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| Hosiery | ||
| Written by Rachel | ||
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Bare feet
Bare feet are okay for a yoga class (Indian) or a karate class (Japanese),
Pilates (UK/USA) but not a tai chi class (Chinese).
In fact, publically showing your bare feet for tai chi is culturally
offensive to the Chinese. Men wear socks, and
women wear very thin tights. Taijiquan
slippers are usually also worn. But never bare feet!
Looking like Frodo Baggins is not dignified...
See comparison:
https://crumpetkitten.blogspot.com/2020/03/which-look-best-with-or-without-tights.html
Dignity
There is a reason why the female dress code is the way it is. Chinese arts
encourage grace, elegance and poise.
Tai chi is considered to be refined art;
dignified and sophisticated.
Yang Cheng Fu described the poise as being
"majestic".
Cultural practice
Asian women adopted the practice of wearing thin tights/stockings centuries ago.
How come?
Modesty,
leg health, protection, improved
circulation and aesthetics.
Tights to serve to accentuate your femaleness...
Odour
If you wear shoes with bare feet, your sweat will eventually permeate the
footwear; making the shoes smell.
Eventually, the shoes transfer the odour back onto your feet whenever
you wear the shoes - it is a vicious cycle.
This doesn't happen when you wear hosiery.
Protection
Low denier hosiery protects the skin from the elements.
Women who live in a cool climate usually suffer dry skin.
This is caused by the weather.
Wearing hosiery provides a barrier than maintains moisture levels; akin to
wearing cream on your face?
10 denier
Low denier (10 denier are less sweaty) 100% nylon tights are great.
These are usually the cheapest pairs sold at the supermarket.
There are some great sheer-to-waist styles available which are really
comfortable.
No lycra
Lycra hosiery was designed for fat people who want to give the illusion of
having toned/firm legs when quite the opposite is true.
In fact, lycra is an impediment to health.
It compresses the
bones and
muscles and this restricts
movement. It limits circulation.
A good test is toe flexibility... if you can't easily separate the toes, then
the hosiery is either the wrong size for you or it contains lycra.
Military trick
Female students are advised to wear
very thin
tights beneath their
martial arts trousers. Wearing hosiery beneath your uniform is an old military trick
intended to reduce friction.
Hosiery minimises friction, reduce the risk of blisters and keeps you
warmer
(vital when you exercise) whilst allowing the skin to breathe. It's a great tip for women who exercise a lot!
Not socks
Inner thigh abrasion is the main concern when doing exercise.
Socks won't stop abrasion.
Pop socks/sneaker socks won't work - even if they're made of nylon.
Ugly
In Asia, socks are considered aesthetically ugly for
female tai chi exponents. And, thin hosiery make your 'softer parts' far harder to seize during
chin na practice.
Circulation
Women often suffer from circulation issues. Typically: cold
hands, cold
feet. Thin
hosiery improves circulation by creating subtle pressure on the legs.
Leg power
Wearing hosiery encourages you to
feel
your legs more. To be more leg
conscious.
More lower
body conscious - which is essential - since this is where we want to get
much of our
strength.
Where to buy?
For everyday wear,
I buy the cheapest
multipack non-lycra hosiery from the supermarket. They cost less than £5
and fit great.
•
https://tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk/p/5-Pack-15-Denier-Tights/133251217-Natural
•
https://tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk/p/Black-15-Denier-Tights-5-Pack/133251049-Black
My favourite nicer tights are Golden Lady seamless.
Expensive tights are probably
worth the money but cost a LOT more.
Further reading
•
Dress code
•
Dress code & ego
•
Dress code for women
•
Female feet
•
How to look
good in tights
• Asian women
More...
Page created 26 November 2007
Last updated
16 January 2021