better than Wolford during my 15 year extensive research of hosiery.

I’ve even tried wearing laced sexy panties, but that’s too inconvenient for a man simply because of the physiological reasons. It could give you some bad consequences with your health in a long run. I looked at myself in a mirror wearing laced panties and sheer pantyhose, and it was the most miserable view in my life. I felt it was all too fake. It was like a wishful act – trying to be someone you’re not. That moment I decided that I prefer seeing beautiful underwear and luxury pantyhose on real women.

photo by Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

We all have both male and female essence in us. Seeking for another gender’s essence in you is normal and good for finding yourself. Usually, normally, we go through that sex/orientation thing at our middle childhood when trying on another sex’s garments, shoes, clothing. It’s normal and it’s very important in forming your orientation. That’s what I believe in.

I’d like to emphasise this to all men interested in pantyhose, who are insecure about their interest. If something makes you feel good, and it doesn’t affect anyone else, then it’s nothing but the good thing.

Just do it and enjoy your life.

 

photo by Anatoly Borodin, photographer of women in pantyhose, founder of pro-kolgotki.com

 

Contact Information for Anatoly Borodin: 

E-mail: anatoly@pro-kolgotki.com

Facebook profile: Anatoly Borodin

Facebook fan page: pro-kolgotki (direct transliteration of Russian “about pantyhose”)

Instagram: @pro_kolgotki

Youtube: RuPantyhose

Best Pantyhose Magazine on Earth: pro-kolgotki.com

Crowdfunding campaign to publish his book: Women in pantyhose Photography Book Project.

 

 

This interview was conducted by Jessica, the founder of this website. Please note that views expressed in this interview are Anatoly’s only and they may or may not reflect the views on the same subjects of the Fantasy Stockings team. 

 

Cindy of Samoa, a Glamorous Fa`afafine

By Helene, Belarus

Cindy of SamoaSamoa, traditions, customs. The combination of these words evokes some exotic images, many people will claim to know something about this country. But when you ask about the meaning of “fa’afafine”, even those who pretend to know Samoa will be quite confused. Though this is a very distinctive feature of Samoan culture, even not culture, but rather Samoan society. It is difficult to describe that mixture of emotions and feelings when I was reading about fa’afafine. Surprise, curiosity, thoughts about our society that claims to be the most human in the world, and of course, a question, how would those people feel here, in my country?

Fa`afafine is a third-gender person. Actually, those people are male biologically, but if they engage from childhood more in girls activities, if they feel more like girls, parents do not force them to get to male`s world. Such boys are grown up like girls. But they are not gays, as we are used to say, no, they are fa’afafine. They live a complete life and they are respected members of society. Moreover, if in family there are many boys but not enough girls, then some of boys could be brought up like a girl, so that fa`afafine could take care of family and help the mother around the house.

Immediately arises a question, if such people can find themselves in the modern world. And they do! As long as they were not pressurized in their families and as long as they were accepted positively in their society, they are not afraid of the world. Mostly they engage themselves in fashion, modeling, show-business, as those are creative people with very fine feelings.

Take for example, Cindy of Samoa. This is an example of how an ordinary person from Samoa can become world-famous and beloved. While reading her posts and comments I even felt a hint of envy, so much positivity and friendliness that one doubts if that person is from our world. First I thought it is a pose, nothing more than just a pose to gain some popularity, but while reading her Cindy`s posts more attentively. Some of them made me laugh, some of them seemed crazy to me, some of them made me think. But one was for sure this is an incredible person, with brilliant sense of humor, kind and loving heart, with her advantages and disadvantages and no doubt, very talented.

Cindy of SamoaUnwillingly a memory came to my mind. An old story, half-fairy-tale, half legend. Long ago there were no men and no women, people were complete and happy. So happy that gods got envious with them and divided them into two parts – a man and a woman. I think such kind of story exists in every culture, and this time Cindy of Samoa was the reason why I remembered about it.

I am not sure if fa`afafine could find a place in my country, but I am sure in one simple fact – progress was made not by ordinary people. If an ordinary person reads about fa`afafine, different feelings arise. But one is for sure they are unique, they are different, and we can learn from them many things.

Ukrainian Show “Pay Attention” – Secrets of Pantyhose

TV host Tatiana Ramus:  “Greetings to all viewers of the TV program “Pay attention”.  What do men notice first, when they secretly look at a woman?  It is unlikely that some will say say that they stare at the face, but for sure at the legs, especially if at that time those legs are in beautiful pantyhose.

Today we are going to advice women how to choose this nylon accessory which allows to change your look throughout the day.  And, we are going to show the men that this wardrobe detail is as important to women as a tie for a man.”

 

Brunette TV host: “The women in trousers have occupied urban streets but the men still look for legs in pantyhose and stockings. What is more interesting to them, legs or pantyhose? It seems that such clothing magically influence men.”

 

Opinion Poll on the street

Male Passerby 1: “I think the more transparent are the tights, the more decent the lady looks.”

 

Male Passer-by 2: “Pantyhose turn me on.”

 

zverni uvagu show putting on pantyhose

TV host putting on pantyhose

Brunette TV host: These 100 grams of nylon make your legs look perfect!

 

Psychologist Oksana Nikitina: “The woman wearing pantyhose has a closed personality, it is like so called chastity belt. The woman wearing stockings has an open personality. Men react not only to pantyhose and stockings but how the woman carries herself”.

 

Brunette TV host: “A woman uses more than 240 pairs of pantyhose during the year and to save them you should know more about this nylon miracle.” [Even though this is said in the show, it doesn’t seem to be true.]

 

Director of hosiery factory Maxim Kuzmenko: “Here we have very big range of pantyhose and they all consist of polyamide and elasthane threads. The comfort, price and so on depend on the quantitative composition of these two these yarns.”

 

zverni uvagu show pantyhose legs at a store

Hosiery Selection at a Store

Brunette TV host: “6 km of thread and 3 million of stitches are used to manufacture a pair of tights. There are thick or thin tights the, difference is only in deniers. So what is it and how to find out what deniers are?”

 

Director of hosiery factory Maxim Kuzmenko: “The thicker thread that is delivered, the thicker the manufactured product.”

 

Brunette TV host: “The price depends on the denier and whether the product is produced by a foreign or by a Ukrainian (local) factory.”

 

Sales Assistant Svetlana Pavlenko “Here we have Ukrainian tights produced by Nika – Nikopol Factory”

 

Brunette TV host: “There is plenty of variety in stores in our capital.”

 

zverni uvagu show pantyhose low rise

Low Rise Styles

Sales Assistant Svetlana Pavlenko “Young people prefer pantyhose with low waistline and there is also Brazilian type of pantyhose that make your tummy flatter and lifts your buttocks.”

 

Brunette TV host: “Wow, how does it work? Do you put on your tights and look 5 kg slimmer?”

 

Marketing Director Nataliya Esliuk: “Pantyhose are an accessory that can change your look. If you put on tights with vertical line pattern, you look slimmer. If you put on tights with horizontal line, then the legs look wider. If you take tights with dots or some other shapes they will hide all of your weak points and present your legs from the best side.”

 

Brunette TV host: “Wow, pantyhose are one of the fantastic things of 20th century. They make you slimmer and have no disadvantages.”

 

zverni uvagu show pantyhose low rise 2

Colour can cause skin allergies

Dermatologist Yury Opanasenko: “It is advisable not to wear pantyhose during the warm days of the year because they increase moisture content of the skin and this can lead to frequent infections for women, known as yeast. Colorful tights cause allergies and can provoke eczema and some other dermatitis.”

 

Brunette TV host: “Ok, I won’t wear them very often. But any way tights often rip and tear.”

 

Marketing Director Nataliya Yesliuk: “Pantyhose are a very delicate item, so it means they need special treatment. Usually, all manufacturers indicate laundry instructions on the packing. Generally, the washing temperature should not be more than 30 degrees and also there are many washing detergents for hosiery such as special shampoos and many others.”

 

zverni uvagu show pantyhose washing instructions

Washing Instructions

Brunette TV host: “But don’t hurry to throw your torn pantyhose, they may be still useful for you. For example, you can use them as decoration for a hat or as a base material for such bead necklace. Well, girls, let’s put on your pantyhose and let’s go hunting right away!”

 

TV host Tatiana Ramus: “Pantyhose help every woman to look slim and attractive. This accessory is less than 100 grams and can easily fit in your purse and totally change your look. In our show every day we talk about such things that can help you to look better.”

zverni uvagu show pantyhose recycling necklace

Pom-pom beads made from old pantyhose

 

 

Source: Zverni Uvagu Show

http://youtu.be/j8VF2ctgjHw

 

*Dear friends, please keep in mind that the funding for this blog comes from the shop section. Please have a look at it.*

Interviewed by Legwear Fashion for Men

I am excited because this is actually the first time I am doing an interview for another blog.  Andreas Lucius, the owner of Legwear Fashion for Men, is a real trend setter when it comes to wearing tights as a fashion garment.

Some sample questions from the discussion that I answered:

Why do I love hosiery?

What do I think of men who wear it?

Would I date someone who wears it?

What style would work nicely with hosiery for a man?

 Read The Interview!

Interview with CJ from Tights Fashion UK

Fantasy Stockings is pleased to present this interview with CJ from TightsFashion, a UK-based website that provides comparison of hosiery brands and presents a lot of useful information and  beautiful photos.  

 

How did you decide to start your site?  Many people like the product, but only a few decide to go as far as you with the idea.

 

It might surprise visitors to TightsFashion on to know that there was a time when I had no interest in tights and knew nothing about them.   An engineer by training and careful with money by nature I was alarmed by how often my wife threw out tights and bought new pairs.  To cut a long story short I did some testing together with my wife to find a brand and style of hosiery that would offer the optimum value for money… the most durability for least cost while at the same time looking good.

TightsFashion was more of an accident than a plan.  I was experimenting with a few things relating to search engine rankings for another project and decided to set up a site in another area entirely to test the ideas.   I had some data on tights/pantyhose to hand from my earlier research with my wife so decided to use that as the content to save time and effort.

Then I was approached by a hosiery retailer wanting me to become an affiliate and carry advertising… the rest as they say is history.

 

Do you have any totally wild and outrageous ideas for hosiery photoshoots that you would like to create? 

 

I have one idea, but perhaps not one to share with your readers.  I would love to shoot a transsexual model, but in such a way that it was not apparent what she was; that is pass her off as just another young woman.

Why?  You might ask.   Well there was a rumour some years ago that a major hosiery retailer was using a model of this type on their packaging, the suggestion being that people who are genetically male don’t get cellulite.   I have no idea if that is true, but if they could get away with it then why couldn’t I.

 

You probably meet men who actually enjoy wearing hosiery.  Do you feel that there is a good market for men’s hosiery?

 

Hosiery for men is a tricky topic.   I think men make up a significant part of the hosiery buying and hosiery wearing population, particularly on-line.  The problem is that many/most of those men are not buying for reasons of fashion.

Some men are buying to keep warm or for medical reasons, a lot of specialist make hosiery has more in common with thermal underwear than fashion hosiery and on the whole I find it uninteresting.

My view is that for most men buying hosiery there is a fetish aspect and the fact that tights/pantyhose are made for women is part of the appeal.  My own view is that "female" hosiery is generally nicer to wear, and usually far cheaper to buy.

 

I can’t help but notice your photography skills, did you learn yourself or did you enroll in some formal training? 

 

Aside from a few hours of very basic tuition I am entirely self-taught as far as photography is concerned.  I would like to get a lot more time in the studio with models to try more things and to learn more. Some of my shoots are purely for learning and never get published.

 

I am always interested in how producers choose their models.  What is important to you and based on what criteria do you choose them?

 

Generally I use girls who are new to or hoping to get into modelling.  Partly this is to give new talent a chance, plus it lets me take complete control and work at my own pace.

 

I also try to choose models who live close by and perhaps most importantly like hosiery… the one shot I did that really disappointed me was with a model with a great body but no love of hosiery.

 

I avoid tattoos because they distract from the tights.   I don’t demand perfect skin as the whole point of the hosiery is to cover the imperfections.

 

Do you have any other interests or hobbies that you enjoy in your spare time?

 

I am not quite sure what "spare time" is.  I have rather a lot of hobbies and interests and not enough time to do them all.  I really enjoy hiking/walking and I often combine this with a love of travel.   I am very interested in wine and I run a wine tasting club that meets once a month… my holidays tend to be to places with vineyards too.

 

I enjoy working on my garden and I have a pond with koi carp.  Photography of course, outdoor rather than in the studio.

 

I am a member of a clay pigeon shooting club … (for those not familiar with the sport the "pigeons" are clay discs fired from a catapult launcher, they replaced live pigeons many decades ago), and a badminton club.

 

Why do you think that pantyhose and stockings sales declined in the past 2 decades? 

 

I don’t have any firm data on this, and of course I can really only look at the UK, but my feeling is that compared to 1992 the market is smaller but growing fast.   The growth in the number of on line retailers, and the success of more established sites like UKTights is testament to this.

 

You say that “what is right for a girlfriend and what is right for a wife are different”.  Can you explain to us how so?  In my ideal world there wouldn’t be a difference, but I realize that it may not be the case for others.

 

 

This is just an observation based on many years of experience.   A girlfriend will love it that you bought her something sexy and expensive, a wife will probably complain at the waste of money and the fact it is not the style she usually wears.  Of course it varies from woman to woman but I expect most married men will know what I mean.

 

 

You mention that in your tights review you talk about sizing.  I usually take size Medium, but I find that it really varies from brand to brand.  Why do you think they can’t just make these sizes standard worldwide to keep it simple for the consumer?

 

This is an easy one.   Look at the average woman in the USA.  Now look at the average Japanese woman.  Then consider the varying heights and shapes across Germany, Italy, France, Spain, UK… there is simply no way that you can make any small/medium/large system work across the whole range.   I do find it frustrating that the European size schemes all use similar notation but the sizes are different.

e.g. Kunert size IV is 44-46 in Germany, 46-48 in Italy and France and 50-52 in Russia, and what do those numbers mean anyway?

 


I notice that you really praise seamless pantyhose in your reviews.  Do you think that seamless would be the hosiery of the future?  I recently tried on an evening dress and realized that seams from my pantyhose were showing through the gentle fabric. 


I love seamless pantyhose but they are not the future.   I do think though that every premium brand should have a seamless style precisely for the reason that you mention, even the best flat seams can show through light and tight fashion.  That and seamless look and feel so sexy.

Why not the future?   Well they are expensive to make for one so will never displace hosiery made in two halves and seamed together.   The seamless knitting process makes it hard to knit a deep body section so they tend to be hipster styled unless you are very slim in the hips and bottom, they you can get them waist high.

 

In your tips for gift ideas, you mention that it’s best not to go with hosiery less than 10 den.  Does this mean that you personally are not a fan of ultra-sheer hosiery? 

 

On the contrary I am a huge fan of ultra-sheer hosiery, and I suspect many men buying hosiery as a gift might love the idea the ultra-sheer material on their loved one.

My advice is aimed at men who need advice and I am trying to avoid the situation of a guy buying sheer hosiery for his lady who is not a regular wearer of sheer hosiery and ruining it either taking it from the packet or putting it on, particularly if the ultra-sheer hosiery is not top quality.  I have had 10 denier 40% lycra pantyhose from the supermarket literally fall to bits as I stretched it prior to wearing.  Some of the best hosiery is 5-9 denier, but this is not for the beginner in my experience.

 

It is quite rare to see pantyhose in a fashion magazine unless it’s some kind of a winter jacket commercial that obviously won’t be styled with summer sandals.  Do you have any opinion on why this bare leg look is promoted in the fashion industry?  

 

This is an interesting question.   It shows in some ways how North America lags behind Europe in terms of fashion.  Two years ago the fashion press would still be saying "steer clear of sheer" but now sheer hosiery is popular even among, or maybe particularly among, younger women.

 

Some women of a certain age who never wore hosiery still go for the bare leg look but now they are the ones out of step with fashion.  It will be interesting to see if the look transfers over the Atlantic in the coming year.

TightsFashion is unique on the web, although there have been attempts to copy both the content and the format.   First and foremost it is a site for lovers of hosiery as a fashion item, designed to provide information on as many styles and brands as possible and to provide price comparison between the leading on line retailers.  The information on the site is provided for all to use free of charge, to promote the wearing of hosiery for the beautifying of legs everywhere.

 

If you would like to stay current with the updates from TightsFashion, you are welcome to follow CJ on Twitter, @TightsFashion, or connect on Facebook through the Tights Fashion Fan Page.  

http://www.tightsfashion.co.uk/

 

Interview with Finn Magazine

Finn Magazine is the only Canadian magazine that focuses on the beauty of hosiery and women’s legs.  I am pleased to present this interview with the editor and PR manager of Finn Magazine, Mr. John Zueck.  

 

How did you come up with the name Finn?  Does it actually have anything to do with Finland?

We get that a lot.  There were a few other suggestions on the table as well but Finn just felt about right at that moment.  It stands for feet in nylon and I think gives the idea of what we offer the best.

 

What was it that inspired you to start your own magazine focusing on legs and hosiery?

As far as back I can remember I always looked for a magazine that captures what I’m into kind of thing.  I was lucky enough to find a couple magazines that offered what I like.  I was really excited but they were not kind of magazines that I could read in the public, like school, the park or even in my apartment. I had to hide them so no one could see them.  I thought why wouldn’t there be a magazine which I don’t have to hide.  I’ve never thought I would be a part of it though.

 

What was the hardest part of starting this magazine?  I am sure that gathering your team from all over the world isn’t easy.

Working with people who are into same fetish with you is awesome.  We met our photographer on vacation.  We were in a restaurant and he was taking photos of her girlfriend’s feet.  Right there we mentioned him our project and offered him a job.  The hardest part to start up a magazine would be to decide “are you ready? and do you really want to do it?” So far everything went so good and we hope it to be so for the future too.

 

I wonder what the gender breakdown of your readers is.  I could imagine that most women would get very curious when they see a nice pair of shoes on the cover.

We have been contacted by some of our women customers who purchase the magazine for their friends or husbands.  I can’t really say how many of them actually buys Finn for themselves.  It would be nice to know though.

 

 

Why do you think that hosiery became such a rare site these days?  I am amazed to see young women in December going to Christmas parties in evening dresses and bare legs.

I see a better future for hosiery.  I mean It may not be where it deserves to be today but it certainly in a better place where it was 10 years ago.  I have to say though due to nature of my business I travel a lot and I can say that hosiery is much more common in Europe than in North America.  It’s almost the opposite when you compare them.  You barely see a pair of bare legs on the streets of London, Paris or Moscow especially in winter.  Whereas women in North America prefer to wear pants but it’s changing  thanks to celebrities and commercials.

 

A lot of straight men who visit my blog admit wearing pantyhose for fun and comfort.  Does Finn Magazine have any position when it comes to men who enjoy wearing hosiery?

I am aware of this trend.  In fact one of my neighbors in the building where I used to live wore them in public and very colorful ones too.  Everyday a different kind and color he used to wear.  I certainly appreciate his courage about being this open.  It’s kind of like our motto for Finn letting people know what you’re into.

Based on what criteria do you choose your models?  I wonder what kind of a woman would make the perfect Finn cover girl.

We have never worked with a modeling agency.  In fact we met all our models on the street and most of them had pantyhose on at the time we met them.  We explain them what we do, some of them say no and some agrees to work with us.  A perfect Finn girl is who knows there are guys out there who find her more attractive in pantyhose and she uses this perfectly.

I am sure that you get people who ask why someone would want to create a magazine with a focus on feet.  What do you say to those people on who are on a completely different wavelength when it comes to viewing feet as an attractive body part?

I have to admit I like telling people what I do.  Most give me a face wondering if I’m normal at first.  Especially women who ask “A magazine for pantyhose and feet, are you crazy? Being a part of something somewhat unusual makes a great conversation with people who I newly met too.  I like what I do and I’m glad I’m involved in this project.

 

This year is almost over.  Do you have any New Year Resolutions for Finn Magazine to accomplish in 2013?

The first and most important goal for us would be to make Finn a monthly magazine.  Right now it is published four times a year.  We didn’t think it would draw this much attention.

 

Finn magazine comes out four times a year and you can subscribe for the next issue here.  It is an excellent choice if you’re into pantyhose and foot in nylon.  www.finnmagazine.com