There is something particularly interesting when someone grows up between cultures. Certain things that feel niche or hidden in one place become almost common knowledge somewhere else. This interview moved naturally between clothing, comfort, aesthetics, social perception, smell, cultural differences, and the strange intimacy humans project onto objects that have been worn close to the body.
What I especially enjoyed here was how casually she approached subjects that many people find uncomfortable or taboo. There was no shock, no exaggerated reaction—just curiosity, observation, and honesty.
Q: Do you wear tights often in your daily life?
A (A): Actually not that much. I have a lot of them at home, but the weather never really matches well. In winter I get cold very fast, so I wear tights with a high denier. If that counts, then I wear them often in winter.
In spring it gets hot very fast, so I don’t really have the chance to wear them anymore. But during the middle seasons, like autumn or early spring, I would like to wear them more.
I have some really pretty ones with butterflies or rhinestones on them, but I always forget to wear them.
Q: Do you remember when you first started wearing tights?
A (A): Probably when I was around 13 or 14, when my mother introduced me to them. She wore them a lot when she went out, so I found them pretty and started wearing them too.
Q: You grew up here in Switzerland, right?
A (A): Yes.
Q: When you decide to wear tights, do you choose them more because of style or comfort?
A (A): I used to choose them mostly based on style, but now it’s both. They have to be comfortable, otherwise I won’t even wear them.
They also have to be durable, because it often happens that after the third wear they’re already destroyed, which is really sad.
Q: What kinds of tights do you usually prefer? Denier, texture, color?
A (A): I really like black or beige ones. The nude color matches very well with business clothes, but the black ones are also very nice and neutral. Those are usually the ones I wear the most.
Q: Do you have a favorite outfit that includes tights?
A (A): Not really.
Q: In Mexico it’s not very common for women to wear tights, even in colder cities. When I came to Switzerland I was surprised not only that people wear them so often, but also that many people wear them under their trousers. Do you do that too?
A (A): Yes, especially the thicker ones with a high denier, because in winter it’s really, really cold and wearing jeans alone just doesn’t do it.
Q: Why tights instead of thermal pants?
A (A): We don’t really have many thermal pants here, or at least I never found any. My mother from Japan introduced me to those thick leggings-style tights, so for me it was always normal to combine them with trousers.
Q: After wearing them all day, how do your legs or feet usually feel?
A (A): Sometimes they feel a bit sweaty, but it’s similar to socks. Otherwise there’s not much difference compared to not wearing them.
Q: So the fabric itself doesn’t bother you?
A (A): No, because I already got rid of all the ones that did.
Q: Do you prefer taking them off quickly or carefully?
A (A): It depends on the brand. If I paid a lot for them, then I’m really careful and remove them step by step.
But if they’re cheap ones, then quickly. I don’t really care.
Q: Do you have any routine for carrying, storing, or washing them?
A (A): Not really. I normally just wash them at 30 degrees.
Q: Do you ever wear socks together with tights?
A (A): No, never.
Q: Why not?
A (A): Because to me it feels weird. Socks go on bare skin. Tights also go on bare skin.
Q: Some models wear socks either under or over tights to avoid slipping in heels.
A (A): Okay, I understand that for practical reasons, but aesthetically I think it looks really bad.
Q: What matters more to you with tights: comfort or aesthetics?
A (A): Aesthetics, because tights are not too comfortable to begin with, so at least they have to be pretty.
If they were really, really comfortable, then maybe I would choose comfort more. But usually I feel this type of clothing is made mainly for aesthetics, especially when they have patterns or details that add something to the outfit.
Q: After wearing them for several hours, are you still aware of them or do you forget about them?
A (A): Usually after around one hour I completely forget that I’m wearing them.
Then after maybe six hours I notice them again because they start bothering me a little, especially if it’s too hot or sweaty.
Q: Do tights feel different depending on what you’re doing? For example modeling, office work, or daily life?
A (A): Not really. It feels mostly similar.
Q: Before this project, were you already aware that some people are interested in things like feet or worn clothing?
A (A): Yes. I have a Japanese background, and there they literally sell worn underwear, so it never really felt strange to me that some people have a fetish for tights.
I never thought too deeply about it, but weird fetishes exist everywhere, so it doesn’t really surprise me.
Q: Even though you grew up in Switzerland, you still feel very connected to your Japanese side.
A (A): Yes, definitely. It’s kind of common knowledge there.
Q: Do you visit Japan often?
A (A): I used to go there every year, usually for a whole month, so I know the culture there very well.
Q: What was your first reaction to the idea that some people are specifically interested in worn tights or worn materials?
A (A): Honestly, I don’t really care what kind of fetishes people have, as long as they don’t bother me. They can enjoy whatever they like.
Q: Does it surprise you?
A (A): Not really, because it’s common knowledge that some people like this and some people like that.
I personally don’t have this kind of fetish, so I cannot really understand why somebody would like it, but I don’t care if they do.
Q: Many people I interview are actually unaware these fetishes even exist.
A (A): Really? I thought at least things related to feet were common knowledge.
Q: Maybe your Japanese background influenced that perspective.
A (A): Probably, yes. In Japan there are definitely a lot of niche interests.
Q: One thing I often think about is how attraction to worn clothing may connect to something very human. For example, wearing the sweater of somebody you love because it feels comforting or emotionally connected. Do you think fetishism could be an extension of that feeling?
A (A): It could be, yes.
As you said, some people probably feel connected to an object because it was worn by somebody they feel close to.
What surprises me more is when people become attached to worn things from strangers. That part I personally cannot really understand.
If it’s somebody you deeply know or care about, then I think I can understand it more easily.
Q: Do you think tights change warmth, smell, or body sensation differently compared to other fabrics?
A (A): I don’t really know, but I imagine thicker fabrics probably keep smells more because the odor cannot escape as easily.
That would be my hypothesis.
Q: Since you know both Swiss and Japanese culture quite well, do you think people are equally aware of body smell in both places?
A (A): No. What I’ve heard from Japanese people is that they often think foreigners smell stronger than them.
In Switzerland people don’t really talk much about smell directly. Usually they just say that people who eat a lot of spices smell stronger.
Q: For me, especially in summer or at the gym, people here smell much stronger than in my country.
A (A): I think people here simply consider that normal. You work out, you sweat, you smell.
In Japan they are much more sensitive about it. Many people shower before and after the gym, and some carry deodorant wipes during the day.
Q: Do you think people in Switzerland care less about those things?
A (A): Honestly, yes. Especially men.
Q: Did answering these questions help you discover something new about yourself?
A (A): Not really about myself, but I realized I had assumed everybody already knew about these kinds of fetishes.
I didn’t realize many people were actually unaware of them, and that was interesting to me.
Thank you for participating in this interview.
— Count Obscura