Review Zylas 4033 Black Striped Brief

I reviewed a new arrival to the Zylas performance line called their “striped brief” Perhaps it is lost in translation, but the naming of this product is less than creative, so to be precise, this is the 4033—the black “brief brief”.

When I first saw Zylas a few months ago on an online apparel store, I was not immediately drawn to them. The briefs seemed much fuller than I usually prefer to wear, and I almost never boxer briefs, which makes up most of their standard line. I tend to like underwear that is skimpier, at least in the front, but always I’m willing to have an open mind when it comes to new underwear.

When I opened my package for this weeks review, I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw—a sexy looking, attractive brief with vertical stripes and a waistband that subtly announced what I would be wearing to the rest of the world. I generally don’t “advertise” what I’m wearing (at least while I’m wearing pants or shorts), but if you do, Zylas seems to be a good choice for that.) It was made of 83% nylon, 10% polyester and 7% spandex. The label said it was “wicking, stretch, easy care and UV protection”—I planned to test all of those monikers, except for the last.

I did my standard daily routine I do when trying out any new underwear—a full day at work, getting up and down a lot; a 2 hour workout out in the gym; and changing afterwards at the gym to I could catch the “peer reviews” of the guys in the locker room to the new duds. The Zylas brief seemed well constructed, and held up great, despite an intense two-hour Mixed Martial Arts workout. The fabric wicked sweat away surprisingly well for nylon and polyester and the Lycra in the material allowed it to stretch well and not chafe at all.

I liked the look of this brief from the get go. There was a very slight descending line into the middle of the waist band, giving others the impression of smaller waist. The legs were high cut, allowing for freedom of movement and the wide waist band sat comfortably below the waist. The pictures online made this product look like a full brief, but I would classify it as a low rise. The fabric was somewhat sheer and shiny—in a way that invited others to look without giving away all the goods. The stripes, in brown and highlighted in white, gave the overall package a racy look, and there was plenty of space in the front for a good sized package.

However, Zylas is a Colombian company, and its sizing is designed for South American standard. I usually wear a small or medium (at most) in American standard. I wore a medium brief for this review, and it was most definitely too small—in the waist and in the butt. Granted, I have a big (but muscular) butt—but, I would need a size two sizes larger than what I usually wear to feel fully comfortable moving around and being seen in Zylas. I know it’s a hit to the ego to have to bump up two sizes to feel comfortable (from small to large), but hey—it’s only fabric

I noticed the pair riding up in back all day while I was wearing them. My opinion was confirmed by a guy in the locker room, who mentioned that I seemed to “falling out” my underwear. The back coverage of this Zylas brief was a bit too skimpy for me. Now, if you are less well endowed in the glutes than I am, you would most likely love it—so don’t let my problem with it dissuade you from getting some. Incidentally, I tried on a size larger, but still felt like I was hanging a bit in the back.

Overall, once the sizing issue was addressed, I did like the Zylas black striped brief. It had a racy, almost sheer appearance designed to get approving looks, fit well in the waist (in the appropriate size), and front, but was just a bit skimpy in the back. The construction held up well and especially after washing, was very comfortable to wear. It moved well during work and play, left me dry even after an intense workout, and made me feel sexy—which is what all good underwear should do.

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