Today’s Brief Distraction is from Clever Underwear. This is part of the new collection they are releasing! We will bring you more on the the new line shortly! If you are a fan you’ll love it. Also, check out the Clever Underwear Facebook page for contests to win up to 10 pairs!
Our Underwear of the Week this week is one that made people take notice. That pair is the 2(X)ist Sliq Mesh Trunk. It’s not often we hear of a pair released and everyone is talking about it. But the Sliq line did that and I had friends who aren’t into underwear talking about the line.
You maybe asking why is this? I think this was a few reasons:
Available in the 6 colors (only 5 shown, black is missing) for $28 from the 2(X)ist website. (contains an affiliate link for 2(X)ist)
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It’s Game Time at Andrew Christian. This week they have the Football Jock back! Go check it out
Shop at: http://www.andrewchristian.com |
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Buy any 6 items at 2XIST.com and Get 20% off! No code is necessary, sale ends on Monday, 9/2. Shop at: http://www.2xist.com |
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From now until Wednesday, September 4th, 2013 (midnight EST), when you shop at Jockstrap Central and your product total is $40 or more, they will throw in a free jockstrap. While supplies last, the free jockstrap will be one of their Wolf Athletic Supporters (If they run out, you’ll still get a free jock, just not one of those.) On the last step of your checkout (the invoice page) you’ll be asked to choose your size and color preference.
Omtex jockstraps are phenomenal and if you don’t have one already, this is a great chance to get one to “try” out. We’re sure you’ll be hooked! If you already have one, get yourself another for when the first is in the wash. Shop at: http://www.jockstrapcentral.com |
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Men’s Underwear Store thinks you should treat your self and get 25% off the new Chevron and Sliq Mesh Collections from 2(X)ist.
Shop at: http://www.mensunderwearstore.com |
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Erogenos wants you to save up to 50% off this weekend on 2(X)ist and other brands. A Big Labor Day sale is coming
Shop at: http://www.erogenos.com |
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This week only Male Basics is giving you 25% off Male Basics Underwear. Just use code MBUNDIES
Shop at: http://www.malebasics.com |
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Save up to 50% off on Bruno Banani. If you have always wanted to try this brand now is your time.
Shop at: http://www.deadgoodundies.com |
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UnderGear is giving you 25% off sale and clearance items. Just use code UP3N and offer expires 9/2/13
Shop at; http://www.undergear.com |
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Body Aware loves Short Stories, and with Thier newest Smart Stripes Boxer Short, you will love how it ends. Soft textured fabric with narrow transparent stripes in the most comfortable underwear available!
Shop at: http://www.bodyaware.com |
Contains affiliate links for Jockstrap Central, Andrew Christian, 2(X)ist and Dead Good Undies
Go Softwear features some of their great undies with model John Cherland wearing one of their basic and popular underwear styles Boy Brief
In the past 4 years Mckillop has undergone many changes and learned a variety of lessons and we are about to make our biggest change yet. Our philosophy though has remained unchanged. The only thing that has changed is our resources to finally offer our customer base the products we dreamt of from the start. Our mantra is “ Providing a wealth of expertise communicated through the fit and comfort of your clothing” and in the upcoming months we will be growing into this philosophy more profoundly.
Ever since the beginning we have been doing things very differently. First we hand craft each pair of underwear ourselves without mass production and computer automation and because of this we can change the fit based on our customers needs. Secondly we believe that our industry has used the “sex sells” philosophy to the extreme that we feel that our customer base would appreciate a more appropriate viewpoint. This is actually the closest to my heart because we make amazing clothing, that’s what sells our brand not sex. Our Customers purchase on merit and not because we convinced them to buy into a fictional story. This decision has kept us very small; but the best part about being small is that we have one on one relationships with all of our clients, and bar none the best customers and the best services to offer them. This is what brings us joy each day. We are not after your money we are after your happiness and comfort. When I started the brand it was because clothing did not fit properly. Clothing these days are are made for 1 customer and the sizes are small but there is more than 1 demographic in this world and those men are who we cater too.
In the upcoming months you will see a very New Mckillop. We are focusing on our Bespoke clients which allows customization to your fit and shape. We will also be expanding into XS and XXL and custom lengths for our Long Underwear and Sleepwear. We will also be introducing a new level of luxury that is absent in the Underwear/Menswear world today. We are very proud to have stayed so true to our beliefs over the years and we are equally proud of our clients and friends that have been on this journey with us. It hasn’t always been easy but it has been an adventure. We look forward to having you on our adventure in the future.
Find McKillop at http://www.mckillopunderwear.com
I was 11 or 12 years old when I began to take an interest in men’s underwear. And let’s be honest, for me it was just as much about the men wearing them as it was the underwear itself. Underwear felt like a safe way for me to explore something I wasn’t quite sure of yet.
One particular memory sticks out in my mind though. While being dragged along with my mother on a “quick” stop to the nearest department store, I was able to slip away to the men’s section. I don’t think I need to tell you where I immediately wandered over to. In the midst of tall shelves filled with glossy boxes covered in underwear clad muscle men, I was overwhelmed by the discovery that there were more choices than just boxers or briefs. Sure I’d heard reference to a thong before but I had assumed they were just for women. But right there in front of me was a perfectly normal looking man wearing a light–blue cotton Hanes thong. It was at that moment I realized I knew very little about the span of male sexuality. I couldn’t help myself. I needed to know what it felt like to wear something like that. I knew it would make me feel much more than the basic annoyance of having fabric stuck in my butt cheeks. Men could be sexy, I had proof right here. I certainly couldn’t ask my mother to buy them though. In desperation I did what any 11–year–old boy would have done. I stole them.
I’ve since started paying for my underwear, but my interest in them has only grown over the years. For me, underwear is so tied to my emotional and sexual self that I could make a journal that merely showed which pair I wore each day and still be able to go back in time as if I had written pages of description. That very idea sparked a broader goal to share my passion (and partly justify the extreme expense of my addiction) by starting Underwear Obsession. The goal of Underwear Obsession is to show what a normal looking chap (that’s me) really looks like in the latest styles and trends of men’s underwear. The photos are accompanied by a fun mix of underwear stories, reviews, tips, sales, and even some news. In just the same way I found that light–blue thong to be so astonishing when I was 11, I’ve found that the community of fellow underwear lovers is larger and more vibrant than I could have imagined. My only problem now is figuring out where to store all this underwear. It would be weird to have a dresser filled just with underwear, right?
The MensUnderwearStore.com team of photo experts recently shot Ryan Bertroche on location in St. Louis, MO. A native of Iowa, Ryan broke a sweat and kept things sizzling with his looks that resemble a young Kurt Russell. In addition to modeling the new Calvin Klein Performance collection, Ryan also wore items from the Underdenim, Dry Touch and Fresh & Bright collections from Diesel.
File under B… for bedroom.
Joe Snyder is not something I would typically use as everyday underwear. It might just be mental barrier I haven’t broken yet, but I associate underwear like this exclusively with doing the grown-up behind closed doors. The only pairs of JS that I’ve ever owned were for that express purpose.
These reviews we generate are based on a uniform set of evaluation criteria, which incorporates a full day’s test drive. Well, I tried it. For reasons I’ll go into later, I don’t know that my results will really offer you an apples-to-apples comparison to other pairs of underwear. But honestly 90% of this is subjective anyway. So here goes.
First the facts: Made in Mexico. 80% polyamide/20% spandex. Excellent construction quality. The cut is definitely on the skimpier side, probably the skimpiest thing I’ve ever worn. If you’re like me this is probably right on that edge between ‘skimpy-flattering and ‘skimpy-non-flattering.’ Maybe this is a hint that Mexico thinks we should exercise more. Or maybe they want us to stop sending them McDonalds.
In the right context the pride frame bikini is f***ing hot. I read nothing into the word ‘pride’ and simply took it at face value. Pride as in be proud of your junk. Because if you wear these your junk is going to be the only thing people see. Through some clever pouch design and accent stitching JS has found a way to make that part of your body seem twice normal size. The exterior contrast stitching does this ‘swoopie’ thing where it comes down from both sides and wraps around underneath, creating a ‘genital shelf’ if you will. But unlike the Cocksox pair that I wrote about earlier in the month, the pouch does not force you into the ‘tent-pole’ configuration. For me, that is a huge bonus, since I’m not a fan of the tent-pole.
The normal review criteria we look at include things like “daily fit” and “daily performance.” I might have a hard time rating these because I didn’t wear these over the course of a full day. I wore them for the same amount of accrued time, but broken up into smaller pieces. Mainly because… well, I didn’t want to have an enormous bulge at work that day.
What I can say is that, due to the materials and cut, there is positively no creepage of any kind on this pair. I would compare it to wearing a speedo under your clothes. One that is as supportive, softer, and waaaaay skimpier. If it was still 1987, Cher could use this pair as part of her tour wardrobe.
If I could turn back toooooommeeee…. (yes, I said tome)
Joking aside, if you choose to wear this as daily underwear I don’t think you’ll have any complaints about comfort or creepage. But be mindful that the only thing separating the world from the male-stripper version of yourself is a single layer of pant material. If you have the mental agility to balance these two sides of your persona and keep it under control in public then more power to you. Guys like me have no choice but to relegate this to the bedroom only.
To sum things up:
Pros
Cons
Ratings
*please take this with a grain of salt. I can’t wear these for a full day, so your score will probably differ greatly from mine.
Joe Snyder furnished this pair for review.
British men can be fussy about their underwear. But once they find something they love, they buy it again and again. Which is where Deadgoodundies.com hits the mark.
HOM HO1 Cotton Modal Mini Brief – GBP20.00
Just as Americans favour Tightie Whities (though we’re never entirely sure of the right spelling), white underwear for men is always the most popular in the UK. Simple but effective, the HOM HO1 Cotton Modal Mini Brief has a patented horizontal opening that makes it a classic.
Bruno Banani Your Future Brief – GBP14.00
Black underpants come a close second – largely for practicality. You can’t go wrong chucking a pile of black undies and socks in the wash together, can you? The Your Future Brief by Bruno Banani is an easy choice for single-colour shoppers, offered in black, white or marl grey.
Olaf Benz RED1289 Neo Brief – GBP28.00
When it comes to real colours, the UK is getting more adventurous almost by the month. Blues can come in anywhere from darkest navy to palest sky, but brighter shades are holding their own this summer, and not only in swimwear. The Olaf Benz RED1289 Neo Brief offers a vibrant royal blue version or an even bolder grassy green!
Bruno Banani Magic City Retro Brief – GBP30.00
August is a great time for men to buy from DGU because the first autumn collections have started to arrive – introducing new colours, styles and prints. Always anticipated with much excitement is the Bruno Banani collection including the new Magic City Retro Brief in two colour mixes combining plaid and floral influences.
Olaf Benz RED1202 Mini String – GBP18.50
One new trend is for men to dip their toe into colour. They’ll buy a few pairs in black or white, and top up their men’s underwear order from Deadgoodundies with a colour or two. DGU is wondering whether the colours become Weekend Specials? Olaf Benz make their sexy RED1202 Mini String in black or white for men who like it monochrome, but also a stunning scarlet for special occasions…
Watch for more from the UK this next month. This post contains an affiliate link for Dead Good Undies.
Today’s Brief Distraction is from Andrew Christian. This features the 9370 Football Jock in Royal. I got to meet with Andrew at Magic and we will be bringing you some great stuff from them this year.
This week the Baskit $12 Tuesday is the Light Yoga Cut V-Neck. Each week Baskit puts one pair on special. When can you get this shirt only today. Also while on the special page see the other pairs on sale!
“LETS SEE REAL GUYS IN UNDERWEAR” is something we hear all the time on the blog. This was even written up in a recent New York Times Article called “Changes in the Marketing of men’s underwear” (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/23/fashion/changes-in-the-marketing-of-mens-underwear.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0) They explain how guys don’t want to see models with 3% body fat and washboard stomachs, and how companies are turning to more realistic models.
This is something we have been doing for a few years. Since the advent of our guides we shoot, we have purposefully chosen models that looked a little more realistic to our readers. Yes, we have gotten negative feed back from brands and also readers. Some of the readers have been the harshest. Comments on facebook range from the polite “not my type” to not so polite “Ugly models”, “Why did you choose fat guys” and “I don’t want to see more of them”
Granted beauty is in the eye of the beholder and not every model will be for everyone. But to say guys who have a 32 waist are fat? That I don’t understand. I would say the average guy is anywhere from 32-36 waist. Our models have all been around a 32 waist. Most of them have other jobs and doing this for fun. We even recruited one of our waiters one day. I want use to continue this trend in our guides, and it has been suggested that we include a staff member in the guide, by one of our guys, who said he would be willing to do it.
We also have started to include our reviewers in review posts. Speaking for someone who’s underwear picture has been over the net, it’s a little nerve racking. I posted a selfie in a review a few months back and was super nervous. Why? Because I didn’t want to hear the “You’re fat”, “Why are you wearing that” and even worse things going through my mind. The internet can be a very cruel place when people speak from anonymity. But comments aside it take a brave person to strip down to their undies and post a pic for thousands of people to see. It’s not like sharing it with friends via a text. You are literally exposing yourself to all!
In order for us to continue showing real guys in underwear we really need your support. You are now asking, how can we do that? Comment on posts and guides we produce that have more real guys in them. Give words of encouragement. This goes not just for out blog but all bloggers out there doing this, remember it takes guts to put it all out there. Email us, if you want a bit more anonymity, we love getting emails and we will answer you back. Share the pictures on social media (Facebook, twitter and Tumblr) but make sure you tell guys where the pics are from!
Are bold enough to share yourself in undies? Submit it to the UNB Tumblr http://underwearnewsbriefs.tumblr.com. The picture in this post is form reader Dash (@DashDistraction on Twitter) submitted these to post when we asked for real readers pics! See the full pics below
By Robert Bundrick – BOISKIN BODYWEAR
At BOISKIN BODYWEAR™, we are striving to be not only creative in style of underwear, but also extremely consistent in comfort. We are a U.S. made, designer brand, which we are very proud of, and we plan on doing everything we can to both source and fabricate all of our materials and lines from U.S. companies. Great underwear, in our opinion, should be sexy and fun, and something that you can show off in. There are not many United States made, American designers that do what we are doing and we are proud that our underwear both accentuates the male form, and will be consistently ultra comfortable; a very important aspect that is often overlooked in underwear design by other companies. I think to many designers have focused on extremely broad lines of products that may look “cute” but don’t really fit. Those briefs and boxer briefs and jocks and thongs end up sitting in the bottom of the drawer, and that is not where we plan for our BOISKIN™ undies and swimwear to spend most of their time!
Of course aesthetics are important and, as designers, we believe a great pair of underwear definitely stands out, perhaps often in subtle ways, while still offering options to customers. BOIKIN™ will begin be releasing our Razor Brief, in multiple colors, utilizing premium materials, and in a design that most importantly fits incredibly well. When we design, we start with fit then work on aesthetics. Creating with passion makes for great underwear and, as my husband and I design our products, we put a great deal of effort into ensuring that what we create isn’t just something attractive to look at. If we don’t want to wear our products all day everyday, then chances are our customers won’t either.
Lastly, my husband and I, take a holistic approach to creating our swimwear and underwear, and are always willing to take feedback on how we can make products even better. Listening to our customers and fans has definitely helped us create the best products, as we launched our first swimwear line earlier this year, which is available at BSBodywear.com, and will be launching underwear in the coming weeks. We feel that the clothing we wear, whether a three-piece suit to the office, a brief to the gym or a swim trunk to the beach, says something about how we feel about ourselves. We ultimately believe that underwear should be inspired, and embody a spirit of playfulness that makes the wearer feel sexy and just generally great. Our company moniker, “BOISKIN”, really summates how we design and the fact that wearing our products is truly the next best thing to being naked. I don’t want to give to many secrets away, but you will see when you try a pair of our underwear or swimwear on that we know what great underwear are and should be.
Find Boiskin at http://www.bsbodywear.com
We wrap up our retro pics from this pic from Pistol Pete in 2011. We got a peek at their underwear. It was a fun collection and they continue to make amazing undies.
There are as many ways to organize and underwear drawer as there are pairs to buy. This has been a debate on the site since it was created. How you organize your drawer or in most of our cases drawers is just as personal as the underwear buying process.
We are going to cover a few of the more popular ways to organize your collection:
Organize by Style
One popular way is to keep all of one style together. This is great for a guy who has a wide collection and wants to easily find a pair. It may not be good if you want to organize a big collection of just briefs. Some guys I have talked to put briefs, boxer briefs and jocks all in different drawers.
Organize by Brand
Do you have multiple brands? Or Do you have a favorite brand? This way of organizing your undies all your brands together so you don’t have to search for a favorite brand. All of your 2(X)ist or N2N Bodywear are in your top drawer.
Organize by color
Are you a fan of color? Do you match your underwear with what you wear? This organization style would allow you to find that perfect shade of blue. This will allow you to find any color you need fast. You can organize by colors of the rainbow, from red to purple. That’s not the only way, you can put your favorite colors together. This is endless
Organize by favorites
Do you have several favorites you like to wear over other pairs? You can put those in front. This method allows for you to do some of the other methods above as well. You can organize favorite by color, brand or style. It doesn’t have to be just one way to organize your undies.
No organization
Or you can do the opposite and just throw all your undies in a drawer and pull out what ever you grab. This I know would drive certain of our reader’s crazy. But we do have some guys who do just this or pull it our of the clothesbasket and rarely put it up.
The way I organize my drawer is basically, Organize by Favorites. I have several drawers of underwear. I think I have over 300 pairs. The top drawer is the ones I love wearing the most. The drawer below it are those that are just ok, I have no strong objection but just not ones the fit me really well. The bottom drawer are older pairs, may not be in fashion right now but I still like them. This isn’t all I do, I then have those large storage bags in the closet for those pairs that I have yet to go through and don’t like to wear. If you could see how much undies I have in the closet.
How do you organize your underwear drawer? Do you use one of these methods, a combination or another method
By Marcuse – Michael
To me, it has to be a balance of style and comfortable. I would not wear any underwear that is lack of one of those above.
I was a brief guy when I was younger, but I found the comfy of boxer later on. But there was always a problem with ‘holding it in place’ and it is annoying! So it was either ‘in place but not comfy’ with briefs or ‘comfy but hanging..’ with boxer.
I have been looking for an underwear that is both comfortable with the support needed, plus to give it a ‘Outstanding’ look men want. So we created our first underwear ‘Bounce’, it looks like an advertisement to you probably, but it is really the most comfortable I ever wore and I am still wearing them since they had been launched.
The good thing about ‘Bounce’ is it gives you the support needed, it is stylish, used a fine single layer fabric and it breaths.
To me, it is still the best undies around! 🙂
Find Marcuse at http://www.marcuse.com.au/
We go back just one year this year with this picture from Private Structure. This was taken at Magic 2012. Private Structure has some really great colorful underwear at great prices.
I admit it, I am an underwear addict. If there were a meeting for Underwear Anonymous I would probably be the president of the local chapter. But, I don’t think it’s a problem. I mean I have over 400 pairs and love getting new underwear.
I would say my love of underwear went back to childhood. In second grade I remember getting this pair of blue briefs with bright red trim and loved them. There was something about them that from that day forward I wanted to have different underwear.
Growing up I was really shy. I mean painfully so, that I rarely talked to people I didn’t know. This progressed into my teens as well. This is when I discovered bikini briefs. The first time I saw Jim Palmer wear them I knew I had to have a pair. Here was a mainstream jock in undies that weren’t tighy white. It really turned me on to go by the first pair on a family-shopping trip. I got all the courage I could to get a pair, go to the register and pay for them. My heart was racing, what would the cashier think, what if someone saw me with them, how would I get them home?
I ran to my room and put them on and they felt amazing. I was wondering where had this underwear been all my life. It felt so amazing. I would let my collection grew to about 10 pairs before my family found my stash. It seemed the world ended but no one in my family cared and from them on it was up to me to get my undies.
As I said during this time I was super shy. One reason I think I got different undies was to express myself. Most guys were still in those tighty whities, that you get six to a pack. But I was sporting red, green or pink bikinis on a regular basis. It made me feel a bit more confident. However, I never let anyone see them in HS for fear of the hazing in gym class. Which looking back no one would have said anything? There were several guys in the locker room that wore bikinis and it was a non-issue.
These were the days in the gay world I could be called a Twink. Which is I was a tall thin kinda preppy boy. I was 6’4” at 165 with a 31 waist. I could wear anything. That changed and when I hit 27 my metabolism slowed and I went form 165 in my 20’s to 302 in my early fourties and a 42 waist. I was super frustrated that I rarely got great undies. I made up my mind to change that, over the course of the last year I have lost 75 pounds and kept it off. My goal is to go down to around 200 pounds. My current waist is between a 36-38. I can wear great undies but my undies still make me feel awesome.
Flash forward to today. My confidence and underwear companies are up. I turned my love into a blog that is showing guys undies are fun and always should be. I’ve always been the go to guy my friends talk to about what undies they should buy, even before UNB. I love giving advice and hope to be doing the blog for many years to come
My name is Tim, I’m an editor of an underwear blog, have over 400 pairs of underwear and an underwear addict.
By Cocksox
Great underwear is underwear that makes YOU feel great. It’s as simple as that. And that means comfort is key.
As far as Cocksox® is concerned, comfort is the number one priority for making great underwear. We put a lot of time into designing the pouch, choosing the best fabrics and ensuring every Cocksox® garment is as awesomely comfortable as we can make it. The pouch is supportive, the high tech fabrics feel great against the body and the shape keeps your boys well presented all day long.
Comfort is super important BUT it’s not the only consideration. As well as feeling great your underwear has to make you look great too.
Cocksox® underwear has an advantage over other brands in that they keep your boys looking their best even when they’re under your regular pants. You don’t have to show them off for you to look great. No one will know you’re wearing them but you’ll be looking better and feeling awesome. Now surely that’s great underwear 😉
By Joe Snyder
At Joe Snyder, we believe that feeling great begins with underwear: it is the most intimate item you wear; the first thing you put on and the last thing you remove. Underwear is probably the single most functional garment you put on every day and one of the most important factors that determines whether you feel comfortable with the rest of your clothes or not.
Another very important thing to consider when referring to “what makes great underwear” is support. This is the reason why since 1977, Mr. Snyder started creating men’s underwear as, in those days, men’s undergarments were only covering men’s anatomy, failing the objective: supporting men’s virility. All the Joe Snyder’s collections are ergonomically designed.
Great underwear is simply the one that makes each person feel comfortable, confident, and sexy and this depends on the type of fabric used as well as the cut, style, color, support, etc. Joe Snyder knows that the world of men’s underclothing has come a long way in recent years, and today you can find contemporary styles to suit even the most discriminating tastes.
JOE SNYDER is known for its unique style and versatility. Because of the superb quality products, JOE SNYDER’s garments are both, lightweight and very comfortable to wear. All the JOE SNYDER’s garments are made from 80% Polyamide 20% Spandex Lycra ® that fits like a glove and provides excellent male support.
Today, in Joe Snyder we use our extensive experience to produce exactly what men want: not just underwear and swimwear, but the sensational feeling of comfort and exhilaration you get when you wear a garment from our wide range of products.
The Joe Snyder product line makes use of the best fabrics, which are guaranteed by DuPont ® and supported by the Lycra ® label, so whenever you get a fresh, new, exciting Joe Snyder you know that you are getting a top of the line product which is manufactured using our extensive knowledge regarding what men want and by using the most modern technology available.
Our mission is to transcend fashion by creating a distinctive environment that allows clients to express their individual style and uniqueness with designs, colours, and fabrics that match their image. The success of the Joe Snyder range of products is its points of difference with its unique Exclhom (exclusive for men) design and unique Polyamide / Elasthan fabrics.
It’s always great to come to Vegas and catch up with all the brands. It’s three days of non stop meeting covering the Sands Convention Center at the Venetian and Mandalay Bay Conference center. This year before I started I had 33 brands to meet up. Luckily I have several of those brands are the same stop.
My typical day at the shows I get up, get out the door by 8:30. This is Vegas so it’s not always that easy. Grab a granola bar and eat it on the way to the show. Get to the Convention center then go around and hit a few appointments and then see who else can meet. My day flows rather then be static. Most bands will fit me in between buyers and most happen on the last day. When I meet with the brands I usually get to see the new collection coming up. They go through pair by pair and I get to make notes and report to you guys. Some brands have a model, like Good Boy Gone Bad, that I get picture and videos in at the show.
This year we are changing up our coverage. I have talked to a few people in the underwear world, brands, retailers and readers. We are going to do our main post next week about what we saw and some of the trends happening in the world of men’s underwear market and then when pairs are released give them more coverage so you guys know when underwear is out! For more popular brands we will be giving a quick write up of things to come, more of a preview.
Some quick highlights of the trip are:
Stay tuned for more coverage, pictures and videos. There is a lot more to say but I”m too tired to remember it all. I have great notes and pictures to refresh my memory! Three days of walking about 8-10 miles a day wears you out
By Timoteo Ocampo – Chief Creative Designer, Timoteo & CellBlock 13
“A great pair of underwear starts with a great design. Period. The design can be inspired by color, shapes, fabric, the male anatomy or anything visually inspiring that translates to design. Every new idea must be unique with qualities that appeal to that particular garment.
Today underwear is a fashion statement. Its not just about the “3-pack” your mom bought you as a kid. When every guy is stripped down to his very last piece of clothing, its the underwear that is making the statement. Guys want that once piece to be something they connect with because of the look, the design and and how it shows off their best assets.
Every pair of underwear I design is influenced by so many things around me. How guys live out in the world. Some are more conservative. Some more fashionable. Some guys live in athletic wear all the time and some like street wear. Each are unique and their is a design that is right for them. There are so many possibilities that keep emerging year after year. The sizes and shapes of their bodies. Its my job as a designer to find out what qualities are important in the designs they wear. Some guys like color. Some guys like certain fabrics. Some guys like design techiques to enhance their anatomy and show off their best assets.
Choosing the right fabrics, top notch construction and a perfect fit are the critical steps to design a great air of underwear. Design, fit, fabrication and construction are the ingredients to create a great pair of underwear that pleases the customer and gains their loyalty. The best part of my job is seeing a happy customer looking and feeling his best in one of my designs.
We manufacture everything in the United States and do this as a way to have control over the quality of the product. Most companies that produce overseas have the same companies design their merchandise that produce it. We feel like this robs the customer of such a unique piece of clothing. PROUDLY MADE IN THE USA is on every garment we ship. And yes, there is pride in knowing that people come back to my designs because we are consistent with our fit. They like our designs.
Each one of our waistbands is created by myself and our graphic team in house. Another detail we don’t leave to someone else. The waistband is a framing device to showcase an original new design. A place to explore the junction of creative design and the limitations of the manufacturing process that goes into making a classic waistband.
Everything I design comes from a very personal place. Having been in business for more than a decade and hearing and seeing how customers respond is an amazing affirmation for my job. The advent of social media is an immediate billboard and feedback for people to tell you what they think by snapping a picture or posting a comment.
I love my clients. I am inspired by my clients and more importantly I love being a fashion designer.”
Find Timoteo at http://www.timoteo.net or http://www.cellblock13.net
By Andrew – N2N Bodywear
For me, it’s always been about comfort, style and of course FIT!
Ok, and the pouch! Anyone who knows me and N2N for the past 16 years knows I’ve never shied away from showcasing the male package. From an early age I was always curious and slightly annoyed at the need for mens fashion, specifically underwear and swimwear, to camouflage and essentially squish men’s genitalia. Even before N2N was conjured up, I created swimwear for myself that satisfied my own desires…a sexy suit with a good pouch!. Flash forward, the N2N of today has come a long way from when I was affectionately known as the “thong guy”.
Besides all that, I think the fact that for the past 16 years, N2N has been made in Los Angeles, CA is pretty unique, especially now when MOST companies outsource. In the world of mens underwear, It’s nice to be in the minority!
We support the local economy and proud to be U.S MADE!
“Grown in LA” baby… Always have been, always will!
Find N2N Bodywear at http://www.n2nbodywear.com
As I approach the 5th year anniversary of UNB it has me thinking of where we came from when the blog started. Our readers were mainly self identified gay as was the entire staff of UNB. We had a small but loyal following and each year the audience has grown. Flash forward to the readers today. We have more self identified straight guys reading the blog. Then we got some really great straight staff members. It’s surprised me in just 5 years the underwear market has changed so much.
I have always run UNB as middle of the road. I have the feeling regardless of sexual orientation all guys need great undies. Being gay I think it’s a given we love great underwear. We want to feel good and look great. Also we want our partners to look sexy as well. How many times have I met a guy, seen his underwear and went, “no I don’t think so” and introduced him to great undies? More times then I can count. Then when I talk to the guys years later they are still wearing good undies. I think this is more of a public service to ban the bad underwear of the world. I do what part I can! But, with straight guys, why would they like underwear? Well,except for the seeing your partner in them, it’s the same. They want some great support, having a great fit and look good wearing them.
The future growth in the men’s underwear market is straight guys. The potential is huge for every company involved. I have talked to most companies and they all realize this and are starting to go after this market. Some have changed their marketing while others are just starting too. This is not to say gay guys will be left out. This is not a warning the end is coming but a new beginning. There was a recent article that said underwear companies were toning down their advertising and making them to appeal to a regular guy. What does that mean? The article said they were showing less bulge, having more sedate ads and not trying, for a lack of better words “gay up” the ad.
To me this is the wrong way to go. I have had several conversations with some of our straight readers and contributors and this is not an issue with them. They want to see how the underwear actually fits. So companies don’t need to shy away from showing the underwear. The companies are taking the sexiness out of the underwear. Let’s face it gay or straight we both want to feel sexy in our underwear. If you go this route, then whats the point of doing away with the six pack underwear at the local big box store?
Proof that guys don’t mind pictures is our very own Brief Distractions. When I first put them in I wondered if it would potentially scare off straight readers. But I think it has has the opposite effect, I have received more email regarding the pictures from the straight readers then gay. Most guys know underwear is sexy and they don’t mind seeing great pics of underwear!
It’s going to be an interesting and exciting future for men’s underwear.
Photo by Joe Snyder
By Head Baskit Maker Eric – Baskit Wear
First and foremost, I think a great pair of underwear starts with a great design. You want the underwear to not only fit well but look good on the men who wear it. To that you add good fabrics, quality elastics, premium waistbands. At Baskit we’ve been focused on good design. We’ve always tried to bring a mix of good designs to the marketplace so that our guys have options within our brand. So whether they reach for our original jockbrief or a pair of our boxer shorts, we want that pair of underwear to serve them well.
We share the underwear drawer with a lot of other great brands too and I think what we all strive to bring to the marketplace is underwear that gives a man confidence in himself. It’s really sort of that basic. When you put on a pair of underwear it needs to fit your body and feel good to you. It needs to feel like it was made for you. While we know our fit is not going to give every guy out there that feeling, we really try to focus on our guys, the guys that like baskit and wear it well. For those guys, we want to be the brand they dig through their drawer to find day after day. When we do that….well, that’s great underwear.
Find Baskit at http://www.baskitwear.com