Matadors? Check. Athleisure? Check. Leggings? Check. By now you’re probably asking: what do they all have in common and what does any of it have to do with @matadormeggings? Let us tell you then, starting with this first post that talks about the origins of the brand. We’re super excited to feature @matadormeggings on the blog in this Brand profile, and we’re going to have a few of their brand ambassadors making appearances in modified #GuestBulge style posts as well, and when the world starts to come out of Quarantine we will hopefully be bringing you a review of some of their stellar gear as well.
We first started following @matadormeggings on Instagram and were instantly drawn to the company. Then I fell in love with their fan page on Instagram, the Bulls of Matador Meggings. Right away, let me go back to answering that question from above – what do matadors, athleisure and leggings all have in common? Well, direct from the About Us page of Matador Meggings: “Though “athleisure” is a newer concept born in the last decade, Matadors are the very first example of bringing sophistication and elegance to performance wear. Matador Meggings has redefined men’s leggings.” Now that we’ve answered that burning question, we’ll dive a bit deeper into the origin story with Matador’s founder, Valentine Aseyo.
Please tell us a little bit about Matador Meggings?
Matador Meggings was born out of the idea that guys should have access to quality leggings made specifically for the male anatomy and they should wear them with confidence, just like the original bullfighters of Spain. Their signature men’s leggings are made with sweat-wicking performance fabric and offer a soft molded crotch cup with No-VPL* Technology™ (*visible penis line), which conceals the groin department and offers support where it counts. Numerous features like an open pocket for a phone, a zipper pocket for valuables, and a t-shirt/towel loop make these meggings functional for the modern man’s needs. View their full line of men’s leggings, tops, joggers, and accessories at https://matadormeggings.com/.
What made you want to start Matador and why meggings?
It all started 5 years ago when I started my yoga teacher training. There were 20+ women and just a single man (me) in the class. All the women wore yoga pants and I was the only person who didn’t, or better said, couldn’t wear them because leggings expose men parts completely and leave nothing to imagination — which is not necessarily a bad thing but there’s a time and place for everything and I’m not sure if those women would appreciate my VPL (visible penis line). That day I said to myself: “it’s 2015, surely someone needs to invent leggings for man, right? I mean, women have cups in their bras to hide the outline of nipples, why can’t men have a similar feature in their leggings?” Fast forward 5 years later, no one else still does it. There are several brands that claim to manufacture leggings for men but their products either make your crotch completely flat (which is really not flattering) or they expose the outline of your goodies — I personally am not a fan of either. So I decided that this would be my contribution to humanity: MEGGINGS! Men’s leggings specifically designed for male anatomy.
Did you start out doing custom designs or just roll out with a launch of a collection or two?
I’ve done months of research and development once I started my company. We’ve designed and produced numerous prototypes for friends and family throughout the development phase. Once we locked down our signature design and fit, we were ready for mass production. I never considered custom pieces as I always wanted to scale quickly and share my product with a large audience.
Did you have any designers that served as an inspiration?
Yes!! Maybe not “designers” per se, but I got my inspiration from 2 concepts that are very dear to my heart. I’m from Spanish lineage and I’ve always admired Matadors. Even though I’m completely against bullfighting, I’ve appreciated this hyper-masculine yet emotional figure who is not afraid of wearing the tightest pants with the brightest colors. If you look at their clothing alone, no macho would really wear them: incredibly bright colors, super tight-fitting, very intricate embroidery… but they didn’t give a shit. So they’ve been my primary design inspiration. The second element of inspiration is bulls. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the stripes on the sides spiraling inwards represent the horns of the bull. So this animal directly influenced our design choices. Every brand has design elements and I snatched this one.
How often do you add new collections/products?
Our goal is to add 5-6 new prints and colors every month totaling up to 70 per year. We’ll keep the popular prints/colors for an extended period of time while swapping the more seasonal products.
Will you expand your product range?
Yes, we have plans to add wrestling singlets, spandex shorts, swim briefs, and underwear to our collection.
What sets your meggings apart from the others on the market?
Another issue with leggings is lack of functionality so I added an open pocket for your phone, a zipper pocket for your valuables, a t-shirt/towel loop at the back, and an inner drawstring for extra securtiy. All are designed for the needs of modern men so that you can wear them from intense workout sessions to festivals to Sunday brunch.
How do you choose your colours/patterns?
It’s all based on what I would like to wear. I think of the colors, prints, patterns that I would enjoy wearing and then add them to my collection. I’ve been to Burning Man half a dozen times so I kept collecting the elements that I enjoyed seeing on art, installations, and costumes. I refer to my market research all the time.
Where do you wear your meggings?
Ummmm… everywhere, duuuhh!!! Of course, primarily when I exercise: at the gym, running, yoga sessions, etc. But they’ve now become my second skin so I wear them to shopping, to brunch, to run errands, or at home when I want to feel sexy.
What is your favorite pattern color of your Matador Meggings?
Ah, don’t ask me to pick my favorite child! I always prefer the brightest colors or prints. Things that others consider to be brave. Those are my favorites.
What are your best sellers?
The “sold out” ones 🙂 Typically the more tame colors and prints are the best sellers. Meggings is a daring product for many people so making it even bolder by choosing bright colors is not for everyone. Darker colors, black, gray, navy are always a safe bet. The most popular collection seems to be the camo collection at the moment, oh and the marble meggings — everyone’s favorites and we always run out of stock on that.
You’ll see a bit more from @matadormeggings and their brand ambassadors over the course of this week and next. Be sure to give them a follow on social media: Twitter, Instagram and get a sense of how guys enjoy the @matadormeggings brand on their Bulls of Matador Meggings. Hopefully we’ll have a review of a pair of @matadormeggings in the near future for you all to enjoy as well!
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