Archive

February 2011

Browsing

Print

Thanks to Croota, even guys from the United States can parade around in our underwear and be patriotic.  With some red, white, and blue, we can show our pride on Independence Day as we walk around our parties and as we lie down by the pool.  Who wouldn’t be proud to sport these as you celebrate our freedoms…including being able to share what underwear we love!

In the same fashion as the Australian pair we reviewed earlier, there are pockets for storing the important things for your celebratory events.  The pouch does a great job storing important things as well.

Maybe it was the pair I wore, but waist seemed to fit a tad lower than the other.  Not every pair is going to come out of the factory the same.  You can only count on a certain percentage to come out of mass production as twins.  Nevertheless, this pair was just as wonderful as the one preceding it.  I failed to mention in the previous review how much I loved the waistband.  The inner side of the waistband is an unbelievably comfortable cottony spandex feel, making it smooth to the skin.  There is nothing more irritating than having a waistband cutting into your midsection, especially if you plan to have pictures taken of you later in the day.  The red cut marks aren’t appealing.  Models, you have nothing to fear with this World Collection offering.

Fit 4.5
Materials 5
Construction 5
Look 5
Daily Wear 5
OVERALL 4.9

If you are ready to set off some fireworks outside or in the bedroom, head over to http://www.croota.com and give the World Collection a try.  If your country is featured, definitely buy a pair, pull them on, and salute!


There is no doubt that a well chosen pair of underwear can add quite a bit of panache to your look. The colors, the contours, and the style definitely bring out your manly charm. However, some underwear go above and beyond when it comes to enhancing your allure. To the applause of all the men who are built like a board, as in flat as, and the guys who are just never satisfied with their outline some underwear comes designed to enhance your form.

First off we have the pad fad. Undergear, Gregg Homme, Go Softwear and others have created underwear with padding. Sometimes removable and in just the right places, it can give your silhouette a fuller shapelier look. Some guys feel they need help with their rear view so designers have added two round pads strategically placed over each glut to give men that oh so sought after bubble butt look. Other men are looking to boost their protuberance with “Bulge Enhancing” underwear. Gregg Homme has even come up with a “push up” boxer brief with a removable foam pad that fits into a front pocket almost like a cup.

There are other ways to perk up that pouch. Cocksox and DMK Designs have bulge enhancing attire designed so that the front pouch creates a free space for a mans package to protrude without confinement. Another option for getting that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow in between the front pockets is a “c-ring”. In terms of underwear, this is a ring usually made of a soft fabric or elastic which wraps around your genitals and lightly pulls them up giving you a fuller appearance. This can be worn on its own under any pair of underwear or some designs come with it built in. Go Softwear, N2N, Pulse Underwear from International Jock and Priape Wear all have products with a c-ring built in.

Go SoftwearCocksox CX01Gregg Homme

Another option is compression. Spanx now offers a men’s line of under shirts, briefs, and boxer briefs. The concept here is a material that compresses in areas we want contained, such as our stomachs, and releases in areas we want to jut out, such as the crotch and seat. As they say “butt pockets lift your seat”. Under Armour, Reebok, Nike and other athletic brands also use this compression technique to give support to areas calling for it during times of high activity. However these designs can also be worn by men who are looking to contract rather than expand their assets.

Men have many options to use underwear to enhance their physiques. Is it a good thing for guys to be doing? Yes, no, maybe… I am not going to tell you. I can see pros and cons to it. First, lets look at the cons. It’s a lot healthier for us as men to be comfortable with our bodies and have a self love that can see past what we perceive to be flaws. If these enhancers are bought to hide imagined imperfections from ourselves, the real problem is just being masked not solved. You’re beautiful the way you are men! This pursuit of perfection could create an unhealthy even dangerous negative body image especially for our young men. Another thing to consider is if your plan is to attract someone to you by luring them in with “falsies” there will always be that moment they find out the truth. It’s much better to find someone who wants you for you not the sock down your shorts.

On the other hand, there are pros to shape enhancing underwear. First off, let’s be realistic, these are simply enhancers not miracle makers. A thin foam pad on your butt or a ring around your groin under your jeans is not going to turn you into an Adonis. These products give you a slight enhancement of the goods you already have. That being said it’s often more of a confidence boost for the wearer. When we buy any hot pair of stylish underwear it’s more for ourselves than anyone else anyway. Knowing you have a great pair of underwear on under your outfit is definitely a confidence booster. So if these shape enhancers do that for you, rock on with your bad self and don’t let anyone put you down. And just because a man has shape enhancers it doesn’t mean that he has any negative body image about himself. In fact, it may be because this guy is so happy and confident with his body, he wants to show it off any way he can. So he is wearing these underpants to enhance his beautiful self. Let’s be honest…we all “enhance” ourselves. Would we say a man who puts gel in his hair is trying to hide the natural look of his hair? Or, when a man grooms his body hair is he ashamed of his appearance? We all do what we need to do to make ourselves look our best. That is a healthy sign that we do care about and are pleased with ourselves.  Of course, another pro for these shape enhancers is that some of them look and feel amazing! They come in some great styles and comfortable fabrics. So if these underwear give you that boost in confidence and extra edge to make you the best man you can be, go for it. So to all you gorgeous men (that’s all of you), shape enhancers can give you the opportunity to feel your prettiest and highlight the stunning man curves you possess!

Print

We have had the great opportunity of reviewing Croota underwear a few times since their creation and it has been no less of a thrill.  They have been busy over there creating underwear for the creative, style conscious, and the playful.  The WW-III selection from their World Collection is our interest for this review and honestly, this one pair proved they are ahead of many in the game.

At first glance, something about these stands out.  That would be the pockets on both legs.  It’s not a large pocket, so don’t think you can get pack happy!  It’s a small pocket that could come in handy to store something to help you out a great deal in the near future.  Who knows what may happen when you wear these Australia square-cuts.  When you pull them on, go ahead and put something important in a pocket for your night out.

The pouch had to be my favorite asset to this pair.  It provides you the much needed room for your assets and allows them to push forward.

I give this collection an A+ for creativity.  The color combination is terrific.  This pair, as pictured above, is called Ultramarine.  It has an white waistband with two stripes of coordinating colors.  As the major accent, the rear features the country letters AUS, accompanied by three stars.

The fit was perfect and hugged the body as it was meant to.  As mentioned, the pouch offered a generous amount of room.  I can’t express in words how well they fit me.  The tag is sown so that it is not irritating to the back.  On the tag, the advice given was “Best Before: Marriage.”  That’s awesome!  I have worn these through busy days at school and around town and I have also worn them for days sitting at work.  In either situation, they proved to be comfortable and never binding.  It’s another hit for the creators at Croota.

Fit 5
Materials 5
Construction 5
Look 5
Daily Wear 5
OVERALL 5

You can find this Australia selection at the Croota website located at http://www.croota.com.  You can choose from their numerous countries in the World Collection.  This pair was provided for review.

There are a number of brands out there that carry a line of underwear designed with flags from around the world. These were intended to allow us the opportunity to show our national support at our innermost layer. Yet, can it be viewed as disrespectful?
Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 8 of the United States Code states “(d) The flag should NEVER be used as wearing apparel”. Now enforcement of this particular section of the code is questionable. When it comes to misuse commercially for advertising reasons under Section 3 of said code, a person may be fined up to $100 or by imprisonment for up to 30 days. Even though the wearing of a flag is probably not punishable, does that make it right? The purpose of this code is to bring and maintain a high level of respect and reverence, almost to the point of worship, not just for the flag but also for the country it represents. Although I am using the United States as an example other countries have similar codes and laws and their flags deserve the same reverence. So in simple terms the point of this code is not to condemn but to encourage respect.

Let’s look at this in connection to underwear. True one could argue that plain flag print or color patterns are not the same as using the actual flag to make the underwear. However the basic respect argument remains the same. So consider this, when a man purchases underwear with a particular countries flag printed on it is he doing so because he detests the country and wants to disrespect it by wearing it’s flag as underwear? Of course not! It’s quite the opposite. He is buying this underwear because he has a pride and appreciation for the country represented by the flag put on show. The mans decision to array himself in a flag designed pair of underwear is his way of displaying his patriotism and to show honor to this country. And in that sense he is in no way breaking the code of respect for the flag. After 9/11, individuals across the country adorned their cars with flags to show their support and love for their country, yet this was breaking that same code. When Rocky and real life athletes, particularly at the Olympics, drape themselves in a flag after a victory they too are infringing on this same code. But the meaning of the code remains unbroken for the individuals acting out of pride, veneration and a deep respect for the nation symbolized by the flag. In that same sense, our underwear is not bringing disrespect but demonstrating admiration, pride, and respect for the country represented on it. So show your pride men and sport Patriotic Underwear!

If you’re anything like me, you have too many pairs of underwear and find yourself standing in front of your underwear drawer trying to figure out what to wear for a night out on a date or to hang with friends.  I personally tend to gravitate towards the same pairs every time, but I tend to want to wear something different.  I decided to find what I liked about one of my favorite pairs of underwear and use that to see what else I can add to my favorites I often choose.

A great pair of underwear I absolutely love is the C-in2 Core Lo No-Show Profile Brief.  I really like this pair of briefs because they are comfortable, have a great fit, have a form-fitting style (snug without pinching or feeling tight), and the construction materials (cotton) are outstanding.  This pair looks and feels great under jeans and it doesn’t lose its shape, even after a long day of wear.

The pouch is another thing I like about this pair.  I like the pouch because it helps lift the package without trying too hard to accentuate it which, with some brands, tends to look silly and result in a poor fit.  As a daily briefs wearer, it’s a nice break from my everyday briefs.  This pair adds sex appeal, thanks to the complementing cut, great fit, and featured enhancements.

Taking my own advice, I looked thru my underwear drawer and came up with other styles that have similar qualities, adding them to my list of favorites.

  • Armani Exchange Hip Brief. This pair of underwear provides a great fitting pouch and its low cut style keeps it from sagging in the back.  This is a great feature under tighter fitting jeans.  Additionally, wearing Armani adds a touch of class and style.
  • N2N Waistband Bikini. The pouch on this underwear is amazing.  It adjusts itself around the goods and adds great enhancement plus the high cut on the legs adds confidence and allure.
  • 2(x)ist No-Show Brief. I can’t say enough about this style of briefs.  I own several pairs and they never disappoint.  They are an all around great fit and come in assorted colors and fabrics.
  • Puma Jockstrap. Jockstraps, themselves, are just sexy.  This particular jock is great because it’s part of a brand known for its masculinity, thus adding athleticism and sex appeal.  The pouch contours itself around you, giving you a defined package.

Let us know your favorite par for a night out!

Editors Note: This post was written by a new writer, Felix. We hope you enjoy!

Hey guys! We are back covering Magic and Curve! Both are really great shows that showcase the newest lines in men’s underwear! We are going to be meeting with; Andrew Christian, JM, Gregg Homme, Frank Dandy, Joe Snyder, Intymen, Baskit, Unico, Skmpeez, Timoteo, Go Softwear, and a lot more! I can’t remember all of them off the top of my head. Starting today you can see tweets and facebook updates live from the shows! Other things you can see coming up:

  • Videos from most major brands, and some new ones!
  • In depth write ups about the lines we see.
  • Models and model interviews!
  • And a lot more!

We really have fun at Curve/Magic and look forward to writing it all up for you. This year we are increase our coverage and really let you know what is coming out soon from your favorite brands!

Check out these hot undies from the UK!  They are made by a company called James Tudor and the style is “Battalion Crystal Brief.”  These briefs are quite unique!  Upon first sight, the metallic features stand out against the black and white fabrics.  Each pair features 3 metallic accent buttons lining the pouch area on each side.  To add even more flair, James Tudor has basically bedazzled their name all over the waistband.  It’s unclear from the pictures provided whether or not this is accomplished by integrated metallic woven fibers or if they are indeed an embedded gem like material.  Either way, the effect is eye popping.  A hint of this waistband above your pants and you are sure to draw attention.

The overall look is robotic or industrial with a hint of disco.  Contrast piping line both the pouch, a seam down the front, and an accent along the back.  The style is available in both black and white with black/white crystals or black and white with black/red crystals.  I’m a sucker for the combination of black and red and would, for sure, opt for those.

While I am a big fan of underwear being inventive and fun, this pair being both, I have a few concerns.  Anytime there is an accent button, I always worry about one falling off after repeat wears.  Since there are 6 on each pair, one popping off could really upset the whole look.  I also hope the “crystals” in the waistband are either integrated or glued on with a super strength substance.  I wouldn’t feel great about shedding glitter everywhere.

With that being said, I still think this pair could be a showstopper.  Hit the light just right and you basically have a disco ball in your pants.  Make sure to check out all the other great styles James Tudor has to offer.

According to the Washington Post, if you want to tell how the economy is doing look in a man’s underwear drawer. Here’s the theory why: a man’s underwear is a necessity keeping the underwear market stable. However when times get financially hard, most men will make the supply they have last causing sales to dip. NPR reported that if you look at men’s underwear sales it’s pretty much a flat line hardly ever changing but when you look at the areas where it dips it’s because men are so pinched that they have decided not to replace underwear. Referring to the drop in men’s underwear sales, Alan Greenspan said “that is almost always a prescient, forward impression that here comes trouble.” So apparently some men are willing to deprive themselves of new underwear! Obviously these economists haven’t met us. We may need to spread the message about the paradisiacal world of underwear. However this theory has proven to be relevant.

According to the Mintel research firm, men typically purchase 3.4 pairs of underwear a year. Of course for us and our blog readers it may be closer to 34! In 2008 there was a 12% decline in the sales of briefs. The underwear began to fall to our knees! The first quarter of 2009 had a decline of 6%, and the final quarter a decline of 4%. And 2010 has had a prediction of a 2.3% decrease in briefs sales. However, there has been a nice silver microfiber lining to the falling briefs. The decline has been getting smaller. But Mintel doesn’t predict an increase until 2013! It may be time to buy some of your hard hit men some undies for Valentines Day.

We at Underwear News Briefs, and you our readers, would NEVER skimp on buying underwear but it’s nice to know the economic world is watching our valued assets. This is finally a startling study on the recession I can understand. I may have to consider a career in economics!

Happy Australia Day! Well, maybe I’m a little late. Australia Day was January 26th. This is the day commemorating the first fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788 and has been celebrated in one way or another since 1808. This year, one of the seemingly endless lines of men’s underwear hailing from the land down under, has come up with their own way to celebrate. Cocksox released 2 new swimwear designs in observance of this festive day, the “Carnivore” and the “Woodstock”. Both are revivals of classic patterns.  The Woodstock has it’s take on the timeless yet masculine paisley, and the Carnivore has a style dating back to prehistoric times. Today let’s look at the antiquated look of the Carnivore.

The Carnivore is your memorable leopard print, screaming beast-like sexuality. The Carnivore comes in a swim brief (bikini like cut) and a “boy-leg” swim brief (a standard brief cut with higher legs). This company has staked its claim on the fun and sexy side of men’s fashion and it’s what you would expect from a brand who’s name you often can’t even say in public. In an ongoing race to outdo themselves, Cocksox has reinvented the classic ultra sexy leopard print bikini with this line. The name,  “Carnivore”, shouts a sexual innuendo as it signifies a “meat eater; I won’t comment on that. But there’s more to the name, it’s a predator, an animal on the hunt, prowling for the object it desires to satisfy it’s physical needs. That name added to the print makes this swimsuit almost too sexy. Leopard prints were all the rage at one point in time and then the particularly high level of flaunted sexiness became a cliché the world of fashion let go of it a little, although it never completely went out of style. In the last decade or so, you would almost expect leopard print to be something worn by Austin Powers as opposed to an actual sex symbol. But, like Madonna, all things return to their glory. Is it time for leopard print to make a come back?

I have to admit the Carnivore looks good! The print goes amazingly well with a nicely tanned and toned body, which most things do, I guess. Cocksox designs their gear so that it accentuates a mans form and brings attention to any mans package. The cut and pouch are intended to lift without a ring or any kind of mechanism, it’s all in the way your genitals lay in a hammock-like support system. The Carnivore is no exception. Cocksox gives us a great swimsuit for any guy who wants to express his innermost sexuality and do so with attention-getting results. And it’s not only about the look. The Carnivore is functional and a quality swim suit. It’s made with a chlorine resistant fabric so it won’t fade so quickly. It is shape retentive after many washings and it has a UPF 50+ sun protection. The pouch is lined with a silky nylon for your comfort and the outer polyamide micro fiber and lycra blend were manufactured with comfort in mind. So over all, this is a great quality suit. You can be one of the first to help Cocksox welcome back the leopard print in all its primal glory by sporting the new Carnivore.

You can get these from the Cocksox site!

EPSON scanner imageThey are in magazines and they are on billboards.  When you think about it, at one point in time, they were how we knew there were new brands or designs in the stores…at least for those that weren’t able to get to the store often.

Being back in the woods, I depended on magazine ads for updates on my fetish/interest/motivation and for whatever other purpose it served.  The coolest thing wasn’t the brands being featured, but rather the new designs being created.  It was awesome to see all the color choices.

I used to sit at my grandmother’s house and look through all the magazines she had in the living room.  Most of them were the Ladies Home Journal.  To be a women’s publication, they had a good bit of men’s underwear advertisements.

Let’s look at that last statement.  Why would a company like Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, or Jockey advertise in a woman’s magazine?  That’s because for many husbands, their wives are the ones buying the underwear.  “Go to the store and pick me up a pack of underwear, will ya?”  I can hear it now.

101810Palmer_2_597249cThere will always be the best ads that stick into your memories.  Jim Palmer has to be one of the best underwear models in my honest opinion.  I know, there have been many that some would say have been even better.  But, right now, I can’t find the one I really loved.  The guy was hairy and burly.  I dreamed that he would jump out the ad into my living room.

Either buff, hairy, skinny, or just altogether “godly”, we pay attention and we buy the product.  We are in a time now where there are professional athletes all over the place agreeing to take part in the underwear business.  Hey, there is great money in it.  I would love to get one paycheck written to David Beckham from Armani for sitting there in a pair of their briefs.  To be honest, I would love to be the pair of briefs on him, hugging him in all the right areas.

I would love to hear which underwear ads affected you the most.  Which ones got your motor running or convinced you to go purchase those briefs or boxers advertised.  The future of underwear advertising is not clear, but the stage has been set for greatness and more photographic innovation.

The Vanish collection is the newest ‘Super Low-Rise’ swimwear from 2EROS. Designed for men that dare to bare more. The contrast black strip meets at the center vanishing point, at the front and the back. Making your assets the focus of the collection. This sleek collection has simple lines with front lining and internal drawstring.

Their Valentines day sale is still on for a limited time. Take advantage of the savings today. Visit the sales page for more details.

We were contacted by Diego Barberi last month.  They are a new company out of Switzerland.  Here is what they sent us:

“We are four friends from Switzerland and Germany. While getting a beer at the “Apres Ski” (-> it´s called, when you get a drink at a bar or pub directly after skiing. It´s very common in Switzerland/ Austria/ Germany) in St. Moritz (Switzerland), we met a really crazy guy called “Diego Barberi”.

Because we loved him and his name immediately, some more beers later we decided: Wouldn’t it be great to create our own underwear label named “Diego Barberi”!? Style, fabric, fitting, quality, comfort… just the way, as we envision a perfect underwear!???

Now, some months later, we really produced our first Diego Barberi – Trunks 🙂 Please check them out here: www.diegobarberi.com

The line right now is a set of trunks, each one featuring a different embroidered design.  I wasn’t expecting that.  The pair I received was the Snow Flake.  As you know, I’m not a big trunk/boxer brief fan, but I always try to keep and open mind.

The box is very cool.  It presents the great photography produced by the company.  They’ve captured their models in the picturesque settings of Switzerland.  They have blown me away with the photography.  When I pulled them out of the package, the first thing I noticed was the embroidered design.  I like that because it will not fade or wear off over time.  The next thing, being the cardboard that underwear is usually wrapped around for packaging, is a post card.  Yes, a real postcard you can mail to your friends.  We take our hats off to you guys for being creative.

I wore them for a day and enjoyed them.  These are the types of trunks I like since they are very form fitting.  I don’t care for trunks that loose their shape.  These moved with me through out the day.  The cotton stretched nicely and with the 5% spandex, it definitely moved well with me.  If you are a trunks fan, you will definitely like these.  They began with a small line and only a few colors but we hope they will grow and we will see more from them.

Fit 4
Materials 5
Construction 5
Look 4.5
Daily Wear 4.5
OVERALL 4.6

These are available in four designs and colors.  The colors are white, red, light blue, and blue.  You can see them all at the Diego Barberi website.  These were furnished for review.

This patented Moisture Wicking Jock features Dry Mesh which dries 4x faster than cotton, doesn’t discolor and virtually eliminated odors. This performance jock keeps you super dry and is perfect for weightlifting, running and most sports. Features masculine styling with a white front and contrasting grey piping along the leg opening. Front center seam has contrasting black stitching.

Features our Anti-Muffin top elastic and the white leg straps are custom woven and super soft elastic with the Andrew Christian name and cross running along the center. The Show It adds the comfy cup to the jock which gently lifts a man’s package adding up to 1.5″ (3.8 cm) onto his frontal measurements.

Features:

  • For Maximum Frontal Support
  • Slim Fit
  • Easy Care Machine Wash, Tumble Dry Low
  • Made in the Andrew Christian Design Studio in Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • 86% Polyester & 14% Cotton
  • Pat # 5888914

Specs:

  • 1 1/4 inch logo elastic waistband
  • 7/8 inch side straps
  • No bottom coverage
  • Soft stretch cotton cup

Regular Price $20.00 – Sale Price w/ Coupon $15.80

21% Off Coupon!

  • Purchase Style: 9167 Dry and Naked Sports Jock w/ Show-It Tech. in the next 48 hours on AndrewChristianShop.com and receive 21% off this style only. Does not apply to any other items.
  • Enter code: 21DNJOCK9167 during checkout for the discount.
  • Offer expires: Feb 13, 2011 at 11:59PM PT. May not be combined with any other coupons or offers. While supplies last. Offer subject to change at any time without notice.

Click to Start Shopping Now!

We all love sales! And Dead Good Undies is having a big sale where you can save up to 80% off!  Here is what they sent:

Get ready for our great deadgoodundies.com sale! Up to 80% off selected styles of underwear, swimwear and T-shirts from some of the best brands in the world like Olaf Benz, Sloggi, HOM, Gregg Homme, MANstore and many, many more.

Go to the Dead Good Undies site to shop!