UNBBrandon

In Calvin Klein

Hate to Love Them: Thongs for Men

October 23, 2012 4 Comments

Gentlemen (and Ladies),

You are enlightened enough to be visiting the best men’s underwear blog out there, so you obviously know plenty about men’s underwear, and if you don’t you are certainly in the right place to learn more. But chances are your underwear drawers look a little “uniform.” You have discovered the brands, styles and cuts you like to wear, and for the most part, you stick with them. Yet, there is probably one style your underwear is lacking, or just doesn’t have.

That’s right, I am talking about thongs. Thongs made for men, “The Man Thong.” Certainly they, nor the concept of you (or your man) wearing one is foreign to you; you’re reading this on a website that routinely reviews them. It is also likely that you frequent your favorite underwear retailing websites often, so you know that thongs (and g-strings) make up a sizeable portion of the men’s underwear real-estate on these websites. Your problem though, is that you are likely too afraid to buy one, for fear you would actually wear it, and potentially open yourself up to judgment. This is understandable, because I went through the exact same thing about a year ago.

Last December, I had an underwear collection that was growing rapidly, and I had every style except one, (you guessed it). Like you, I had visited websites like Freshpair and MensUnderwearStore on an almost daily basis, just browsing aimlessly. Like always, I noticed that both websites sold about 100 different thongs for men. 100! Knowing what I know about markets (which isn’t much past “101” levels) I knew that supply doesn’t drive demand as much as it seeks to meet demand. More surprising was the fact that almost every brand (including all the big ones) made their version of the man thong. So when Calvin Klein had their pre-holiday sale, I snapped up the “Body Thong” for 25% off ($13).

I had to wait for it in the mail, and I was a little bit nervous once I received it and put it on. But once I got it on, and situated, all of that anxiety that was driven by societal stigmas, and the general embarrassment for wearing something that has been synonymous with women’s underwear for years seemed to disappear. After wearing it to work for a day, I was floored by just how much I loved it. It offered unparalleled support, but without the natural compression that so many of the briefs I had (and still love) tend to use to “support.”

I am convinced that my love of the CK thong completely shattered my “caring” about all the various hilarity and judgment that surrounds male thongs. My mind had been opened by the fact that the thong has always been designed with men in mind. There is not better underwear design out there, to support the male anatomy. Sure, the minimal coverage leaves way to sex-appeal and thus, societal discomfort over it, but it’s inherently a part of what makes the thong so outstanding for male wear.

I began my thong collection by “staying safe” (as safe as you can be in the realm of male thongs, I guess) by purchasing very modest cuts, and staying with basic designs and fabrics. Eventually I took a bigger leap by getting into my favorite designer for thongs-Gregg Homme. While Gregg Homme makes all sorts of erotic underwear for men, I have stayed within the designer’s more modest collections, but Gregg Homme’s thongs did open my mind further, with the even more risqué male g-string.

Now obviously, I don’t expect most men who try thongs to get into them as much as I did, which led me to try the g-string in the first place, but I’d be lying if I didn’t think the male g-string mostly belongs on male strippers. The problem is, I love them, too. In fact, I have come to think of the male g-string as preferable to the thong. The reason is simple, it accomplishes the same thing a thong does, but with less material, meaning you get fantastic support while literally feeling like you aren’t wearing underwear at all. I could probably wear the Gregg Homme Boytoy G-String every day, without complaint if I was forced to wear only one design-that’s how much I love it.

Still, I have to concede that two years ago, I’d ever wear a thong made for men, let alone be writing this very article about how much I love them. I also don’t want you to come away from this article thinking that “getting here” was somehow easy. I am straight as the sky is blue, my wife is not the “adventurous type” exactly, and I had to deal with her hang ups about my thongs, (she still thinks it is weird that I like them). Beyond that, I would be petrified if any of my close friends knew that I not only wore them, but really enjoyed wearing them. Both reasons are why I titled this article the way I did.

When it comes to the male thong (and g-strings) I don’t necessarily like the fact that I love them. It’s the fact that I’ve discovered how great they fit and support me that has trumped all of the notions and negative connotations even I had about the man thong for so long. When you boil it down, what you choose to wear under your shorts or pants is only your business, and I think that was the thought that made me finally get up enough courage to try that first thong last December.

So despite all of the societal hang-ups, the fact that indeed, this is a thong that you will be wearing, I’d encourage you to get one for yourself (or your man) because I have the opinion that underwear should not be judged until you’ve tried it on. If you are like I was, and curious about them almost every time you got on one of the underwear store’s websites, you really have nothing to lose and at least something, to gain by getting your first thong. If you try it and don’t like it, you’re out the $15-20, but if you end up having the same feelings I got when I tried them for the first time, I bet you’ll start to lose those naturally occurring inhibitions when it comes to all men’s underwear.

I’m of the opinion that broadening your horizons in all facets of life is essential to living life to the fullest. You’re into underwear enough that you’re reading this article-I think it’s time to do you (or your man) a favor and broaden your horizons. Who knows, you may end up like me, hating the fact that you love them so much you just have to have more…

In Calvin Klein

Review – Calvin Klein Limited Edition ‘X-Ray’ Cotton Trunk

October 10, 2012 No Comments

Calvin Klein put out a Limited Edition line just in time for Halloween which just about coincided with one of its big sales of the year. While there are several varying designs, the Limited Edition X-Ray Cotton Trunk in black was my favorite design and I was lucky enough to be able to review them.

I have gotten away from buying trunks as of late, but I am always happy to try new ones out from time to time. Luckily for me, these arrived just in time for me to wear them last Friday on a very cold day in the Midwest. If you follow my Tumblr then you knew this already, but if you don’t you can still follow me. Generally I was pleased with the trunks. They are made of 95% cotton which made them warm and comfortable for the whole day.

Unlike some of the other CK Trunks I own, the legs on these were a bit longer, not long enough to be a boxer brief, but not as short as most trunks. These trunks also have a seam running from the outside of the pouch on both sides that travels down the front part of the inner thigh, which feels weird at first but the functionality is useful. I know nothing about clothing construction, but it seems as though the seam is to prevent “ride up” but it doesn’t entirely do its job. Still, these stayed in place on my legs for the most part, which is all you can ask from a longer pair of trunks like these.

You can’t really go wrong with CK trunks, I fit well into a Large (36-38) and as I’ve said they were really comfortable over a long wear. Style-wise, the over all shape or “cut” of the trunks aren’t going to turn any heads, but the “X-Ray” Skull screen print on the left leg which actually glows in the dark is kind of “fun” and adds some flare to an otherwise boring pair. The contrast waistband is a burgundy color, which is also an interesting touch.

Overall, the only thing that makes this trunk stand out from any other every day trunk from Calvin Klein is the Skull print. That’s obviously not a bad thing, CK makes great underwear and this is not an exception, but I think in the end, a trunk is a trunk. While my preference lies in briefs, I am glad I have this trunk to throw into the mix every once in a while.

Pros:

Good Fit
Comfortable
Fun-Geeky Style

Cons:

None

Fit – 5

Materials – 5

Construction – 4.5

Look – 4.5

Daily Wear 4

TOTAL: 4.5

Find these at retailers around the country and net.

In Andrew Christian

Men’s Underwear & Double Standards, Part 2: Changing Minds, Solving Problems

September 30, 2012 2 Comments

In Part 1 of this two part “mini-series” I talked about something that has bothered me (primarily as a straight dude in an arena that’s largely occupied by, and thus catered to, gay dudes) about men’s underwear in the United States, which is the double standard this country applies to men and their underwear. Forty years ago a woman’s “intimates” were just that, intimate only she (and her husband) knew about them. In 2012, society is completely accepting of 200-foot billboards of a Supermodel in a demi cup bra and a thong draped on the side of a building in New York City. Yet, if a guy is caught in a pair of orange bikini briefs, societies reaction is, “we don’t really need to see that” – even if he’s got three percent body fat. More importantly, I gave two reasons for why this double standard exists.

The first was that America is still attached to its puritan sensibilities in many ways, and it hasn’t gotten past them when it comes to well, a man’s penis, and therefore neither have they gotten past the underwear that touches it. And the second: Despite the fact that today, men have just about the same amount of choice in underwear as do the ladies, should any single man deviate from the boxers or boxer briefs in colors pre-approved by our puritan sensibilities, he may, and more-than-likely be subjecting himself to ridicule that’s devoid of these realities and worse, steeped in homophobia.

In order for the prevalence of any negative stereotypes and double standards to be reduced, the “thing” being stereotyped must become “common.” So, when it comes to men’s underwear, all of the styles and colors that society perceives as “gay” or “taboo” must start to make their way into department stores. I truly believe if just that were to happen, we’d slowly start to see minds open about men’s underwear, but it’s much easier said than done. The reason is because department stores have “buyers” who purchase the underwear directly from the designer, rather than the designer providing whatever cuts, styles, or colors to them it wants. The problem is that the majority of these buyers make their purchasing decisions based on the pre-determined stereotypes I’ve discussed already. And far too often, designers do not take a hands-on approach in the process, emphasizing their desire to see some of the “riskier” styles or colors on store shelves alongside “the basics.”

Thankfully, some underwear designers have recognized that the only way to bring their concepts into the mainstream is through mainstream market saturation. Leading the way seems to be Andrew Christian. He recently made a deal with Nordstrom to carry several of his products (all of which push the boundaries of conventional and stereotypical wisdom about what men’s underwear should always be) in select department stores around the country, and an even greater number of them on Nordstrom.com. While in Chicago recently, I stopped in the humongous Michigan Ave. Nordstrom which was retailing his underwear. I asked the guy working “The Rail” section how well the underwear was doing, his response was “we can’t keep it in stock.” I wasn’t surprised at that answer, but was surprised when he responded to my next question which was more pointed. I asked him how the underwear was selling among straight men, to which he replied, with something along the lines of, “a lot, which was really surprising to me at first, but we get a lot of (straight) guys who’ve bought one or two pairs that come back for more and some of them have told me how much they like them.” It was really music to my ears.

I took away two big things from the conversation (and the very picked over selection of underwear). The first was that great underwear both in terms of how it fits and how it looks, can make its way into the mainstream in spite of it being of unfamiliar design. And perhaps more importantly, it proved what I have been saying over the course of this two-part article correct—a big reason these stereotypes exist is that for far too long, both the designers and the buyers looking to sell their underwear have subconsciously been perpetuating these stereotypes by limiting society’s exposure to new concepts.

The amount of minds that need to be changed simply won’t be changed by more exposure to new concepts in a few department stores or on their websites. If my dad catches a glimpse of any one of my 20-some odd pairs of colorful Andrew Christian briefs, he still will not inhibit a judgment or comment. And even if more department stores follow Nordstrom’s trend offering in-store retail that is guaranteed to change minds or at least, perceptions, the Sarah Millers of the world will continue to write articles in Men’s Health conveying to straight men that women want their underwear to be boring and uncomfortable. My point is that it’ll likely be a few more years before Jason Scarlatti doesn’t have his newest collection giggled off the set of the Today Show, but the remedy to all of these things is clear.

As Nordstrom receives quarterly sales reports for each of its stores, it will see how the Andrew Christian and C-IN2 underwear are flying off the shelves. They’ll respond by making more of it available at far more locations, and instead of the trendy 18-35 section, they’ll be able to directly compete with the Calvin Klein’s in the underwear section at each store. Satisfied customers will seek out the designers’ websites, where they will be exposed to things like fashion jock straps and thongs. Slowly but surely more department stores will be offering the new concepts and while basic white, black, and grey briefs, boxer briefs and boxers will never go away (nor should they) they’ll no longer be the average guy’s only choice when he needs a couple new pairs.

Make no mistake. The problems I outlined in Part 1 will continue to rear their ugly heads from time to time. The double standard that has been set about men’s underwear-that it must be utilitarian and boring can (and will) be eliminated by courageous designers bringing their new concepts to department and retail stores. When that happens, the stereotypes will naturally fall by the wayside, and finally, finally straight guys who stumbled into the fascinating and evolving world of men’s underwear no longer have to evangelize in anonymity.

In 2(x)ist

Men’s Underwear & Double Standards, Part 1: The Problem

September 18, 2012 No Comments

Some of you may be thinking, “What double standards?” and to you, I would respond that there is a common consensus about male underwear that perpetuates terrible stereotypes, curtails freedom of expression, and produces the feeling of forced conformity among most men.

Take for example, in 2011, Men’s Health Magazine issued an “Underwear Style Guide” which can still be found here. The outlet offers eight different links, one of which is, “What women think of your underwear” written by something called Sarah Miller. Among her musings that serve to perpetuate the double standard, as well as all of the terrible (implied or not) stereotypes mentioned above, here are some of the “lowlights”

Describing the perfect pair of men’s underwear according to her: “I’m cotton, I don’t have (patterns or statements), I’m clean, subtle, and preferably white or blue.”
“Women’s underwear is supposed to set off body parts to flattering, exciting effect. Men’s underwear—is supposed to keep hairy, sweating parts of your body from touching your clothing. Period.”
“Don’t wear bikini underwear. Yes, the French president is getting it on with a major fox. This is no excuse to let their most unfortunate habits reach our shores. If you find yourself having any fun at all while you’re buying your underwear, you are buying the wrong underwear.”
“Follow your underwear mantra: plainly styled, subtly patterned, clean.”

Now Ms. Miller has routinely been criticized on “second-hand” news websites like Jezebel.com and I say, more power to them. What you might find shocking however, is that Ms. Miller’s “hard line” on a woman’s view of a guy’s choice in underwear is very much mainstream. If Miller’s comments aren’t revealing enough, Jason Scarlatti, the Creative Director at one of the industry’s biggest labels, 2(x)ist, has also noticed this terrible double standard. He cites the example: during last year’s launch of the 2(x)ist Valentine’s Day LOVE Collection hosts of a prominent morning show twice referred to a pair of basic, red briefs as “racy unmentionables.”

Now when I originally began writing this, I wanted these to be the two supporting examples of a problem just about all of us know exists, before delving into “why” it does, and in Part 2, how it might be fixed. But I can’t. It appears Men’s Health, (a magazine with a huge (and largely straight) subscribership, no less) didn’t want to stop at Ms. Miller’s musings as they have an entire website with various quizzes and lists that do nothing to distance themselves from the perpetuation, either-although not all of the content does this. I don’t want to say that I am against giving men the information they previously haven’t had when it comes to helping them make better decisions about their underwear choices. What I dislike is when, within those “helpful” lists, articles, etc., operate under the assumption that men must think a certain way when it comes to their underwear choices.

There are two main reasons why the American public views men’s underwear as “taboo” and why this notion (however poorly thought out it is) consequently, should be instructive to men when they are purchasing their underwear.

Let’s face it, the biggest reason the American public views men’s underwear as “taboo” is because it views the male sexual organ as one of the most taboo objects in the country’s cultural vernacular. Depending on your age, the penis is something that is comical, ugly, ‘gross’, inappropriate, or all of the above. So perhaps it shouldn’t be a shock then that most in hetero-America view the underwear that covers the penis, as equally comical, ugly, or inappropriate. This 1-to-1 relationship is “baked in” to our culture’s largely “Puritan” foundation, but this is where the double standard comes in.

Traditionally, we have been guided by our puritan sensibilities on all things once perceived to be taboo. Now it seems, our puritan sensibilities tell us that the only thing considered “taboo” is what men cover their still-taboo penises with. Disagree with me? Just take a look at the evolution of modern swimwear among the two sexes and you’ll see what I’m talking about. A man’s underwear and its proximity to his penis in the minds of our still-puritan-selves means it must therefore downplay the penis, and whether that is accomplished by style or color, we (apparently) shouldn’t care.

The second reason why the American public views men’s underwear as taboo is an extension or consequence of the first reason, and it’s an unfortunate one, at that. What I am referring of course, is the public’s reflex to commentate on the sexuality of the man who decides to do his own thing, and “have fun” shopping for his underwear. The linear thought process might go something like this:

Guy is wearing a contour brief/bikini brief/thong/jockstrap. –> He is probably gay. –>He is gay? –> Oh, then I’m not surprised/those look kind of good on him actually…

-OR-

Guy is wearing a contour brief/bikini brief/thong/jockstrap. –> He is probably gay. –> He’s not gay? –> Wait, you’re sure he’s not gay? He has to be gay. –> What the hell is he thinking, wearing those?

You see how prevalent this problem is? The prevailing wisdom when it comes to this one topic is one of rampant homophobia, which is only then curtailed if the guy wearing the non-conforming underwear has his homosexuality confirmed. But make no mistake. Whether you are gay or straight, the double standard applies to you, because if the average American woman (or straight man) The prevailing wisdom when it comes to this specific topic is colored with homophobia which were to walk into a gym locker room after you’ve just slipped on a pair of bikini or sport cut briefs with a contour pouch, you are going to be judged, no matter what you look like in them.

The double standard that men have to deal with when buying their underwear is likely not thought too much about, but for men who do, or at least want to buck the conventional wisdom with their choice of underwear, they have to do so while consciously knowing they could be ridiculed for their decision, and it’s a problem steeped in homophobia which has yet to be addressed on a large scale. I’m optimistic about this though, because as online shopping the easier it is for conforming men to expose themselves to underwear blogs like this one at the top of their Google searches, as well as the large online underwear stores that will expose them to the growing trend in men’s underwear, which is: No! You don’t have to conform!

In Part 2 to follow, I will discuss what I think might be some of the best solutions to the problems (double standards) I laid out in Part 1.

In Men's Underwear

Review – Private Structure Spectrum Contour Trunk

September 4, 2012 No Comments

I received the Private Structure Spectrum Contour Trunk a couple of weeks back and I was incredibly excited to get to own/review them for you as I’ve had my eye on them for awhile. As some of my other posts might have indicated, I have been out of the trunk market for some time due to my love for briefs, but these really peaked my interest after seeing them online. Based on appearance alone, I thought I’d be getting a well-constructed trunk with a nice pop of color and when I got them in the mail, those expectations were met. These trunks are made from 95% cotton and 5% spandex, and the pair I am reviewing came in “Salmon” according to most websites, but the packaging indicated “Fuchsia” and when you get them in your hand, they look far more pink, than the more understated watermelon/orange-pink the pictures on the website would indicate. The XL fits my 37 inch waist nicely and over all they have a good size-to-fit construction.

I wore this pair for a full day, and made sure the day was busy. Not all trunks are made the same, and since most of my trunks come from top brands 2(x)ist and Calvin Klein, I wanted to see how these would hold up. I wore them for a full work day, and then wore them while doing some yard work and other work around the house to get ready for our vacation. At the end of the day, I was both satisfied and fairly impressed. The construction of the trunk is very familiar, but one part makes it stand out. The trunk features a very sturdy vertical seam that runs from the waistband directly down your “crack” which creates an incredible shape. Additionally, two perpendicular seems form a Y-seam to each leg opening from the center “crack” seam, I assume this is to keep the brief from riding up your behind.

The fit of this trunk was fantastic because its construction makes it feel like you’re actually wearing a brief. The contour pouch is ample for just about everyone (although it could have been just slightly bigger for me) and the seam in the back ensures a very comfortable, supportive (in all areas) fit. The only issue I have with the trunk is the material choice of the leg openings. Like most trunks the leg openings use spandex to stay tight, but by the end of the day, the leg openings were fairly stretched out and caused some “ride-up” in the front, which is annoying. My guess is that its a result of using too much cotton and not enough, or at least not sturdy-enough spandex in the leg openings.

Style wise, the trunk clings on to pop color as its main source of attractiveness, and the contrast white piping makes the bright colors pop that much more. The logo’d waistband is very typical, but I like the font and use of bold lettering. The trunk’s low-rise gives it a modern touch, while also making your bulge look even more enhanced. Based on my research, you can get this trunk in a dozen different color options, which is a huge plus for trunk fans.

Overall, I really like this trunk from Private Structure. It is well constructed, fits great, is as breathable as it can be, and has some nice style. I’ve worn it a couple of times already and when the weather gets cooler, it will certainly be a go-to.

Pros:

Excellent Construction
Stylish
Comfortable Fit

Cons:

Can stretch out
Materials could be more sturdy (5% spandex could be 10% spandex)

Fit – 4.5

Materials – 3.5

Construction – 4.5

Look – 5

Daily Wear – 5

Overall *OUT of 5* – 4.5

You can find these at Premium Underwear Store for $14.00

In Men's Underwear

Review – Timoteo Classic Super Low Rise Brief

September 2, 2012 No Comments

Thanks to Tim, these Timoteo Briefs are ones I had been eyeing so I am so grateful he was able to get it for me to review! It’s the Timoteo Classic Super Low Rise Brief and I am reviewing a purple pair. The brief runs very small and the XL is a bit small on me, but still wearable.

The brief features the lowest rise of any of the nearly 60 pairs of briefs I own and is composed of 96% cotton and 4% spandex. Ultimately its a very simple construction, and outside of its low-rise, its design strays little from a traditional designer brief.

I wore them for an entire day at the office and a basic night at home the same night. When I first got them on I must say I was a bit nervous about the fit being too small, especially since this brief doesn’t have a contour pouch, and when I got them on, I thought my package would be smashed and uncomfortable all day. I was wrong on one account. Since the construction of these briefs doesn’t include a contour pouch, my package was a bit smashed, but not in a bad way, necessarily.

The fit overall was a bit “interesting” for me because I’m 6’4″ and athletically built and I have a very long waist which is why I like low-rise briefs, but this is as low rise as it gets. Additionally, I was “blessed” with a decent sized package and while the pouch was fairly constrictive, I was shocked to notice that my natural “hang” was never disturbed at any point of the day, simply because your junk will not move once you get these on. I was also surprised by the full coverage the back gives you while still maintaining a modern look and fit.

The materials that go into this brief are of high quality. The cotton mimics the sturdiness of a “pique” cotton without that material being used, and the spandex is firm but unnoticeable during wear, which is a nice plus. Stylistically, the brief’s low rise and silvery logo’d waistband are a nice style touch, and your options of Purple, Red, or (Army) Green are the only colors that will make this brief say “look at me.”

Overall, this is a brief I really wanted to be impressed by but my high hopes were met with only the feeling of serviceable satisfaction. Frankly, I just don’t think designers should be able to get by with a sexy brief design featuring a couple of attractive colors without a contour pouch. Now I know that these briefs are a part of Timoteo’s “Classic” line meaning they’re for the guys who aren’t huge risk takers with their choice in underwear, and I know other lines from this label do feature contour pouches, but I’m puzzled as to why this one doesn’t. It generally fits well, and is again, a serviceable pair of briefs that look nice, maybe if I had tampered my expectations I would have been a bit more positive, but on the whole, these earn a “B”.

Pros:

Comfortable
Supportive
Classic Fit

Cons:

Small Pouch

Fit – 4

Materials – 5

Construction – 3.5

Look – 4

Daily Wear – 4

Overall *OUT of 5* – 4

Find these at the Timoteo Website

In Men's Underwear

What Does Your Underwear Choice Say About you? Really.. Part 3

August 25, 2012 1 Comment

Boxer Briefs: If you wear boxer briefs every day you most assuredly have given your underwear choice some quality thought. Typically, boxer brief wearers are the boys that made the transition from briefs to boxer shorts in middle school to “fit in” but as they hit puberty or gained more maturity and thus a heightened awareness of their body (and the need for support) they decide to split the difference around their junior or senior year of high school, or early on in college. It’s likely that their overall sense of style ranges from “if it fits and is comfortable, I’ll wear it” to “fashion-forward.” As one of the most popular styles out there today, it would be foolish of me to claim that the boxer brief reveals any universal personality traits or dispositions.

Trunks: If you’re wearing trunks, you had previously worn boxer briefs but tired of making a trip or two to the restroom to fix the legs that had ridden up throughout the day’s wear. Personally, I was never a boxer brief wearer, but had worn a couple of pairs to know about this universal problem, so I went straight to trunks. While I didn’t “stop” there, I was indicative of most men who do end up enjoying trunks enough to make it their preferred style. Trunk wearers are well-versed consumers because they have tried all of the “common” every day styles. The style itself accomplishes just about everything the trunk wearer likely wants in a pair of underwear: Support without having to go to a brief and the right amount of sex appeal without sacrificing (perceived) comfort. The trunk wearer is typically style-conscious, possesses a more athletic build, and wants to both look good in his underwear for his own self confidence, and for the people that might be seeing him in them. If I were to be liberal about what the trunk might universally reveal about its wearers, I’d say that they’re for men who, on outward appearance, convey an “Alpha Male” disposition (in the way they walk, talk, and handle themselves) but who might privately crave attention in a very contradicting self-conscious way.

Boxers: Men who wear boxers naturally come to be perceived as “laid back” because the style allows your package to hang free. Personally, I think the majority of men who wear boxers think their choice in underwear is bound by the eternal “Boxers or Briefs” query. Their popularity has largely faded due to the emergence of the boxer brief’s popularity and the increasing popularity of the trunk. While “laid back” might accurately portray a large number of boxer wearers, the only thing “laid back” is the boxer itself. By their construction alone, they are incompatible with today’s style of jeans and slacks, so how “laid back” are you supposed to feel with a ton of excess and needless fabric jammed into your low-rise jeans? Since I know people of all types of personalities that wear boxers, I won’t begin to try to make inferences about the “universal” boxer wearer. I’ll only say (for a plethora of reasons), the boxer wearer is an interesting breed, for sure.

Thongs: If you wear a thong like everyone else wears their favorite style typically possess the highest conscious when it comes to their underwear preferences. You probably got into thongs from your penchant for bikini briefs or jocks. Sure, you love the unparalleled support thongs provide, but curiosity about the design’s sex appeal was why you bought it in the first place. It’s also likely that you’re in tune with your sexuality and you’re willing to try just about anything in the bedroom. However, thongs for men do come with a plethora of connotations, almost none of them positive. I am sure there are plenty of men who wear thongs who don’t have any inhibitions-which might not come as a surprise, given the highly-sexual nature of the style. But while it might take a “confident” man to purchase and wear a thong as every day wear, most of those men would likely tremble in embarrassment simply thinking about his co-workers or friends finding out. Surely, the negative connotation society has attached to the male thong requires the man who enjoys wearing them, to “rationalize” his preference, despite the style’s increasing popularity.

Jockstraps: If you wear a jockstrap as daily wear, you’re likely to be as comfortable with how you look in skimpy underwear as the man who wears a thong. The jockstrap’s no-coverage-of-the-rear design means that it’s at the highest end of the conscious scale in terms style choices. It’s prevalence as a design for every day wear is much more common among gay men, but as a straight man I can imagine that the majority of gay men are choosing a jockstrap to wear to their 9-5. It’s a design that was made for wear during rigorous activity such as playing sports or working out, so if you’re wearing it daily, you obviously love the support it offers you. It’s also probably safe to say that you’re extremely comfortable with your body and your sexuality. While I won’t claim that the jockstrap wearer is universally an “Alpha Male” type, if you enjoy wearing jockstraps, you love the feeling of masculinity the style provides.

So there was my attempt to provide (what seems to be) the only comprehensive guide to what your favorite underwear style says about how much you’ve thought about the most important piece of clothing in your wardrobe as well as providing you with an opportunity to see if your personality matches up with my perceptions about each style’s typical wearer. It was imperative that I avoid arbitrarily assigning perceptions about the people who wear each style; because I firmly believe doing so only serves to further the negative connotations that get assigned to various styles of underwear, or the people that wear them.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about this guide or the importance of treating negative connotations and stereotypes about various underwear styles with the cynicism they deserve, so feel free to email me at firstthingon@gmail.com

In Men's Underwear

How Revealing is Your Underwear Choice? Really.. Part 2

August 24, 2012 No Comments

My answer to the question posed in the title of this post is pretty simple. It is my opinion that a man’s choice in underwear only reveals to what extent he has thought about underwear as it relates to him. To me, any other personality trait we think his choice in underwear might reveal is nothing but hypothetical inference.

My father is the perfect example of what I’ve written up to this point. He wore briefs until, “all the stuff about what briefs can do to sperm,” (late 80s) and has been wearing plain boxer shorts ever since. According to the consensus, his preference in underwear supposedly indicates his “laid back, and non-chalant” personality, and that he views underwear as a somewhat “burdensome necessity.” My dad is anything but “laid back,” he wears boxers for two reasons that I can tell. 1.) His thirties started in 1993 and ended in 2003, a time when the answer to “boxers or briefs?” was required of a Presidential candidate. 2.) I don’t doubt he’d love how a pair of high-end designer briefs with a contour pouch would feel, if the same type of people who write these articles didn’t perpetuate false narratives/stereotypes about briefs that the public has come to accept. His overall “style” is not boring, he cares about what he looks like and has great taste in clothing.

It’s time for a re-write that is as assured in its finality as these lazy attempts before it have been in their ignorance. In the guide to come, keep in mind that this is an attempt to re-write the consensus about each underwear style in the two relevant areas. First, is what your style preference says about the extent of which you’ve actually thought about your choices. And second, the inferences from your choice that may “reveal” additional personality traits about you.

I just think it’s high time for someone who has the credibility as an “expert” in the field, to compose a guide that is influenced by actual knowledge of the various styles available to men these days…

Brandon’s Guide To What The Style of Underwear You Favor, Might Reveal About You

Traditional Briefs: If your preference in underwear for every day wear is a spitting-image of the pair you wore on “Show and Tell” day in first grade, it’s obvious that you’ve given underwear little to no thought. NEWSFLASH! It’s 2012. Show and Tell is conducted through cell phones as thinner than half of your wallet. While I think the consensus has been that you’re “immature,” I’ll stick up for you and say, you just don’t know any better, but my congeniality comes with an expiration date. If you want to stick to briefs, there are tons of options out there that do what your “tighty whities” always have sought to accomplish but never could, due to their 19^th century design. – While I’ll keep my personal opinions of “hipsters” and their ilk to myself, wearing the colorful American Apparel version “ironically” is almost as indefensible. In either case, what might be inferred from your choice of this style for your every day wears is one of the least attractive personality traits out there-apathy.

Modern Briefs: If you’re wearing a pair of these, your choice in underwear is important to you. Your wife, girlfriend or boyfriend is probably not comfortable making underwear purchases for you. At the very least, you’ve been conscious enough to make the transition from traditional briefs because you don’t want to be behind the times. One thing is for sure, you value the support you get from briefs and it’s somewhat likely that you have “transitioned back” from either boxer briefs or trunks because the new cuts and fabrics give you even better support while staying off of your legs. You’re probably fashion forward, which is a good thing since your choice in underwear gives you endless options. Personality wise, your choice will likely reveal that you’re at least somewhat outgoing and definitely “sociable” and you might even be the “life of the party” on occasion, but only on occasion.

Bikini Briefs: This is really a sub-category of the former, as few retailers separate the two. If you’re a bikini brief guy, you’re probably just a bit more in tune with your underwear preferences than the guy wearing the modern brief. The bikini brief wearer evolved from wearing modern (low-rise) cut briefs after experiencing the larger leg openings and a little less coverage the bikini brief provides. He also appreciates support and has realized the hidden secret of this style (bikini cuts tend to offer larger pouches and thus more support due to their cut). “Enhancing” briefs can be contained in this category, and it’s likely that the bikini brief wearer may be a little less modest about being “caught” in his underwear. In terms of personality, the bikini brief wearer might be apt to be the life of the party more often than his modern brief-only brethren, and might be a little more confident in general, but in the bedroom specifically. Additionally, he’s not afraid of breaking away from conformity, or social norms and his love for this style is likely to lead him to the even skimpier styles available to him.

In Men's Underwear

How Revealing Is Your Choice In Underwear, Really? – Part 1

August 23, 2012 No Comments

I always love coming up with new ideas for underwear content, and what I always find funny is when journalists, bloggers, and even those in The Industry often seem poised to answer this question. To me it’s an interesting question because as a contributor to an underwear blog with a collection of underwear that is well into the triple-digits, the notion that our underwear preferences somehow indicate what type of person we are seems a bit farfetched.

But, despite the fact that I literally own every style of underwear made, in every fabric, I still have my “preferences” and that’s what I think such a “question” aims to get at. The problem I have with the premise of “your underwear defines you” is that it plays directly into the stereotypes that keep many men from trying new things, and at its worst, might insulate men into thinking something not-so-positive about themselves.

For the most part, the people or groups seeking to answer this question tend to approach it the same way the widely-read women’s magazine Cosmopolitan has done in the past. I do like how Cosmo has approached this in two distinct ways. The first is the basic, “what does what your man’s underwear say about him” while the second takes a much more progressive approach, giving women a buying guide, based on their man’s personality traits or preferences. Folks over at The Frisky also tried their hand answering this question based on the “initial reveal” scenario (when you first see him in his underwear). There are many out there in the wild internet word like these, all of which come to a basic consensus about each style of underwear available to us guys.

The consensus has been built, but not without some woeful laziness on the part of the purveyors of this information. Anyone who visits a men’s underwear blog knows that men’s designer underwear is not made equal these days. We know that the guy who wears the same Fruit of the Loom oversized briefs he’s been wearing since he was five, should not be judged as a “brief guy” the same way someone who wears a form fitting pair of Andrew Christian briefs but in these “reveal” articles, they’re in the same “class.” One of the biggest offenders in this vein comes from a Yahoo! contributor in 2010.

I did manage to find two posts that were neither terrible, nor completely comprehensive and one, ironically comes from another yahoo contributor, in 2009. What I especially like about this article is that it seems as if serious thought and reflection was put into it, and while it largely comes to the same “consensus” opinions about each style are not as non-chalant, or brash. The second comes from someone in the industry (some expertise? gasp!) and takes the same “you’re going to see the guy’s underwear for the first time” approach to its descriptions, and it comes the closest to being an acceptable analysis of what underwear styles might say about a man.

I want to get down to brass tacks. I do believe that a man’s choice in underwear can definitely tell you a thing or two about him. When it comes to an individual’s style, there really is no other piece of clothing more affected by personal preference. Where I see a problem is with the way in which people have sought to classify a man based on his choice of what amounts to a piece of clothing only a handful of people on any given day, at most (say, if you’ve got a gym membership at a busy gym) will actually see.

While some of these voices writing these columns might decide to pay lip service to the fact that your choice in underwear is your choice, they tend to come off as very judgmental. When I wrote my little autobiography a couple of weeks ago, one of the biggest points I wanted to convey was that the majority of men (gay or straight, but straight especially) are incredibly impressionable. So while they may be thinking about switching out their baggy boxers for a more up-to-date style they have in mind, say, a low-rise brief, they may catch a column that says the low-rise brief is for guys that “like to take risks, or are the “fashion forward, metrosexual” type of guy, and that deters them. How fair is that?

More tomorrow, this is the first part of a 3 part series!

In 2(x)ist

Jockstraps, Done Right

August 8, 2012 No Comments

It’s almost assured that if you’re reading this, you know all about the Jockstrap-how it’s typically made, what it’s basic purpose is, etc. For those that may not, a jockstrap is an undergarment that both covers and supports the male package while simultaneously leaving your behind exposed to the world, or the backside of your shorts and pants. The long story on Jockstraps is that they were invented by a guy who started Bike and the brand’s jockstraps are made very similar to how they were made over 100 years ago. We’ve come a long way since then, and thank heavens for that.

For those of you that haven’t read my evolution into the world of men’s designer underwear, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I have to evolve when it came to the typical understanding of what a jockstrap is good for. It wasn’t until I got into underwear in the first place that I decided to purchase my first jockstrap. I was doing rigorous circuit training and my trunks just weren’t cutting it in the support department. I opted for the traditional and safe Papi 3-Pack Cotton Jockstraps and thought that’d be the end of my journey. After those passed their sell-by date, my underwear evolution was well under way, and I wanted to keep with the traditional, but seeing all of what I just refer to as “Fashion Jocks” I snapped up some of the 2(x)ist All-Star Jocks as well as some Go Softwear Cotton Lycra Jockstraps. For the most part, I was happy. Not only was I getting the practical support a jock offered me, the nice colors provided an added boost to my self-esteem.

It wasn’t until I decided to start blogging about my underwear collection, and visiting sites like the brilliant Underwear News Briefs and some of the other friendly underwear bloggers’ sites that I discovered that men were actually wearing Fashion Jocks under there everyday clothing. While that should have been more than obvious to me at that point, I am a slow-to-school straight guy, so bare with me. I tried to join the trend back in March, wearing one of my Go Softwear jocks to work and it wasn’t the greatest experience. The thick cotton, that is great for comfortable and supportive workouts quickly became swampy and cramped. I came home, dying to get my jockstrap off, and was resigned to the fact that I just wouldn’t be a jockstrap guy.

A few weeks passed, and as I started showing off my underwear collection, the fact that I didn’t wear jockstraps as daily wear was a negative in two ways. Primarily, it was locking me out of reaching more of you guys (our invaluable followers and fans), but second, (which was an eventual realization) I was missing out on one of the best styles of men’s designer underwear out there! However, I remained frustrated. I wanted to try some more “wearable” fashion jocks, but for the most part, the ones that I was attracted to shaped up to be similar to the ones I already had, fearing they’d fit the same and cause similar problems.

And then, came my “Ah Ha!” moment…

Not long after my failed attempt, I discovered what is perhaps the most brilliant (and in my opinion best) fabric in men’s underwear design today, “Rayon”. A pair of Obviously for Men briefs (which I wore yesterday) introduced me to the fabric’s magical qualities and I was hooked. It didn’t take long for me to put two and two together. Obviously made jockstraps with rayon, and knowing how soft, form-fitting (I’ll discuss this, later) comfortable and most importantly, breathable the fabric was, I decided to try one. Once I got it on, I was in heaven. After wearing it for the day, I finally realized what I had been (knowingly) missing-I knew why so many men loved this style as everyday wear.

I had found the perfect style of underwear for me, and needless to say, I became obsessed. My jock collection exploded and continues to grow when new rayon jocks hit the market that I cannot live without. A jockstrap made with rayon, is the Jockstrap, done right. For those of you who do not know, Rayon is a fabric made from cellulose fibers of bamboo. It’s incredibly soft, and while not the most moisture-wicking, it is still near the top, but what makes it most comfortable is the fabric’s elasticity. While there are several jockstraps on the market that use similar fabrics to rayon, I am convinced that the Jockstrap is at its best when the pouch is made of the stuff.

What we know about all underwear made from rayon, is that it allows your package to sit in its most natural state, hanging away from your body and in front of your legs. While some men may argue that this feature doesn’t give them the support they’re looking for, I disagree. For those of us working 8-12 hour days, a jockstrap with a rayon pouch is the penultimate in all-day comfort because it’s doing the job all underwear sets out to do, but does so in the best way, performing the task without so much as a little reminder of what it’s doing.

While the rayon jockstrap provides excellent support, I think its best part is the fabric’s body-hugging fit. When laying on the bed, it doesn’t appear that there is much to a rayon jockstrap pouch. The pouch seems much smaller than you would think it needs to be, but that couldn’t be further from the truth once you get it on. As soon as you’ve got your package secured into the pouch, the greatest thing happens, you’re done for the day. The fabric molds to whatever natural changes might occur to your package during the day. What I love about rayon in general is that for men like me, who are just slightly above-average between their legs, no fabric on the market does a better job in supporting us without ever cramping our natural “hang.”

Rayon is an expensive fabric, and for companies that produce huge quantity, it’s gets expensive to sell. In addition, its production costs typically mean that rayon fabrics will tend to be monochromatic. Most men prefer cotton jock straps because they come in the widest varieties of colors and styles, and do not get me wrong, this wholehearted endorsement of the rayon jockstrap is not in any way a slam on those designs or designers who do not produce them. A non-rayon design I favor is C-IN2 and their jock design. It has an excellent pouch that is very deep in its contour. Another great designer, N2N Bodywear makes jocks in just about all of the commonly used fabrics in men’s underwear design.

If you are like me, and are either afraid to start wearing jocks as daily wear, or have yet to find one you really feel comfortable enough in to wear for several consecutive hours in a day, I firmly believe the answer lies in the jockstraps that feature rayon as the fabric in the pouch design. I guarantee it will provide unparalleled fit and comfort and will reshape how you once viewed the jockstrap. It’s a design that truly is the Jockstrap, done right.

In Men's Underwear

Review – Unico 7″ Boxer Fulgor

July 28, 2012 No Comments

From the start, my attitude towards these “boxers” (trunks) wasn’t great, but the truly disappointing thing was that my attitude wasn’t changed once I got them on. I’m not a huge fan of trunks any longer, and these are a little bit bigger than the standard trunk. They are made of 78% nylon and 22% spandex. They come in just one color, navy and feature Unico’s “Suspensor Pouch.” My pair was an XL, which fit me a bit larger than I’d like, but on the whole, I just don’t think Unico underwear fits me well.

I wore this pair for almost an entire Saturday and I was pretty busy throughout the day. The material is Lycra but seemed much too thick and did not wick sweat away as well as I thought it might when I got them on. The overall construction is good, with the patented “upside-down Y-seam” in the back. I would say that if you’re a boxer brief kind of guy, this would more than meet your expectations.

The boxer briefs are navy and feature a silvery logo waistband which provides a nice flare of style. The other thing this boxer brief to keep its style from being incredibly boring is a unique textured pattern in the material itself. Still, it is fairly bland style-wise and isn’t likely to blow you or your partner away with any “wow” factor. The fit seems to be held hostage by the construction and materials used. As soon as I got this pair on, I felt like I was wearing cycling shorts, not boxer briefs as the legs were extremely awkward fitting, and I think this made the “Suspensor Pouch” not as functional as it claims to be, either. My package felt cramped and uncomfortable, and I don’t feel like I was getting much support, as I was getting smashed.

In the end, I am kind of bummed. I don’t know if Mundo Unico and my body or body type just don’t gel together like they should or what, but I am disappointed to have to write such a negative review. I think if you’re a smaller framed guy who likes to wear bigger trunks that border on the boxer brief style, you should give it a try, but if you’re my size (6’4″ 225) and you like your trunks or boxer briefs, there are plenty of better options out there for you.

Pros

Keeps you cool and dry
Sturdy materials and construction

Cons

Awkward fit all around
Pouch could be bigger or more contoured
Lacks a “buy me!” style factor at nearly $30

Fit – 2

Materials – 4

Construction – 4

Look – 3

Daily Wear – 3

Overall *Out of 5* – 3

These were furnished for review by Mundo Unico Store

In Men's Underwear

How The Average Straight Guy Becomes A Men’s Underwear Blogger

July 21, 2012 2 Comments

Hello again everyone, my name is Brandon and I am a new contributor to Underwear News Briefs. My route to UNB was somewhat “organic” I guess you could say. In February of this year I created a Twitter account named @TheFirstThingOn designed to essentially “share” my underwear collection which blossomed into a Tumblr page. A couple of months later, the brilliant mind behind UNB invited me to contribute, which was very flattering and I couldn’t turn down the opportunity.

I was asked to contribute primarily on the basis that I occupy a unique piece of real estate in the underwear-crazed landscape. I’m straight.

As a straight guy operating in a world that is occupied predominantly by gay men, it gets a bit lonely, but my ultimate goal with The First Thing On, and now with UNB, has always been to provide a voice, or some sort of “go-to,” for all of the straight guys who love, or are curious about designer underwear; but who may also be a bit apprehensive because the culture that surrounds it.

Of course I am referring to the very organic attraction of gay men to designer underwear. For most straight guys though, that isn’t a major hang up necessarily, but they do fear that pursuing an interest that so many gay men have already been satisfying might leave them open to unfair judgement from others. So, the average straight guy who may want to “take a risk” and buy those Calvin Klein bikini briefs he constantly has been ogling at Nordstrom, starts to feel that he can’t because he might be “judged” in some way or another.

Yes, it’s 2012, and a solid amount of progress is being made in the long-term task of easing the United States’ organically humble, puritan view about anything that can be perceived as sexual, and that of course, includes the underwear you’ve got on. The overwhelming “straight” view about underwear remains however, and that is that function and conformity are preferable to flash. Since that is the case, any straight guy who subtly or a not-so-subtly chooses to deviate from this view, is ripe for potentially public ridicule.

And it is not just men that perpetuate this, “you’re straight, you must wear bland, poorly-fitting underwear” either. Women are as much a part of the problem as men. But there is hope. Many straight men are starting to become exceptions to that rule, and are starting to pay more attention to what their underwear can do for them.

I became the ‘exception’ about two years ago. Like most straight men I was comfortable sticking to social norms with my underwear, and as I’ve already laid out, that means I wore humongous Hanes knit boxer shorts throughout college and into my professional life. Like most straight men, I barely thought about my underwear. Luckily for me, this “journey” I took was somewhat forced upon me by my wife (then-girlfriend).

She brought home a pair of 2(x)ist trunks that had a contour pouch, which up until that moment in time, I had never seen, let alone heard about. After putting them on, I never really looked back. They had given me something I had never been able to “feel” in underwear up until that point, support. And it was awesome!

Like most straight men, I had always perceived “support” as crushing “tighty whities,” but this felt different. My package was actually being “held” in place, not getting squished, and it felt great. My response was to snap up more trunks from designer brands, and eventually my underwear drawer was transformed from baggy boxer shorts from Hanes, to trunks from Calvin Klein and 2(x)ist.

Going from generic brand boxer shorts to designer trunks was the easiest and most thoughtless step for me to take, and one that I would encourage all straight men to try. But going from trunks to briefs is not nearly as easy, especially with the societal stigma around straight men wearing anything without the word ‘boxer’ in its title being the prevailing “wisdom.” Eventually I decided to take that leap.

My “transition” to briefs did not come without serious thought, however. I knew briefs would give me even better support than my trunks, which I still liked, but I also knew I didn’t want my briefs to have that bigger, traditional cut (think Hanes, or even American Apparel). I wanted something with a bikini cut, but with a nice sturdy fabric. So the 2(x)ist Neon Sports Brief became my first brief since I was a little boy, and as soon as I got them in the mail and got them on, I was hooked.

I still have and wear those briefs today, and I love the way they feel and look on me. The best part in the days after I had made this transition, was that I didn’t once have any negative emotion or second thought about them, which I thought might occur from the societal “stigma” that tend to follow brief-wearing straight guys. With no worries about that whatsoever, my new found love for briefs started to lay the foundation for what today can only be viewed as an obsession for all types of men’s underwear.

What I mean by that is, a chain reaction started to take shape. Once I discovered how great these “modern” briefs were, I started focusing any of the attention I was giving underwear, solely on them. They caused me to pay attention to fabrics and pouch designs and through some basic trial-and-error I had figured out my preference which was for high-quality briefs with the ample pouch my body required and sporty, or bikini cuts.

By the end of 2011 (this whole process started in Summer of 2010) my collection probably numbered about 25 to 30 pairs total of designer-only underwear, but I had no idea that seven months later I’d own almost four times that many pairs of underwear, let alone that I’d have my own blog dedicated to my new passion.

After some reflection, I attribute that humongous “increase” in interest to two “discoveries.” The first was the discovery of the male thong, and the second was my much too delayed decision to buy my first pair of Andrew Christian briefs.

It took me a couple of months to do it, but in December of 2011, I finally submitted to my own curiosity and bought the Calvin Klein Body Thong. In all honesty I was skeptical about how it might fit or make me feel. After wearing it for a day, I was amazed by the fact that I was wearing a pair of underwear that offered me the best support any design can give, while simultaneously feeling like I wasn’t wearing underwear at all. That sentiment, along with the overall sex appeal that comes with thongs had me hooked, and I started researching designs and materials and it was the thong that exposed me to the underwear subculture, as I was seeking out reviews of men’s thongs, which led me to websites like this one. After reading these blogs, and some reviews on retail websites of specific thongs, my collection just started to grow (and will continue to).

To be honest, the first brief I wanted to buy was the Andrew Christian Almost Naked Sport Brief. The problem was that I couldn’t bring myself to pay $29 (Freshpair.com price at the time), so instead I opted for other great designs but that had a much more affordable price tag. Once I found andrewchristianshop.com that featured direct, and thus much more affordable prices I have not stopped.

Once I got my first pair of Almost Naked briefs on, I fell in love with underwear all over again and the reason was simple. I had finally found a brief that felt like they were made for me. The “anatomically correct pouch” that allowed my package to hang naturally fit better than even the best contour pouch briefs I owned. From there, I just kept buying and buying until eventually I came to the realization that I was obsessed.

The decision to become an underwear blogger was somewhat of an easy one in the end. I had sort of inadvertently felt a need to amass this collection, I was familiar with social media, and I knew that I wanted to start with a Twitter account that simply allowed me to display my collection to the world while remaining mostly anonymous. Once I quickly gained 100 followers, I discovered Tumblr, and knew that it would give me the opportunity not only to share photos of me in my collection, but to write about my feelings about all the different aspects of men’s designer underwear as well.

It wasn’t until I started The First Thing On that I came to realize that a guy with my sexual orientation being a part of this huge subculture-of-great-taste is unique. That also happens to be the reason I wanted to share my story-to show that great underwear is there for all men to enjoy.

I look forward to writing more, much shorter stories and opinions that will serve to break other straight guys of their inhibitions while also providing a qualified voice to all of us that love underwear.

In Men's Underwear

Mundo Unico Brief Dominante Review

July 7, 2012 No Comments

Hey guys, before I get into the review I want to introduce myself, my name is Brandon and I am from the Midwest. I am in my late 20s, and my fascination with/obsession for men’s underwear began a couple of years ago. I am married to a beautiful woman who has evolving viewpoints on my growing underwear collection. I have been running my own personal Twitter (@firstthingon) and Tumblr (firstthingon.tumblr.com) pages for about four months with essentially a couple goals in mind. The first is to illustrate that straight men can (and should) be able to enjoy men’s designer underwear and all the styles that come with it without feeling self-conscious. The second and more over-arching goal is to expose all guys to different brands and styles with detailed reviews on the products I buy and wear. That’s why I am excited to have the opportunity to pursue those goals on a widely-read forum like Underwear News Briefs, I look forward to providing you detailed reviews of what I am wearing.

My first pair to review is the ‘Brief Dominante’ from Mundo Unico. To be honest I had modest expectations for these as I own just one thing from Mundo Unico, a Brazilian T-Back Thong I got on sale months ago which didn’t exactly impress. The same cannot be said about this brief. It’s made from 78% Lycra Nylon and 22% Spandex and has what the designer calls a “suspensor pouch” which is supposed to let your boys hang more naturally. The brief comes in one color, navy blue, and the XL fit just a bit larger than I would have liked but as a general rule, Unico runs small and a L would have been a bit too small for my 37 inch waist.

I wore this pair for about eight hours on a busy night. I wore them under a suit for a dinner I had to attend and they were doing such a great job in the heat that I kept them on to do an hour or so of yard work (mowing, edging) when I got back home. The soft Lycra material was very breathable which was nice on such a hot night. The brief is really well constructed for everyday use, the leg openings didn’t stretch or restrict and the waist band which has a bit of a sheen to it also held up well.

While I would label the color of the brief more “Slate” than Navy, the contrasting silver waistband provides enough style to keep this brief from being just another average, everyday pair. While I prefer a sportier, bikini-type cut this brief features a very traditional cut, and the all-day comfort and breathability of this particular pair allows me to make an exception. One area that deserves a bit of criticism is the pouch. The description claims the pouch is designed to let you be naturally “suspended” but I think this pair falls somewhat short of that mark. While the pouch certainly won’t constrict you in the way most traditional briefs might, I never truly felt in the hours I wore it, like my package was able to assume and maintain a “natural” position the way that some other labels’ designs might allow you to, and if I am being totally honest, you don’t actually get much support, either.

In the end the brief stands up well, especially on hotter days with its moisture-wicking Lycra material and while I won’t be clamoring for more designs like it from Unico, if you’re a more traditional brief type of man, I’d definitely recommend this one to you.

Pros:

Provides soft, all-day comfort
Breathable
Should possess a long lifespan

Cons:

Pouch design needs work
Could be more supportive

Fit – 4
Materials – 5
Construction – 3
Look – 3
Daily Wear – 5
OVERALL *OUT of 5* – 4

This pair was furnished for review by Mundo Unico Store