Growing Men’s Collections Showcased at Altitude Intimates Show

Pictured: Glamory Hosiery (left) and Andrew Christian (right)   LAS VEGAS—The fall edition of the Altitude Intimates Show kicked off its two-day run Monday at its new host hotel, Paris Hotel and Casino.  The new location saw lingerie exhibitors and pleasure products companies housed in the same room, with the novelty companies in their own “Sexy Suite” area. Men’s fashions received a bit more attention than usual at a trade show, with Greg Homme, Andrew Christian and Male Power among the exhibitors. Even Xgen Products announced a new collection of D.C. super hero-themed briefs and boxer briefs, featuring the logos and color schemes of Batman, Superman and The Flash. In the Greg Homme booth, Eric Boisvert, owner and creative director, and Sales Director Mimi Aguilar explained that the men’s sector of lingerie is a growing market, and that niche fetish items are helping drive that growth.  “The trend right now is to be fetishy, and people are exploring and expressing that through the fetish fashion industry,” Boisvert said.  Aguilar noted that many designers, even in the men’s fashion sector, have always had edgier designs, but previously they catered more to the gay man.  “Now, all types of men are willing to try new things,” she said. “Nobody’s afraid to not try new things now, and it’s helping the market.” Andrew Christian is a men’s underwear brand that primarily caters to gay men, but company reps Christopher Yoo and Chris Sapienza said straight men are becoming more aware of the brand and what it has to offer. This season, Yoo said, mesh pieces and prints are doing well for the company, as are edgier pieces including singlets and harnesses. Yoo noted that social media and the internet are making items more accessible to mainstream consumers, who no longer must enter an adult store to try lingerie for men, making them a little more apt to try something new. He and Sapienza also said men are starting to care more about what they are wearing underneath their clothes, too, helping drive market growth. “Within the gay market, men have always cared about how their underwear looks and feels and how it appeals,” Yoo said.  “Men are starting to create their outfit from the inside out, focusing on the underwear first,” Sapienza said.  Male Power had several of its newest collection on display at the Male Power/Magic Silk booth at Altitude, including its Pride Fest and Hoser collections. Even hosiery companies had items for men: The Glamor Hosiery booth—which typically caters to plus size and tall women—has gender-neutral designs that appeal to cross dressers, trans women and athletes. “Hosiery for men is becoming very popular in Europe—men are wearing hosiery with shorts and more there—but it’s also become popular with athletes of all types all over the world,” said Timothy Gettler of Glamor Hosiery.  All of the hosiery items (which are primarily thigh-high stockings that can be worn with or without a garter belt) fit sizes as small as a dress size 4, and up to a 40-inch thigh or a 40-inch inseam, which is roughly a size 32 dress. Many of the items can also help with medial issues for men and women, Gettler noted, including restless leg syndrome by providing compression and stimulating blood flow without the bulkiness of traditional medical compression items. In addition to men’s items, several companies also showcased their holiday collections at the show. Santa-inspired outfits were on display in Roma Costumes, Coquette and Elegant Moments, while deep greens, dark maroons and more were seen in creations from Seven ’Til Midnight and Dreamgirl. Fantasy Lingerie unveiled its newly revamped Vixen collection (see more about that here), and debuted its Premiere collection, inspired by the Hollywood sirens of 1930s cinema. With names like Jean and Harlow, the pieces come in white and black, as well as a rich wine color. And fetish-inspired items were not limited to men’s collections on display. Pianola Lingerie launched its new Plus Size collection of boxed lingerie that features everything from wet look fabric to accents of fringe, metallic zippers and decorative pulls and more. “The bondage and fetish looks are going very mainstream, and we have everything needed to accessorize this collection with crops, chips, BDSM kits and more,” said company rep Heather. And Xgen Products provided the sweet ending for buyers looking for something new to add in their store: Candy Panties. These licensed panties feature the logos of popular candies, including Sugar Daddy, Tootsie Roll and Junior Mints. Other new collection are the Teacher’s Pet line, which features schoolgirl-inspired separates, and new Latex Wear items—gloves are finally available in the line, said President Andy Green—and the range’s bestsellers are now available in hot pink. The Altitude Intimates Show continues through Tuesday. For more, visit AltitudeShow.com.