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When I first received my pair of Pikane Biologic Piping Briefs in the mail, I wasn’t so sure about what I saw. They appeared way too small for my size, used a strange combination of colors and felt a little bit weird. I hadn’t tried any other pairs by the brand, and heard good things, so I figured I’d give them a whirl. This particular style comes in three colors–I tried the purple/grey combination.

Before writing this review, I wore the pair for a fairly normal day for me. I rode the bus 45 minutes to work, sat in my office working all day long and then wore them as my pajamas for a night’s sleep. Though I didn’t really have an “active day,” I think this pair would hold up really well regardless of what you’re doing, because the material was so lightweight and comfortable.

I have a 29-inch waist and got a size small. I found the pair to be true-to-size, but definitely on the smaller/tighter end of the scale. They’re also fairly stretchy. The sizing is Columbian..

Overall, I really liked the feel of this pair against my skin, which really surprised me. They’re 100% polyester and I almost never go with that. The material was extremely breathable. My heritage leans heavy on the Italian side, so I can sweat profusely on a typical day. I didn’t experience any of that with these. They also fit surprisingly well–not too tight as I had initially thought they would be when I received them. I think the look is what could use the most improvement. Though the purple-gray combination definitely grew on me, I found both the pattern and the waistband to be a bit cheesy.

pikante8639

Though I initially thought that this pair wasn’t for me, after about 24 hours of wear, I was presently surprised–the fit was perfect, the material comfortable and the look fair. They also passed the boyfriend test–I showed them to him at the end of the day and he thought they were great. To sum up:

Pros:

  • The fit might run a bit small for some folks, but overall Pikante’s Biologic Piping Briefs are true-to-size
  • The material makes this pair a great choice for any type of day–active, average or just lounging around

Cons:

  • The waistband for me was a little to cheesy. I’d like to see them remove the pepper that makes the ‘i” little guy that makes the “t” in Pikante. I saw on their website that they offer several styles with different waistbands
  • The design / cut was a little too sexy for my personal taste

And here are my ratings:

  • Daily Fit — A
  • Sizing — A
  • Construction/Materials — A-
  • Styling — B
  • Daily Performance — A
  • Overall — B+

Clever furnished this pair for review.

5160 (1)I hadn’t done any research into which pairs I’d be reviewing so when I got another pair of Clever briefs in the mail I was a little nervous because if you’ve worn the brand before then you know their sizes can be a little inconsistent with their own size chart. With that in mind I was a little nervous to step into the Clever Onix Classic Brief. My initial impression was fairly positive as the lightweight fabric seemed like it would be comfortable (it was) and I was also excited to have a full-cut brief to review, as 99% of the briefs in my drawer are of the bikini or sport-type cuts.

I decided to wear these for a full work day to give them the adequate treatment. Upon initially getting them on my body, I noticed a couple things. The first was that the fabric has a subtle diamond-plaid type pattern which I didn’t pick up on when they were in my hand. The other was a unique stitching design that differed quite a bit from my other Clever briefs. The briefs are made of 88% nylon and 12% spandex, and unlike other nylon designs out there right now this pair has amazing breathability. At the end of the day I was really pleased with how comfortable they were and though I changed into a jock for my evening workout, I could have easily kept these on and known they’d serve me well during a workout.

This pair was an XL (34-36)which is what I normally wear with Clever, except in the case of these briefs I could have used a large in everywhere except the pouch. As I eluded to earlier, I have a couple of pairs of Clever Briefs that happen to be the same size (XL) and one fits me close to perfectly and another one, again, same size that fits like it’s a Medium. I don’t know if the emergence of Clever in the American market has led to a trend to more American sizing, or I just happened to get one of the pairs that was on the larger end of the XL pile.

The brief is constructed with a Y-seam that runs down the area of the wearer’s “crack” which joins two diagonal seams that run to the base of the leg openings. If you’ve got a bubble butt like I do, this particular stitching is fantastic, as it allows the brief to adjust to the thickness of the wearer’s behind. The downfall of that seam though is always the pouch which on these briefs seems like it is its own piece. While I didn’t have too many problems with the pouch, it could have been roomier, and I think due to the nature of the seam work of the brief overall, the pouch is sort of awkward once you get them on.

What makes this brief special is that it does enough with its design and its look to not feel like “Classic” should be in the title at all. When you get them on, you can understand why they use the moniker-these are a full cut brief available in only black and white (my pair is white). However, the silvery logo’d waistband and the diamond plaid design in the nylon make these a “classic” brief I would be proud to be seen in by just about anyone.

Pros:

  • No-fuss design
  • Good styling accents
  • Comfortable Fit

Cons:

  • Pouch could be more contoured
  • Seams might be over-thought

Ratings:

  • Daily Fit – A
  • Sizing – B+
  • Construction – A
  • Styling – A
  • Daily Performance – A
  • Overall – A

Clever Furnished this pair for receive.

JSBUL02WTSHfront JSBUL02BKSHback

Thongs aren’t just for the ladies anymore and I was bound and determined to prove it. I set out a couple months back to look for my very first male thong. At first, all I wanted to use it for was to maximize the amount of skin I could get tanned while laying in a tanning bed, but it soon became more. It became a quest to find something that was comfortable and didn’t feel like I was wearing dental floss.

I am such a huge fan of Undergear, both their website and their print catalog, that I am sure the mail man asks wonders 6152216M-Lime-1things every time he drops it in my mailbox. Naturally, that is where I started my search.  I had seen plenty of different styles, colors and fabrics. Now all I had to do was figure out what exactly I needed.

The first thing I noticed was the range of male thongs that fall into the intimate apparel category.  If you are looking for something that is more than “just a little sexy”, then your options are as broad as your imagination can take you. I was looking for something that wasn’t going to fall apart the first time I washed it. I continued to look at other alternatives. I noticed that the number of designer brands, adding a thong or g-string to their collections,  was growing with every catalog I received.

As I was flipping through the pages, I saw a fairly new brand of underwear that UnderGear started carrying a few months before. Clever is the brand and their Basic Thong instantly caught my attention. It has a one inch waistband and comes in some fun colors. It was also inexpensive. That is something that definitely caught my eye. Since this was my first thong purchase, I didn’t want to be out a ton of money if I didn’t like it. I ordered it in lime green and size medium, which is the same size undies I wear.

When the thong arrived, I tried it on. I wasn’t impressed at all and was disappointed. Not to have been taken advantage of by my mild obsession with new undies, I decided to give it another shot during one my many trips to the tanning bed. After I had w70sGSbackorn it for my 10 min tan time, I got up and realized that after a few short minutes. I didn’t notice it at all. I continued to wear it when I went to the tanning bed. This thong held up great, and was perfect for my short 10 min sessions in the tanning bed.

After a few weeks had gone by, it was no big deal and the thong fit didn’t bother me at all. I thought I would take it one step further and try it for everyday wear. I decided one morning that I was going to wear it to work. I slipped it on, took a deep breath, and off I went. I was amazed at how well it felt for all day wear.  I was afraid I would find myself constantly picking at my butt, but it stayed in place and wasn’t intrusive in the slightest bit. I have worn the thong many times since then and haven’t looked back.

The biggest challenge I faced with was finding the thong that interested me.. Thongs come in many different cuts and they all wear differently. Look around and find something that is exactly what you are looking for or needing for the perfect fit.  Don’t just settle on one. Many underwear designers offer thongs. Clever was a new brand for me. Find your favorite brand and see what they have to offer. Since my thong purchase, I have given Clever much more business!

Thongs aren’t just for the ladies. In fact, guys that are gay, straight, and otherwise, are jumping on the male thong bandwagon. It is one of the fastest growing trends in male underwear today! Isn’t it about time you open up your mind to something new! I did and am a fan for life!