I wasn’t going to dedicate the entire day to the 7th Anniversary. After writing the anniversary post It got me thinking of the last seven years and how we have started to do our own photography When we first started we had more real guys and want to continue that trend of seeing the average guy in underwear. However, as we have stepped up each year we improve in both photography and models.

We have gotten heat over the years for using “non models” but we need to see real guys in underwear/swimwer. One of the ones that sticks out is in 2012 we got the post “These guys are fat.” Which struck me as odd because the largest guy was a 32 inch waist. They weren’t full of muscles and  abs but they were good guys. We have heard from many of you that you appreciate what we do!

Now on to the pics before I get on my soap box. These are pictures over the years that I LOVE that we have done.

Shoot: UNB Swimwear 2011
Model: Ben
Brand: N2N Bodywear
Photographer: Seven Continents Photography
Description; This was the shoot that almost didn’t happen. It was one disaster after another. It was done the day of the rapture (But we survived). This was the first time Ben wore a swim brief in public. A few boaters too notice but not too many. This picture is one I want framed and on the wall one day. It proves even when things go wrong, you can make amazing things.

Shoot: Swimwear 2012
Model: Cody
Brand: Clever Moda
Photographer: Seven Continents Photography
Description: This was our first really big shoot. I was brand new to doing shoots. We had three models and traveled over an hour south of Atlanta to use a friends lake house. On the way there it rained and I thought it would turn our horrible. Well the day turned out great. However, the pictures for Clever didn’t. We had to reshoot them the following week. This ended up being one of my favorites due to the post and the suit.

Shoot: Holiday Guide 2012
Model: Adam
Brand: Clever Moda
Photographer: Seven Continents Photography
Description: We shot this on the 60 something floor of the Westin Peachtree Plaza in downtown Atlanta. We had some great models and the first time we worked with Matt from Designer Drawers. It was a LONG shoot. The longest we have ever done. This was done early right when the sun hit just right. This pic I have used a few times over the years. Just a great angle and model!

Shoot: Alabama Brewery – Dec 2012
Model: David
Brand: N2N Bodywear
Photographer: Seven Continents Photography
Description: This was the first shoot we did outside of a guide. We drove over to Birmingham on a Saturday morning. Might I add I had dental surgery the day before and was totally out of it. We had a bunch of N2N to shoot and David was our model. In the last minute we got Josh (who hopefully will be back on the site soon). This is a pic I love and is still out YouTube picture. David’s great smile and the focus is what I love. Its the perfect angle for this picture!

Shoot: UNB Valentine’s Guide
Model: David
Brand: Gregg Homme
Photographer: Seven Continents Photography
Description: When it came to our early shoots we had Murphy’s law in full effect. One model fell out and we were left with David. We shot in an amazing house in the Mountains just south of Birmingham. Some of the pics didn’t turn out great but this one turned out amazing. David looks like the butler you wish you had for Valentine’s Day! It also taught us doing a Valentine’s shoot is very difficult. Hence, why we haven’t done one since!

Shoot: UNB Swimwear Guide 2013
Models: Kyle and Blake
Brand: Cocksox
Photographer: Seven Continents Photography
Description: This was a really fun shoot. Probably one of the most laid back we ever shoot. It was followed by everyone in the pool after fora few hours. I love this pic because it looks like two buds hanging out at a day at the pool. Granted the neon colors may not be one you think of but it was super fun! It was shot north of Atlanta at the former Black Jack Mountain Inn.

Shoot: Derek Yates – Julyl 2013
Model: Derek Yates
Brand: Go Softwear
Photographer: Ignacio Rivera Jr.
Description: This was our very first time working with Derek. We shot in in some Go Softwear and Baskit. He drove down from Chattanooga to do this on a week day We shot this at the same place at the Swim shoot. Derek knows how to model and looks amazing in undies. I love this shot on the steps most of all. To me it was one of the most artistic of the day!

Shoot: Josh in Birmingham – July 2013
Model: Josh
Brand: Clever Moda
Photographer: Ignacio Rivera Jr.
Description: I think Josh has some amazing potential when it comes to modeling. We decided to grab a few things from the UNB closet and head over to Bham to shoot him. The day ranged from a Bentley on a Parking garage, in a gym (this pic) and foot ball gear. This picture shows how incredible he is on camera. He’s not shy about what he wears.

Shoot: Josh in Atlanta – Aug 2013
Model: Josh
Brand: Xtremen Underwear
Photographer: Ignacio Rivera Jr.
Description: We received some underwear from Xtremen to shoot. We invited Josh over to Atlanta to shoot at a friends condo in Midtown. It was the 26th floor. Ignacio did a mix of old school with the holding of the film, while shooting on digital. The camera loves Josh and it was one of our shortest but I love it because it shows off Josh and the underwear perfectly.

Shoot: UNB Holiday Guide 2013
Models: Matt, Martin & Scott
Brand: Mundo Unico
Photographer: Ignacio Rivera Jr.
Description: This is our only shoot for holiday that we did that featured a holiday theme. It was done is a historic house in Birmingham that was decked out for the holidays. Remember when I said we had Murphy’s Law in effect. This was the was the perfect example of that. We had four models lined up. Three of them dropped out the morning of the shoot. Matt jumped in to help and Martin got his trainer Scott to come model. It turned out to be amazing. This was on top of me getting laid off the day before. The guys were amazing and such troopers that day! This day made me love Matt even more!

Shoot: UNB Swimwear Guide 2014
Model: Derek Yates
Brand: 2EROS
Photographer: Ignacio Rivera Jr.
Description: We shot this at Martin’s house (the one in the holiday picture above). It was a nice calm day and no big surprise. It was also the first time no models fell out! This is one of my favorite pictures from the shoot featuring Derek in the 2EROS. Its amazing what Ignacio did! There were several I wanted to profile but this one stood out! Derek is so easy to work with and does amazing pictures.

Shoot: UNB Holiday Guide 2014
Models: Derek & Nathan
Brand: Clever Moda
Photographer: Ignacio Rivera Jr.
Description: We are back to the same location as the 2013 Holiday guide. However this year it’s not decked out in Holiday! This is the first time we worked with Nathan as well. The shoot produced this picture. I swear the camera loves both of them. Pair them together and its magic. They looked amazing on the shoot. It was our coincidence that the boys wore Red and Green. Both guys know how to stand and it shows in the picture. Each is a professional and we love working with them.

Shoot: Long Johns – Dec 2014
Models: Chandler & Nathan
Brand: McKillop
Photographer: Taylor Campbell
Description: This was a COLD shoot. It was done on Matt’s deck and fire pit. We did something totally different with photography and did more abstract pictures. Taylor played with light and exposure and did some amazing pictures. This one features both guys in the light of the fire. Both guys look amazing in the long johns. It was so much fun for us. Ask Chandler and Nathan and they may say otherwise.

Shoot: Fetish Shoot  – Feb 2015
Model: Nathan
Brand: N2N Bodywear
Photographer: Taylor Campbell
Description: Believe it or not this was shot right after the Holiday shoot for 2014. We didn’t release it till Valentine’s Day. It was also the most erotic shoot we have done. It skewed gay an had black underwear and leather. It turned out so amazing. We received a lot of feed back on this shoot, all positive. This picture of Nathan and his look on his face is amazing. Taylor captured the super sexy side of Nathan (not like that’s hard to do) and rocked this one out!

Shoot: UNB Holiday Guide 2015
Models: Bobby, Chandler and Michael
Brand: Modus Vivendi
Photographer: Taylor Campbell
Description: I like to think our shoots are a lot of fun. This picture I think shows just that, the guys are having a great time out on the lake with this picture. Chandler always has a crazy look on his face that makes me smile. It was the first time we worked with Bobby and he did such an amazing job for us. The other model Michael is just as fun to work with and does amazing pictures. All guys had a great time and just the energy an fun of the picture is what I love.

Shoot: BodyAware September 2015
Models: Antonio & Pleep
Brand: BodyAware
Photographer: RSH Photography
Description: This was the first shoot for UNB that I was not present while it was being shoot. Ross from RSH Photography shot our guys Antonio and Pleep in the BodyAware I sent them to review. They are two amazing guys and Ross captured them very well. Plus I love the briefs they are wearing!

I want to thank Brian from Seven Continents Photography, Ignacio Rivera Jr, Taylor Campbell and Ross from RSH Photography for doing amazing pictures for us over the years. I also want to thank Ben, Josh, David, Cody, Christian, Juan, Kyle, Adam, Matt, Blake, Chandler, Michael, Bobby, Derek, Martin, Scott, Antonio, Pleep and any other model I forgot for working with us over the years.

We have a lot more planned and working on the Holiday shoot now! I hope you enjoy a look back at the amazing photography we did over the years.

This month marks the 7th Anniversary for Underwear News Briefs. It’s been an amazing journey over this time. If you would have told me in 2008 that I would still be doing the site in 2015. I would have said you were crazy. I started it when I got laid off to occupy my time and share my move of underwear. After the start I figured I would score some free undies and kill some time. Well, I did score free undies but a lot more happened.

Well isn’t life funny. I did get jobs but I never forgot about UNB. Well in fact I got laid off 3 times in 5 years. UNB was always there to keep me occupied and busy. If I had to sit at home and do nothing I would have gone crazy. UNB is something I built and has become successful. It makes me smile to realize so many guys share my passion and love the blog!

There have been good times and bad times at UNB. However, I tend to focus on and remember the good times. So what have been some of the best things to happen creating UNB?

Solidified My Love of undies – I have always loved undies and this has made my love stronger. I can’t wait to see new lines and talk about them. UNB has exposed me to more brands than I would have ever found on my own. On the same page it allowed me to try many more brands than I ever could on my own.

Made Some Amazing Friends – I honestly at times forget people read the blog. Its like I”m doing it for myself at times. I guess it’s because I’m so focused on trying to write things you guys will like and show whats cool in underwear. Out of this I have made really good friends of people in the industry and out of it. There are a few readers I talk to on a regular basis via text, DM or email. Guys  who love underwear are rare breed. We are friendly and share one big thing in our lives. They are easier to talk to as well, at least for me. The same goes for in the industry. The men’s underwear industry is an amazing and friendly place. There are very few people I don’t like working with in the industry.

Taught me the Difference between Personal and Business – This is something that the blog taught me and is an important life lesson. I don’t get upset if someone makes a decision purely on business. If they don’t want to do it and it’s not in the best interest of their business, I don’t get upset. Its the price of working with people. You can’t take some things personally.

All Guys Love Undies – We are a group of guys who shares something special. Many out there keep it hidden from family and friends. Its super personal to a lot of guys. After writing the blog for a few years I started to get straight guys writing me about the blog. My goal was to show all guys how underwear is amazing. This has paid off and we have gained more straight readers every year. These guys are some of the biggest underwear lovers around. Many far surpass the gay guys. It makes me smile every time I get a new email from a reader gay or straight.

I can write… sorta – Some of you have pointed out that grammar and spelling can get jacked up at times. The main reason is I am dyslexic. I have never liked writing and always tried not to do much of it. Things in the past have gotten mixed up in my head and would come out all wonky. I know I still have work to do but I have improved since the start of the blog. I CAN write. This may sound stupid to some but when you had no confidence in your writing skills its hard to start a blog. Now I am starting to know what it look for in my writing and improve.

UNB Readers are Awesome – I have mentioned that I have made friends and getting all guys to love undies. You guys never cease to amaze me and make me smile. There are days when I have things getting me down (site wise or in life). I will get this great email telling me how much someone loves the blog and I am smiles. You guys make the site worth doing. I ask you guys things and you guys always follow through.

These are just a few of the things that have I am thankful for the last few years. The first 7 years have been amazing. We have grown our reader base, do our own shoots and bring guys together. The last is my favorite thing! So whats in the future for UNB?

That is always a work in progress. We try new things all the time, sometimes they work and other times they don’t. But, it’s about trying new things. I have a few ideas in the works that revolve around video and some features. I also love feed back an ideas form you guys. So you guys can always feel free to reach out on Twitter or email!

Here’s to 7 more years of UNB and hopefully a lot more! Again I want to thank all our readers for reading and participating over the last few years. I Love you guys!

Wearing something awesome under a suit is a must! This is the Andrew Christian Black collection. The Black Collection is one of the newest line from Andrew Christian.

Are you a big fan of our blog? Have you been with us from the beginning or just found us? Either way if you like what we do consider supporting us! I founded UNB 7 years ago this month. It has been a fun journey for me sharing my passion for underwear with you guys. It takes a lot of guys to create content and promote the blog every week.

Why did we do crowd funding? We do get some money to cover most of our expenses from advertising. But there are more things we want to do! I am not a big fan of sponsored content. Our only sponsored content we do are photoshoots and I guess you could say reviews. I say reviews because almost always the pairs are given to us to review. I felt the best way to do bigger and better things was ask you guys to help!

Patreon is a service for content creators to raise money from their readers/viewers/fans. Its kind of like PBS pledge week, but year round. If you like what we do, then definitely consider donating. If just 25% of guys who read the blog on a regular basis donate $1 a month, we could do shoots every month, launch a new web series and hire a copy editor.

What will we do with the money? As I mentioned above I want to hire a copy editor to help up step up our game. Second, do more than Christmas and Swimwear shoots. Be able to do some fun shoots with a mix of brands. Actually get a video camera to do better videos for you guys. Then launch a new web series I have been working on!

How does Patreon work? We have our account set up to do a monthly donation. You can give, as I have said, as little as $1 to what ever you want! Each month your donation will be charged and you can stop at anytime If you prefer you can also set up a limit as to how much you want to spend. It’s very simple. We have some reward levels listed too. Did I mention you get some perks been a Patreon supporter of UNB.

How can you donate? Go to the UNB Patron Page and sign up to be a supporter. If you have any questions feel free to email me at info @ underwearnewsbriefs.com and put Patreon in the title. Thanks for being such amazing guys!

Today we feature a Throwback Thursday featuring the Pletts twins in Marcuse. They shot a few times with Marcuse in 2013. We hope you enjoy this look back!

Bikinis are making a come back and we asked two of our favorite bikini lovers to sit down and talk about Bikinis. They are Bikinisnthongs and UnderwearDude from Twitter. It’s also a plus that one is straight and one is gay. So you get a unique perspective on the topic. Here is the conversation we had with the two bikini fans.

UNB TIM : You both are big bikini loves and have a strict view on what is considered a bikini. Give me your definition of a bikini

Bikinisandthongs: Bikinis are a version of a brief. A bikini is defined more by what it doesn’t have than what it does. It doesn’t have a functional fly or a defined (typically elastic band) waistband. The size of the sides or the amount of fabric doesn’t matter. They usually have higher cut legs and sit lower than the hips.

Underweardude :My definition of a bikini is like Chris mentioned, a brief variant influenced by women’s underwear that regularly features much less or no material covering the legs compared to more traditional briefs.

Bikinis are the sometimes fashionable, sexualized versions of the basic brief. Echoing Chris, a bikini is not really about function. It is quite simply form over function.

UNBTIM: What brands do you think are making the “classic bikini”?

Underweardude: Well to me, I don’t have too much experience with the classic bikini as I favor it’s skimpier cousin the “string”bikini. A lot of “fashion briefs” these days might be nearly considered classic mens bikini style. If we define the bikini in that regards, as something similar to, say, the Jockey Elance bikini brief,

If I asked the average joe on the street about my skimpier briefs, I bet most would call them bikini over briefs. They look far more in common with say, the stereotypical leopard print bikini briefs that Len Quagmire of Family Guy wears, than to the much more coverage provided by traditional briefs.

To me, with the rise of the “Mini brief/Fashion brief” for all intent and purpose taking the place of the old school style bikini, most styles marketed as a “bikini”, except for mass market varieties, are more styled as a “string bikini”, with practically zero leg coverage.

Bikinisnthongs
When I think of “classic bikini”, I definitely think back to the Jockey Elance bikinis. I don’t think there are many brands still making those today. However, I do think some come close – Calvin Klein, Fruit of the Loom, and Jockey.

There are many brands that make a true bikini – not a low-rise brief with a waistband and not a string bikini with no leg coverage: N2N, Cover Male, Joe Snyder, PPU, Gregg Homme, Private Structure, Ergowear, and Good Devil are brands that I own. More often than not, I see these pairs marketed as “briefs”.

Perusing the underwear sites, it does seem like the low-rise briefs and string bikinis are becoming more and more popular, edging out the true bikini styles.

UNBTim: Its funny you guys mentioned it but Jockey just “rereleased” the Elance. What do you feel is making less companies make a true bikini? Why do you guys thing the “mini brief/fashion brief” are edging out bikinis?

Bikinisnthongs
I think there are a couple of reasons for this trend.

First, in American culture at least, bikinis have somewhat of a feminine stygma. Men, especially straight men, are more likely to purchase and wear underwear that looks more masculine. This is where the low-rise/mini/fashion briefs come in.

Second, it comes down to marketing. The waistband of men’s underwear has trended towards showing off the brand name — sometimes to an obnoxious extent. True bikinis don’t have a waistband, so the designer isn’t getting the same advertisement when guys wear their pairs.

UnderwearDude
I feel that fashion briefs are edging out bikinis is for the same reason why jocks are edging out thongs: They are closer to the norm. Fashion briefs can always be thought of as, just briefs, not something sexualized, while bikinis have a different vibe around them at all times. They are also a smaller incremental step towards skimpier pairs, and are also perhaps more readily available. Jocks may not have been very popular/utilized for daily wear for very long, but they have been a mainstay in a decent number of men’s lives for quite a while, unlike thongs. It’s simply a sense of familiarity. Most guys might have a pair of “sexy briefs” over a bikini brief simply in that they can defend it as just being briefs. Basically bikinis can give off a “player” vibe, where fashion briefs can much more easily defended.

UNBTim: What advice would you give a guy wanting to try bikinis for the first time? What should he look for? What brands would you recommend?

UnderwearDude
It all depends on his comfort level and what he’s looking to get out of them. Is he looking for something extravagant and flashy? Something sexy? Or just something just out of the ordinary, a slight variation to his everyday wear.

Even in my repressed part of the country you can find bikinis, but you have to look hard to find them. Personally, I would look for pairs marketed as “Sports Briefs”, as those can be excused as workout wear. I’d start with pairs more closely connected to briefs, and slowly make my way towards more string bikini esque pairs, though those can be a good place to start and possibly stay as well. Staying away from pairs with smaller backs would also be a good start. Where to begin, brand wise? Well, not too many manufacturers make a good sensible starter bikini (not super skimpy, no extending pouch,etc).

Cin-2 makes sport briefs, but some would not call that a true bikini. Many bikinis, even if meant for everyday wear, are a bit flamboyant, like Cocksox. What I would do, if buying online, would go to a big retailer’s bikini section,and look at the best sellers list. Judging by quick glances at a couple of them, many of the best sellers are actually quite sensible pairs. If you look at best sellers lists on most websites, most of that stuff is actually quite reasonable. Not all bikinis are super skimpy half backs. Many of them are just slightly different versions of regular briefs, and make trying bikinis a little bit easier.

I hate it that I don’t have any particular pairs to recommend for a first timer. I own quite a few great bikinis, but due to colors, cut, or pouch they may not be suitable for most guys starting out. I will say this though. Pick something you like the look of. Pick something that’s in your comfort level, either skimpy or sensible, the most important thing is get a pair that you think you will like.

Bikinisnthongs
My main advice for a guy wanting to try a bikini for the first time would be to not be afraid to pick something outside his comfort zone. Don’t worry about what other people will think or say, nobody has to see you wearing it. Besides, wearing bikini underwear does not make you gay. LOL

It’s only one pair. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to wear it again. But if you do, you’ve started down a journey that could leave you feeling more confident and sexy.

He should look for a pair that is as daring as he’s willing to go, without spending too much money. A first pair shouldn’t cost $30. It’s difficult to justify spending that much on one pair, first pair or three hundredth pair. 😉 I would recommend that he not try a cheap pair that is 100% cotton as it probably won’t fit well.

If he wants to let his junk hang freely, then he should look for pairs that have ergonomic pouches like Andrew Christians Almost Naked line or the Obviously brand. If he’s got a meatier/more muscular butt and wants to show it off, then he should look for pairs that have less coverage like Joe Snyder, but be careful since these pairs tend to have less room in the pouch.

Other brands that I would recommend for a good quality bikini are N2N Bodywear, Cover Male, Aussiebum, and Ergowear.

We hope you enjoyed this conversation. We look forward to doing a Thong conversation soon. Find both Bikinisnthongs and UnderwearDude on Twitter