We interviewed LED Queens about the world of men’s spandex. Now today we are offering a coupon code for them, use code UNBBLOG to get 5% off your order!!! Don’t miss out
Have you wanted to wear spandex to the gym? Have you ever had complaints issued about you to the management for wearing it? Do you see people give you the side eye? We have heard this from some guys, while others have no issues. We asked the expert in Runners about this, Cesar Torres owner of LED Queens. Here is what they said about the issue:
There has been a growing movement of guys wearing spandex to the gym over the last few years, why do you think guys, gay and straight, are taking to spandex again?
If we pay attention to the history of fashion, we can easily recognize cycles that repeat. I would say that we are currently experiencing one of those cycles in fitness wear. The last time body-hugging legwear for men was this popular was probably the late 80s and early 90’s, which also happens to be a high point in the cycle for nylon/spandex in both culture and fitness. But I don’t think a historical cycle tells us the whole story. I think what we are seeing now is a movement of more personal and sexual expression as LGBTQIA people become more visible in out societies all around the world. A pair of tights can be a powerful tool for expression to say fuck you to the gender binary while also being fashionable in a fitness context. It’s a way to break some very silly rules about gendered clothing traditions and to also express yourself. I think the rise of Instagram also has a lot to do with the new popularity of leggings. People want to show off their goods on camera and get approval from their followers for those looks. Instagram, has a dark side, though, and that’s a much more complicated issue. Instagram can generate a lot of anxiety for people and also create false images of what reality is really like. But it doesn’t take away the fact that tights for men and male-presenting people can help one feel very proud of one’s physique. And we should all be proud, regardless of gender or sexuality. History has indeed repeated itself in many ways, but in 2018 this repetition of the cycle has extra meaning because we are living in the digital/machine learning age. The photographic image and video part of everyday life, and there’s no going back. Most moments of our lives (and fitness activities) are now captured into digital storytelling that is published on a daily basis.
Photo – Spandexandsprinkles on InstagramAlong with this rise in popularity, we have head from readers and our own on writer Shawn, that there has been some backlash from gyms against men wearing tights/runners, have you seen this from your customers?
In general, LED fans and customers have told me the opposite. They have said that their friends and acquaintances at their local gyms have embraced their leggings and tights, especially when the designs are very colorful or bright. They act as icebreakers for many people. However, I also have had a few customers tell me that they have gotten looks of disapproval or heard comments behind their back about wearing them. Many of those anecdotes have come from the United States. I think that the United States culture at large still has a lot of difficulty dealing with sexuality and the human body, and it drives me mad when I see people giggling over a man in tights at the gym. There is nothing to laugh at, in my opinion, and in fact, men pioneered tights. It was in Europe over several centuries in the past where men wore stockings and tights before women ever did. People who snicker and comment are usually doing so out of their own insecurities, and that’s nothing new. Customers from countries outside the U.S. aren’t experiencing as many anecdotes like these, and that also reflects the different attitudes to men’s bodies and sexuality in other regions of the world. It’s very contextual. At the same time, if you live in a community where your safety is threatened if you wear such fashion items, I hope you are cautious and also ready to fight for your own safety. We don’t live in a paradise, and I don’t want people who follow LED Queens to think we are living in a utopia. Things are still difficult for anyone who sticks out or doesn’t fit the typical mold. Stay safe, but never forget to stay fucking strong, too. Be a Queer Punk.
Photo – @jamesdeanhaskins from InstagramI feel this is a total double standard that women can wear them but men can’t. What advice do you give guys who want to wear these to their gym, when the gym says they have “complaints” about you wearing them?
The days of that double standard are over, by the way. Tights for men are here to stay, and the men who love them have spoken! Larger brands than myself like Under Armour and Nike have a load of analytics data and billions of dollars in sales to show that men (straight, cis and/or LGBTQIA) love tights. If owners or staff in your gym have received complaints about men in tights, I would want to know the specific details about the complaint. Complainers tend to say “I don’t want to be subjected to see a man’s junk!” But, if that is their complaint, why do they keep looking at men’s crotches all day long? Those who make this complaint tend to be obsessed with looking and gazing at men’s bodies, and those jerks often correlate to being closeted gays. Most men who are secure in themselves don’t spend all day inspecting other men’s bodies. I think these complainers need to be treated very carefully because they can be nuisances for a long time and can remain toxic. Nothing will stop them from being obsessed with looking at men’s crotches. If your local gym brings up a complaint to you, ask them, “who made the complaint, and what specifically did they say”? If you get a really vague answer from the staff, that’s already a red flag. That staff may not be an ally to you. If a gym asks you to cover up based on a complaint, you may be subject to their rules, since they are private businesses. Not much you can do about that. If that ever happens, the next action step is simple as hell. Stop giving those assholes your money and get a gym membership somewhere else where they are not policing people’s bodies.
At the same time, I am not going to say that every male wearing spandex to the gym is an angel. Because they’re not. Many guys love the exhibitionism of tights to a degree that moves into being a fetish or sexual game. As people, we also have to take ownership of our actions. If you are using the gym as a sexual playground where you are purposefully exposing your genitals with cock rings or clothes that cartoonishly exaggerate the bulge, you are free to make that choice. Women make that choice all the time by wearing low cut, plunging necklines and spandex tights that are cut too low to the gym. I am sex positive so, cheers to all the sluts of the world! But my point is, there is still a time and place for everything. A gym is not the same space as a fetish event. And many people forget that. The gym is communal spaces for all people, and we also owe other people respect if we want them to respect us. Make smart choices for yourself, and develop self-awareness. Self-awareness and maturity mean that you don’t make everything in your day about yourself. I am not telling you to hide your bulge, because I don’t advocate shame over our bodies, but keep in mind that only you are the best judge of the environment you are in, and some environments are better than others for transgressive, cruisy choices.
Photo – @coachaxelray from instagramAnd on this note, let’s talk for a moment about shorts over tights, which I get a lot of questions about. I hate that style choice. I think it breaks the great silhouette of the leggings and can create problems with bunched up fabric or overheating. I think in many cases people do it because they are a bit shy about wearing tights alone. We have shown some product photos on LED’s Instagram with shorts over tights because we do acknowledge that for some customers, they want to see how the product will look with shorts. I get it. If you like shorts on top, embrace it. But for me, I like to wear shorts just on their own. Tights on their own. Embrace your personal style and just run with your choices! And have fun.
What is LED Queens doing to curb this type of thinking and show that tights/runners are for everyone?
At LED Queens, we show you what LGBTQIA people are wearing all over the world to help promote a better understanding of this fashion garment. We lead by simply being ourselves. Tights are indeed for everyone, including cis men, trans men, non-binary people, and both male- and female-presenting people. I personally regram, retweet and re-feature our customers of all shapes and sizes in our Instagram account as they work out in our tights or show off their selfies to the world. Yes, there are bulges in the pics. All good. And my customers are really handsome people! We recently rolled out our new hashtag #led🍑oftheday, which features LED fans’ butts in our gear. We embrace what a pair of tights does a for a mans’ body. You will never see Under Armour with such a hashtag, so come on over to LED, where we have way more fun than they do. LED Queens is here to validate the lives and bodies of LGBTQIA people. We don’t care about the gender binary, and we want people to embrace fitness. In some cases, we provide a virtual safe space for customers who live in smaller cities where there are not too many LGBTQIA sports clubs or support. That’s why I created our Facebook group Queer Punks Barbell Club: https://m.facebook.com/groups/259677044692626. That fulfills our mission to support the community. Tights are absolutely for everyone, and people have to remember that they are a fashion choice. Having respect for other people’s choices, even if you disagree with them, takes us one step closer to a better society.
What do you think we can do as an individual and as a blog to increase the awareness of tights/runners in the gym?
Provide a lot of love and support to people in your life who chose to wear tights and leggings. You don’t have to be patronizing or politically correct to do this. You can just simply say “I love your personal style, keep it up!” Or “you look great in your fitness gear!” And if you see people being teased or bullied over these choices, speak up. And above all, just respect other’s people’s right to be themselves.
We hope this helps you guys wear what you want when you want!
aussieBum makes some of the best behind the scenes videos. This features their model Andrew. You may have seen him before if not take this opportunity.
Looking for something new for the holidays? Check out the new Agacio underwear. The new line is a lot of fun! If you want to check it out go to Agacio site.
Looking for a great pair to lounge around the house in? The Just /b/ brief is this weeks’ $12 Tuesday pair. There have been quite. few sales over the last week but one steady. sale is that is always great is the $12 Tuesday. Make sure you shop the sale before midnight! Shop at the Baskit site.
We ran the post of the new DMX Gear runners this past week. Check out the post and go shop at DMX Gear site.
I manged to miss two new lines from Timoteo the Viper II and the Hydro. Today we will profile the Viper II line. The Cellblock 13 line has had some amazing new gear lately. I love to see this line progress from total fetish to a mix of fetish and fashion. Timoteo really knows what he’s doing when it comes to Underwear
Cellblock 13 Viper II Brief
The official description is:
This new CellBlock13 Viper Brief effortlessly blends the best in comfort and style. The soft cotton/spandex fabric offers just the right amount of stretchy support while the new waistband accents are sure to turn their heads. It’s got a contoured soft cotton pouch with a hint of spandex for total comfort and shape retention. It’s a true brief with full back coverage and a 3.5 inch side seam (measurement taken from size medium).
It’s pretty awesome brief that can be worn for a night out or to work.
Pair: Cellblock 13 Viber II Brief
Color: Army Green, Black, Blue, and Burgundy
Fabric: 95% Cotton 5% Spandex
Sizes: Small – X-Large
Price: $28.00
Cellblock 13 Viper II Jockstrap
What would a fetish line be without a jockstrap? It’s pretty much standard issue in the fetish world. Just like the brief above this one has all the features but a jock cut.
Pair: Cellblock 13 Viber II Jockstrap
Color: Army Green, Black, Blue, and Burgundy
Fabric: 95% Cotton 5% Spandex
Sizes: Small – X-Large
Price: $24.00
Cellblock 13 Viper II Trunk
A trunk may not be the pair you think of in a fetish line but there is a time and place for everything. There are plenty of trunk lovers who read UNB. And there are times you may not want to wear a thong with your gear and something with a little more coverage.
Pair: Cellblock 13 Viber II Trunk
Color: Army Green, Black, Blue, and Burgundy
Fabric: 95% Cotton 5% Spandex
Sizes: Small – X-Large
Price: $30.00
Cellblock 13 Viper II Stree Legal Thong
I think this is the first thong for Timoteo. I could be wrong but I don’t recall one in the Cellblock 13 line before. It’s a style growing in popularity. Both in fetish world and regular guys. It’s street legal so you can wear it out in public. If you dare.
Pair: Cellblock 13 Viber II Street Legal Thong
Color: Army Green, Black, Blue, and Burgundy
Fabric: 95% Cotton 5% Spandex
Sizes: Small – X-Large
Price: $28.00
As we enter our 10th year I’m looking at the way we do things and looking for a few good men. Actually some specific good men who love underwear and love to write about their underwear passion. We are looking for a workout guy, college guy, professional (suit & tie) guy and a beefy guy. Regardless of your type we want a guy who’s passionate about underwear, open to try new things, social media savvy, great communicator, and talk underwear with other guys on the site.
The Workout Guy
We are looking for a guy who works out 3+ times a week. You love underwear as much as you love underwear as much as the gym. Your gym gear is all about supporting your work out. However outside of the gym you still wear awesome undies. It could be different or similar brands.
- You want to share the best underwear for the gym.
- Specific underwear for different activities (running, biking, cross fit and more)
- If you have different underwear tastes for work and out of the gym, why you like it.
- Report on issues and trends with working out and underwear.
- Including gym gear such as runners, tights and spandex gear
- Be open to all kinds of swimwear, including swim briefs
- Work as part of a team
The College Guy
We are looking for a guy 18-25 who’s a college student or recent grad. You love underwear but due to your budget you don’t get a lot of pairs. Your wish list is larger than your underwear collection. You want to branch out and share your exploration of underwear as you try new styles and brands.
- Be a young guy starting his underwear journey
- Willing to try any style and brand and see how you like it.
- Discuss how you are growing your underwear collection
- What issues younger guys are facing in underwear
- Be open to all kinds of swimwear, including swim briefs
- Learn from other guys on the site
The Suit & Tie Guy
You are a professional guy that wears a suit to work every day. You take pride in your appearance and think your underwear should match that feeling. You don’t have to be a classic lover but think picking a pair of underwear is as important as picking your time. You want to share your advice for other professional guys
- You are a lawyer, C-suite, architect, or CPA and suited every day
- Talk about underwear for work – Classic or fun pairs and when you wear them
- Mix in talk about socks as well since they are integral to suit
- Work as part of a team
The Beefy Guy
Underwear is for the gym guy and the ones with 32 waist. NOT, underwear is for everyone. Guys of all sizes should be able to get underwear that makes them feel super sexy. Bigger guys are becoming a new norm in the fashion world. Beefy guys have a bit more problems finding undies from design, cut and sizing .
- Be over 36 inch waist
- You could have been smaller or always the same size
- Share the struggles of being a bigger guy and not finding underwear in your size or a style you want.
- Be open to all kinds of swimwear, including swim briefs
- Work as part of a team
All guys should have the following qualities:
- A love of underwear and all styles (especially Bikinis, briefs, and boxer briefs)
- Be computer savy and familiar word processing, Google docs and WordPress
- Willing to help promote UNB on social sites and be socially active about your love (on your own social networks or UNB’s)
- Be a self starter and come up with post ideas, but also work as part of a team to help in group posts, brainstorming and more
- Proactive communicator about new posts, ideas and brainstorms
If you are one of these guys and posses the qualities submit your name on the form on this post. We pay in underwear, which is the best payment for an underwear lover on an underwear site. Check your email for our repsonse. We have sent out responses that may get sent to your spam filter. If you don’t hear from us within a week, email us at info at underwearnewsbriefs dot com
A luxury gateway with your significant other or with your friends cannot be complete without the Festive line. These elegant and luxury pieces will match your expectations of high-quality fabric, uniqueness, and style. Dress to impress and enjoy your winter vacay wearing a jewel on your body feeling like a bon viveur.
The Festive line comprises of Brief, Classic Brief, Low Cut Brief, Boxer, Bottomless, Tanktop, T-Shirt, and Pants. The Modus Vivendi Festive line is available in black and gold, has the classic Modus Vivendi logo and the extra brilliant waistband on the underwear. Manufactured to perfection made of cotton elastane combined with s
atin pleated shiny fabric this line is ultra-luxury. The uniqueness of the fabric along with the shiny waistband or the blocks of shiny fabric and the perfect fit makes this brief a must-have piece.
The Modus Vivendi Festive underwear line is available from €24.80
What day is a good day for a thong? Well from our readers any day is! This is the Midnight Animal Mesh Thong from Andrew Christian as worn by Beau Banks.
Tis the season for new underwear! I think most of us will be buying our own undies this holiday season. Unless you are a lucky one whose significant other is into underwear. Ergowear, the ergonomically pouch underwear company has released a few new pairs for the holidays. The colors range from grey to RED!
The new pairs feature the Feel and Max Pouches. Each one of these pouches has fans. The Feel pouch is a little looser and gives you more natural support, in my opinion. The Max pouch is one that gives you a little lift in the front and feels great on. Can you tell I love the Max over the Feel? Each pouch is awesome it’s just a matter of taste.
The styles in this collection as you can see this collection have a little bit of everything from thongs to boxer briefs. But my favorite is the two new colors. The navy and red. Red is always a popular color. I mean how could you turn down a red bikini? I Know I can’t I have one from another brand I want to replace and I think I have found a suitable replacement!
Find all these pairs on Candyman Fashion under the Ergowear.
Tis the season for Underwear sales. We just had Black Friday/Cyber Monday but that’s not all the sales out there. We will have just as many great sales through the holidays. Time to buy you or your man some great undies. Here are some sales going on this weekend:
Shop: Men’s Underwear Store Sale/Percent off: 25% off Code: n/a/ Expiration: See Site Link:http://www.mensunderwearstore.com |
Shop: aussieBum Sale/Percent off: 50% off Code: na/a Expiration: See Site Link: http://www.aussiebum.com |
Shop: C-IN2 Sale/Percent off: Up to 75% off Workout wear Code: n/a Expiration See site: Link: http://www.c-in2.com |
Shop: Kikini Sale/Percent off: Over 50% off Code: 30More Expiration: see site Link: http://www.kiniki.com |
A lot of sales just ended for Cyber Week, but we will be running these every Saturday until the holidays are over!
Fan of bikinis, thongs and more? One brand to check out is Intymen! They have some really cool styles that will make you feel super sexy. Check out their new collection at http://intymen.com
The PRO COMBAT2 collection is a new range of colorful, athletic long men’s ultra-tight elastic leggings, which ensure freedom and comfort in sports and any other intense activity. One more feature is that they do not have a contoured pouch in front. “I love simple things so I designed a minimal elastic band with just the DMXGEAR logo on the waist and combined it with colorful shapes. On the back there is a shaping stitching for a nice buttocks definition” said Martin Maly, founder and head designer of the brand. The compression from these leggings is ultra-tight so it feels like a second skin and offers a locked-in feel. This collection is made with a polyester blend fabric. This high tech material wicks sweat and dries really fast. Up for grabs are three, stunning color combinations: blue/gray, gray/orange and grey/white.
We recommend wearing these compression leggings for sports (perfect for running, working out or any other intense activities) or for everyday wear. They are extremely comfortable to be worn all day long.
DMXGEAR is a luxury underwear brand in Europe, established in 2015. The underwear is designed by Martin Maly and all garments are proudly designed in Switzerland and produced in Prague, in the Czech Republic.DMXGEAR very quickly became a go-to-brand for stylish men in Europe looking to get high-quality underwear, sportswear, and swimwear. The main focus of DMXGEAR underwear remains to produce underwear that fits perfectly – sports briefs, classic boxer shorts, and masculine boxer briefs, but also, sexy thongs for men, athletic supporters, fashion jockstraps, and more to cover almost every taste.
Check out what happened behind the shoot at the ES Collection Dystopia colleciton shoot!
Are you a fan of singlets? One of the newer ones from Maskulo is the Youngero. This hot neon singlet is one with a detachable cod piece. Comes in three different neon colors that glow in UV light.
Pair: Maskulo Youngero Singlet
Color: Neon Orange; Neon Green; Neon White
Fabric: 90% Polyester, 10% Elastane;
Sizes: X-Small – 5X-Large
Price: $113.00
This was a year I did some shopping, I added in 2 singlets from N2N Bodwear into the final mix. But was curious how many of you guys bought some great gear during the sales. And the sales will keep on coming until Xmas is over. Here is the break out of who shopped and what they bought.
Of those who answered, 65% said they did shop! As you know we’re not scientific and it’s just fun to share this with you guys.
Most of what was bought was underwear. I thought we would have had more swim and fetishwear. Mine was swim and spandex. I should have bought a few new pairs of undies but didn’t.
Here is what you guys said about what you bought :
- Kiniki tangas 7 pairs, jocks, and briefs from fort troff.
- Aussiebum Thong, a variety of N2N Bikinis and Thongs
- Gregg Homme red Jockstrap
- Joe Snyder, Andrew Christian, Aussiebum, N2N
- From AussieBum, I’m looking forward to trying their Billy briefs. Some jocks and briefs from Pump. Jocks and thongs from Andrew Christian. Lastly, some boxers from Duluth Trading.
- Joe Snyder bulge thong, Joe Snyder Pride Frame thong
- Briefs and jockstraps
- Bodyaware rare earth tanga & thong
- Bodyaware smooth sport belt, satin mini thong
You can always share what you bought! We will have more polls soon!
N2N Bodywear – UNB Holiday Guide 2016 from UNB Blog on Vimeo.
Another brand in our Holiday guide for 2016 is N2N Bodywear. We have worked with them on a few different guides. They are amazing to work with. They sent us some some of their hottest undies to profile in the guide. Including the super fun Studio Groove brief. Our models in this video are Drew A, Wes H, Damien C and Jared F. See the entire guide on our website – http://bit.ly/2hwewQA
This is a flash back to N2N Bodywear in our 2016 Holiday Guide. We hope you enjoy this look back.
Do you love leggings and 80’s style? These two things go so well together at LED Queens. LED Queens Fitness Apparel is the maker of gym gear for queer punks. You can find our full collection of fitness wear and accessories at http://www.ledqueens.com
Curbwear sent us these awesome pics of their model Sean. “He is returning from his last shoot in the Summer, Sean’s body is looking even more impressive! New styles include the CU socks and the full mesh brief.”
Are you a fan of lace? Andrew Christian has some new lace undies including a brief, thong and singlet. The red lace really pop and show off everything.
I guess tis the season for singlets. And who can complain about that, NOT ME. A few weeks ago I talked to N2N Bodywear about singlets and why they didn’t have any. Andrew said that they would be coming and boy did he not disappoint. These three singlets (well two because one already sold out), are some of the hottest and sexiest singlets they have made, I think EVER. Which is quite an accomplishment because all their singles have been top notch and some of the best on the market.
There are three new singlets. The Mercury singlet (which is sold out and I missed it), Super Star Singlet, and the Powerlifter singlet. I will show the Mercury because you need to see this singlet (see above) but I won’t go into detail if it comes back in stock. But I mean look at this sexy singlet.
The Super Star Singlet is red, white and blue but different. At first look, it’s a red singlet with blue trim. But when you look close you see some white on the inner thighs. Then when you turn it’s completely white on the back. I LOVE this look, I don’t recall seeing a singlet with the front and back in different colors. some of you out there may go oh yeah “brand A” did that but most of the singlets I have seen were printed or paneled not solid like this. I really LOVE this big time. WOW,
THE SINGLETS RETURN! THE SUPER STAR SINGLET COMBINES JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF SEXINESS AND VERSATILITY. STAND OUT IN YOUR WRESTLING CLUB, GET THE MOST “LIKES” ON YOUR IG PAGE OR JUST SELF INDULGE WHILE IN THE PRIVACY OF YOUR HOME!
The next singlet is the Powerlifter Singlet. It’s very reminant of the Galaxy singlet with the color and logo. However, the upper part has a deeper cut than the Galaxy ever had and it’s very hot. Mix that with the white trim and this singlet POPS! I was thinking you could wear it to the gym with a shirt over, unless you had a progressive gym! It’s just a great cut for a singlet.
THE SINGLETS RETURN! N2N BRINGS YOU THE DYNAMIC AND SEXY POWER LIFT SINGLET! WITH IT’S SEXY SNUG FIT AND EYE CATCHING LOOK, THIS SINGLET MAKES THE PERFECT GYM OUTFIT WHEN WORKING THE SQUATS OR PUMPING THAT CHEST. THERE’S ALSO THE SIMPLE JOY OF JUST WEARING IT AROUND THE HOUSE!
Check out all the new singlets and I hope we see more this year. I have prob 8-10 N2N Singlets. They are one of my favorites and I am buying these two as I type. And yes I”ll have reviews of both of them!
If you didn’t shop till you drop over the weekend, well there is a new deal from Baskit. This week’s $12 Tuesday pair is the Baskit Utility Trunk. Check it out before it’s gone.
Are you a fan of underwear with amazing pouches? One brand that just released a new collection is Hung Underwear. Make sure you check it out.
Did you shop the sales this past weekend? If so share with us what you bought. I shared yesterday my three best purchases. We will share this later this week on the blog