Part LXXVI
Snug-fitting running tights are always interesting to wear. I like to order these on-line in part because the colors and size options are quite varied, more so than you would ever find in a bricks-and mortar store, and the price, often about $13 each, is about what I would pay for a closeout or bargain swim brief.
Plus, of course, these work very well for wear during my daily exercise routine involving a rowing machine, weight lifting and a stationary bike. This especially true in the colder winter months, when I ordinarily wear these under a pair of looser-fitting sweat pants.
I really like the Tesla brand that I can get on Amazon for about $13 a pair. I bought a couple pair of these last summer. I ordered me two more pair around Christmastime, and this past week ordered two more pair. I have some bright colors, and some more conservative. My last order was for a pair of solid black ones plus this blue camo pair, which arrived yesterday. The black pair should arrive today and I tried that pair on last evening.
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/...500_SX500_.jpg
On these you can see that they are part solid black and part blue camo. The blue areas provide an interesting look. Unlike the other Tesla tights I have, the black areas you see on the groin in front are not a solid stretch fabric, but a black stretch mesh filled with tiny holes. I tried these with are wearing tighty whiteys underneath, It is possible to see that there is something white there. If this is a concern, just switch to a pair of black or charcoal gay tighty whiteys. I also tried these on with nothing at all underneath. Interestingly, there was less show that way than with the tighty whiteys.
Sizing is always an issue when ordering clothing on line and a particular concern for getting the a snug fit but not so snug that the garment can’t be worn at all. As you might know, I like a really snug fit but not so snug that the garment doesn’t fit me at all. A snug-fitting garment has to be at least somewhat wearable, but especially because I intend to use these as gear for my daily workout.
The Tesla tights I own have been remarkably consistent in this respect which is one reason I do not experiment with other brands, and this pair was no exception. With the Size SM I get a skin tight fit but still quite wearable all day long. Anything smaller, say X-SM would be too small in the waist to be able to wear for a workout, at least..
A basic trick is to determine exactly what size you want to order, The size I wear of any garment depends on the garment and how it is cut. Nominally, I suppose I have a 32” waist. But for jeans with a high rise, a 33W would fit better. But I routinely wear 31”W Jeans especially in the stretch denims, and I have several pair of 30W that I wear too. The fabric in those has a lot of stretch and they are cut quite low. And I way undersize the tighty whiteys I wear including the ones I will be wearing underneath the running tights.
Of course, the is true in sizing swim briefs, The lower the cut and the skimpier the brief, the smaller the waist I can wear. I have some 34” traditional Speedos that fit high up, but I normally wear a 30” and for the really low-cut designs, a 28”
The sizing issue on running tights involves a similar set of sizing issues. I could wear a MED but that would mean that they would fit higher on my waist and would not be as skin tight as I would like everywhere else. The “challenge” of getting in and out of these every day is part of the fun of wearing them! So for me the SM is like going one size down on a swim brief for the big meet. But this is something I am wearing on a daily basis which I will get “used” to. Once in, I am good.
Many readers of my stories are very much into wearing swim briefs and into undersizing them. But some of these readers may have never bought a pair of running tights or perhaps even thought about doing so. If you fall into this latter category, I would strongly urge you to try what I am doing here. My suggestion would be to order a pair in what you think would be your normal correct size (MED for me) and a pair undersized one size (My SM), try them both on and you will know a lot more about which size your body “wants” you to wear.
These are fun in the same sense that a skimpy swim brief is fun, but undoubtedly you will likely quickly figure that out for yourself as well. There are conservative designs and colors in running tights as well as flashier ones, just as in swim briefs. Solid black or charcoal you could wear as an outer garment, but maybe not the ones I just received with the mesh groin area. For those I would pull on a pair of looser fitting shorts over if going outdoors. I would like to hear the comments from anyone who is new to running tights and getting their first pair of running tights.
To be continued…