UNB Tim and Salvatore are going to talk pouches, all things pouches!
UNB Tim – Pouches are one of the most important things in underwear. Well it is to me. There are a few brands that really pay attention to how a pouch fits a guy. One of the newest trends in men’s underwear are ergonomically designed pouches.
So Why are pouches so important to you?
Salvatore – My underwear journey has been filled with trial and error. Trial and error comes with the assumption of risk. In the underwear world, the risk is simple: I’m going to drop $20 to $30 on something that I’m not sure is going to fit exactly right. After all, most states won’t allow you to return underwear unless they are defective. I’ve tried all kinds of underwear from thongs to bikinis to boxer briefs to sport briefs. Some have been a total waste of money, some have been invaluable investments into my crown jewels. That brings me to the most important thing I look for in undies—THE POUCH.
Pouches are so important to me because I like the support, but like to hang free—without going commando. Honestly, I enjoy looking sexy in underwear. I think most who read this blog on a regular basis feel the same way. The next best thing to going commando is to select a pouch that is not restricting and gives you a nice drop down effect that not only feels great, but also looks natural. This is why pouches are important to me.
How have you seen pouches evolve throughout your years of being an underwear aficionado?
UNB Tim – Good question! I have seen them evolve quite a bit. More so in the last 10 years. When I grew up in the 80’s there weren’t a lot of pouches for men’s underwear. Well not ergonomically designed ones. The old trusty Jockey Elance bikinis has no pouch. Then in the early to mid 2000’s you had brands like Erogwear and Cocksox come on the market. These two are the ones I think that spurred the pouch revolution. Each had a very different pouch and both have their place in the market.
In the early 2000’s we go the Almost Naked from Andrew Christian, Obviously and many more followed. I know quite a few people that their first ergonomically thong was the Almost Naked. I will say Andrew Christian made a winner in this pouch. It made more guys pay attention to pouches. Then the avalanche of pouches started to come onto the market. Which is a good thing! Ergowear, Cocksox and Andrew Christian really changed the industry. We will see the 2010’s as the decade of the pouch!
Now we have a lot more choices for pouches. You can go from the flat front to the most amazing ergonomically pouch (can you tell I’m a little biased?). Underwear is not longer a community it’s a fashion statement. We want underwear that fits our pouches, butts and every part of us. Also, companies want us to feel great and sexy in our undies. If we do, as many of you know, we will buy a lot more undies.
Now that I have been through a brief history (notice the pun?) of pouches. What have you found are the pouches that best fit you?
Salvatore: – Before I give you my answer, I want to give you a little of my journey of discovery as it relates to pouches. I identify with what you say about the Jockey Elance Bikini. I owned a dozen or more pairs of that particular style—from ribbed, to bright colors and pouches. I loved them! I also wore dozens of styles sold exclusively by Undergear (R.I.P.)! None of them had a pouch. I’ve been an avid collector of undies since the early to mid-90s. I only say that to let you know that I’m a collector that understands ordering from the catalog center insert—if you know what I mean!
Flat or pouchless skivies were the only types of underwear that I knew existed. They looked great, were usually skimpy (less is more in my opinion), and started my undie fascination. One day, while in an underwear store in Atlanta, I noticed a brand I’d never seen before—2(x)ist. I don’t remember the name of the pair that I bought. I do remember that they were charcoal grey and cotton. When I got home that evening I slipped them on and experienced a remarkable feeling—MORE ROOM IN THE POUCH. That is the day I was introduced to a contoured center-line pouch. 2(x)ist had just upped the ante! I started looking for the words “contoured pouch” in all of my purchase descriptions. That lead me to Undergear’s Contour Collection: The Italian Cutaway, Mesh Bikini, and so many other staple styles that I enjoyed over the years. A few year’s later, I was introduced to how different fabrics play into the contour pouches stretchability. Boy, did I think I was in underwear pouch utopia.
The underwear industry is ever evolving. Right when I get comfortable with something, a design or brand comes out that opens up a whole new level of underwearness for me. This happened in January of 2011. I had just moved to Washington State and was browsing the underwear world when I noticed a “new to me” trend that I had to try—the anatomical (or ergonomical) pouch brief. Andrew Christian had a 30% off sale running so I purchased two great looking designs (opted for lined patterns over plain colors). I still wear those undies today. When I pulled the Andrew Christian Almost Naked Infinity Briefs over my feet, up my legs to my knees, and eventually on to my package, my jaw dropped. I knew that I had found something that would cause me to cull my underwear drawers of anything not anatomical. Over the last 5 or 6 years, I’ve done just that—switched my entire collection to pouches that are ergonomically correct in nature. Dozens of undie enthusiasts cannot believe that I ditched 75 pairs of designer briefs in order to fill my dresser with this new discovery. There is my answer—The Ergonomical (Anatomical) Pouch is my undie of choice.
The staple anatomical brands (Andrew Christian, Ergowear, Obviously, etc) exist. What are some other brands worth giving a shot to widen the aperture on ergonomical design?
UNB Tim – Other brand that I think have some great pouches that are ergonomically designed are:
- New Junk UnderJeans Junk X
- N2N Bodywear N-Hance Pouch, on several lines
- Rounderwear Anatomic Line
- BodyAware – One of my faves is the Well Endowed brief
- WildmanT – Big Boy Brief
There are many more brands out there doing great pouches. But these are the four that really come to mind. Junk UnderJeans is the most recent addition to the club. N2N has been making the amazing N-Hance pouch for a while. Its their design they put on certain lines each year. Even the trunks with the N-Hance are amazing to me and I’m not a trunk fan.
Each year I think we will see more pouches come on the market.
What are your current favorite pairs with pouches?
Salvatore: – That’s a tough question because I don’t keep underwear that I order that aren’t anatomically perfect for my package. In fact, I have 5 pairs of brand new briefs (with tags on them) that I currently need to give away because they weren’t perfect. I will tell you what I have multiples of in my collection:
- N2N Lounge Brief: Not so sure that this is an anatomical pouch, but the fabric is so incredible that I receive the desired result. These are so awesome that I bought all three colors recently. They are on clearance at N2N for $10. Recommend them as a great brief to purchase now.
- Andrew Christian Almost Naked Briefs: I have a dozen or so pairs of this line in my dresser drawers: large hole mesh, plain mesh, cotton, slinky fabrics, you name it, I have it. Andrew Christian did a remarkable job with this line. WOW!
- Agacio: I bought this brand for the first time at Skivvies in the Oaklawn area of Dallas. Great in store experience. The clerk actually talked me through why I should give the brand a try. I bought a sports brief and brief. Wore them, fell in love, and added a couple of other pairs to the undie pile.
- Obviously: I probably have two dozen pairs of Obviously Briefs and Sports Briefs. I can’t get away from how they feel. The seat of Obviously’s low rise collections offers a little less coverage than their regular brief. I like the combination of low hanging fruit in the front and almost cheeky in the back. The Obviously Metallic Collection is sometimes seen on sale for around $5. YOU CANNOT BEAT THAT PRICE!
- Andres Velasco: These are super revealing, typically patterned, and downright sexy. Unfortunately, this designer was sold exclusively by Undergear who recently closed their doors. It’s a shame because Undergear (International Male) got me addicted to buying undies.
- John Seivers: UNBELIEVABLE. This brand offers some incredible plain colors—not your standard black, gray, navy, or white. I love the pouch on these briefs. For that reason, I save them for special occasions.
I could go on and on about each pair in my collection. Almost all brands are contoured in the pouch. Do you see the industry moving towards the anatomical design almost exclusively in the future?
UNB Tim – DOH, I forgot John Sievers! An amazing brand that is def worth checking out. I have a few pairs and fit great! It’s a hidden gem of International Jock!
I don’t think we will see the industry moving exclusively to this type of pouch design. I say this because guys like different things. There are guys out there who hate these types of pouches. Each guys has their own needs. Some need a pouch, others need more in the butt, others have thick legs, and the list can go on and on with a combination of those.
That being said companies will be making underwear made for men. Gone are the days where fabric was thrown together to create men’s undies. They are looking at all type of men and creating new lines that meet those needs. It’s a great time to be an underwear lover. It’s like a renaissance of men’s underwear. Over the last 10 years the industry has grown and matured. We will see this more and more over the next decade.
Underwear is changing. As one of our resident straight guys, we gay guys sometime share what we feel is amazing undies with friends. What has been the reaction of your wife to the anatomically designed undies? Also, have you told your friends about ergonomically designed undies? If so, what has been their reaction?
Salvatore: – My wife had a hard time understanding why I suddenly turned fanatical towards the ergonomically designed underwear style. She’s always known that I’m an undie fanatic and apparently has snapped a few pics of me in underwear for her own private collection. In fact, I found a picture of me from our honeymoon in a rather skimpy bikini brief. She’d stashed it away in her top drawer. This is a good question. I don’t think most women care whether a man wears a thong, boxers, a jock, or bikinis. My wife certainly doesn’t mind. However, when I started throwing out hundreds of dollars worth of underwear in favor of the ergonomical pouch, she questioned my money sense. She was convinced and even joined in on the shopping trips when I explained to her that this particular pouch was so great on the family jewels that discovering this style was like getting the perfect fitting bra for each boobie. She immediately got it and the fun has been supported ever since.
Over Christmas, I tossed my brother two pair of Obviously Trunks and told him how liberating the pouch has been for me. He didn’t bat an eye. He put them on immediately agreed. The best part is that his wife asked me where she could buy him more because he’s so in love with the pouch. I think most guys limit their underwear style to whatever is sold in bargain stores or department stores. Guys who haven’t experienced great undies simply aren’t trolling the net for new briefs. A little exposure to the unknown opens the door to undie discovery. I think all men gay or straight would fall in love with this style if given the opportunity.
I know that not all gay guys are into underwear much less pouches. How do you go about sharing a great pouch design with friends? Is the discussion normally well received?
UNB Tim – I think we are a lot a like. I have several friends who I know love underwear. Usually when we hang out the conversation eventually turns to undies. Since most know I run a blog they want to know what’s new and hot. So we have a 15-20 minute conversation. One of my favorite friends to talk undies is Wes, who used to be on UNB.
I have had conversations with other guys when hanging out with friends. They find out I run an underwear blog and eventually get up the nerve to talk to me about underwear. It’s usually a side conversation that they don’t want others to hear. I have kept in touch with some guys and email on a regular basis when something comes out they will like. It’s a shame guys feel this is something to hide rather than be like “Oh you run an underwear blog, what’s new and hot for men?”
Outside of underwear loving guys. Some guys find it weird or you’re coming on to them if you talk undies. Its not a total underwear party with all gay guys. We still have a big amount of guys who don’t care what they wear. It’s a shame that we can’t talk undies the way women talk about their underwear. They share with friends a new brand or such when they find it.
I think this is changing for both gay and straight. Especially with younger guys, it’s not a big deal to talk about such things.
The future holds great potential for underwear and specifically ergonomically designed underwear. What advice would you give a guy who wants to try great pouch underwear? What should they look for in fabric and design?
Salvatore: – Great question. As with anything we blog about here at Underwear News Briefs, the most important thing to any underwear selection centers on the person wearing them. Do you like the pair? Do you feel confident and sexy in the pair? A need to not care what others think is especially helpful. So my first solid piece of advice is to make sure you are wearing your undies for you (unless you are in one of those kinky moments—that’s another post).
Let’s face reality here, most underwear shopping is done online. If you live in small town America like I do, unless I go to a very large city, ALL underwear shopping is done online. There is nothing wrong with shopping online, but there are a few pitfalls when looking for an ergonomically designed pouch. Pouches are like shoes. You have to know what fits you best. This is why I’d recommend going to a underwear store in person and discussing your desires with the sales clerk. I’ve found this most helpful in my endeavor to find the perfect fitting pouch. Ask lots of questions, touch the fabrics, and by all means take your time analyzing the pouch. If you have questions or need recommendations, I’d be glad to be your personal shopper by giving you some great advice. Hit me up on Twitter @manatomicallyme. My Twitter feed is almost exclusively dedicated to the ergonomical/anatomical pouch. I’d also say it’s really important to stay up with the latest trends and reviews offered right here on this blog. If you’re going to invest in undies, you need to make informed decisions. www.underwearnewsbriefs.com is designed to do just that—inform the underwear lover.
UNB Tim – Thanks for talking Pouches with me Salvatore!
Conclusion:
We hope you have enjoyed this conversation about pouches. As you can tell we both love pouches. They are one of the most important thing in underwear to us! If you are looking for some great underwear check out a few of the pairs we talked about. You can get advice from both of us anytime through Twitter (I’m at @unbtim or the @unbblog account) or email us if not on Twitter. We both would love to give you advice or suggestions.
We will have many more candid posts like this coming soon on different topics. If you have one you’d like to see us tackle let me know!
