First Leotard-Wearing Experience

[unicast]

I’ve read a few posts from people who are 6’ who say they are too short and I’m 6’2”.

Leohex in XXL is ok for that size, if you are slim.

[LeotardLover]

I’ve read a few posts from people who are 6’ who say they are too short and I’m 6’2”.

Leohex in XXL is ok for that size, if you are slim.

I don't know, I'm scared of the reviews on Alipress, there are a lot of men who are 5'10" who say its to short length wise, but I don't know their body type. I'm slim but I have a long torso and long pelvis so it probably won't fit me.

[hosefun13]

Mine actually was through modeling, although I wasn’t a model… entirely.  

...

After that I modeled a few more times for her and got to try on tons of dance wear and that’s when I really started to appreciate how the spandex felt on and the tight feeling of the material. I literally would daydream in school about wearing a leotard and couldn’t wait to get home to try more on. I loved wearing them all the time and ended up modeling for other reps so I could wear their brands. Eventually I signed with a sportswear agency who booked me for similar jobs and I was known for my leotard’esque body with long lanky legs, long torso and long pelvis which made high cut leotards look good. All of that eventually landed me a role in a NY fashion show for Donna Karan, who chose me to wear one of her bodysuits. I’ll always remember that experience because they taught me to wear pantyhose which was a requirement.  

. . .

I would love to hear more about your Donna Karan experience with the bodysuit and pantyhose.  How did this come about, did they say you need to wear pantyhose with the bodysuit or just suggest it?  Did they show you how to put them on?  What color were they? Did you like the feeling of wearing the bodysuit together with the pantyhose?  Did it seem normal for a male to be wearing both items?  Please elaborate, I would love to hear all the details?

[Will90MeeG]

I probably have done this the wrong way around, but my first 'Leotard' was a latex one (Chrorinated) from a Soho Sex shop. It was black and felt pretty good on, but the crotch was too weak and it snapped after a couple of wearings. So my next one was from a better manufacturer (Skin Two, in Kensal Rise). I bought a couple in black and copper. Then bought a couple of their Edwardian Swimsuits in Pewter and Also Black. The latter two are the only items I have actively used to swim in the sea on many occasions.

My first Lycra one was a Speedo Hydrasuit which I spotted in John Lewis - inspired by LikeRa on these very fora! Also a great and well tailored piece of clothing.

Nowadays I mostly shop at Fets Fash for my Lycra. Sort of semi given up on latex wear (sorry all!).

[Like Ra]

my first 'Leotard' was a latex one (Chrorinated)

Good beginning! 😋

Sort of semi given up on latex wear (sorry all!).

Same problem...

[LeotardLover]

Mine actually was through modeling, although I wasn’t a model… entirely.  

...

After that I modeled a few more times for her and got to try on tons of dance wear and that’s when I really started to appreciate how the spandex felt on and the tight feeling of the material. I literally would daydream in school about wearing a leotard and couldn’t wait to get home to try more on. I loved wearing them all the time and ended up modeling for other reps so I could wear their brands. Eventually I signed with a sportswear agency who booked me for similar jobs and I was known for my leotard’esque body with long lanky legs, long torso and long pelvis which made high cut leotards look good. All of that eventually landed me a role in a NY fashion show for Donna Karan, who chose me to wear one of her bodysuits. I’ll always remember that experience because they taught me to wear pantyhose which was a requirement.  

. . .

I would love to hear more about your Donna Karan experience with the bodysuit and pantyhose.  How did this come about, did they say you need to wear pantyhose with the bodysuit or just suggest it?  Did they show you how to put them on?  What color were they? Did you like the feeling of wearing the bodysuit together with the pantyhose?  Did it seem normal for a male to be wearing both items?  Please elaborate, I would love to hear all the details?

There isn’t much to tell...

How I got the gig?…Before DK, I was doing small scale stuff for local sales reps that ended up in some brand ads. I was also modeling at fitness shows for a few sales reps (all aerobic tights, unitards, biketards, leotards, fanny packs, high top sneakers, etc.). I also did some work with the east coast brand rep for Body Glove that ended in some national ads. 

That led to a gig in NYC for the launch of a new line of bodysuits, skirts, dresses, shorts and shoes made from neoprene, inspired by their wetsuit line. I think that was 1996. It was a small audience around a runway studio for a MTV like video shoot. It was a lot of fun but I had never worn a leotard/swimsuit made of such thick material and some of the neoprene bodysuits were thong. From their I ended up doing some national spots and ads for the same line which later became hugely popular. 

Someone at DK saw those ads or the show, I don’t remember, but she got my info from Body Glove. I remember she was shocked I didn’t have an agent. 

Anyway, DK invited me to come to NY months before the show for a test fitting. That was like Thursday and the next day I modeled two bodysuits for the women casting the show. I was told to bring a shiny spandex and matte tights or unitard for the fitting, and wore the shiny unitard for the casting. All three women told me they wanted me for the show. There were about 30 girls trying out that day and all of them had what I consider perfect bodies, so why they chose me is a mystery. 

The actual show was months later. It was for the big NY Fashion Week, today its called Mercedes Benz Fashion Week but I don’t remember if MB was the main sponsor then or not. 

On the day of the show, early in the morning we practiced and practiced so everyone knew where and when they needed to be. Then we went backstage to chaos. I was both a fish out of water and deer in headlights. There were hundreds of MUA’s, hair stylists, dressers, seamstress, checkers, security, etc. I was taken over to makeup and then a guy walked over and bobby pinned a wig on me. Then I went to a makeshift area with my name printed in big bold letters and on an easel was a big board with pictures of the items including accessories that I was wearing. 

I also had a woman that was assigned to help me dress. She did not speak english, so that made things even more tense because we couldn’t break the ice so to speak. I had my bag and pulled out a variety of unitard styles and colors I brought with me. She looked at me puzzled, grabbed the unitards and put them in my bag, zipped it shut and put it under the table behind her. She then handed me ebony pantyhose and pointed to a curtain and said “put on, I give top to you after”. 

Nobody showed me anything, it was tense. When I realized it was pantyhose and sheer, I got really worried thinking people will see through it. She kept pushing me to hurry, then opened the curtain and showed me how to put them on and I did. She then handed me the bodysuit and I was good from there because I knew how to close and style it from the fitting. It all happened so fast and when I stepped out from behind the curtain she did a once over, spun me around and adjusted the back and shoulders, lifted the legs and fixed the back all the way to the base of my butt which was weird having someone do that. Another woman came and put high heels on me. I had a lot of experience wearing high heels from modeling so that part was easy. 

The checkers were a series of people who checked every detail before going on stage, one called a MUA over to touch me up and the hair stylist adjusted the wig, straightened sections of it, another woman pinned a part of the bodysuit to make it tighter on me. 

Then I was on the runway and as scared as I was, you can’t see anything from the lights and flashes. I knew approx. how many people were there from when we practiced and seeing all the empty chairs and standing room only areas. So knowing there were people in every chair with all eyes on you and not being able to see them back was frightening. I just kept telling myself, one foot in front of the other, its nothing you haven’t done just bigger. 

By my second walk I was better and some of my personality came through. Nobody knew I was a guy until after, it went around and then I had a lot of woman curious to see me up close and talk to me about the experience. The most common questions were if I had worn a bodysuit or anything like it before. They were shocked to find out otherwise.   

The DK show marked a point in time and from then on I had more gigs to model pantyhose with aerobic thong leotards. I think it was 1997-99 where aerobics sort of shifted from super bright/neon spandex to shiny pantyhose for more leg support. I still modeled a gazillion bight spandex tights and unitards with leotards but pantyhose had also become popular.

[LeotardLover]

I should included that the first walk down the runway I had a short skirt on and when I walked the second time, I had a different short skirt on which at the end of the runway I removed to show I was wearing a bodysuit. To be given the privilege to launch the bodysuit on that runway has always been a career highlight of mine.

[LeotardLover]

I have three large plastic totes full of Body Glove neoprene clothing which i’ll have to ask my mom where they are and photograph them so you guys see what i’m talking about. That’s easy because I have them. I have a ton of that line because BG paid me to wear them also.

[Like Ra]

I still modelled a gazillion bight spandex tights and unitards with leotards but pantyhose had also become popular.

I had 3 questions, but you aeady answered one of them (wigs and make up):

- Were there any other guys in the womens fashion modelling?
- How did you manage to tuck when you were wearing sheer pantyhose and thongs?

[LeotardLover]

I still modelled a gazillion bight spandex tights and unitards with leotards but pantyhose had also become popular.

I had 3 questions, but you aeady answered one of them (wigs and make up):

- Were there any other guys in the womens fashion modelling?
- How did you manage to tuck when you were wearing sheer pantyhose and thongs?

There have not been many male's modeling woman's clothes. At least not in couture fashion. I'm not aware of any when I modeled. That's why it was so interesting to designers and other model's at first. Later on when I moved to NY it was different cause female models started to see me as someone who may take their jobs and I was treated no different. After the DK show I did a few other designers shows for Ralph Lauren (pantyhose included), Guess, Celine, Balenciaga, Lanvin, Viktor and Rolf and a few others. 

I still think its rare today... there is Andrej Pejic who came to the scene much later then me but I think he's transgender which is different. Will Smith’s son Jaden walks runways for Louis Vuitton women’s lines. Though that is more about making a name and attracting attention. 

When I was in my early teens to late 20’s, I just had a body that modeled leotards and swimsuits well and became somewhat popular based on that merit alone. 

In terms of tucking lol, for modeling I was ahem, blessed? With one ball and a small package that didn’t show much. If I wore a brief or liner leotard you couldn’t tell I was a guy other then I didn’t have hips and boobs. Whenever I modeled dance wear, with a wig and makeup, everybody thought I was a female. 

Later on, one leotard brand experimented and made me a few spandex thong leotards that were padded, one had B size boobs and another c size. I was aeady fairly skinny and fit and my stomach was as flat almost as my crotch in tights and a leotard. The padded liner leotards also had padding from the lower stomach into the crotch, in-between the legs and to the base of the rear. It was to accentuate to a washboard tummy and box my crotch like a women’s. It was really weird at first to wear and walk in but I got used to it and that became a mainstay when modeling with hose. 

When I wore pantyhose for leotard shows, I had so many layers it was crazy. First the padded leotard, nude (or black) footed spandex unitard, pantyhose over, usually in a unitard style and then high-leg leotard. The foam padded liner leotard sometimes was really hot and hard to wear outside in the sun but as a model you learn the grin and bear it with challenges like these. It was the same with modeling Body Glove neoprene clothing in the summer.