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Uniqlo

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38_073781Hi everyone, here is the second item from my lovely new found fav UNIQLO, from the Heattech line: the Long Johns. Now, these have the same luxurious feel of the UNIQLO Airism line, with the added technology that their fabric absorbs moisture from your body and converts it to heat. It is made of a very thin synthetic fabric that can keep you warm without the bulk of heavy winter underclothes.

Like the Airism line, I am in love with these long johns. Living in Vermont, I experience a LOT of cold, and these are the perfect under-pant garment, as well as a lounge garment. They have a two panel back (center back seam), and a separate crotch panel in the front with a functional fly opening. The waistband is a woven elastic, with a tag center bag. Much like the airism line. The fabric for the Heattech line is 34% polyester, 33% rayon, 27% acrylic, 6% spandex. The line has two styles, the “long john” and the “tight”, both seem to be exactly the same in all composition, except the “long john” features a waistband that’s encased into the top of the long john, where the “tight” has a sewn on elastic band as the top. Both are extremely comfortable.

The fabric is extremely silky, and not overly warm (the type of overly warm where you are sweating all over it, which is the reason why I dislike a lot of winter garments). The fabric is breathable, and nicely stretchy to give a nice form to your legs without outlining every contour to your package. My negative thoughts on this long john focus on the ankles. I have shorter legs than my size demographic in most brands. My jeans are usually 34-32 507a651531489where I usually end up shortening them to 34-30. Having said that, if I put on these long johns, and mark where it hits my ankle, and remove them, there’s definitely more than 2 inches of extra length on these. It wouldn’t be a problem if the whole thing was baggy, but because the rest of it is more fitted to your legs, having a bunchy ankle makes it look a little like awkward legwarmers. The other note is that I have fairly small feet, and it is hard to get my foot/ankle through the bottom hem of the legs. I think there’s a little too much “infrastructure” in the hem of the ankles, which is not letting the fabric stretch as much as it could if just folded over and sewn.

At just under 20$ and coming in a nice range of muted neutral stripes/solids with a few bright colors thrown in (fuchsia, lime, turquoise), these are a really great piece for the cold weathered man. They also happen to look quite sexy in my opinion.

PROs:

  • Very cozy in the cold months.
  • Silky feel fabric

CONs:

  • awkward leg length
  • tight ankles

RATINGS:

  • FIT 3.5
  • MATERIAL 5
    CONSTRUCTION 4.5
  • LOOK 4
  • DAILY WEAR 5
  • OVERALL: 4.4

 

Find these at Uniqlo

90_071846

Today, I get to review a line from a store called UNIQLO (read carefully, this is not to be confused with another underwear brand). Though UNIQLO is not a specifically underwear only company, or even a company highly focused on undergarments, I love the quality of their underwear so much, I wanted to write about them.

UNIQLO is a Japanese company that started in 1984, but I hadn’t heard about until a couple years ago. As a store, it’s like a Japanese H&M-like store, focusing on basics and quirky accent pieces at an affordable price, but still retaining sturdy quality. Their underwear visually isn’t groundbreaking, but to wear them is a treat, so I own many pairs.

The line/pair I want to talk about today is the boxer brief from the AIRISM line. Visually, you won’t be that impressed. The entire line is saturated in deep neutral solids with occasional low-vibrancy accent prints. For instance, you can get a basic all black, a charcoal, a dark midnight blue…as well as a black/charcoal small checker print, or a black-grey-deep navy stripe pattern…etc. No bold primaries, neons. It’s not that kind of line.

The boxer brief in construction isn’t groundbreaking, but feels amazing. It features a single rear panel (no seam down the butt), and separate slightly contoured fly-front pouch. The waistband is exposed woven elastic, as well as a sewn on tag on the back center. It is made of a 87% polyester 13% elastane fabric that truly feels and reads as silk (I’m not making this up, and I’m a professional costume designer, I can tell you when it feels like silk). The name of the line is because of the fabric and fits making it almost feel like you’re wearing a cool breeze, instead of a pair of underwear.

When I’m wearing my AIRISM Boxer Briefs, I truly do forget that I’m wearing them. The tag has never bothered me. It’s not a truly low-rise undergarment, but it doesn’t ride up or down at all. The legs aren’t elasticized at the bottom, and I almost never notice them riding up. The pouch isn’t fussy with any lifting or pushing out type details, but it has enough contour to keep the goodies from getting smushed all the time. I wear these in any situation, I’ve lounged around at home in them, I’ve worn them to go teach circus in (I usually wear a dance belt, but on “light” circus days, I wear these with NO problem).

I love these so much. I’m pretty sure I have at least 8 pairs if not more (in all different colors/prints of course). And at about $13 a pair, it’s an amazing deal on the quality you’re getting. I find they run pretty true to size, so trust their size chart when you’re ordering. You won’t regret these.

PROs:

  • amazing silky feel
  • very great price
  • nice fit

CONs:

  • mellow in color choice

RATINGS:

  • FIT 4
  • MATERIAL 5
    CONSTRUCTION 4.5
  • LOOK 2.5 (NEUTRAL)
  • DAILY WEAR 5
  • OVERALL: 4.2

Find this pair at Uniqlo