Editing Tights (section)

== Historical background ==

[[File:Skirt and tights.jpg|upright|thumb|A woman wearing tights under a skirt]]
[[File:Renaissance-tights.jpg|upright|thumb|[[Renaissance]]-era costume]]
[[File:After Hans Holbein the Younger - Portrait of Henry VIII - Google Art Project.jpg|upright|thumb|[[Henry VIII of England]] in tights]]

Originally, leggings covered only the legs (not the lower torso); were two separate pieces; and did not contain elastic fibres, so were cut close fitting (to use less fabric) and were loose, not tight.{{Citation needed|date=May 2020}}

Originally derived from the [[Hose (clothing)|hose]] worn by European men several centuries ago, tights were made as close fitting as possible for practical reasons when riding horseback. For men of [[nobility]], the material would be made of [[silk]] or fine [[wool]] rather than the coarser fabrics used by the lower classes. At the time of King Henry VIII of England, such was the male fashion for displaying a well turned leg that even the king padded the [[Calf (anatomy)|calf]] area under his hose. Portrait paintings of him and other nobility often portray the wearing of a [[codpiece]] covering the groin.

In both historic and modern times, the wearing of tight [[hosiery]] by males has been associated with an accompanying garment fitted at the groin over the [[Male reproductive system|male genitalia]]. In the 15th century, some men wore an elaborate and decorative [[codpiece]] to accentuate their endowment. In modern times, tights intended for dancers are usually opaque, although their form-fitting nature can still reveal the exact contours of the anatomy underneath. Male [[ballet dancers]] generally wear a [[dance belt]] beneath their tights both to provide support to the genitalia and to promote a smooth, regular appearance. Wearing two pairs of tights is also a common practice among male dancers, as it guards against the combination of stretched fabric and bright stage lights making them appear translucent.

The wearing of tights has a history going back several centuries, when they were worn by both men and women. Today, they are worn primarily by women and girls. In recent years, however, they have been offered as [[pantyhose for men|men's fashion]].