Are you a fan of the classics? Are you a fan of the tighty Whitie brief? Well the Urban Basics brief is the Baskit take on the tighty whitie brief. It’s made with a great pouch and amazing materials. You won’t find 6 of these in a pack but you can find it for just $12 today. Just go under specials on the Baskit site and get the deal, just for today
We are having our very first official Twitter Chat. We thought after Magic would be a great time to have one! So you can ask your questions to @Unbblog or @unbtim with hashtag #askunb. So on Sunday, March 9th from 7-8 PM EST ask your questions! So follow us and join in the conversation.
Brands I me with include: Timoteo, 2(X)ist, Baskit, Go Softwear, Gregg Homme, Frank Dandy, 2EROS, Bwet Swimwear, Mundo Unico, Teamm8, Pistol Pete, Naked, N2N Bodywear and more!
Today’s Brief Distortion is from Alexander Cobb. I am loving what I”m seeing from them. They are a new brand we are covering. You guys should check them out!
Troy Wise is another of my favorite photogs. He’s got a more rougher style with this series that I love. The lighting and everything I love! We hope you enjoy
Model: Rodrigo Rezende (@rodrigorezende1) with BMA Models
Stylist: Rick Guzman
Photographer: Troy Wise – http://www.troywisephotography.com (@troy_wise)
Clothing: Kenzo Jumper, Bjorn Borg, N2N Bodywear, Versace Underwear
I 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.
We love getting pics from Andres Ramirez. he’s got a great creative eye. This set doesn’t let us down.
Cristian Carcela is an exciting model of only 19 years of Cadiz (Spain). Fitness a perfect body. Measures 1,81 and exudes sensuality and eroticism. Currently combines her studies with her passion, fashion. Is a big fan of sport in the main, although the fitness he loves.
When I think about my first memories of underwear, I immediately recall being terrified of those classic tighy-whities that it seemed like all my friends were wearing. In the moment, I think it was about the tightness of them; I was always a shy kid growing up so the thought of wearing something that accentuated ANYTHING made me cringe. Boxer briefs seemed like a much more conservative choice, and I was always fine with the Fruit of the Loom multipacks my mom bought for me. I didn’t think anything of it for a long time.
Come high school, underwear actually played a big part in my realization that I was gay. All too often I would find myself wandering the underwear aisle, staring at all the nearly-naked male models in various pairs and finally one day, I got up the courage to ask my mom to buy me a pair of those tighty-whities I had fought off for so long. My reasoning? “I get hot when I sleep mom, they’ll be a lot more cool to sleep in.” She bought my feeble excuse and more importantly, bought me some new tighty-whities. The rest is as they say, briefstory.
When I started making my own money, it seemed like I was always spending it on new pairs of underwear. I haven’t always had a lot of money so I found myself buying a lot of the lower-end pairs. Getting some in the mail was so exciting, and I still love the feeling of slipping on new pairs for the first time. At work, I really prefer the boxer briefs from brands like Equipo and Calvin Klein, since I feel like they work better when I’m moving. When I’m out on the town or out at night, I return to my favorite pairs of briefs from brands like Ralph Lauren and Teamm8. I’m excited to be a part of the UNB community, and I’d love to hear from readers! Let me know what you’re thinking, what you’re wearing, and what you’re interested in reading.
NOTE: UNB Paul is our newest guy. We will have a lot more from him soon!
I got a chance to meet up with Andrew Christian at Vegas. Like years past, they have an amazing amount of underwear coming out. It still amazes me how much they produce in one year. It’s usually one new thing a week.
One of the newest is the Show-it Jock Thong. You maybe going, wait Jock and Thong? Yes it’s a hybrid of a jock with an extra thong strap in the back. This hybrid has been around for a while but still is not one that is mainstream. Ever since the jock brief success in the men’s underwear market, combinations of different pairs have taken off.
This pair is made with the Show-it Technology. Which will take what you have and enhance it in the pouch. So if you’re not a fan of enhancing undies this may not be for you. This proves that enhancing underwear isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
The Show-it tech has been a staple in the Andrew Christina line up. It’s been one of the longest lines in his collection. That and the Flashback were some of the first lines I remember them creating.
The thing I like about this pair is the way the undies really accent want you have in the front and back. The pouch has the elastic above the pouch extend down a bit. it’s a nice look I think! Where as the back has trim that accents your assets in the back. It just frames you nicely in the front and back!
If you’re up for trying something new then we suggest you check this par out. It’s not your every day pair of underwear and wear it on a date and we guarantee you’ll get a look or two from your date after your pants come off
Available at the Andrew Christian site for $22.93
Post contains an affiliate link
Bluebuck underwear has some really great lifestyle pics. It like they took a real guy out and made some pics with every day guys! They are the company behind Ben Cohen’s line as well.
As a gay man, I have loved underwear as far back as I could remember. As a child of the 80’s, before the internet, the only sexual outlet I had was the J.C. Penny’s catalog, turning to the underwear section. I would stare at the pictures for hours and always looked forward to the new catalog coming out.
Growing up, I was stuck wearing the cheapest tightie whities my mother could find. I hated them lol. I drempt of the day I could wear something colorful, sexy and fun. To this day, Droopy tightie whities are a boner killer for me
I remember the very first pair I purchased. The drug store in town had mens bikini briefs on sale. I had the money and for a several days I would go in and look at them. When I looked at them my heart raced, because to me, it was like buying a porn movie. (I was 8 or 9 at the time). Finally I worked up the nerve to purchase a pair. I selected a grey pair. I was flushed and my heart was pounding. Looking back at it, I really had no reason to be scared, but I was. I snuck them home and couldn’t wait to put them on.
I remember putting them on and was looking at myself in the mirror, admiring them on me, and how “brave” I was. Just then there was a knock on the bathroom door, I was being told we were going out for dinner. I immediately put my pants on and raced out for dinner. The entire evening all I could think of was the sexy grey bikini briefs I was wearing.
After that, I started my first “collection”. I would buy any underwear I could find, that were not tightie whities. Colored briefs, bikinis and boxers. I hid my collection in an old car my father had, thinking it would never be found. My “collection” was maybe 25 pair and I loved them.
One day I came home and found that my father had sold the old junker, and worse yet, found my “collection”. He was mad and I was scared. All my brothers and I got yelled at about the underwear he found and the box with my treasures disappeared.
As time went on, and I got my own place and started to buy my own underwear, there were no cheap tightie whities to be found.
Now, my collection numbers more than 200 pair of underwear. I have every type made now. Depending on my mood depends on what I wear. Some days boxers are the right choice. Sometimes briefs and even thongs and jocks.
My new “collection” takes up three drawers in my dresser. I also love swimwear and lycra/spandex gear. Tight running pants, leggings, compression shorts and wrestling singlet’s are a separate part of my “collection”.
Over the past 25 years, I have purchased at least 1000 pair of underwear. A lot for me, but also as gifts for boyfriends and friends. I have tried countless brands, styles and cuts and I’m always looking to try new brands and styles.
Most of my friends ask me for advice when it comes to buying underwear, and I am always willing to take them underwear shopping. It’s kind of scary that there are gay men out there who don’t put much thought in the MOST important piece of clothing a man wears.
The single most attractive thing about a man, in my opinion, is seeing a man in his underwear. It never gets old to me. When I am out and about and see a hot guy, my first thought is “what underwear is he wearing”. I always look for a hint of his choice for the day. A brief line along his butt, a boxer line on his leg, Or a hint of the waist band if he bends over.
NOTE: Tim is one of our newest guys and we welcome him on to the site you’ll hear a lot more from him!
I’m back from Magic/Curve and I”m worn out. This is the one of the few trips the jet lag has really gotten to me. This past show was a lot of fun. There were fewer brands than in years past and I think it maybe a trend that will continue. Which has me sad that is the case. I really love going and meeting with brands. I have made some great friends and this is usually the only time I get to see them face-to-face.
But, let’s keep it positive. There were fewer brands but we made some strong new connections with some brands we don’t work a lot with, those brands include; Garcon Model, Teamm8, Bwet Swimwear, and a few more! Other brands we love to meet with are 2(X)ist, Baskit, N2N Bodywear, Frank Dandy, 2EROS
This year we’re not going a big post on all the brands. We think it’s more important to cover the pairs as they come out. We have a schedule and will be following up with brands to bring you the new pairs when it comes out. Brands such as N2N Bodywear and Gregg Homme release their lines a once and we will cover them. Both have some great new lines.
The highlight of the trip is the Annual Meet and Greet we do. It’s a chance for everyone to meet up and just have a good time outside the show. It can range from 2 to 30 people. No matter how many show up it’s always a good time. This year we had Timoteo, N2N Bodywear, 2EROS, Frank Dandy, BWet Swimwear, PetitQ, Shrine Boxer, Garcon Model, Underwear Nation, BoyRio, and a few more! It was a great time. We will be doing this again in August.
Some of the highlights of the show are:
These are just a few highlights. We will be bringing you more over the next few weeks and months. I will be launching the new improved UNB podcast called “Brief Talk Podcast”.
We got a bunch of pictures from Paul Ferrer! They are really great pics. I chose this one today because just when I think winter is done here it sneaks back in!
Here is what’s hot this month from Mensunderwearstore
EA Contrast Cotton
For guys who prefer basics but still want to add in a pop of color to their underwear style, the Emporio Armani Contrast Cotton briefs and trunks are the answer. The collection comes in six cool color combinations with full briefs and trunks as additional style options.
The underwear have a double-lined pouch for support and comfort, contrast piping and a stretchy contrast waistband. Whether you’re into the look of briefs or the square-cut trunks, these EA undies provide awesome shape and comfort.
Naked Tencel
Tencel is an organic, antibacterial fabric that absorbs 50% more moisture than cotton. Naked’s fusion of Tencel and spandex (for a little bit of stretch) makes for breathable briefs and trunks with comfortable fit that forms to the body. In three basic colors, Naked Tencel combines a dose of color in the waistbands for a cool, modern look with the silky smooth, eco-friendly fabric. Most important – these briefs and trunks are ultra comfortable!
C-IN2 Pop
Color-lovers, rejoice. C-IN2’s Pop collection has 10 bold colors (including 4 brand new colors!) and 5 styles: the Street Jock Straps, the Army Trunks, the Lo No Show Profile Briefs, the Sport Briefs and the Profile Briefs – all supportive, all great fits, and all in C-IN2’s awesome signature designs guys know and love. Our favorite is the Street Jock Strap. Instead of the straps coming from the waistband, they weave around the front for a cooler shape and a different kind of lifting support.
Emporio Armani Basic Microfiber
Emporio Armani’s Basic Microfiber collection will shape your body and provide a bit of shine to the look. The briefs, thongs, and trunks (soon to be available on Mensunderwearstore.com – stay tuned!) are made of a polyamide blend (similar to nylon) that’s stretchy and lightweight. In addition to the double-lined contour pouch that has contour stitching, you’ll have the best of both worlds in these underwear: comfortable support and a soft, silky fabric that hugs the body.
Diesel Fresh N Bright
The Fresh N Bright collection has been a signature staple of Diesel underwear. New and improved with updates on the trunks, briefs and jock straps, we’ve just added three colors to the mix. These undies are the perfect casual essentials, comfortable for everyday wear, and can go with jeans and a T-shirt or under something more dressed-up.
Find these and more at the Mensunderwearstore site.
Today is Baskit $12 Tuesday. This is when you get a great pair of underwear for just $12. This week the Contrast Boxer Brief is the pair. So go shop and get some great fun underwear at an amazing price.
Fashion followers have been in their element in the UK this month, with first the BAFTAs and then London Fashion Week adding some glamour to a rather wet and grey start to the year. At men’s underwear specialist website Deadgoodundies.com lots of new ranges are arriving for spring, but it is brands’ core ranges that are really tempting people into a bit of Etail Therapy. Or maybe they’re just refreshing their underpants collection for the new season?
Doreanse Aire 1310 Jockstrap GBP11.00
The bestselling Aire range from Doreanse now includes this stunning jockstrap. UK customers are raving about the light silky fabric and supreme comfort.
Doreanse 1280 Thong GBP8.00
Long gone are the days when a brand’s basic ranges offered just black, white or grey. This all-time bestseller is available in eight colour choices all year round!
Body Art Arta Rio Slip GBP18.00
Micro briefs always sell out fast as more UK men discover the great support and freedom of movement these minimal shapes can offer.
HOM New Original HO1 Cotton Modal Maxi GBP26.00
This simply chic short is one of DGU’s most popular boxer briefs of all time thanks to soft cotton modal fabric and HOM’s patented HO1 horizontal opening.
Olaf Benz 1200 Sun String GBP24.00
Fashion swimwear for men might turn heads but serious swimmers too know they can find great beach and pool ready designs any time of the year online at Deadgoodundies.com.
Bruno Banani Waterproof Swim Short GBP31.99
UK gents are definitely learning that less is more when it comes to their swimwear. So long baggy, shapeless Bermudas – hello body hugging shorties!
Jockstrap Central launched the Raw Studio almost eight years ago and due to the excellent craftsmanship, innovative designs and unique fabrics it quickly became one of their best selling product lines. Due to a business partnership issue, they closed shop prematurely. Needless to say, Jockstrap Central was disappointed to lose such an awesome brand. Well the good news is after a six year hiatus, Raw Studio is back better than ever with new designs, improved fabrics and more affordable than ever – and once again, the line is exclusive to Jockstrap Central. They’ve launched with an initial three sexually charged and unique designs:
RAW STUDIO Y-JOCK
The Y-jock is a full featured jock that’s not only stylish but contains a big sexy twist. The front consists of a streamlined brief style panel shaped like the top of a Y (hence the name) that seems to hang off the waistband. A contoured pouch design in a luxurious silky soft Microfiber and Elastane fabric with four-way stretch ensure comfort and a perfect fit. Black elastic edging maintains shape while hugging the legs and emphasizing your bulge. A cutout is formed between the waistband and the top of the y showing off your pubes and providing a sexy escape route for your shaft (see the photos on our website for a demonstration).
Includes a unique one and one quarter inch two toned silver and black comfort waistband that along with the leg straps running parallel beneath adds a final stunning visual detail to this totally unique jockstrap. Available in blue, gun metal and white.
RAW STUDIO C-SCOOP BALL LIFTER
There’s a number of ball lifters on the market and they’re mostly pretty pedestrian but not the C-Scoop. While this ball lifter is fully functional providing the lift and boost you want, it’s also pretty damn stylish using Raw Studio’s signature silver and black comfort waistband and a totally unique suspended elastic cock ring design: Two elastic straps come down from the waistband a few inches apart and attach to the base of the ring right behind your balls. The design not only looks great but it’s feels great too. Whether you’re wearing it on it’s own to display what you’ve got or wearing it under a pair of light fabric shorts to maximize the bulge, you’re going to LOVE the C-scoop.
RAW STUDIO STRAPLESS SOCK
The Sock is a simple yet ingenious design consisting of a waistband and suspended pouch and nothing else. Other sock style underwear, while definitely sexy, aren’t normally well designed – they tend to fall off with any slight movement. Raw Studio, however, took this design challenge head on (pun intended) and came out on first: With a super contoured microfiber pouch and a short cut elastic, together they form a fitted cup with a small opening to cradle your boys to perfection, the elastic sits high behind the balls to keep the pouch in place. The best part is because there’s no straps pulling the pouch down, you’re able to hang naturally and free with sporting an awesome bulge.
The C-Scoop is sophisticated in it’s simplicity and undeniably sexy. Available in navy-blue, gun metal and white.
Shop at Jockstrap Central
I am reviewing the Gregg Homme Snakeskin Thong from the Gregg Homme New Collection. So first let me preface this review by saying, I am deathly afraid of snakes. I absolutely cannot stand them. I can’t even watch them on TV without have to leave the room. However, when I got these in the mail, I couldn’t wait to get them on. The initial look and feel of these were amazing. There was not way I was going to be running in the opposite direction from these bad boys. Not only was the styling really cool, but they were from Gregg Homme so the “sexy” factor was going to be awesome as well. This particular style come in string, boxer brief and brief cuts.
Ok, so I am a thong guy! I don’t mind wearing them at all. The “floss” effect doesn’t annoy me one bit. I think they are sexy and most guys give them a bad wrap. I have not always been a fan but keeping an open mind when it comes to undies, is something that I have always tried to do. I wore this pair to work on day and they did a really good job. It was a pretty average day of meetings and sitting at my desk, but I really didn’t mind these at all. The pouch up front was very room and held everything in place. It also seemed to lift my package a little while gave the illusion that it was bigger, which was something else that I really liked. I will take all the help I can get! The waistband is only ½ an inch thick so it is very minimal and it’s made out of a faux-suede material, which is super, soft and comfy. They also have the Gregg Homme Logo stitched to the waistband front and center. The pattern is so amazing. It really looks like true snakeskin. The material is soft and stretchy, so your “snake” has plenty of room to grow if it needs too!
I got a size medium for this review, and it fit great. I usually wear a medium and these fit true to size. The pouch up front was roomy and added plenty of support and the string up the back was thin and hardly noticeable at all. These are all things that I look for in a great fitting thong. One of the other things that I really liked about this thong is the “Y” shaped back. Most thongs are just a string from the bottom of the pouch all the way up the back. These added a little more sexiness as the pattern is carried around to the Y-Back, This added just a little extra coverage and stability to the back of the waistline. I wouldn’t feel the need to go up or down a size if you are thinking about purchasing these. They are very true to size!
Like I said, I wore these all day at work and I thought they did a great job. However, I would probably keep these in the drawer for a date night or when I know they will get the attention they deserve. But it is nice to know that they will work for everyday wear if I am feel like adding a little “sexy” to my work day. The pattern and fit are also amazing and everything about the thong is spot on. The one thing that I didn’t like, and this is so small, but the seam where the pouch and the “thong” met up was a little bulky. Nothing that would make sure throw these to the side by any means, but it was something that I noticed and is important when finding a great thong!
Overall, I really like this thong. When I found out I was getting it, I really wasn’t sure what to think, but I am so glad that I had the opportunity to review this. I don’t think this is the thong for the “first time thong buyer”, but if you like thongs and have worn them before, this is one you should add to your wish list. The pattern along makes me what to try one of the other cuts from this collection. The material is awesome and just an overall well constructed thong! I have worn this a couple times now since I have received it to review, and every time I put it on, I love it just a little more!
PROs:
CONs:
Ratings:
Gregg Homme provided this pair for our review. Check out all the other cuts and styles from Gregg Homme on their website!
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!
If you’re like me you love traveling and going to new places. However, you hate going through security and the “joys” (said sarcastically) of flying and traveling. Standing in line for an hour, then waiting at the gate to get on a flight that was shorter then your wait. Then getting of the plane and making your way to baggage claim and then to your hotel. It’s usually a day that lasts longer than you expect.
We give you an interview of a company we have worked with over the years. Ryan has always been amazing and designed fun undies. So when he sent this in we loved it! If
What gave you the idea to start McKillop? Were you out with friends saying “I could do better” or did you stumble into the industry
I started toying around with the idea in 2008 when I tried on a friends pair of “lets say cowboy underwear” and they were the most ill fitting underwear I have ever worn. I knew that Men should have better fitting clothing, and that I was able to offer that to them. You are right I did test out the ideas with friends first, and scouted fit models on apps like Grindr and Scruff to try on and review pairs that was a different size other than myself. But I also did stumble in to the industry as well. When I was in college I thought I would be making high fashion gowns but I must say this is a much better fit for me.
Did you love underwear before your entry into the market?
Honestly I had a little fetish but totally forgot about that – kind of till now. When I was 16 – 19 years old, anything a little out of the ordinary peaked my interest and back then there wasn’t very much to chose from. I remember buying a jock with a zipper down the front and another white jock, I cannot remember the name of the brand but I remember it was French and the quality was amazing.
What made you focus first on jocks?
First I focused on our pouch – funny story but I used to go to the clubs and when I got there I wished I went commando – but I never wanted to go commando on the way there- so I made the pouch so it could easily be removed and replaced when it was time to go home. Then after perfecting that design I threw on some leg straps to expand the line. Also being that I started with a product line that required a tiny bit less work and fabric allowed me to learn the ropes of this industry without the complicated items we do now it was a perfect choice.
How has the experience been for you in the first few years?
We are 5 months away from our 5th birthday and we are still learning everyday. The first few years was such an adventure navigating through the wilderness per say. Learning social media , web design and heck running a business properly. It took everything I had but it gave me my dream. In year 1 we had a very successful line and year 2 a horrible one, that was hard to overcome but you need to be a chameleon; change, move and adapt, and FAST. This is one of the reasons we pulled out of China. We test market everything in our design studio with our MUSE program and we only sew what our customers need and nothing more. If something needs to change we can do it immediately. But we are not there yet we still work our asses off each day to become better at what we do , how we do it, and communicate to our customers the feeling like they are a part of something bigger than fabric and elastic. I look forward to our year 10 interview and you ask me about today : )
Looking back would you do it all over again ?
Funny you should say that – WE ARE !!
Mckillop has a dirty little secret that we are not giving up. We will hint a little though. We have made almost every mistake possible in the past 5 years and learned from each and every one. These lessons have put us in a good position to become stronger. We are in the process of “The year of change” as I am calling it. Mckillop is getting a facelift (www.Mckillop.co), we are going to expand our enhancement products and we are opening another brand. The cool part about the new brand is that it has a huge advantage of being smarter at the starting line. This new brand I can tell you will be the exact opposite of Mckillop – Mckillop is somewhat conservative, we are based on fit, style, comfort and luxury but our new brand will throw all of that out the window. Its like our alter ego and guys is it ever dirty lol – you are going to love it. We can’t wait to show it to you later this year.
Go Softwear is one of those companies I love the guys behind. I got my first pair in 2002 I think. Long before UNB. I have gotten the chance to get to know them over the last few years. Here is how they started the company
What made you start Go Softwear? Greg (the company founder) got the idea when he attended Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA. During one of their groups discussions at the business school, the subject of the success of the women’s wonder bra (a novel and popular garment in the mid 1990’s) came up. A light bulb went on in his head and said “why don’t men have anything for enhancement? in 1996 he started the Go Softwear line. It began with that report he did in class.
He saw there was nothing like that in the market, now enhancement is common themes. He developed the initial collection with 5 underwear designs with padding and 3-4 tank tops. Then started to shop it around in the LA boutiques and got it 
started. It then evolved into colors and more!
Some of the challenges for them were different. Underwear was a novel product. It was not colorful, underwear back in the day when it was black/white/grey and it wasn’t easy getting the buyers to sell in the store. Enhancement was a little too novel for them to sell to their customers. Some buyers saw the line as something they needed to have to expand their underwear section. For those who didn’t understand it they had to educate the stores on the products. It was getting them to try it. Once they tried it they saw it sold well.
I asked them what some of the biggest surprises were. The biggest one was when they started getting reorders from Boutiques. We knew there was something different the reorders confirmed their initial thoughts that there was a market for their undies. They knew it would take off in the bigger market outside of the LA market. Feedback from customers and buyers allowed them to get ideas on how to improve and grow the biz.
Some of their best sellers over the years are: Enhancement body shapers, super padded, M Body enhances (new collection) does very well well on their site and stores that carry the Go Softwear Brand. California Colors and American Jock also does very well. American jock is athletic. Jock in shorts, which are gym shorts that has a built in jock.
I also asked them how the market has changed since the benign. Market has changed since 1996 and radically in the last 5-6 years. More competition, some do a great job and some are just a water downed version of other companies. It’s has grown amazingly over the last few years. It’s a Saturated from the brand perspective. its not easy to produce a brand from design, production to retailing. A lot of compeition, foreign sourcing, and a big selection.
We have a few things planned but our tag line, which you may or may not know is “Real Guys, Real Underwear” We feature some of our reviewers of different body types in reviews (both video and online). But we want to extend that to more! To do that we need your help.
My “Brief Beginnings” were in no way ever planned to becoming a Men’s Underwear Designer. I always knew I wanted to be a designer. I was sketching since I can remember – and at the at the age of seven I remember drawing my favorite cartoon characters or super hero’s and then changing their costumes in my sketch. Wonder Woman would have a purple costume rather than a red one.
Things like that is why I geared my studies at school towards Fashion Design, and took summer classes at The Delaware Art Museum and Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia. (It was a Girls School, but they allowed boys during the summers). When I graduated from High School I went on to get my BFA at Parson’s School of Design in New York City. I’ve always wanted to design glamorous evening gowns or red carpet dresses for celebrities. (My cousin has taken that part over – Dennis Basso).
After Parson’s I worked for Joseph Abboud as an assistant designer in his licensing division. I was (and still am) in awe of Joseph, and he took a liking to me and my sketching ability. He would always have me sketch to frame as gifts for friends – and do illustrations for his biography “Threads.”
In the licensing division at Joseph Abboud I was able to work on many different categories; Women’s Sportswear, Home Furnishings, Shoes, belts, bags, Outerwear and also Men’s loungewear and underwear. It was the perfect job for a designer right out of school. I got to have a hand in designing every product category. After three years I heard about a job at Tommy Hilfiger in Men’s underwear and loungewear. I was intrigued to know one product inside and out. To know every detail – rather than dabble in a variety of different products (grass is always greener syndrome.) I was intrigued.
I moved to Tommy Hilfiger, where I spent the next five years working on Men’s underwear, loungewear and eventually socks. The underwear business really intrigued me. It was actually very challenging. There are only so many things you can do to a pair of underwear to make it “new” each season. I loved the challenge. I absorbed as much as I could about the industry and the product.
We worked closely with JOCKEY underwear, whom at the time was the licensee of Tommy Hilfiger Underwear. In time, Tommy would launch a collection based out of Europe with a European Licensee called Schiesser. I learned from the best, two power-house brands that have been around for over 100 years. I learned about the product and also learned how different countries and communities require different attributes.
I wasn’t ready to leave Tommy Hilfiger after five years – but a friend of mine heard of a position at 2(X)IST. I adored the 2(X)IST brand, and thought it would be the perfect next evolution in my career.
I remember being really impressed with how extensive the underwear offering was when I first started at 2(X)IST, and how impeccable the quality and construction was. I wasn’t sure I had what it takes to design so many collections of….well….just underwear every season. Again, I loved the challenge.
This year will mark my tenth year at 2(X)IST. Each year has been better than the previous. I am still continuing to learn. I still feel like we push the boundaries and bring something new to the table. I love what I do. I love the craft. I love the industry and I respect the competition. It is magical to me.
The 2(X)IST brand has grown and is continuing to grow in many different catagories. My position here feels like it is changing yet again, and morphing into overseeing new product categories. We launched swimwear 2 years ago, we have socks and the no-show ped and this year we will launch Activewear that we teased the public with in our fashion show this past October. The brand continues to grow into exciting new ventures and so my “Brief Beginnings” have proven to be all too fruitful. I am blessed and thankful everyday, and I am most thankful to have communities, enthusiasts and friends such as yourselves at UNB whom are interested in it all.
Thank you for asking about my “Brief Beginnings” and I am excited to share all that’s new to come with the 2(X)IST brand.
If you have read us in the past month you know we covered how to organize your underwear drawer. Now we are tackling a topic we don’t like. When do you clean our your drawer and get rid of older pairs?
I met Jerrad and Todd in February of last year in Vegas at Project where we get to see all the new trends in men’s underwear. I was really excited to meet them because I had heard a lot about their new company, Underwear Nation, and wanted to learn more about how they got the idea to start an underwear retailer. We sat down in the luxe Cosmopolitan after the underwear show and talked. Underwear Nation is always a topic of conversation on the underwear scene! If you aren’t familiar with the online store I am sure you know their amazing photography that seems to pop up all over the Internet.
I started our conversation by asking them how Underwear Nation got its start. As it turns out, Jerrad and Todd were acquaintances from over 15 years ago that parted ways after meeting at a random party. Jerrad was leaving to dance on a cruse ship, and Todd was moving to Chicago to pursue his business career. Several years later Todd was combing the Internet for hot guys and saw Jerrad’s work on a blog. After rekindling their friendship, Todd hired him to do a photo shoot for a bar he was working at in Madison. The rest is history!
Both fans of (hot guys in) underwear they talked about how they wanted to do something in industry. “We had a great brand name in Underwear Nation. And we wanted to create a solid business plan that would surge into the Men’s Underwear industry and set us apart.” Todd and Jerrad launched Underwear Nation as an Underwear of the Month Club where members would get a pair of briefs, boxer briefs or jockstraps every month. In addition, they wanted to provide a curated retail experience with great editorial content such as Jerrad’s original photography every month. As UN has evolved they have begun releasing new men’s underwear product lines through a monthly Issue with a themed photo shoot such as the very popular Varsity series set in the locker room featuring Timoteo.
As they have grown over the past 18 months, like most entrepreneurs, Todd and Jerrad have had some challenges along the way. Jerrad mentioned “the constant deadlines of a small team that create a lot of creative pressure for us.” And being an online retailer has presented lots of issues as the company continues to grow. “Sometimes we have to stop everything and work on technical issues…things that necessarily aren’t our strength, but are important for the growth and viability of the company,” Todd said.
I asked the team at Underwear Nation what surprised them as an Internet retailer. They mentioned how awesome it was to have a global customer base, and how cool it was to get orders from everywhere from Australia to Israel. And with the global presence, Jerrad and Todd are eager to see the company grow and expand to become one of the largest underwear retailers on the Internet. Todd added, “Not only do we want to continue to improve our curated product selection in our store, but we also want to continue to engage our customers in new and interesting ways.” At Underwear News Briefs we know it will be amazing and I can’t wait to see the progress!