There is one thing that has always surprised me running UNB, is the number of guys who would never go shopping for underwear in person. They do 100% of their shopping online and don’t want to go into a store. This concept is foreign to me!

For as long as I can remember I used to go to the “Boy Next Door” or Macy’s here in Atlanta to find underwear. It’s always been fun just to go see the new styles or brands. I remember the first time I saw 2(X)ist, Go Softwear and C-IN2. They were all in stores!

So this had me wondering why is it there are guys who don’t want to shop in person?

Well the first reason I came up with is many guys are very personal and private. They don’t want a store clerk to judge them for buying a thong. They would rather be a faceless customer to an online store. If they had to walk up to a cash register and put a thong on the counter and pay for it. Well it would never happen.

Next, they equate buying great underwear with sexuality. This is one of the biggest myths in underwear. Guys think if they buy a great pair of briefs that they must be gay. Lately, more straight guys are buying underwear so you can’t “judge a book by its cover.” In fact most people who work in stores won’t blink an eye, especially if it’s an underwear store. They won’t care if you’re gay/straight/bi.

There are no stores in your area. I know if you’re in mid-America or live in a rural area your options are limited. Most underwear stores are in larger cities. I remember there used to be one in Des Moines, Iowa, but it went out of business. The market in Iowa is not the same as in NYC or LA. This is a hard one to over come. But if you go on vacation, find an underwear store and do some shopping

Lastly, some guys just get turned on buying underwear. I have fallen into this category when I was younger. Something about picking out underwear that just turns you on. For some this can be problematic in public while others it’s only mildly so. Over the years this has calmed down for me but sometimes I still get a little tingle when I go shopping. This usually depends on the place.

Let’s say you’re one of these guys who has never shopped in person and want to venture out to an underwear store. I say do it! Here are some reasons to do it in person.

Underwear needs to be seen and felt. After going to Magic/Curve this has taught me some of the pictures for underwear never do a pair justice. But, once you see a pair the color pops and you must have it. Also, feeling the material is part of the shopping experience. You wouldn’t buy a shirt or pants with out feeling them would you? You want clothes that feel good.

If you go shopping at a store that is all or a majority of underwear the staff can make recommendations. Most people in an underwear store will know the styles and make recommendations. Say you like 2(X)ist but are in a mood to try something new, they can recommend something they have that has a similar fit or fabric. You can be exposed to new brands.

Shopping is social, well it is to me. I love going shopping with a buddy who loves underwear. Much like a staff recommendation, a recommendation from a friend carries more weight then anyone else. I love helping a friend find new underwear or open their mind to new styles or fabrics. I have many friends who come to me for advice about brands they read on the site. It’s just fun to share!

If you are a guy who doesn’t shop in underwear stores I would suggest giving it a try. I’m not saying to give up shopping online. You can get some amazing deals and brands your local store doesn’t’ carry. Shopping in person you may be exposed to a new fabric or brand you wouldn’t have considered until you felt it. So mix up your shopping experience. If you do let me know how it goes !

Picture is from Brief Charlotte

Having a bubble butt most people would think I would go for some briefs, or jocks, or thongs for my part of the 12 pairs every guy should own….but I am not going to. Well not entirely.

The first pair I am going to say every guy should own is Switcher Adam Boxer Briefs. I had never heard of this brand before until I saw it on Cheapundies.com one day. It is a brand I had never heard of. They are naval inspired and look a lot like boxers. They are really simple looking but are super soft. I love how they feel on my skin. I got them in Army Green, Grey, and just ordered them in white.

While looking into the company more for this I have discovered a lot about them. They don’t have a website for the United States…it is all European. The company says it is dedicated to not using child labor, no discrimination, wages are adequate, and hours are not excessive.

So if you want a nice minimal pair of boxer briefs I recommend tracking down some Switcher.

Would you dare to wear lace? I hear many of you out there going “no way,” “That isn’t my thing” or “If I wanted women’s underwear, I’d buy it.” Lace underwear is one of those things that has always caused controversy on UNB. There are guys who love it and those who would NEVER wear it.

A few years ago we did a week-long series of MaleBasics reviews on the lace undies. Some of our guys gave it a try. It turned out pretty well overall. The guys who reviewed wanted to try it out.

We go back to about 2010, which is when the trend of men’s lace underwear started to come into underwear market. The main thing that surprised me was the creativity the companies had about the new lines. Some of the pairs were inspired to look like women’s underwear. Believe it or not there are plenty of guys out there who love wearing women’s underwear. But, men don’t fit well in those pairs because they aren’t made for us

Then there were companies that took lace and made underwear for men. This is just taking the lace fabric and creating underwear for men and inspired by men. This includes making briefs, thongs and other pairs out of solid or partial lace. The one style that surprised me was a jockstrap. Male Basics took a jock and turned it into something interesting out of lace.

My personal point of view is there is nothing wrong with lace underwear. I have reviewed a pair of Male Power and it fit amazing. I was really surprised how supportive and great they felt. I worried the fabric wouldn’t give or things wouldn’t fit right. Granted I can’t find the pair now, so it kind of makes me upset I don’t have it still in my drawer.

I have talked to some of our readers. One reader really likes guys in lace underwear. He said “it’s the mix of masculine and feminine. Seeing a masculine guy in lace just is a great mix” That is one opinion another is “Guys should look like guys” and not wear something that looks like a woman will wear.

Those of you out there who have never thought about lace maybe wondering if sexual orientation is brought into the mix. I have talked to plenty of guys about underwear, gay/bi/straight and guys across all like and dislike lace underwear. So, in my unscientific research sexual orientation is not important in this. I have heard straight guys say they love it and so do their girlfriends. Then I had gay guys say no way would they wear lace.

This brings me to the point of this post. We all love amazing underwear. Each of us has a specific style, fabric or brand we love most. Would you wear lace underwear? Why would you or wouldn’t you? What would your significant other think of seeing you in lace?

So if you have noticed I have not been writing as much as usual, its because I have been ill and been having to go to the Doctor and the hospital a lot.

As usual with medical visits you have to take your clothes off. Even when sick you should always wear nice underwear. Every time I went in I needed to drop my pants, and the nurses and the doctor noticed my underwear was always different. There was one nurse who I dealt with each visit and early on she mentioned how my underwear choices are very interesting. I thanked her and told her I collect underwear and like to wear fun, colorful and interesting underwear.

She said she has notice more guys are breaking away from the standard choices in underwear but I have been the only guy who would actually talk about it. As my visits continued she told me she always looked forward to seeing y choice of underwear. One day the surgeon said that my different underwear was like a rainbow of colors.

It felt great to get validation in my underwear choice, bust I had wished it wasn’t due to illness. The nurses said they will miss my humor and my chats about underwear. I told them that I hope more men will start spicing up their underwear.

So always remember to wear not only clean underwear but wear fun underwear cause you really never know who will see and it might cheer them up. On a side note I got an all clear (finally) from the Doctors.