I am gearing up, no pun intended, for a trip to Vegas for the site and for some relaxation. It got me thinking this morning about packing for the trip. I was going through all the stuff I need, then that internal voice said: “How much underwear do we need to take?” I stopped and thought, well a good bit! Not that I change several times a day but I like to have options.

When going on a trip I have gotten really good at packing just enough. I used to be a major over packer. I had clothes for 2-3 weeks for a 4-day trip. Now, I have it down to a science. I usually have just enough clothes plus a change in case something happens. As for underwear…that’s an entirely different story.

I pack enough underwear for the days I will be gone. Then while I”m still packing I see other pairs I love and say “oh let’s put those in too, oh yeah, these as well.” Till I have prob 12 pairs of underwear for a 4-day trip. You maybe asking, do I wear all these undies? Nope, I don’t, I just like having the options for something to wear.

One thing I try to do as well is match my undies for the climate I am going too. For instance, Vegas is super hot this time of year so I will pack a lot of modal and other light pairs to wear during the day. It makes the day much better when you can stay cool

Depending on the trip, sometimes I come home with even more underwear. If I find a deal I will buy up some pairs I like. I haven’t become the world traveler yet to start buying pairs in each country I visit to remember the trip. Soon I hope! But luckily I don’t buy too many on vacation.

I”m curious how you guys pack for trips. Do you over pack underwear as well? Does your wife/husband/girl friend/boyfriend give you grief about it or do they encourage it? Or do you have underwear you consider vacation underwear? Lastly, do you match to meet the climate you are in?

NOTE: Picture above is Kiniki Henley Micro Brief

Patterns are making a come back in a big way this year. Countless designers, big and small, are choosing some amazing patterns for their lines this year. Why? Well, patterns are fun. They can bring a sense of whimsy or a pop of color to our wardrobe, even if no one else knows what we are wearing. It can make us feel like a kid again. It is something different from the usual, sometimes boring, drab colors that grace much of men’s underwear.

I’m not really here to talk about why patterns are back though. I’m more interested in why patterns don’t always get made. What makes them tick. What makes patterns wonderful and a pain in the behind. I’m no expert on making underwear but here are a few of the reasons I’ve come up with as to why patterns aren’t especially super common among upscale men’s underwear designers.

First off is the look of patterns themselves. I don’t know about you, but I loved the days when I had cartoon characters on my underwear. Eventually, we grow up and have to move on to less colorful pairs. There is also the mainstream boxer fad of patterned boxers, but that faded quickly and now seems to be pretty much universally ridiculed by all. Mass market brands do have some slight patterns on pairs occasionally, but mostly in the mainstream patterns on your underwear are a girl thing. Patterns just have the stigma of being childish sometimes. Just look at the iconic marketing done by Calvin Klien: plain white, nothing else. Even more modern looks have only really just changed the ideal pair color to black. While mass market may put some simplistic patterns on their pairs, it is nothing like what the upscale brands do. Among the countless upscale brands, you can find all sorts of patterns. From classics to crazy, there pretty much is a pattern for everyone these days.

Another reason why patterns are uncommon is that they are probably more expensive to make than their simply-colored brethren. I’m not an underwear manufacturer, but I’m guessing that brands probably have to buy the colors for their pairs. So with patterns, instead of simply licensing the dye for one or two colors, you have to go out and find the perfect pattern, which might be hard to find and expensive to license. You could also make it yourself, but that would require hiring a graphic designer, another expense that I’m sure many small underwear makers might not have the budget for.

Lastly, not everyone is a patterns type of person. Many guys like the clean look of mono-colored pairs, or are extremely particular to only certain patterns, like tartans, etc. This can have the opposite effect as well, as I know some guys will buy practically anything with leopard print on it. The economics of it though, having to balance out knowing that some of your audience may not buy these pairs makes a designer really have to know their audience, otherwise they might end up with a big loss, another thing that a small company cannot handle very well.

In the end, my basic opinion is that patterned pairs can be a risky proposition, but if done well and marketed to the right people, can be a big seller. The market can also swing in this opinion, as underwear ads from the 70s clearly show. Perhaps this is what’s happening today? While I am not a huge patterned underwear guy, there are some patterned pairs that I love dearly. I will say though, in addition, this lack of patterns is nowhere near the case when it comes to men’s swimwear. You can find plenty of flashy and outrageous patterns in that market very consistently. I wouldn’t be surprised that some of the patterned underwear craze going on right now stems from the swimwear market. What are your favorite patterned pairs?Lets us know in the comments below or on twitter.

We love letting you guys get to know the guys in front of and behind the camera. Models are key to the underwear world. Most of them have really great stories and back grounds. We interviewed Simon Marini this past week. He got his start at Jockstrap Central but wants to expand his portfolio. He currently working as a stripper touring the US. He’s a really nice guy and we want to see him do more things in the world of men’s underwear. Go read our interview with Simon.