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If I was excited to try to the PPU Boxers I reviewed last month, I was thrilled to try out the Baskit just /b/ briefs from the moment they came in the mail. I once had a a Baskit jock that I absolutely loved, but it got lost in a move and I never replaced it. I was eager to try something new from the brand, though to be honest, I wasn’t too sure about the high cut hips. The just /b/ brief is available in three color combinations: Black/Red, Bubblegum (read: pink)/Grey and Bright Blue (read: aqua)/Navy. Baskit also makes the same style in a low-rise trunk in the same three color combos. I tried the black/red brief.

My review day was slightly more active than my normal routine. I drove 45 minutes to work, went on a site visit about an hour-and-a-half away (so that’s total 4 hours in the car), was out in the hot sun for about two hours while on the site visit, did several hours of work in the office in the afternoon and evening and then went out with friends for several hours after that. I planned a less active day than that, but considering how long my day ended up being, the diversity of activities I was engaged in and how held well this pair held up, I think that they would be perfect for just about any kind of day.

I got a size small (S), and Baskit says guys with waists between 28 and 30 inches should feel comfortable with that. This pair fit like a glove, so I would suggest people get the size that Baskit recommends for them.

More than anything else, I loved the fit of this pair. It was absolutely perfect. I’ve worn several pairs of high-rise style briefs and none have fit quite right until these. They’ve always squeeze my butt a bit too much and seemed to sit oddly on my hips. I didn’t feel any of that with this pair. I also felt a lot of support with this pair, but not in a uncomfortable or constricting way. I haven’t found many pairs that accomplish that feat. Also, I really liked the material this pair was made of. Baskit says its 90% Micro Modal and %10 Elastane. I’m not quite sure that means, but whatever it is it works. The pair was soft and breathable against my skin at the same time.

I’d rate the design about average. The cut is great: sporty, slightly sexy and super comfortable. But I’m not a bit fan of the waistband, the wide stripes on the side or the red/black color combination. That being said, I really like the pictures I’ve seen of the pink/grey version. To sum up:

Pros:

  • The fit was amazing. There’s no comparison to any other high-rise brief I’ve tried
  • The material is both soft and breathable

Cons:

  • Not the biggest fan of the color selection
  • I’d take the tag off the waistband and maybe go with one of the other two color choices

And here are my ratings:

  • Daily Fit — 10
  • Sizing — 10
  • Construction/Materials — 10
  • Styling — 7
  • Daily Performance — 9
  • Overall — 9.2

This pair was furnished for review by Baskit.

8639 (3)

When I first received my pair of Pikane Biologic Piping Briefs in the mail, I wasn’t so sure about what I saw. They appeared way too small for my size, used a strange combination of colors and felt a little bit weird. I hadn’t tried any other pairs by the brand, and heard good things, so I figured I’d give them a whirl. This particular style comes in three colors–I tried the purple/grey combination.

Before writing this review, I wore the pair for a fairly normal day for me. I rode the bus 45 minutes to work, sat in my office working all day long and then wore them as my pajamas for a night’s sleep. Though I didn’t really have an “active day,” I think this pair would hold up really well regardless of what you’re doing, because the material was so lightweight and comfortable.

I have a 29-inch waist and got a size small. I found the pair to be true-to-size, but definitely on the smaller/tighter end of the scale. They’re also fairly stretchy. The sizing is Columbian..

Overall, I really liked the feel of this pair against my skin, which really surprised me. They’re 100% polyester and I almost never go with that. The material was extremely breathable. My heritage leans heavy on the Italian side, so I can sweat profusely on a typical day. I didn’t experience any of that with these. They also fit surprisingly well–not too tight as I had initially thought they would be when I received them. I think the look is what could use the most improvement. Though the purple-gray combination definitely grew on me, I found both the pattern and the waistband to be a bit cheesy.

pikante8639

Though I initially thought that this pair wasn’t for me, after about 24 hours of wear, I was presently surprised–the fit was perfect, the material comfortable and the look fair. They also passed the boyfriend test–I showed them to him at the end of the day and he thought they were great. To sum up:

Pros:

  • The fit might run a bit small for some folks, but overall Pikante’s Biologic Piping Briefs are true-to-size
  • The material makes this pair a great choice for any type of day–active, average or just lounging around

Cons:

  • The waistband for me was a little to cheesy. I’d like to see them remove the pepper that makes the ‘i” little guy that makes the “t” in Pikante. I saw on their website that they offer several styles with different waistbands
  • The design / cut was a little too sexy for my personal taste

And here are my ratings:

  • Daily Fit — A
  • Sizing — A
  • Construction/Materials — A-
  • Styling — B
  • Daily Performance — A
  • Overall — B+

Clever furnished this pair for review.

Zylas 4034

 

I haven’t ever worn a pair of Zylas underwear before, so when I got the 4034 Brief in the mail, I was excited to try them out. Once I had them in my hands I had a mixed first impression. The brief is mostly made of Nylon, an underwear fabric that I haven’t had much luck with. While I am not a huge fan of the 70s inspired conglomeration of greens and vertical stripes, these briefs do have some style to them.

Another first reaction before I had before I got them on was the size of the waist, it looked too small to match the sizing chart for what a Zylas XL brief should be (34-36). Once I got them on, my initial impression seemed accurate, as the waist was a little snug.  You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that when it comes to men’s briefs, if the waist is snug, it’s likely going to be snug in all the wrong places too, but this turned out to be only partially true. I decided to wear them for a full work day to really put the brief through its paces. While I was nervous about how the brief would hold up, with its blend of nylon and spandex, these briefs stood the test of a busy day.

I did have an issue with sizing, when I peeled them off in the evening, I did have quite the “imprint” on my 36″ waist but over the course of the day, I wasn’t experiencing any discomfort around my waist. As with many Latin/South American brands, these weren’t made with U.S. sizing. While there are several brands that can get away with this, the XL at 34-36 is going to be too small if you’re wearing a 36 pant size. Quite honestly, I’d say if you’re wearing a 34 jean, you’ll want to go with the XL.

As I mentioned above, I haven’t been a huge fan of some of the nylon pairs in my collection, but the way this brief uses nylon I was pleasantly surprised. The fabric had vertical perforations throughout, making the briefs very breathable, so that helped score this brief some points.  As far as the look of this brief, I am of two minds. Green is one of, if not my favorite color, but it can be overdone and the penchant Zylas has for vertical stripes overall, could be re-thought. While I appreciate the attempt, I am not a fan of the 1970s fashion trend of purposefully clashing several shades of the same color together, but I think this brief could have really been tied together well if the waistband and the elastic leg openings were the same shade of green as one of the stripes in the brief, instead it’s a lighter lime which clashes with the neon green stripes that feature prominently.

The style of the brief is described as an “almost bikini” and there has been a bit of a pickup of this type of style across several different labels. When you wear this style it certainly feels a little more comfortable and less boxy than a traditional cut brief and that is good. If I had to make one complaint overall though, it would be that this style does not lend itself to the ample pouch that my anatomy requires. That is not to say I felt too crammed in these briefs, but this brief certainly does not feature a contour pouch, which is something I need.

Pros: 

  • Breathable Nylon – a novel concept!
  • Fashion-forward cut

Cons: 

  • Lacks a contour pouch
  • Sizing for me didn’t work

Ratings: 

  • Fit – C
  • Sizing – C
  • Construction/Materials – A
  • Styling – B
  • Daily Wear – C
  • Overall – C+

Zylas furnished this pair for review

andrew christian almost naked sport brief 9199

As well-endowed men should know, support is of the utmost importance when it comes to finding the right pair of underwear. Iits critical for us to find underwear with pouches that are not only contoured but are constructed in a way that will support us no matter what conditions may be thrown our way during a given day. In an article I wrote a few months ago, I hinted at the fact that if well-endowed men want the support their anatomy requires, they might need to “open their minds”  — referring to their to realize that in many instances when it comes to the underwear their body needs,  often times the skimpier the cut, the better they (and their large packages) will be served.

While I didn’t elaborate then, I said I would in a future article and it remains true–if you’re well hung and want the best support any design can give you, you are going to need to broaden your horizons and take some risks, and before you make that leap it might help to understand what I am talking about.

As a well-endowed man, you might favor boxer briefs or their shorter cousins, trunks, for the coverage they give your large member. The problem with those two designs as well as with your traditional-cut briefs-even the ones with contoured pouches the support they offer is hindered by their construction. Specifically, their designs don’t allow well-hung men to…hang since on both trunks and boxer briefs the pouch is connected to fabric that extends past it (down the leg) and on a traditional brief, is connected to fabric that comes close to matching the length of the pouch. The result (on a contour pouch) is decent support that by mid-afternoon or earlier, gives way to that all too familiar feeling for us-having our members pressed against our bodies.

So what are the solutions?

Show Off Your Legs (And Your Ass If You’re Brave/Proud Enough)

If you are a “shower” type of guy, you will never get the optimum support for your large package in those boxer briefs or trunks, so progressively ditch them and replace them with briefs that feature contour pouches that have a bikini cut, (high cut leg openings–where the rise between the top of the leg opening and the top of the waistband is 3″ or less). This type of cut (as seen in the examples below) allow the pouch to be the lowest point of the fabric on the brief, allowing well-hung men to hang, while also giving them the support they require.

Revamp your underwear drawer with a collection of briefs built for your bulge. I swear by these:

  • Calvin Klein Hip Brief Universal Design featured in several different fabric/color options based on collection. Fit is true to size–if your pant size is an odd number (31″ 35″ or 39″) size down. 
  • 2(x)ist No-Show & Contoured (& Ultra-Contoured) Pouch Brief – Universal Design featured in several different color options based on collection. Fits true to size, order your pant/jean size. No need to size up.
  • Andrew Christian Almost Naked Brief / Sport Brief* – High cut leg openings and an “Anatomically Correct” Pouch which is perfect for well-hung men. Order your pant/jean size, only goes up to size 36 though.
  • C-IN2 Sport Brief – Universal Design featured in several different fabric/color options based on collection. Huge pouch, for hung men. Fits true to REAL waist size (I wear a 36 jean but my waist is 38″, so I wear an XL).

If you want even more support, it is out there but you’ll have to be O.K. having your ass exposed while wearing them. Of course I am talking about jockstraps and thongs that have been designed for men.

Since the jockstrap design has always equated to support, a somewhat recent flooding of the market with designer jockstraps made from an everyday wear perspective has allowed them to become an ideal choice for the well-endowed man. If you’ve got an above-average member, stick jockstraps that are made of rayon, the construction of which offers a natural pouch that will expand with your length and girth once you get them on. Andrew Christian is the foremost producer of this type of jock, Obviously For Men is another favorite. In addition to that style, look for jocks that feature double-ply cotton pouches that are also fairly deep – I like what C-IN2 and Diesel have done. Pick up one from each of those four designers and you and your endowment will thank me.

Oddly enough, I trust most men would wear a jockstrap as daily underwear before they’d think about doing the same with a thong made for men. Odd, because in all reality, a jockstrap leaves you much more exposed than a thong ever would, even though the thong’s design offers superior support. That said, if you are carrying around something that could be mistaken for a third leg in your pants, I can’t tell you how happy you would be with the support a well fitted thong can offer your impressive package. Of course, there are a few things to consider before venturing out to buy your first couple thongs.

I would always recommend that your first thong be one that is designed to look like a jockstrap, such as the CK Body Thong, or the 2(x)ist  or C-IN2 Y-back varieties. All three are relatively inexpensive options that will allow you to get used to the feel of wearing a thong and whether or not you could see yourself wearing other designs. Once you’ve decided that you’d like to try another design, be prepared to be shocked at how many options you have available to you. Take comfort in the fact that the size of your manhood limits you to only about a third of the market. Thongs, just like any other new underwear purchase are about figuring out what you like and don’t like. Since each brand varies so much in terms of design I am not going to waste your time making suggestions, other than to say, if you’re well-hung and don’t take the leap you are missing out, on what I think is one of the best designs for guys like you.

If you are hung, and you’ve just read this, what the hell are you waiting for? Start to revamp your drawer with the designs that will help you tame your trouser snake once and for all!

Underwear Essentials

Have you ever put on a pair of your briefs and thought, “I don’t think I could live without this pair”? I know I have, and hopefully what follows is a whole new phenomenon in the men’s underwear community, which we will be calling “Underwear Essentials”.

Inspired by various websites I’ve come across, like Hype Beast’s essentials page along with several other “pocket dump” and “everyday carry” blogs around the internet, I wanted to create a place for UNB bloggers (and hopefully some of our willing fans) to share which pairs they can’t live without, and explain why that’s the case. These posts are not just about the photo and a lame description of each pair, no. The true purpose of creating something new with “Underwear Essentials” is for our readers to gain an understanding of how each collection has developed over time. How certain brands, fabrics, designs, and/or their designers have shaped the preferences of the wearer. In other words, while the photo above is incredibly simplistic, containing all of the underwear I couldn’t live without-it is really a representation of what I have come to know and love about men’s underwear.

Brandon’s Essentials 

My underwear represents a way for me to express myself even if it’s only on an interpersonal level. Due to the size of my collection, everyday’s choice is something I look forward to from the time I turn the shower on. Any one of several factors can impact my decision each morning. The first question I always force myself to answer is, “what is my mood like?” From there, some of the usual questions come into play. Like, “what’s today’s weather going to do? Is it going to be sunny, hot or cold, overcast, rainy?” Primarily for me, the style I choose is guided by the day of the week and my mood, and lastly, the clothes I’ll be wearing.

Ever since I got my first couple of pairs in the mail about a year and a half ago, Andrew Christian has been my favorite underwear designer. I am in love with the Almost Naked and Nano Fit lines, his use of rayon fabric (made from bamboo fibers) provides an overall fit that compliments my long, 6-foot-4 athletically built frame. The Almost Naked Sport Brief (bottom two pairs in Column 1) is by far my favorite A.C. design and I love the Navy and Turquoise colors the best (I own just about every color option). The  Almost Naked Infinity Brief (bottom pair, column 1) and Air Sculpt Brief (Top Row, Far Left) also feature rayon which helps to create Andrew Christian’s patented “anatomically correct pouch” which is ideal for guys like me with bigger bulges. I also thought I’d include Andrew Christian’s Ace Air Jock Pro Brief w/Show It Technology (Top, Column 2) which is a hybrid cross of a brief and a jockstrap. It’s actually made of 90% cotton and features the “Show It Technology” pouch. I tend to wear them on Fridays a lot, maybe because I like showing off at the end of the week, who knows?

#JockstrapWednesday anyone? I almost always go with a jock on Hump Day, and I always wear them when working out. I love all of the Andrew Christian Jocks that feature rayon fabric and my current favorites are the lavender Slim Focus Jock, the Cool Flex Jock w/Show It and finally the Trophy Boy Jock (All In Column 3). As I mentioned briefly before I am somewhat generously endowed and I find the pouch on Andrew Christian jocks to be much more forgiving during workouts, and I love wearing them during the weekdays from time to time. It’s for those exact same reasons that I included  the Obviously For Men Chromatic Low Rise Jock (Bottom, Column 4) which I have in red and navy. It’s a great jock that really performs well, especially during workouts.

You can never go wrong with a pair of Calvin Klein briefs. While my love for Andrew Christian underwear is unwavering I must say that the ultimate essentials in my collection are the three CK Briefs pictured (CK Body Hip Brief, Micro X Hip Brief, and the Steel Collection Hip Brief). I have multiple colors in the Micro X and especially the Steel collection and I always default to one of those two briefs when I can’t make up my mind or am in a rush. I also threw in my favorite pair of Trunks, which was the design that led to my obsession, but tapered off quickly when I rediscovered briefs. It’s from a Limited Edition run CK put out a couple of years ago that I’ve made sure to take good care of. Nobody beats CK Underwear in terms of design, quality and overall comfort. If you don’t own any of these three briefs, (or a pair of their trunks) open a new tab to your favorite online underwear retailer right now and buy as many pairs in these collections as you can afford. The reasons you must is simple-unparalleled fit and construction, and they look great on everyone.

At the start of my underwear journey, I had a love-hate relationship with C-IN2. That is, I loved the majority of what they were offering with their “Pop Color” briefs but hated that a major American label’s brief had a design that just couldn’t contain my boys while remaining comfortable everywhere else. Enter the C-IN2 Sport Brief design about a year or so ago. Problem solved. The higher cut leg openings compliment my athletic shape and naturally provide a much bigger pouch which is so comfortable for my goods.

How do a thong, let alone several thongs make any man’s Underwear Essentials? As I found out over a year ago, you can’t answer that question without getting the courage to try one (or several). To me there really isn’t a better feeling than feeling like you’re wearing nothing while getting the best support any style of underwear can provide.  Aesthetically speaking I’ve steered clear of the athletic styles since I graduated from the ranks of “novice wearer,” but I love the new Nano Fit Thong from Andrew Christian (Top Right). My go-to thong is the Cover Male Thong (Yellow Thong) simply because it has the most traditional thong design available. Overall, my favorite thong brand is Gregg Homme and my favorite thong is the Pump Up Thong  (White and Red Thong). Gregg Homme uses a synthetic fabric called “Polyamide” which is almost like a very structured silk material. They use it in the Boytoy G-String which I could honestly wear every day, if I didn’t have so many other designs and pairs of underwear I love. If you are questioning what you’d wear one under, look no further than a suit or suit pants which fitted in the seat, or the increasingly popular, skinny and straight leg styles of men’s jeans. Yes, you can see pantylines on men and they are just as unattractive as they are on women.

These are the 19 pairs out of a collection that is nearly 10 times as big that I just don’t think I could live without. I can honestly say that my experiences with trial and error in the ever-expanding world of men’s designer underwear shaped this Essentials portion of my collection- a fact that is so true, it took me less than a minute to pick out the pairs you see here. The underwear you see in these pictures are the pairs I could live with for the rest of my life. In one way or another they give me everything I need out of a pair of underwear in any situation I’d find myself in.

Now think about your collection. What styles and designs can you not wait to wear again after the laundry is folded? Do your essentials match the utility your body requires in all the situations you find yourself in? Let us know by submitting a hi-res picture of your Underwear Essentials along with a description of your favorite pairs and how they have shaped you as an individual as well as your own personal understanding of men’s underwear.

Underwear Essentials 2

 

 

 

 

 

So I was wondering what the different styles of underwear are and did some research and discovered the following on Wikipedia.  Now, I know that Wiki is only as good as the information provided but this was very helpful.  I hope this helps clarify things for you if you didn’t know what was what.

Bikini Underwear

Usually worn with the waistband lower than the wearer’s waist, and often at the hips, with the leg bands ending at the groin. Men’s bikini briefs normally have no fly.

  • High-sided bikini underwear
  • Low-sided bikini underwear
  • String bikini – consists of two triangular pieces connected at the groin but not at the sides, with a thin “string” around the waist connecting the pieces.

G-String

A type of thong consisting of a narrow piece of material that covers or holds the genitals, passes between the buttocks, and is attached to a band around the hips.

Tonga

A type of thong which has no material around the sides other than the waistband.

Thong

Has a narrow strip of material along the center of the garment’s rear which sits between the wearer’s buttocks and connects the front or pouch to the waistband behind the wearer. Thongs are sometimes worn to reduce “panty lines” when wearing tightly-fitting trousers.

Boxer Briefs (Trunks)

These are similar in style to boxer shorts, but are generally shorter and form-fitting like briefs.

  • Athletic-style boxer briefs – similar to cycling shorts, these are skin-tight and usually have no fly.
  • Pouch boxer briefs – these have a pouch for the genitals instead of a fly.

Boxers

These have an elasticized waistband that is at or near the wearer’s waist, while the leg sections are fairly loose and extend to the mid-thigh. There is usually a fly, either with or without buttons. The waistbands of boxer shorts are usually wider than those of briefs, and often bear the brand name of the manufacturer.

Boxer shorts with colorful patterns, pictures of cartoon characters, sports team logos and slogans are readily available.

  • Knit boxers
  • Woven boxers

Briefs

These have an elasticized waistband at or near the wearer’s waist, and leg sections that end at or near the groin.

  • traditional briefs – these have a Y-shaped fly.
  • Diagonal-flap briefs.
  • Double-seat or double-back briefs.
  • Low-cut or low-rise briefs
  • Pouch briefs.

Jockstrap

Consists of an elastic waistband with a support pouch for the genitalia and two elastic straps affixed to the base of the pouch and to the left and right sides of the waistband at the hip. In some varieties, the pouch may be fitted with a pocket to hold an impact-resistant cup to protect the genitals from injury.

  • Strapless pouch – consists of a support pouch for the genitals and a waistband, with no securing straps.

We hope you have enjoyed our run down of the different types of Underwear. The pictures used were from International Jock!

clan1

If you are into underwear half as much as me or the other guys on the blog, I am sure you have heard of AussieBum. The Australian based underwear company is known for its fun prints and wild fabrics. This was my first pair of AussieBums and it won’t be my last.  I fell in love with this company before I received them in the mail. Being a marketing guy, I love what they have been doing in not only the traditional marketing arena, but also online with social networks like Twitter and Facebook.

My AussieBum briefs were of the Clan Collection with the tribe print.  This print is a navy, red, yellow and white plaid that is very eye catching. The Clan Collation comes in a variety of other plaid type prints and you can get them in either a trunk or a brief cut.  Both come with a logo imprinted waistband and are made with a 75% Polyester and 25% Elastane material. I don’t know where to start when I try to describe what the material feels like.  It is silky, yet durable, and has a slight hint of shine.

clan2

The first thing I noticed was how soft yet durable the material was.  I looked in the mirror and then noticed how amazing they made my figure look.  They were cut perfectly.  They were just tight enough to make everything look firm and well supported, yet not tight enough to make them restricting. The leg openings were also well constructed and I don’t foresee them stretching out.

I have reviewed and worn some great undies. The one thing I look for when I review underwear is how different they appear from traditional underwear, or the “what makes this brand so special” points. The Clan by AussieBum is a collection which has all of the little things to make it stand out from the rest of the brands that simply “make underwear”.

clan3

Overall AussieBum exceeded my expectation when it came to this collection of underwear. From its amazing fabric to its perfect fit, everything about these AussieBum’s is perfect!

Fit:                                       5
Materials:                            5
Put Together:                       5
Look:                                   5
Daily Wear:                         5
Overall:                              5

AussieBum provided me this pair of briefs to review, but you can get more information about them from their web site. They offer a wide range of underwear and swimwear in a variety of colors, patterns, and materials.  Pricing for the Clan Collection briefs is $32.50 US and the hip (trunk) cuts are about $34 US. Follow AussieBum on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.