We all have those long shot dreams that we don’t ever really think will come true. For me, that was becoming some kind of underwear model. Let’s face it, I hate the gym and work out very reluctantly, I don’t have an athletic build or a classically handsome face. The dream was never going to happen.
That love and long shot dream started when I was 13 years old and would sneak clothing catalogs into my bedroom to look at the underwear section. I did not know why or what it was about them, but I was captivated. I would see those men in the catalogs and I somehow wanted to be like them, in any small way.
I grew up in a very conservative household where things weren’t flashy, tight, or sexy. Things were very traditional, expected, and plain. Except…for my new, secret underwear collection that all started with a pair of Calvin Klein hip briefs. The packaging caught my eye for how they cut across the thigh, how they formed a well-rounded bulge, and how bold the black was. After a few more pairs of Armani Exchange and Tommy I bought a grey, Calvin Klein thong. The obsession and slight rebellion was in full force.
What was it about the underwear? No one besides me ever saw it. Heck, when your first kiss doesn’t come until you’re 18, it’s not like your seductively pulling down your pants for a captivate audience.
What was it? It was my secret, move over Victoria these were mine. Sitting just under my clothes these well-made, sultry undies hugged my lil bum and supported everything that needed it but more than that, they made me happy. Really happy. It made me smile in secret, it made me feel attractive, attractive! I was a goofy looking kind, big nose, straw hair, slightly gangly, just about average height but underneath I had a secret weapon.
The obsession grew and grew.
In college I branched out from my safe, known brands and into new and exciting territories. I started to get Andrew Christians, 2xist, Diesel, Aussie Bum, and Timoteo. At the time I would always go for regular briefs or trunks. I don’t mind trunks but briefs, and later jockstraps and thongs, are what really excite me when it comes to different cuts.
I was in love with the colors, the styles, the design and the feel. Knowing that at any moment I could slip out of my pants and be rocking some cute baby blue Diesel briefs or bulging out in some white lined red Andrew Christians.
And then one day, I snapped a photo. *click*
These days who hasn’t taken a “naked selfie” or in my case an “undies selfie”? They were happening way before camera phones and I’m sure they will continue with whatever technology comes next. The camera phone and subsequent smart phone sure did make them easy. I wanted to share my picture. Not just with a few close guy friends but I wanted people to see it because I felt SO attractive, so cute, so proud of myself in those photos and believe me, I had a few photos to share.
Twitter. The first time I launched @underloverwear on Twitter just last summer I started with a simple tweet: For my first tweet I thought a thong would be good #underwear #manthong. With a photo of my backside and a classic cut, teal, Andrew Christian thong. In my mind, the world exploded at that instant. Seeing as I only had 7 or 10 followers by that time I was blown away that it got retweeted almost 20 times and liked almost twice as much.
Thus, my tweeting began. I would post every few days and tried to find all of the brands and other enthusiasts to follow. Sometimes a photo would hit it big and I would be lifted even higher that day. Other times photos would sit there with just a little attention, but that was okay. It was all fun and apart of this new, uncharted adventure.
I kept my face out of the photos for the beginning until some fun, fellow tweeter @Chase_Z91 told me how much more personality my photos had with all of me in it. Sure, the photos of my bum had always been the most popular but now when I would post a frontal photo with my smiling or smirking face, people noticed. From there I was shocked and humbled by the numbers of likes, retweets, and followers. I never thought it would get anywhere near 300, or 500, or 1000, or 2000 like it has.
So, maybe it’s not the same as being that guy in the catalogs that I used to sneak into my bedroom. And maybe it’s not the same as actually working as an underwear model. And maybe it will all end tomorrow. But it has helped fulfill that long shot, impossible dream of mine and I am excited with each and every post. I’ve amassed a small collection of around 200 pairs of underwear and each and every one of them gives me the ability to be, in a small way, like those underwear models I used to see in the catalogs and let me share what was once just my secret.
