There are very few things underwear guys agree on as much as the hatred for Tags/Labels. It consistently ranks high in our reader survey on issues you have with underwear. It’s a given you guys HATE them. But before we get into much more. They are a necessary in underwear. All garments must have tags that have care instructions and fabric content. This means we can’t eliminate them all together.

This post came about from a discussion in our Patreon Slack group. They are a group of guys who support UNB and get a place to talk amongst each other and the UNB editorial board. I asked them about some post ideas. Here are what two members said:

They can be really annoying inside underwear and many brands have gone tagless.  Not sure why all brands haven’t.  I have purchased underwear before that has tags in both the front and back, which seems excessive.  I also have purchased thongs before with a tag in the back that is wider than the thong strap.  I always cut them out but sometimes the extra tag piece can poke your skin which can be really annoying.

All designers should utilize a fabric stamp for thongs rather than a tag for thongs, much the way everyone is starting to do the same for t-shirts.  It’s annoying to pay good $ for underwear that doesn’t come in a 6-pack from Wal-Mart and then have to do surgery on the garment

I’m sure we can all agree when tags are annoying, there is nothing worse. I have taken a pair off mid day and either cut or ripped the tag out. It had to go. One pair that I couldn’t take it out (I had no scissors), got taken off and I went commando. Which is something I hate doing but it was the best alternative.  So how do we fix this issue?

Make them smaller and softer

First, some brands do a great job with tags. They are small and soft enough to not be noticed. If more brands use tags that reflect the size of the pair. A thong’s tag should be smaller than a pair of Boxer briefs. The material they use should be super soft. There are brands that do this well. I rarely notice the tags.

Make them Tearable

Next, make the tags tearable. Meaning, design them to they can easily be removed without using scissors.  Some brands have used perforated tags that you can just rip out. This would be the best with mesh pairs. If you are like me, you don’t want to have a big white tag showing in a pair of black mesh briefs or boxer briefs.

Print Labels on Fabric

Lastly, print the labels directly on the fabric. As one of our Patrons pointed out, it’s now standard for t-shirts to have printed labels on them. This couldn’t happen in all pairs due to the material (see mesh above). One brand that really impressed me with this is Cocksox. The Sports Mesh brief had the tag printed inside the pouch. It was easily read and you don’t notice it!

These are a few solutions about tags. Let us know what you think of the tag issue.

Tis the season to go underwear shopping. If you’re like a lot of our readers, you buy your undies yourself. Over the last few years, I have found there are a few different guys who love undies. These are generalities and I’m sure some of you fit more than one category.  

Newest and Latest

We have readers who are massive underwear lovers. Their collections are in the 1,000s. I have spoken to readers who have 2,000 pairs and up. These guys love to have the latest and greatest pairs of underwear. They aren’t brand loyal, per se, but they have their favorites. They have several favorite brands. When new and different pairs come out. They want them in every color and style. Price really isn’t an issue.

Full Price Collector

Similar to the one above. They have a large collection and prefer a few brands. Usually around 3-4 key brands. When new pairs come out they buy them right away. They don’t want to wait on sales, they want the pairs now. They will own every pair a brand puts out. Usually in every color as well. Price is not an issue for this guy either. Can be style specific or many different styles.

Brand Loyal

We have guys who love specific brands. Unlike above, they don’t buy every pair the brand releases. But, they stick with one or two brands they love. They don’t deviate too much. They have a specific style they buy as well.  Example, is we have had guys who love Calvin Klein Boxer Briefs/Trunks. Or they may like a specific line, such as the CK Steel line. They buy full price and on sale.

Style Loyal

While these guys may not be loyal to one brand they prefer a specific style. The biggest example right now are thongs. Guys who love thongs try many different brands. They enjoy trying new brands to find the right fit. I fit this one most of all. I prefer briefs/bikinis with a great pouch.

Bargain Hunter

The last type of guy is the bargain hunter. Deals are most important. You search close outs and deal sites to get the cheapest undies you can get. We’re not talking cheap as in quality but in price. Shopping sites like Cheapundies.com, discount big box stores, and more. Price is most important.

These are a few guys I have identified over the years. As I said above, you can fall in just one or several of these categories. And there is nothing wrong with being any of these underwear shoppers. I’m jealous of the newest and latest, I wish I had the money for that!

I know a lot of you guys love thongs. We thought we would profile something a bit different. The Good Boy Gone Bad Arthur Thong in Camo. What makes this different is the thong is not very wide. But it appears there should be plenty of room in the pouch.

Reading UNB puts you automatically in the influencers in underwear. I say this, not because I think UNB Is awesome (but it is 🙂 ). Rather, you guys have accepted that you can wear any type of underwear you want and it can be your secret or share it with the world. You guys experiment with fabrics, styles, colors and more. You have embraced the wonders that is good men’s designer underwear. As each month goes by you guys never cease to amaze me!

However, sometimes when we get hooked on great undies, there is one section we leave out of our underwear drawer. Those are called the classics. I”m not talking about the six packs from big box stores. Or any other ill-fitting pairs we grew up on. I am talking about great pairs that have classic styling but made impeccably. A classic white brief with a waistband. Or a simple boxer brief made out of amazing fabric. Yes, these styles are solids in the mainstay colors of navy, white, black or gray.

When I first started to wear better underwear, I swore off the white briefs. Hell, I wouldn’t even buy a white pair for about 5 years. It was one color I avoided. Colors like blue, red, green, yellow and other bright hues were my go to. Wearing white just seemed like I was going against my love of underwear. I mean “Who would wear white briefs? You need something more fun!”

It wasn’t till a few years later that I discovered white briefs could be great undies. Brands like Calvin Klien and 2(X)IST made great undies that had the tighy whitie style. It blew my mind! There is something about wearing white briefs under a tux for me.

I know many out there are reading this and saying, I still don’t like them. We even had a model in our Holiday Guide (out soon), who said he would never wear white briefs. It’s to each their own but I think classics deserve a place in men’s underwear and on UNB.

Who makes amazing classics? There are a few companies doing a great job

• Todd Sanfield Collection – the new line is very classic. Made out of amazing material and in more colors than just white.
• Oryx Wear – Since it’s inception, Oryx Wear has a very classic vibe in it’s design. Plus, they aren’t afraid of color.
• Krakatoa Underwear – Krakatoa has taken the classic up a notch. They have taken the classic design and moved

These are just a few of the brands doing great work in classics. Plus, they are a great way to introduce other guys into underwear! Think gift ideas!