The Scoop: Women can be more relaxed on dates if they feel comfortable in their own skin, and they like how their legs look. Ill-fitting shapewear may give some ladies the look they want, but it can cut into their waist and distract them from enjoying themselves. This is where Hipstik Legwear comes in. The woman-owned company makes high-quality pantyhose, tights, and leggings that fit snugly and comfortably on all body types. Hipstik Legwear has inclusive sizing charts that ensure no woman is left bare.
Laura McGuire, the founder of Hipstik Legwear, worked in hosiery at a department store in the early 2000s. During this time, shapewear, like Spanx, were newly popular, and women often asked Laura how to find the right size.
She recalls turning brand name packages over to find a weight and height chart, but it was often ineffective. For instance, a generic weight chart doesn’t account for where a woman carries her weight, nor does it cover measurements of other parts of her body. A pear-shaped woman, for instance, likely wouldn’t wear the same pair of shapewear as someone who has fewer curves.
“I thought the process was entirely flawed. I had a lot of women return their product because they were uncomfortable,” Laura told us.
When Laura entered the corporate world, she started shopping for pantyhose herself and ran into similar difficulties with sizing.
“There was a need for comfortable hosiery. Not all women want shapewear. Around 2014, I decided to launch a product that fit the need for what I was seeing in the marketplace,” she said.
Hipstik Legwear puts comfort first. The company has designed pantyhose and tights that fit all body types and can give a woman more confidence in her overall look. If she’s going on a first date, that ego boost can help her make a good impression.
Today, Laura’s company makes legwear for women of all ages, ethnicities, and lifestyles.
“Our customers come for all different reasons,” Laura told us. “It could be a young professional going on a job interview or a grandmother going to a wedding. Our customer is any woman who wants the confidence that her legs look amazing so she doesn’t have to worry about them.”
A Brand on a Mission to Be More Inclusive
From the beginning, Hipstik’s mission has been to offer a product that fits all women. With that goal in mind, Laura has hired a team made up almost entirely of women (aside from her husband).
“We are woman-owned and woman-made. We’re girl power all day. Around here, we believe there is no such thing as one-size-fits-all. We have diversity in terms of our women. All shapes are hired,” she told us.
In the spirit of size diversity, the Hipstik team created an inclusive sizing chart that references body shape and height.
If a woman is looking for a pair of pantyhose or tights for a date, she should choose her height from one of Hipstik’s four height options. Then, she should identify her body shape. Options include triangle, rectangle, V-shape, hourglass, and O-shape. The correlation of height and shape lead women to select the right size of legwear, ranging from Size A to Size H.
“It’s not just the number or size, it’s taking into consideration your body shape and what will make you most comfortable with the body you have,” Laura said.
A customer named Linda bought the sheer pantyhose and wrote a stellar review of the product.
“These stockings are out-of-this-world!! They far exceeded my expectations for comfort,” she wrote. “There is no sagging, no feeling that they will slide down. They are amazing in every respect.”
Another customer, Gina, agrees that the pantyhose stay up beautifully and make her feel confident in her appearance. She said she wears them every day.
“These are the most comfortable pantyhose I [have] ever worn. They don’t cut into my waist like most nylons, but fit more like yoga pants with a super comfortable waistband,” she wrote. “My Hipstik pantyhose outlast any other brands I’ve had in the past. Buy these pantyhose, you’ll be glad you did!”
The Products Can Build Self-Esteem for Any Occasion
When Laura started her company, she thought she would focus primarily on thick tights for the fall and winter. The company makes tights in black, navy, nude, and white. They also come in different levels of opacity, so women can wear them in any season. Each pair of tights and pantyhose feature a flexible waistband that won’t cut into a woman’s midsection.
“When I launched, it was with the tights in mind, but we had a demand for sheer pantyhose. Nude, sheer pantyhose in different colors. Those have been an exciting surprise for me,” she said.
While working in the fashion industry, Laura discovered that many women who seem to have attractive bare legs are actually wearing pantyhose. Over the years, Hisptik Legwear has had many celebrities and stylists contact them in search of undetectable pantyhose.
“You’ll think a woman in a photograph on Instagram or on TV is bare-legged, but she is actually wearing sheer pantyhose,” said Laura.
Laura told us that wearing pantyhose on dates can boost women’s confidence. This legwear can make women look more tan, if that’s the look they’re going for, while also masking blemishes, cellulite, or varicose veins.
What’s more, pantyhose can make clothes lay flatter than they otherwise would. As a result, a long skirt can flow smoothly across curves and make women look more put together.
In the summertime, pantyhose also provide an anti-chafing solution that helps women on the go.
“In the summertime when you’re sweating, it can be uncomfortable. That is not something you want on a date. A lot of women say their shoes feel better wearing hosiery too,” Laura told us.
Hipstik is a One-of-a-Kind Pantyhose Option
Looking ahead, Hipstik Legwear is poised for growth and the expansion of its legwear line. The company is currently working on manufacturing stretchy legwear that has a stay-up mechanism. These leggings, professional pants, and workout wear will have stretchy waistbands that will not fall down, even after hours of wear.
“We’re excited to be working on those items right now,” said Laura. “There was no evolution around pantyhose and tights. To come to the market and give this to women all over the world, I have to pinch myself. It is so cool.”
More than seven years after Hipstik Legwear launched, Laura continues to bring innovation and inclusivity to the legwear business. She entered this industry as a complete newcomer, and Hipstik became an international success. Now the focus is on growing the customer base and sending a body-positive message to women everywhere.
Laura said she hopes her company will spur a shape-inclusivity movement that helps more women find the right sizes for their bodies.
“Women, no matter their shape, deserve to feel comfortable when they’re dating or at an event. Shape-inclusivity isn’t talked about as much. The idea that women come in all body shapes,” Laura said. “That’s a revolution that manufacturers and brands need to start thinking about.”
