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After a winter in the north which was mild yet seemingly endless. Tt finally appears that beach season has finally arrived. Which means only one thing. The discussion on underwear blogs internet wide regarding what to wear at the beach. Many out there are hesitant to don the ever divisive swim brief. As UNB’s Undies Rock coined them “swimmers”. I was one of those guys throughout my entire life. My hesitations stemmed from American societal stigmas as well as body confidence. However, last August I stopped caring, went for the gold. I got my pasty white upper thighs some much needed sun and attention. It was a fantastic and course changing decision.

The moment I first hit the beach in my swim brief was pretty terrifying. Fortunately for myself I went to the beach with friends who also were wearing equivalent apparel. This did help to ease my nerves. As I removed my exterior clothes to reveal my black swim brief. My fears dissipated much like a balloon deflates. Within minutes I was not only comfortable but regretting not doing so earlier. A great day was had and I haven’t looked back, wearing only swim briefs at the beach and pool since.

Wearing a swim brief is the ultimate expression of personal confidence as well as physical and aesthetic pride. Prior to last summer, I didn’t have a very defined physical regiment. I was always fortunate to have a nice physique but to me. Wearing a swim brief full time at the beach or pool got me inspired. To get into a much more defined and regimented workout plan. It drives me to improve my physical appearance in a big way. Forcing me to “bring it” big time in the gym multiple times per week. The improvements have been major and I can credit swim briefs partially to it. In addition, my confidence in myself has never been greater when donning swim briefs. I have never felt more empowered and being brave enough to do it has been a major life change. While difficult to try the first time, it was an extremely positive decision and result.

Guys, I know many of you out there are reading this with a swimmer in your drawer. You bought one because you have always wanted to wear one in public. Due to potentially some of the reasons previously stated. You may be going to the beach this weekend and you want to wear it if you go. Heck, you will probably wear it under your swim trunks if you go. Dreaming of removing the external shorts. My advise to you: Just Do It. We are all not models, this is clear. But take pride in who you are. Embrace yourself guys because life is too short to cover up and conform. I am only one case of “coming out” in the swim brief world, but I sincerely hope you can take my story and advise to heart. Love yourself and have fun with it!

Cheers to the summertime kickoff! It’s time to don your swim brief!

M.V.Buddha_10I know it’s been a long time since I have dropped a post onto the site (sorry guys) so I figured, since it’s Thanksgiving season, what better way to express my feelings regarding why I love underwear and my experiences with UNB via the word “Thankful”. I hope it inspires you.

  • Twitter Underwear Selfies!
  • Hanging on the couch all day in briefs
  • A lot of good conversations with great underwear lovers
  • New underwear designers
  • Klein, Calvin: My first designer pair
  • Free Underwear! (Sometimes)
  • Ultra contour pouches
  • Low Rise Styles

Editors Note: We wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and post what you are thankful about here, it doesn’t have to be underwear related!

diesel-jocky-jockThe follow two posts are reactions from both UNBJon and UNBPaul in regard to their Unknown Undies experiment which took place a few weeks ago. We both hope you enjoy our posts and feel free to respond or ask us both any questions via our Twitter accounts, @UNBJon and @UNBPaul.

UNBJon’s Experience

As I write this piece, I am doing my laundry at the laundromat so what better place is there to look back at your dirty laundry and try to remember the times over the past week or two when you wore certain clothes. It’s a different look back, but for me, it sometimes works. I guess I have a weird memory, but I digress. Anyway, when I do my laundry I see A LOT of underwear in my dirty pile and while all aren’t typical of my peers, there was one pair that @UNBPaul randomly picked for me to buy recently that really has a fun backstory. Before I begin, I just want to say a big THANK YOU to MensUnderwearStore.com for providing both Paul and I with our great underwear. Mine arrived in record time. They are a very fair, progressive company worth checking out.

So Paul approached me with the idea to pick a pair of underwear that neither of us have worn, given a price limit and there was no refusal at all. Just an agreement between two underwear guys. About an hour after this agreement was reached, I got the email from Paul for which I was waiting. What lurked within the attached hyperlink could not have surprised, scared, excited, pleased, and shocked me more. He picked a Yellow Diesel Jock, a very bold choice and while I had never worn a Diesel made pair of underwear prior, this was not the thing which elicited my wide range of emotions. This pair would be my first fashion jock. Granted I had worn the typical athlete jock straps in the past but in all honesty, they really aren’t that comfortable and I haven’t worn one for many years. Fashion jocks had always intrigued me, but have never made a purchase due to being timid and afraid to stray away from my briefs. But now was the time and I eagerly waited for the jock to arrive in the mail.

MensUnderwearStore really impressed me when the package arrived at my door in under two days, far exceeding the initial time estimate. When I first got the package I instantly ripped it apart. I was so eager to put this thing around my waist. When I got the jock out of its packaging, I instantly stripped down and put it on my waist, in my living room for that matter. I really didn’t care who saw. I was excited. What did I think? Well, I first thought they were full of freedom. Having your butt unexposed provides a pleasant breeze but unlike just being naked, the frontal support of this jock was immense. Granted I had seen the basic dynamics of a jock strap in the past, but this Diesel jock was far superior in design and functionality. Along with this, I felt a little risqué wearing this pair. I mean, straight guys don’t usually wear bright yellow undies with hardly any coverage and no ass coverage of which to speak. In my mind, I was pushing the limits. I think that any good pair of underwear should really make the guy wearing it feel confident and dare I say sexy while wearing it and for this I was happy.

I proceeded to wear the jock into my work day and continued to be impressed. The rear straps of this jock were really giving my butt a nice lift and giving me some great physical support while I lifted and moved on the job. There were times when I had to adjust a butt strap, but I tried to keep these moments discrete as to not get strange looks. I was certainly enjoying the pair. Near the end of the day I encountered my first pitfall when, discretely adjusting a butt strap I noticed that a decent portion of my pants were covered in butt sweat. Now this may be fine at the gym, but at work it’s slightly too moderately embarrassing. Luckily I was the only one to notice this. Not sure if this was the jock’s doing, but it has never happened while wearing briefs so I think I have to pin it on the jock. It’s a minor issue though.

As the work day came to a close, I was looking to really give the jock a test and give my muscles their daily workout so I proceeded straight to the gym, got changed into workout attire (to surprisingly no perplexed stares), and hopped onto the exercise bike to kick off my routine. The jock really shined through here. My legs had an unmatched freedom of movement and I felt no binding as I would occasionally feel wearing undies with seat coverage. On the bike I was on cloud nine, however; this is where a few issues began to arise. I made my way down to the weight bench and performed my chest routine over the course of about 45 minutes and then moved onto abs. I did about three sets of decline sit ups before I began feeling some discomfort around my tailbone. At first I didn’t think anything of it. I finished my last set of decline sit ups and moved onto floor mat ab exercises. At the end of the last set of exercises, this discomfort had shifted to pain for which I had no idea. In the moment, I was just happy to finish the workout and happy that the jock gave me superior private part cooling and support. The answer to the pain question was answered upon taking my shorts off in the locker room as all the skin around the top of my ass had worn away to bare flesh and was bleeding! Surprised was hardly the word to describe my reaction, but at least the jock didn’t get blood stained! (#UnderwearProblems). Not sure of the answer, but maybe some more seasoned jock wearers could tell me if you have to build up tougher skin to before really hitting it hard in the gym to avoid what happened to me.

The loss of skin doesn’t affect my opinion of this jock at all. I really enjoyed my first wear and look forward to wearing it again as soon as, or within a few days of, my laundry being finished and folded. I think I will buy a few jocks moving forward. They are different, but different in a good way. It keeps you aware that not all underwear is created equal and that’s a good thing. All have pluses and minuses and embracing this is fun. Paul picked a great pair. I just hope he likes what I picked for him!

clever-thongSo let me flashback about two months to properly tell this story. It was during a cold winter day when I texted @UNBTim to talk site matters when we began talking about other underwear topics. I then told him something which may have surprised him: I had never worn a male thong. I had looked at many and considered it, but just could never bite the bullet or pull the trigger or any other description you prefer to use. I wasn’t happy that I never tried one as I felt I may be missing out on something as a guy that appreciates all things quality underwear. Tim wanted this to change so at the time he made a commitment to eventually send me a quality thong to properly break me in. Excited to hear this, I thanked him and awaited its arrival.

Flash forward to last week and the thong finally arrived in my mailbox. Once I returned to my apartment I surged to my room and began to put it on. I was excited to see how it felt. What would fabric between my cheeks feel like? Would it be too tight? Just right? Many questions were about to be answered. First impressions weren’t too bad. The pair is a Clever Mesh Silver Thong sized small. It is very sleek, but not to the point of being simply a stripper banana hammock. It is modern and I appreciate its look. I began to move about in these undies to see its functionality. Would I like walking around with fabric riding along my butt? I found that while I didn’t hate it, I wasn’t an overwhelming fan. It was a tad too constrictive for my liking. As I wore the pair throughout the day it did begin to loosen a bit, but it still was not to my optimal liking. It was almost as if the thong was changing my posture. Now this actually wasn’t a bad thing, but it was certainly unexpected.

I continued to explore how this thong felt as I made my trek to class. Full disclosure: Walking in a thong is a dream, but you feel naked while doing it, even if you’re wearing jeans. I’m sure many know this, but I certainly didn’t. Granted no one can see through my clothes, but I felt it in my mind. Sitting in class wasn’t too bad in terms of it riding up my butt as I feared. To a point it did, but it was certainly tolerable and once class was finished I was able to re-adjust myself and continue my day. Next stop? The gym! It was back day. I started with cardio, pedaling away on the stationary bike. Here I wasn’t necessarily fond of having a thong around my waist since it was riding up a storm. Would it perform better throughout the rest of the workout? Well, this answer is twofold. While it did give me great range of motion throughout activities, it just rode up my butt way too much. Therefore, I don’t think thongs are great gym underwear.

All in all, this wasn’t an awful experience. Thongs are different to say the least, though not necessarily in a bad way.. For tasks where you need to be on your feet moving or sitting idly in a desk chair, I think this style will suit me well going forward. You will not catch me in the gym with a thong underneath my shorts ever again though. There is simply too much discomfort for my tastes but at least I know this now. Loving underwear is all about experiences, whether good, bad, or a mix of both. This one falls in the third category, but I still will wear this thong again and maybe even another goi

PageImage-483536-2198290-baskit_63While I love underwear, I still have much to learn and many new styles to try. If I was to be ranked based upon school year, I would probably be somewhere between a sophomore and junior. I wear premium underwear brands such as 2xist and C-IN2 and I stay away from mass produced ill fitting skivvies. On the scale of all straight guys, I fall in the upper quartile of quality of underwear worn, but to an underwear lover such as myself, this is not enough. I need to try new things and new styles for which I have yet to try. Thongs, jocks, and jock briefs have all never been worn by me and this is something I really want to change sooner rather than later.

Paul here! I’m a bit of a creature of habit when it comes to my pairs. Calvin Klien, Go Softwear and Ralph Lauren have held my business for many years, but I’ve admired many other brands from afar for a long time. I have a ton of briefs, some jock briefs and trunks but that isn’t even the tip of the iceberg! Being new the UNB family means that it’s time to push myself, and make the jump to something new and exciting; and I couldn’t think of a better way to do it! UNBJon has been great with welcoming me to the team, and his knowledge of what’s out there is extremely impressive.

So here’s the deal: UNBPaul and UNBJon have agreed to let each pick a random pair of underwear that the other is unfamiliar for them to try. There was no guidance in this decision and the other must buy the chosen pair and try it in good faith. It’s the ultimate experiment and you are all witnesses to it. Within the next week both guys will have a synopsis of their experiences to share with you all. Until then, pass the time by trying to guess the exact pair each guy will be receiving and feel free to continue the conversation on twitter @UNBBlog, @UNBPaul, @UNBJon, or on Facebook as well.

unbjon-critieraAs our readers may know, I am a big time brief guy, wearing them during most days. While this is true, I do also mix in an occasional trunk some days. This isn’t to say that I won’t try any pair (heck, I’m soon to lose my thong naievity). I’m picky when it comes to the undies that are in my daily rotation. You may now ask what drives me to wear the pairs that I do? What is the secret ingredient that make me fall in love with a particular pair of underwear? Guys, here it is, my personal perfect underwear formula:

Pouch:    This may be most important. My underwear has to have a reasonable amount of up front to not only hold everything in place but to also allow the goods to breathe. I’m an active guy so finding a balance in this department is key. Therefore, I tend to favor briefs constructed with a large pouch.

  • Cut: This is mainly an aesthetic issue. I prefer low cut undies to limit how much fabric rides up above my jeans or pants throughout a given day. Ideally, I prefer a brief that has a moderately aggressive leg cut and a trunk that is short on the leg.
  • Fabric: This is a wildcard. While I enjoy 100% cotton undies, cotton blends and other fabric blends without fabric tend to inhabit most of my drawer. I really need my underwear to be breathable, flexible, and be able to wick away moisture during workouts. If the underwear can do this, then I’m stoked. If I ever was forced to pick an absolute favorite fabric, it has to be modal due to it’s smooth and sleek feel. That’s some exclusive “going out” underwear.
  • Waistband: There isn’t an ideal size of a waistband that suits me, but for some reason I am more drawn toward the brand labeled waistbands.  Waistbands such as CK’s X line and 2xist’s Touch briefs. Waistbands such as these give off much more personality that simply an anonymous band. Functionality is also important and if a pair measures up in the three above areas and has a bland waistband, it will still probably end up in my daily rotation. Hey, I’m describing my perfect pair after all!
  • Color: This isn’t a major issue to me, but I still have preferences. I own some very bold colored underwear in deep purple, to turquoise, bright orange, and bold green. These are some of my favorite pairs too and are of a variety of cuts and fabrics. However there really is nothing like a classy white or black brief or trunk as a drawer staple. They give such a clean and put together look which I can’t really argue against.
  • Brand: My drawer right now is dominated by Calvin Klein, 2xist, and C-IN2, but I will literally wear undies made by any designer. I don’t have brand phobias. I love quality underwear. In time I hope to see what others have to offer.

Well everyone, there you have it. That’s my undie formula. Now the question is what is YOUR formula? Feel free to share and join the discussion by tweeting @UNBBlog, @UNBJon, or by hitting us up on Facebook! We love to hear from all guys about why they love their underwear. Share away!

seaonality-underwearI don’t consider winter to be the greatest season of the year and this year was certainly no exception. The record low temperatures and mountains of snow made me reconsider how many layers of clothing I would  wear outside the house each day. Not only did it make me think about how many layers I was wearing, but it also made me think about what I was going to wear under my jeans. Hey, a guy’s underwear sets the foundation for a day and shouldn’t be overlooked. Before this winter I think I may have lost sight of this, but the cold got me 100% back into this mindset so with that being said, here are some quick underwear seasonality tips from me:

Spring Underwear-Finally the snow has melted and plants have leaves again! There is color outside again so make your underwear reflect the new life! Don’t be afraid to wear bold colors. Underwear color can  influence your mood. If you have a bright green trunk or a yellow low rise brief in your drawer, wear it! My favorite spring pair is a traditional green colored sport brief made by C-IN2 and it really gets me into the season. Every designer is debuting new lines at this time inspired by the weather. Take advantage of it guys.

Summer Underwear– Is the best time of the year, wear great undies. Go outside, embrace the weather, and show off your underwear. It is hopefully going to be hot where you are so wear light weight underwear to avoid sweating. Which is important if you decide to exercise outdoors. This is also the time to be creative: Wear something different, something a little more revealing, and be edgy. Heck, strip to your undies and tan if you have the freedom to do so. It took me awhile to do this, but it’s liberating, even if you do get some, let say interesting tan lines. I can remember falling asleep in the direct sun for about 4 hours last summer with nothing on but my CK one white briefs after a long run. Luckily I applied sunscreen prior to doing this, but I awoke to find not only a great tan, but some very obvious bikini lines. Great times. Give it a shot!

Fall Underwear– Sadly the fun of summer has come to a close and the temperatures are dropping, but it’s not all bad news. The changing colors of leaves and crisp air has a certain charm. Have your underwear reflect it. Reach for undies colored in traditional fall colors and that are a made with a slightly thicker material to keep your assets insulated. I love wearing my burnt orange and grey 2xist Touch no show brief on days such as this. Even if it’s under my pants, it still gets me into the mood of the season.

Winter Underwear– While the weather outside may be frightful, it doesn’t mean your undies have to be. As in all seasons, try making your underwear reflect the climate. Plaid briefs, for example, could be considered to be “in season” during this time. For me, I try wearing more cotton based briefs to stay warm. I also try to wear traditional and rich colored briefs such as black, burgundy, and white to reflect either warmth or the snow on the ground. It’s the little things that can make a cold winter day just a little better.

These are some tips for wearing underwear through out the year. It would be great if our underwear drawers were bottomless, but sadly they are not. I try to follow these rules as much as possible. Your underwear is an extension of your personality and fashion sense. Try to always remember the seasons when choosing your daily undies.

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Oh the thong: The most revealing style. The underwear kryptonite of straight men nationwide. The masses say its “the underwear of the gay”. Or, “You’re less of a man if you wear one”. Even, “They hurt your nuts”.

I have heard all these excuses before, yet I have never once worn a thong. This isn’t to say that I bought into the myths about thongs being gay underwear. I think we at UNB are clearly on the record saying any and all underwear are acceptable choices for men of any orientation.

My reason: I just really love briefs. I have thought about purchasing a thong for a few months, but I have always gotten cold feet at the last minute thinking that it would be a wasted purchase because I wouldn’t like the feel they provide. Well, I’m not going to let that stop me ever again.

UNBTim and I were recently talking about underwear, per usual, and I brought up the fact that I REALLY want to give thongs an honest shot so he’s hooking me up with a thong to review for everyone’s enjoyment/appreciation/general knowledge/amusement. My thong naivety will be gone forever soon and with that, a detailed new style review will accompany the experience. Keep your eyes peeled to Underwear News Briefs to see what I think of my first thong!

 

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A few weeks ago I overheard a few of my buddies talking about underwear. Naturally, this piqued my interest so I started listening and then engaging. Well this wasn’t just any normal discussion about boxers vs. briefs but instead it was about the opposite, no boxers or briefs, or thongs for that matter too. Going commando was the center piece and to my shock and surprise, it’s a new thing that many are doing. Granted I am an underwear fanatic, but I really just don’t understand why anyone would want to wear no underwear throughout the day. How do guys going commando not get completely irritated by the lack of male anatomy support? What about skin abuse caused by pants rubbing against bare skin? Finally, not wearing underwear is completely unhygienic and honestly pretty gross.

This discussion caught me off guard but maybe I was just behind the latest trends. I now ask you all, do you occasionally go commando? If so, give me some feedback as to why you do this and if there are times that you prefer this. Continue the discussion by either commenting directly to this post or via my personal twitter account @UNBJon.

Picture by Baskit

jon-selfie

It’s official! The slang term “selfie” has officially become recognized by the Oxford English dictionary as a real word. Being that they are literally everywhere, it’s probably long overdue. Seriously, who hasn’t taken a selfie? Whether it’s a face shot sent to friends via Snapchat or striking a pose in your underwear, it may not be possible to go a day without seeing at least one selfie. If you were to visit Tumblr and simply randomly browse for two minutes, you would easily see at least 5 selfies. The internet lets anyone express him/herself instantly. It’s a beautiful thing.

Admission time: I love taking selfies, especially in my underwear. Some may ask why. Why would you want to share what many would consider to be a man’s most private article of clothing? The reason is two fold. First, I love underwear. I take pride in my undies and I am picky about what I wear under my pants. I don’t mind showing my undies to others as in the end, we are a community of underwear fans. I see nothing wrong with showing off and showing what I’m wearing on a given day.

The other reason I love taking selfies? There is an unexplainable thrill in striking a pose and showing off what you got covering your junk. The internet has the planet connected more than it has even been and we as a planet become closer each day. As a result, anyone can play model at any time in the comfort of their own homes. Each photo is a blank canvass and by simply pressing “submit” on a social media site, you can show the world what you got. I will personally use my selfies as self motivation within the gym as over time I can gauge my fitness results verses my goals.
I don’t actively seek praise from others that see my self pics. I see them as expression and each person is entitled to their own viewpoints. Now that you have heard my views regarding selfies, I encourage you to give underwear selfies a chance. We at UNB also have the Fan of the Month campaign to encourage all men to show their undies. Give it a shot. You really have nothing to lose.

collegeguy

*This post is written as a direct plea to a college aged, underwear impaired guy. I ask that all of us which care for our fellow man make spreading the gospel of better underwear a point.*

It can be said that the majority of American society struggles to step out of a certain mold. Whether it’s media fabricated or a standard created by fellow friends and colleagues, guys tend to copy their surroundings, especially when it comes to underwear. College guys may be the biggest offenders and as a man which falls into this demographic, I see it first hand daily. Underwear such as basic, cheap construction boxers which extend to your knees in a variety of cheezy patterns or the basic six plus multi pack hanes/fruit of the loom boxer briefs are the general norm of the population. I used to wear these undies. Why did I stop? THEY’RE FREAKING UNCOMFORTABLE! As an avid runner, wearing boxers/boxer briefs of this variety was tortuous. Weggies, underwear binding, extreme chafing, and fabric which did not wick away moisture made workouts a hassle. Those experiences made my switch to higher quality undies an absolute necessity and resulted in my switch.

Men, I want you to ask yourself a question. Do you think that your significant other cares about your underwear? The answer is certainly complicated. I honestly don’t think men will be able to see into the mind of a woman with full understanding. Having said this, I truly think women want to see guys wearing clean, fashion forward underwear on their man. Guys, don’t we all want to see women wearing super sexy, sleek and fashionable? Don’t you think they also deserve the same treatment? I’m telling you (and from success) that yes, they do want to see you wearing great undies. Heck, if anything, maybe talking about why you wear designer undies can give you a foot in the door. Use whatever you can to make it happen!

We are creatures of habit. We tend to do something if it’s familiar. Whether it’s taking the same route to class each day or the style of underwear style we have worn for 15 years, it’s tough to break a routine. This is true even if you don’t really like what you’re doing. Guys, I get it. You think that because others aren’t wearing designer undies, you will somehow be outcasted if you do. It’s simply not true. Be the change, start the change. It only takes one to influence a few others. I can remember my friends busting my balls in the locker room after a workout when they saw my CK briefs. It didn’t bother me and I kept wearing them, continually pointing out all the benefits they provided me in the man region during long runs and gym workouts. It took about a month before I turned to a teammate, only to see him donning a pair of white Calvin Klein X Micro Hip Briefs, to which I busted his balls. We all control our own decisions, but if you’re not happy and satisfied with your underwear, don’t be afraid to change. In the end, it’s just another piece of clothing.

Now, picture this situation. It’s Wednesday morning and you just hit snooze one too many times on your alarm. Class is in 15 minutes. You’re scrambling to get ready and you look in your underwear drawer. What do you find? Nothing. Now, underwear supply is the standard by which many our age decides when to wash our clothes. No one wants to run out of fresh undies, but still, some guys among our generation don’t put an emphasis on wearing fresh underwear. Unfortunately, there are some guys that will just take their previously worn underwear, turn them inside out, and use them again.  Come on guys, don’t do this! I know there are weeks throughout each semester where its hard to find two hours to do your laundry, but you should either just bite the bullet and get clothes washed as fast as possible when out of clean undies or try to purchase additional undies. There should never be a reason as to why you have underwear on under your jeans with an inside out tag. Also, if your undies begin to develop large holes and loose their shape, bite the bullet and throw them out. These undies have done their time and it’s time to move on to new pairs.

I implore you to try something new. At least give it a shot. Try not getting hung up on societal norms and what others do. Wear what will make you feel best. And if you still like what you wear now after trying new things, that is fine

5165 (6)

I have recently had the chance to wear and review Clever’s Prague Brief, style number 5165. This brief is available in a variety of colors and sizes. The pair I tested was size small and red. Because of my previous experience reviewing Clever’s cheeky boxer, I had very high expectations of this brief.

Upon receipt of the package, I honestly had no idea what was contained within it’s wrapping. As a result, I was honestly pretty surprised to find an (almost) fully mesh pair of underwear. I have never worn a pair of undies with a similar construction so for me, this review was something entirely new. My review day was not much different than any other day. A day which started with morning and afternoon class finished with light studying and eventual lounging. Throughout the day, the brief successfully maintained its shape and allowed all of the goods to remain in place.

As I have previously mentioned, this brief was a small and I feel that this brief is true to size. I am between a 28 or 29 and this brief was dead on in terms of what a pair of underwear sized small should feel like. Many people which wear Clever underwear note that it can sometimes be difficult to find the correct size which corresponds to their individual bodies due to the differences in foreign designer’s sizing. I can say with confidence that this brief closely reflects American sizing standards. This brief, as mentioned earlier, is almost fully mesh with a blend of 83% mesh and 17% spandex. The only portion of the brief which provides coverage is a panel of spandex that covers your privates. The brief has more of a traditional cut and provides full seat coverage and the waistband is excellent due to its flexibility and construction.

5165 (5) 5165 (2) 5165 (1)

When the day began, I never thought I would find one thing wrong with this brief. If you have a very active day planned with very little sitting, this brief is totally ideal. It provides very good frontal support while barely riding on any skin. I certainly look forward to the day when I have recovered from my knee injury and can run again because I think this brief will be amazing to wear while running. I don’t see myself wearing it to the gym due to its transparency, but that is a small issue. There were a few issues that began to arise while I sat in class for a long time. Similar to the skin itch that develops from the netting in a pair of swim trunks at the beach, this brief began to moderately chafe against the skin of my rear end as the day progressed. It became a larger annoyance the longer I sat without movement. As a result, I recommend wearing this brief when you expect to be on your feet for extended periods of time.

All in all, I felt this was a very enjoyable review. I was able to experience a totally new and even more edgy pair of underwear than what I have worn in the past. While I don’t  envision wearing this brief while sitting on the couch for multiple hours, I eagerly anticipate wearing them during long runs.

Pros:

  • Well constructed waistband

  • Bold color

  • Form fitting design

  • Excellent workout brief

Cons:

  • Skin chafing during extended periods of sitting

  • Not my ideal brief for everyday wear

Ratings:

  • Daily Fit-B+

  • Sizing-A

  • Construction/Materials-A

  • Styling-A

  • Daily Performance-B-

  • Overall-A-

Clever furnished this pair for review.

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I have recently had the chance to wear Clever’s Cheeky Boxer. This is the first time that I have worn a pair of underwear made by Clever and upon opening the boxer which I received, I was very encouraged by what I found. My pair is black with red accents in size small. Along with this color combination, Clever also offers the boxer in either blue and white or yellow and green.

I have recently injured my right leg and as a result I have been bound to crutches. Because of this, the day I reviewed this boxer was spent primarily relaxing and lounging while elevating my leg, although I did do quite a bit of crutching to and from locations. Normally when I review a pair I try to do everything from running with other at home exercises to lounge and do everyday activities, but this time it simply wasn’t an option. Having said this, if I were to put this pair through the normal review test, I think it would have held up quite well. My reasoning behind this statement will be proved in the following paragraphs.

The boxer from Clever which I reviewed is a size small and this is certainly true. I am a rather skinny guy and normally there is still plenty of room to breathe in the average pair of underwear which is sized small. I really enjoy the way this pair conforms to my body. Personally, I enjoy that fits snugly or slightly snug to my body and this boxer, which I would honestly term as a trunk, certainly offers that to me. Each person is built differently though and as a result sizing can be tricky for most. Clever is a Colombian brand and as a result their sizes deviate slightly from American sizing. My advice to you if you are someone which is between sizes based on a given underwear brand, you should buy the larger size if you are to purchase this boxer.

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Overall, I have many great things to say about this Cheeky boxer. First off, I love the name. It’s great and very true. This boxer sits square on the hips and is relatively square cut along the bottom in the front and progressively morphs into a brief along the sides and into the rear. It essentially is a brief from behind, hence the adjective cheeky. Even though the rear is slightly “cheeky”, this boxer never rode up during the day and retained it’s shape remarkably well. This boxer is constructed using a fabric blend consisting of 94% cotton and 6% spandex, making it not only breathable but also flexible. Enhancing both breathability and flexibility are the legs which are constructed with a mesh material.The colors and aesthetics of this boxer match it’s feel. While being mostly black, this boxer features a red waistband sporting the Clever name in white along with red mesh patches along the legs accented with grey piping. This color layout gives the boxer a very sporty look. It doesn’t have too many flaws, but moving forward I would like to see Clever make this boxer tagless and also take a bit more time at the factory making sure that all the excess thread along the seams are clipped. Both issues are minor and do not dampen my opinion of the boxer. Somewhere between a tight and tiny running short in appearance and minimal cut trunk/brief in function, this boxer is very masculine while also sexy and I really dig it.

It really is a shame that I did not have a chance to put this boxer through my favorite test, a long run. It is through this test where I learn most about a given pair of underwear. I am an avid runner and because of this I need my undies to perform at a very high level. Even though I didn’t get a chance to put this boxer through a full test, I don’t think it would have a problem passing with very high marks. This boxer has a really sporty look which should suit the tastes of a wide range of men, regardless of underwear consciousness. Having the opportunity to test drive this boxer was a privilege and I hope you have found it informative.

Pros:

  • Great fabric blend with a great use of mesh on the legs.
  • Retains shape throughout an entire day.
  • “Cheeky” fit in the rear.

Cons:

  • Abrasive underwear tag.
  • Some stray unclipped stitching.

Ratings

  • Daily Fit: 10
  • Sizing: 8
  • Construction/Materials: 9
  • Styling: 9
  • Daily Performance: 9
  • Overall: 9.0 (A)

Clever furnished this boxer for review and can be found at their website.

pikante-review

Recently, I have had the pleasure of reviewing Pikante’s Candy Jumbo Brief. The pair which I received is a small, colored in a light red color with black accents and is constructed using a fabric blend of 86% polyester and 14% spandex. The Pikante logo is stiched into the black waistband.  This pair has a simple look which I really enjoy as it adds a certain simplicity to the brief. The front pouch is covered with a see through mesh material different to the other material used to construct the pair. Personally, I am not a huge mesh guy, but if you are interested in showing off once in awhile, this pair should certainly fit the bill.

The day in which I reviewed this brief was very busy.  From classes in the morning to an hour run in the evening, I was able to put this pair of underwear through many tests and I must say that it performed very well. The polyester/spandex material used to make the rear panel feels amazing against my skin. It did tend to ride up very slightly, but I never really noticed it. This brief performed well too during my workout. Everything up front was held up and supported as I expected, but I will say that near the end of the run, my package was beginning to moderately chafe which I would attribute to the mesh fabric of the pouch. Along with this, while this brief is very comfortable, it’s not the best choice to wear under shorts while running for a long period of time. That is the  cold air mixed with the exposed front pouch.

Pikante terms this underwear as a brief but after wearing it, I would term it more as a string bikini. With completely revealing sides and limited seat coverage, it reminded me much more of the string bikinis I have seen in the past. This is by no means a complaint, but more a general comment of my experience.

This was my first time wearing a Pikante product and while I very much enjoyed wearing this brief (bikini), I don’t anticipate wearing it on a frequent basis due to its revealing nature.

Pros:

  • Fantastic fabric blend in the rear
  • Strong waistband
  • High leg cut

Cons:

  • Not best for winter wear
  • Exposing front pouch
  • Front fabric chafes during extended physical activity

Ratings

  • Fit: 4
  • Material: 4
  • Construction: 4
  • Look: 4
  • Daily Wear: 3
  • Overall: 3.8

Pikante furnished this pair for revew.