Underwear Guy Review: Good Men Wear X-Microjock
Designer/Manufacturer: Good Men Wear
Website: www.gmwear.com
Price: $25.00 - $37.00 price ranges depending on store

I try not to highlight or review underwear items that are nearing the end of their production or market cycle but since I had pulled the photos together already, I figured I would go ahead and review this Good Men Wear (GMW) X-Microjock. You'll find this item somewhat difficult to track down but I was able to find a few places that still stocked it and hopefully this will also give you some general information about the products from the GMW company. GMW is a Japanese men's underwear company producing an interesting array of styles, patterns, fabrics and colors for the men's underwear and clothing market. Although not really on the radar in the US or North America, GMW is broadly available in Japan and overseas countries in men's underwear stores and retail websites. This particular GMW underwear item is called the X-Microjock and employs a unique "X" waistband design to create a combination waistband and leg-band structure that is unlike the majority of jockstraps on the market... << MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Sears Structure Contrast Low Rise Brief
Designer/Manufacturer: Structure
Website: www.sears.com
Price: $15.00 2- pack

In addition to the Structure micromodal low rise brief, my other Sears find was this Structure contrast low-rise brief. For a little more background on the Structure brand please check out the micromodal brief review. The contrast briefs are sold as a 2-pack for the affordable price of just $15. You can find these in white, gray and black contrast options made from a 100% fine-ribbed cotton. The exposed 1 1/4" waistband is a microfiber elastic that is brushed smooth on the interior for comfort and includes a woven Structure logo repeated all the way around and accented by a contrast stripe. You'll find the standard logo wash/care tag sewn to the interior-back of the waistband which measures a fairly large 2 1/4" wide by 1 1/8" tall. The tag is sewn flat and is made from a smooth synthetic fabric which helps to reduce the irritation that tags can sometimes create. The back is full coverage with the sides narrowing to 2 1/2" not including the waistband...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Sears Structure Micromodal Low Rise Brief
Designer/Manufacturer: Structure
Website: www.sears.com
Price: $12.00

Structure was a men's clothing label that supported a chain of stores throughout the 90s until Limited Brands Inc. decided to refocus their retail efforts on the Express label and sold the Structure brand to Sears in 2003. To complement their in-house Covington brand of underwear, Sears has been selling a slightly higher price-point line of underwear under the Structure label. One of my recent wnderwear scouting trips included a stop by Sears to survey what might be available for affordable men's underwear given the recent shift by Jockey's Life Underwear to a more consolidated style lineup. I found more than a couple of interesting finds including this pair of micromodal briefs available for the bargain basement price of $12. At the Sears store I visited there were two styles of micro modal men's underwear, this low rise brief and a flat-front trunk style. There were two color sets available both including black panels and white stripes with one in an army green and the other in a dark blue. Look for this particular underwear line to be displayed as single items on hangars...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Giulio No Show (Mini) Trunk
Designer/Manufacturer: Giulio Underwear
Website: www.giulio.es
Price: $30.00

I've seen the Giulio mini no show trunk in stores and online for a while now and I finally decided to try a pair out after having liked the look of the design in product photos and the positive experience from having already purchased and worn the Timeland trunk. From the original product photos the trunk appeared to be more like a brief with almost no inseam but in-person and while wearing, the style is more closely related to a standard squarecut design. The waist is low-rise with the sides of the legs measure 6 1/4" long not including the waistband height and a minimal inseam. There isn't any reinforced elastic for the leg-bands, just a finished edge that is folded over and sewn flat at 3/4". There are several colors available in the 95% Polyamide, 5% Spandex blend including pink/fuchsia, teal, olive green, white, black and my pair: yellow...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Elite Underwear Ibiza Hip Brief
Designer/Manufacturer: Elite Underwear
Website: None
Price: $16.00

Following up to my Clever Underwear Toucan Brief review is another Colombian-based underwear line called Elite Underwear. I could not track down the official Elite website but it is another South American underwear label making in-roads to the broader global market with interesting cuts and eye-catching designs. Elite has an interesting approach to their current underwear lineup using cities of the world as the basis for their visual themes. This low rise hip brief is called "Ibiza" and there are several other cities from Vienna to Chicago each with a different cut and design from briefs to boxer briefs. Within each "city" cut there are color/print options and for the Ibiza brief it's a choice between white or black with the same abstract pop-art gray print. Because this is a Colombian-based label I assumed the fit would require a size up so I ordered these briefs in a large and I'm glad I did as they fit appropriately on the waist and legs...<< MORE >>

Reader Comments and Questions 7th Edition
Some thoughts about the blog, positive comments from readers and questions answered!

Hello blog readers.

It's been quite a long time since I wrote anything direct to you outside of the regular reviews. I just wanted to say thanks for continuing to read, share your opinions and of course send in your comments and questions. Things continue to be incredibly busy for me with my regular work outside the blogsphere but I have such a passion for writing and keeping up with the men's underwear fashion realm that I always carve out time to keep adding new content. It's been over a year since the first entry started the site and now there are over 150 entries with most of those covering individual reviews of all types of men's underwear from thongs to boxer briefs. I won't be stopping anytime soon as I have tons of new underwear to review and you'll continue to see more news and reviews posted every week.

Something the long-time readers may have noticed is the site redesign that I went live with recently. I updated almost all the graphics and refreshed the colors and styles seen throughout the site so hopefully things are visually more cohesive and a bit more refined over the last version. I'm always looking for ways to improve the site beyond adding more content with mini-features like the pouch fit icons, the detail fabric photos and the wearing recommendations. I'm throwing around a variety of new ideas for the site and I imagine you'll see which ones make it to the surface over the next few months so keep checking back!...Read more of the article including additional comments, reader questions and answers: << MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Clever Toucan Low Rise Brief
Designer/Manufacturer: Clever Underwear
Website: www.clevermoda.com
Price: $25.00

Clever Underwear is a Colombian-based underwear label that produces a broad variety of cuts and styles of men's underwear available in an array of interesting prints and colors. Although the styles of Clever Underwear are similar to Mundo Unico Underwear including a core line of boxer briefs and briefs sporting exposed waistbands and a contour pouch, there are some differentiators in the design category that help set Clever Underwear apart. Clever Underwear has made a splash in the men's underwear world in no small part due to their very bold and eye-catching prints that include distinct themes. The nature designs include prints of frogs, lizards, forests and in the case of this brief, an abstract B/W toucan image. The toucan brief is available in two colors including the green version featured here...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Fagioni Inc. Satin Bikini Brief
Designer/Manufacturer: Fagioni Inc.
Website: None
Price: $16.00 approximate price based on currency exchange rates

I purchased these bikini briefs quite a few years ago and surprisingly, they are still being made and are still available from the same online store I ordered them from, Canadian underwear retailer TopDrawers. Fagioni Inc. is a Canadian lingerie and intimate apparel manufacturer that sells a selection of men's underwear including several thong styles as well as this bikini cut. Most of the underwear items from Fagioni are made from a stretch satin material composed of 90% polymide/nylon and 10% spandex. The material is quite thin with a matte finish on the inside and a very shiny finish on the outside. These briefs are available in a wide selection of colors although the original "orchid" color I purchased is now only available in the thong cut...<< MORE >>

Product Update: Life Underwear
Changes to the Wal-Mart Exclusive Underwear Line

There have been a lot of comments and questions sent to me lately regarding what's going on with the Life Underwear collection sold by Wal-Mart. I had not been to my local Wal-Mart for some time so I thought I would do a little underwear investigation to see what I could find out. When I went to my nearest Wal-Mart store I noticed that they have switched their Life Underwear packaging from a plastic box-style to a new plastic sleeve which has larger graphics and an exposed cutout to show the color and fabric. Probably more important in the changes to the Life Underwear line beyond the new packaging is the elimination of several cuts. The sculptured pouch collection has been reduced to just boxer-brief styles. Unfortunately it would appear the brief and trunk cuts of the pouch collection are gone from the lineup which seems short-sighted to me as I think there are plenty of customers who would prefer the option of something with less coverage than a full boxer-brief cut. Whether this is just the stock selection of the Wal-Mart I visited is an open question but I believe this would make sense given the similar observations from other readers...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Giulio Timeland Trunk
Designer/Manufacturer: Giulio Underwear
Website: www.giulio.es
Price: $36.00

Giulio Underwear is a manufacturer of men's underwear based out of Spain. You may have not heard much about Giulio since they haven't made efforts to bring their products to the international markets until recently and you've probably just started seeing more of Giulio in the last couple of years. Currently, you can find Giulio in online stores in the form of thongs, briefs, trunks, and boxer briefs in a variety of colors, patterns and designs. This review covers the Timeland Trunk/Boxer Brief which is a classically styled pair of underwear suitable for a variety of activities. This particular Giulio item is available in just this one cut and one color/pattern which is light blue with white stripes. Having learned my lesson with a previous Giulio purchase, I made sure to buy this item in a large size as all Giulio underwear runs a full size smaller than standard North American ranges...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: N2N Bodywear Waistband Sport Brief
Designer/Manufacturer: N2N Bodywear
Website: www.n2nbodywear.com
Price: $19.00

N2N Bodywear underwear products haven't typically included a classic, repeated logo-style exposed elastic waistband in their designs. The Velvet, Brushed Tactel, Tropic, Net and Raider lines for the most part all sported covered elastic waistbands. I believe there were only a few exceptions for exposed elastic waistbands including the Tropic cutaway sport bikini and some of the cotton line which were minimal, white, no-logo affairs. As a result of this past precedent it was a bit of a novelty to see N2N Bodywear's new Waistband Line with its contrast-color stitched microfiber logos make the product lineup for 2008. Not that I'm complaining mind you, I think pulling some inspiration from the classic and very functional exposed elastic waistband is a great move for N2N Bodywear as it helps compliment the rest of their products...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: N2N Bodywear Ultra Skin Runner
Designer/Manufacturer: N2N Bodywear
Website: www.n2nbodywear.com
Price: $36.00

N2N Bodywear recently refreshed their product lineup for 2008 with the retirement of some long-standing items and the introduction of several new designs, materials and cuts. The Ultra Skin runners are the new athletic pant from N2N Bodywear replacing the previous ultra runner. Both the old runner and the new runner are composed of a nylon spandex blend with the original runner listed at 83% nylon and 17% spandex and the new one (on the fabric tag at least) using the same blend. This material provides a very strong, smooth and very stretchable material suitable for athletics. Interestingly enough, almost all online sites (including N2N Bodywear) list the fabric as 80% nylon and 20% spandex but the fabric tag on the actual item differs as I listed above. If I hear back from N2N on that question I'll update the post with the new official information...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Joe Snyder Bulge Boxer
Designer/Manufacturer: Joe Snyder
Website: www.joesnyder.com
Price: $24.00

Joe Snyder is a men's swimwear and underwear line based out of Mexico with a relatively long history in the garment business dating back to 1958 (according to the official website). In the current day, Joe Snyder is known for pouch underwear and swimwear in revealing cuts and plenty of color options. Since you can find Joe Snyder items at almost every major underwear retail website I thought it was overdue I tried a pair out. For my first Joe Snyder item I went with the "bulge" boxer that some sites also refer to as the "enhancement" boxer which is available in a variety of colors including white, black, blue, red, orange, pinstripe and others. Many of Joe Snyder's items are described as dual-use for swimwear or underwear. How you end up wearing this particular item is of course up to you and a lot of websites are mixed with some referring to it as underwear while others put it in the swimwear category...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Tulio Supplex Power Pouch Jock
Designer/Manufacturer: Tulio
Website: N/A
Price: $18.00

Tulio is an underwear and swimwear label based out of Brazil that has established a solid market in the US with their wide-range of swimwear items as well as more than a few underwear items. New for 2008 is a line labeled as "power pouch" that includes a full range of swimwear and underwear in trunk, brief and jockstrap cuts. The item reviewed here is the supplex jockstrap in white with alternate colors available in blue, red and black. The material of the supplex jockstrap is an 85% nylon and 15% spandex blend that is quite stretchable and soft to the touch. As a performance fabric supplex offers good moisture handling as well as durability through several washings. The other fabric options in the power pouch jockstrap range include a "slinky" fabric and a mesh fabric neither of which I have tried out personally...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Jameswinston Co. S-Brief
Designer/Manufacturer: Jameswinston Co.
Website: www.jameswinston.uk.com
Price: $26.50 (approximate cost based on exchange rate)

Rounding out the review coverage for Jameswinston Co. Underwear's latest releases is my take on the new S-Brief. The S-Brief complements the bikini brief style Petit-Brief (review) and the fuller-cut Neon Hipster (review) and Retro trunks. Just like the Petit Brief, the S-Brief is available in dark, subdued colors ranging from red to green and turquoise as well as gray. There are actually two fabric types available with the "Darkwood" and "Tzar" colors manufactured in a fine ribbed cotton and the other colors available in a 92% cotton 8% elastane fabric which is soft to the touch and offers a nice amount of stretch. The S-Brief is styled with an exposed 1 3/8" tall black elastic-microfiber waistband that is comfortable and smooth...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: CockSox Brief with Waistband
Designer/Manufacturer: CockSox
Website: www.cocksox.com
Price:$26.00 (price is approximate given currency exchange rates and fees)

CockSox underwear is an Australian-based line of underwear that introduced their first anatomical extreme pouch underwear several years ago. The early lineup of CockSox underwear included bikini-style underwear and swimwear designed with the signature pouch that is meant to enhance your profile. The second-round of CockSox designs included these waistband briefs with the additional option of a 3.5" "snug" pouch design as well as the original 4.5" pouch. Many other cuts and lines of swimwear and underwear have been introduced since those early days and now CockSox includes several dozen different combinations of cuts, materials and colors for swimwear and underwear...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: 2Xist Fusion Sport Brief
Designer/Manufacturer: 2Xist
Website: www.2xist.com
Price: $14.00

Over the past year 2Xist has continued to diversify its product lineup with a mix of new fabrics, colors and cuts introduced through new ranges including the Track, Liquid Cotton and this review's highlight: Fusion. The Fusion line is dubbed by 2Xist as a performance underwear range with a 52% polyester and 48% nylon fabric blend woven into a mesh-like texture for breatheability and decent stretch. The Fusion line is available in 3 cuts including a low-rise brief, trunk and this featured sport brief. There are several colors available in the line, all of which are contrasted with a secondary color. The options include dark red, white, green, blue, black and what I purchased which is a tone-on-tone light gray and smoke-gray combination. Although mostly gray, there is still some color introduced into the design with a very bright orange-red stripe on the waistband and contrast stitching on the front pouch down the center seam...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Calvin Klein Micro Modal Bikini Brief
Designer/Manufacturer: Calvin Klein
Website: www.cku.com
Price: $20.00

Micro modal fabric is one of the best materials to come to the market in recent years and it is quickly being adopted by many underwear designers/manufacturers for its superior strength, finish and overall wearability. Calvin Klein has created a micro modal line of underwear available in boxer brief, trunk, brief and bikini brief cuts. The cuts are fairly standard CK fare and available (in most stores) in only white or black colors with a 90% micro modal and 10% lycra blend. The line is primarily based on the styles of the CK body line with some minor differences. This bikini sports classic lines and offers a 3/4" tall covered elastic waistband detailed with a subtle Calvin Klein woven logo in front that measures 1 1/2" wide by 1/2" tall...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Jameswinston Co. NEON Hipster
Designer/Manufacturer: Jameswinston Co.
Website: www.jameswinston.uk.com
Price: $24.00 (approximate cost based on exchange rate)

I reviewed the new 2008 Petit Brief from Jameswinston Co. Underwear not too long ago and now I'm following up with a review of an earlier release product line: the NEON Hipster. This item was part of the second generation of Jameswinston Co. underwear when a more brief hipster cut made sense as an addition to help diversify the lineup which was initially limited to more traditional trunk styles. The NEON hipster line stands out from the rest of Jameswinston Co. underwear for its bright color palette which contrasts against the rest of the lines which are typically more muted natural tones. As stated on the manufacturer's website you should consider that the NEON line is cut tighter than the rest of the products and I personally recommend you size up in all situations given that even after I switched up to a large these squarecuts were still form-fitting...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Toot Underwear Leopard Squarecut
Designer/Manufacturer: Toot Underwear
Website: www.pants-ya.com
Price: $32.00 (approximate currency conversion from Yen to Dollars)

Toot Underwear is an exclusive high-end line of men's underwear designed and produced in Japan. Specializing in unique designs with interesting mixes of fabrics, patterns and colors, Toot Underwear has been copied all over the world by various labels including Undergear and Pulse Underwear. I have ordered more than a few items from Toot Underwear and thought it was overdue time that I highlight a product from their line. On the Toot website products are not given specific names but are referred to by cut and then by a cryptic style number. This squarecut style is available in a broad variety of colors and patterns but the general shape and fit is the same so you can use this review as a good guide for quite a few Toot items...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Undergear Big Rib Bodysuit
Designer/Manufacturer: Undergear
Website: www.undergear.com
Price: $19.99

For this review I'm covering a slightly more unusual underwear item in the form of the classic Undergear Big Rib Bodysuit. This may be one of Undergear's longest-running products next to the bootlegger brief. This is a unique item produced exclusively by Undergear although you can find other men's bodysuits or leotards produced by NDS Wear, California Muscle and BodyAware among others. Often used in dance, gymnastics, or general workouts, leotard/bodysuits typically consist of a tank or full-shirt top that includes a brief or thong bottom designed as a single piece to keep the top in place through all sorts of active movement. Usually these garments are made out of nylon/spandex combinations but in the case of this version from Undergear 100% cotton is used throughout...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Artificial Flavor Tie Dye Low Rise Brief
Designer/Manufacturer: Artificial Flavor
Website: www.aflavor.com
Price: $27.50

Artificial Flavor has released several new designs as well as refreshes of their past collections for 2008 and this week I thought I'd give the new Tie Dye brief a try. I reviewed the corporal brief a while back which was a mostly positive review so I expected a similar level of design and performance from the tie dye brief. Available in a mixed color pattern of orange/brown or green/brown the look is definitely as titled: tie dye. Each brief is unique with a random pattern of splotchy color applied all over the 50% cotton 50% polyester fabric. Artificial flavor underwear runs true-to-size with the medium cut working out well for a standard 32-33" waist. The waistband is a fairly basic production as a 1 1/4" woven element in dark brown with bright yellow logos repeated all the way around...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: AussieBum Lightning Trunk
Designer/Manufacturer: AussieBum 
Website: www.aussiebum.com
Price: $30.00 (plus import and currency exchange fees)

AussieBum underwear continues to innovate within the men's underwear market with new designs, materials and patterns on a regular basis. One of the latest releases by AussieBum is the new Lightning trunk made from 87% micro modal and 13% spandex printed in a bold and somewhat wild plaid pattern available in pink (as shown in this review), 2 versions of blue and black. The printing of the micro modal material does add a small amount of stiffness to the surface making it not quite as soft as bare fabric but after a couple of wash cycles this effect is negligible. Next to the bold print the waistband is probably the most noticeable design element with a giant 2 1/2" tall woven metallic silver band with AussieBum logos repeated all the way around...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Mansilk Silk Knit Thong
Designer/Manufacturer: Mansilk by Mary Green
Website: www.mansilk.com
Price: $15.00

Mary Green's line of men's silk underwear has been a mostly quiet business with virtually no advertising or marketing campaigns to speak of. Despite the low profile of the brand the various thongs, bikinis, briefs and boxer-briefs sold under the Mansilk label are readily available via a broad selection of online stores. The key market differentiator for Mansilk underwear is its use of silk materials for the various undergarments. Available in a broad variety of colors the silk knit material that makes up this thong is soft, stretchable and smooth to the touch making it wearable in a variety of situations. This thong has been on the market for many years and follows a very classic cut available in no less than 10 different colors including the white version shown here...<< MORE >>

Reader Comments and Questions 6th Edition
What underwear to wear in the heat of summer...trunks that fit great but don't break the bank and some readers share what's in their underwear drawers.

Well, clearly I didn't get to my next Reader edition until now unlike what I had hoped for which was to publish last weekend. On the upside I was able to get quite a few reviews out which I'm happy for and they were positive ones as well!

There's so much new underwear to review and try out that I've recently gotten in-hand including the CK Active Tech hip brief and CK Micro Modal brief, Clever Dragon print foil boxer brief, Life Underwear bikinis, Artificial Flavor tie dye briefs, AussieBum Flash boxer brief, Undergear Thong (different from the Contour version) and the Jameswinston S-Brief. I will keep working away at the reviews to get you the latest hits and misses for men's underwear this season.

This Reader Edition had a lot of links and images to track down as well as a lot of additional research to find the best recommendations for Drew's question about what briefs would be good for the heat of summer so I hope you find the information useful. After the "heat" question I've answered Tony's request for advice regarding trunks that are affordable and finally some long overdue spotlight on reader's underwear drawer photo submissions.

If you've written in and haven't seen a response yet-keep reading. I'll work on answering more questions ASAP!

Thanks for reading!

Underwear Guy

Read the rest of the article: << MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Undergear Contour Thong
Designer/Manufacturer: Undergear
Website: www.undergear.com
Price: $9.99

Undergear's website and catalogs cycle through a broad range of styles and brands every season. From big names like C-In2 to smaller niche lines like N-Fini, every month offers a new array of cuts, designs and colors. One Undergear constant that has not changed much over the years is the Contour line of underwear. This Undergear in-house line consists of a variety of boxer briefs, squarecuts, bikini briefs, briefs and thongs manufactured in an array of colors and prints. The Contour line has always been priced within a more affordable range and this thong is no exception coming in at just under $10. There are several color options to choose from including dark tones like olive green and bright colors like my purchase: raspberry. The raspberry color is very bright and almost neon in hue so if you like highly saturated colors you can go with this featured color or the bright orange version called "sun"...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Jameswinston Co. Petit Bikini Brief
Designer/Manufacturer: Jameswinston Co.
Website: www.jameswinston.uk.com
Price: $25.00 (approximate cost based on exchange rate)

There has been a lot of underwear blog coverage of Jameswinston Co. underwear lately due in no small part to a clever and effective marketing campaign. Fun advertising imagery and sexy new cuts have been added to the previously released boxer brief and trunk styles and I thought it would be interesting to try out the new products. For a little background, Jameswinston Co. is a fairly recent newcomer to the men's underwear market with their first product introduction in late 2006. The first Jameswinston products were trunk-style hipsters which I liked at the time but wasn't motivated to purchase. The following product release that got my attention was the Neon range (look for a review soon) which was a briefer trunk in bright colors with a form-fitting design and some nice accent details. Fast-forward to the last few weeks and we've seen the introduction of the new Petit Brief (bikini brief) and S-Brief (squarecut style brief) which bring some nice variety to the Jameswinston Co. lineup beyond the hipster styles... << MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: C-In2 Bamboo Mesh Street Jock
Designer/Manufacturer: C-In2 
Website: www.c-In2.com
Price: $19.50

I am working on adding more jockstrap reviews to the site since I've been getting more requests for that specific men's underwear style lately. In this review I am highlighting a jockstrap I've owned for a little while now: the C-In2 Bamboo Mesh Jockstrap. In one of my earliest reviews I detailed the Slider Brief version of this line so you can check out that review for more of the general background information. This jock is the most minimal cut within the Bamboo line while still retaining the same soft and stretchable fabric made of a unique 98% bamboo-based rayon fiber and 2% spandex blend. Interestingly enough, the new colors of charcoal and coffee have a different blend that is 69% bamboo, 29% cotton and 2% spandex...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Vizeau Yon Cutout Bikini Brief
Designer/Manufacturer: Vizeau
Website: www.vizeau.com
Price: $20.00 (approximately)

A while ago blog reader Anthony e-mailed me suggesting I try Vizeau underwear. I had known about Vizeau for some time but his e-mail finally prompted me to purchase my first pair of their underwear recently. There isn't a whole lot of information about the company on their website but what I can tell you is that they are a U.S.-based swimwear, underwear and clothing company that has been on the market for several years now. The designs Vizeau produces are usually more provocative and revealing than standard every-day underwear and the price-points fall into the premium-level of underwear at $20 for this pair of bikini briefs from the Daily Underwear line. Vizeau releases specific design lines on a seasonal basis that include a variety of cuts from g-strings to boxer briefs that typically share the same color palette and fabric...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Go Softwear Metallic Crowns Trunk
Designer/Manufacturer: Go Softwear
Website: www.gosoftwear.com
Price: $20.00

Go Softwear has continued to diversify their men's underwear range through 2007 and 2008 with interesting selections for fabrics, a nice array of cuts and a variety of colors. One of the newer lines introduced recently is the Metallic Crowns collection available in black with gold details or white with metallic blue details. I purchased the white version of the trunk and you can find a jock, low-rise brief, brief and retro short version of this underwear line as well. The material is a 90% cotton 10% lycra blend which should be fairly stretchable although it's surprisingly somewhat stiff and not particularly soft. Sizing can be hit or miss with Go Softwear but more often than not it's a good idea to purchase a size up from your normal range so I bought this trunk in a large and I'm glad I did...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Jockey Classic Low Rise Brief
Designer/Manufacturer: Jockey Underwear
Website: www.jockey.com
Price: $14.00 2-Pack

The low rise brief from Jockey was probably my first "fashion" underwear purchase. That was several years ago back when there were far fewer options for fashionable men's underwear and your choices were limited to Hanes or Fruit of the Loom multi-pack fashion underwear found in stores like K-Mart or Jockey and Calvin Klein underwear found in mall department stores like Macys. I saw these low rise briefs on sale a few months ago and thought for the sake of revisiting a classic underwear item I would try them out again to see if they had held up under the test of time. The design of the Jockey Low Rise brief has not changed much from what I can tell with an exposed 1 1 /4" elastic waistband in white with old-school Jockey text repeated around the entire waist...<< MORE >>

Reader Comments and Questions 5th Edition
Directions To Under...Where? and Underwear For The Ages? Swim and Underwear for guys who prefer to point North and can you wear briefs after 40?

It's long overdue for a reader question and answer article so here are my responses to two readers who sent in some detailed requests for advice. I'm not sure if I can own the title of men's underwear expert-it was never my intention-but I appreciate that these readers felt like I had something useful to say regarding their underwear purchasing options. If anything I hope some of this writing is entertaining and maybe it's informative for some of you as well. There are so many more questions that have been sent my way the last month and I'll try to answer more of them soon. If I'm lucky I will be able to post the official 6th edition of Reader Comments and Questions this weekend. Thanks again for reading!

Underwear Guy
Read the full article: << MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Calvin Klein Tech Active Jockstrap
Designer/Manufacturer: Calvin Klein
Website: www.cku.com
Price: $24.00

By reader request this review covers the new Tech Active Jockstrap from Calvin Klein. It seems like every year Calvin Klein discontinues one line of underwear and then subsequently replaces it with a very similar line with a new name the next year. Part of this is smart marketing to be able to reintroduce new lines on a regular basis but it's also a reflection of the need to continuously evolve product styles and fabrics. The Tech Active line is Calvin Klein's new athletic-oriented underwear line meant for active guys or for specific athletic activities. The Tech Active line is priced at a higher point than some of their other lines of underwear running $24 for this jockstrap and about equally more expensive for the other cuts which include a sport brief, low rise brief and a trunk. Your color options are fairly limited with just black and white available for the jockstrap although the other cuts do have a red option...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Gigo Underwear Mirror Trunk
Designer/Manufacturer: Gigo Underwear
Website: www.gigo.com.co
Price: $22.00

Gigo Underwear is a Colombian-based underwear label that has been on the market for some time since its founding in 2004 but has only shown up prominently on the North American radar the last year or so. Gigo offers a wide-variety of designs and styles that are very eye-catching, many items include bold graphics, metallic foil prints or other interesting design elements like mesh or as with this brief: a shiny metallic finish. The signature style for Gigo is the trunk although they do offer a long-leg boxer-brief and brief cut in some of their styles as well. Not unlike many other South American labels you are strongly advised to order a size up with Gigo Underwear as they are definitely cut much tighter than normal, particularly on the legs. The waistband on these trunks measures 1 1/2" tall and is made from a standard elastic with a minimal amount of texturizing on the interior to help prevent itching or roughness...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Emporio Armani Logo Essential Stretch Cotton Brief
Designer/Manufacturer: Emporio Armani
Website: www.emporioarmani.com
Price: $22.00

These are the infamous David Beckham briefs that have been featured in the ad campaign images talked about and reported on virtually every type of media in connection to the frenzy surrounding the Beckham's arrival in the US. Emporio Armani most likely had a good estimate of the return on investment they would get for signing on David as a model for their men's underwear launch and I think it's paid out very well for them. I admit I was curious about the underwear, wondering if the product would come event close to matching the hype, and as my last review concluded, it hasn't been a disappointment. These hip briefs are a little more interesting than the style from my last review as they have some different design choices that make them stand out better from the sea of hip briefs available...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Skinxwear Enhancer Hip Brief
Designer/Manufacturer: Skinxwear
Website: www.skinxwear.com
Price: $10.00 (Approximate)

The second-place pick from the recent reader poll was this Skinxwear Enhancer Hip Brief which I bought online from an eBay seller in Malaysia. I don't know too much about Skinxwear since it isn't sold in the US but what I've been able to track down is that it is (I believe) a Malaysian-based company with a fairly broad range of men's underwear in a variety of cuts including thongs, bikinis, hip briefs and trunks with varying materials colors and patterns depending on the line. The styles of Skinxwear trend towards more minimal coverage and revealing, thin fabrics or mesh so I would draw a close parallel to N2N Bodywear in terms of an equivalent US-based designer...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: C-In2 Tat-2 Low Rise Brief
Designer/Manufacturer: C-In2
Website: www.cin2.com
Price: $22.00

Thanks to a recent reader poll it was clear that several of you were interested in knowing more about the C-In2 Tat-2 Low Rise Brief so here's the review that won the majority of the votes. These low rise briefs were a recent addition to the C-In2 product family that added a little more graphic flair beyond the previously released colors and patterns of the standard line. There were several color and graphic combinations introduced with the first round of designs available in a trunk cut and this low-rise brief cut. The fabric and sewing patterns are totally new for C-In2 and are not based off of any previous releases. Common across all the garments is a solid color base with contrasting waistband, leg-band and pouch piping accents and a screened graphic on the backside which explains the "Tat-2/Tattoo" name...<< MORE >>

Reader Poll: Help Me To Decide What Underwear To Review Next
Let me know which underwear item you want to see reviewed on the site and I'll prioritize the most popular picks.

Update: Thanks readers for all your votes! There was a clear favorite for the review picks with the C-In2 Tat-2 Low Rise Brief winning by a wide margin. The second-place vote went to the Skinxwear Enhancer Low Rise Hip Brief. I have updated the blog with reviews for both of those underwear items: C-In2 Tat-2 and Skinxwear. Thanks for your continued support and readership!

Hello readers and thanks again for sending in questions and adding comments. I'm working to keep up and if I haven't gotten to your question or comment yet I apologize-but I will get to them! The number of subscribers and unique visitors keeps increasing week to week so I feel added pressure to keep updating new content as a response to the added views. I appreciate that you take time out of your day to visit and read since we are all busy with what else goes on in our lives and there's never enough time to do it all...but we can try right? Speaking of trying to do it all, I have a ton of new underwear I'd like to review but I could use your help in prioritizing because otherwise I'm going to go crazy and try to post them all in 1 week which is too ambitious I think. To that end I am running a poll to allow you to vote and influence what is featured next. I've left this with multiple selection boxes so you can pick more than just one of the choices. Thanks for voting!<(click on "MORE" to access the poll) << MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: 2Xist Thong
Designer/Manufacturer: 2Xist
Website: www.2xist.com
Price: $10.00

After reviewing the C-In2 thong it seemed like a natural follow-up to review the 2Xist y-back thong. The 2Xist brand has been a men's underwear fashion pioneer since its founding in 1991 when it entered the market with a core line of t-shirts, boxer-briefs, briefs, sport briefs, and this thong which has remained a 2Xist standard throughout the years with just some minor updates on the design. The 2Xist core line is labeled as the 3100 range and consists of a 100% cotton fabric available in just the basic colors of black and white. The sizing of 2Xist underwear is generally true-to-size although I found that because the elastic of this waistband doesn't have a lot of stretch to it, the feeling was a bit on the tighter side. The waistband is not uncomfortable but I just wanted to flag that for anyone who might fall on the upper range of a given size e.g. closer to a 33" - 34" waist on a medium considering that I fall an the lower range of a medium at 32"...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: C-In2 Thong
Designer/Manufacturer: C-In2
Website: www.cin2.com
Price: $12.00

I thought it was long overdue I review some of the core staples of the C-In2 line given that I keep mentioning how much I like their underwear and yet I haven't reviewed very many of their items. This review covers the classic C-In2 thong which has been a core offering since the inception of the line. As a core item, this thong is only available in white, gray or black in 100% cotton fabric with the classic microfiber C-In2 waistband. I have found the sizing of C-In2 underwear to be very consistent and this thong in my usual medium fit well with the a good waist measure and an appropriate cut on the strap lengths for the back. The waistband is just a hair over 1 1/4" tall with large C-In2 logos woven in gray over white and repeated all the way around...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Gregg Homme Basixx G-String
Designer/Manufacturer: Gregg Homme
Website: www.gregg.ca
Price: $18.00

Gregg Homme is a long-running high-fashion Men's Underwear line based out of Canada. I have always been a fan of Gregg Homme underwear for its unique styles, materials, colors and the continuously changing nature of their lines. Gregg Homme underwear has changed a great deal over time and the recently created 3G Actualwear label is a new a sub-brand that features slightly more conservative styles while the main Gregg Homme line has started to diverge into more fetish-wear clothing with the use of pleather, mesh and revealing designs. Besides the seasonally rotating lines Gregg Homme has also added a more stable core line of underwear that does not change as frequently as the rest of the lines that includes the Basixx line. The Basixx line includes the Push Up and Mesh lines available in a variety of cuts from a full trunk down to this minimal g-string in only black or white...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Frank Dandy Gallichi Low Rise Brief Review
Designer/Manufacturer: Frank Dandy Superwear
Website: www.frankdandysuperwear.com
Price: $22.00

Although Frank Dandy is a recent entrant in the North American men's underwear market but they have made quite a splash with their unique and fun prints for their line of underwear. Frank Dandy Underwear is a Swedish-based company offering a broad selection of under-clothes for both men and women including some shirts. For the men's line there are now 4 cuts ranging from a full boxer-brief, then trunk, then a full-cut brief and this new cut which is a low-rise brief. I tried the full-cut brief a while back when Frank Dandy underwear was new and although I liked the designs, I found the cut to be much too high on the rise of the waistband (higher than a typical brief cut would be) for my preferences. I was pleased to see this new cut introduced in the past couple of years and finally had a chance to try a pair out...<< MORE >>

N2N Bodywear 2008 underwear and sport lines product images

The Spring 2008 fashion cycle is almost here for consumers and there will undoubtedly be many launches announced in the next few weeks. N2N Bodywear is not yet selling their latest lines on their site but some early pre-order options on other sites have revealed the newest lines including some new design directions for N2N Bodywear. The new underwear range is a basic 100% cotton blend that includes contrast color piping and is available in 3 basic colors: white, black and gray. The new exposed waistband style is a bit of a design departure when viewed in comparison to the majority of their recent releases although the pouch design appears to still retain the classic N2N Bodywear profile. Photos and additional comments after the jump...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Go Softwear Go Natural Trunk
Designer/Manufacturer: Go Softwear
Website: www.gosoftwear.com
Price: $28.00

The use of alternative fabrics for men's underwear has been on the rise over the last couple of years and now we're seeing an interesting contrast emerging between highly processed synthetic fabrics and natural, unprocessed materials. While Go Softwear has been traditionally known for bright colors, prints and smooth synthetic and cotton/spandex blends they recently have branched out with their new line: Go Natural. The Natural line is composed of 43% organic cotton, 54% hemp and 3% lycra for a little bit of stretch. The current line is available in three cuts including a trunk, brief and jock as well as a sleeveless tee. There is only one color available called "natural" which is an off-white yellowish hue achieved without the use of extreme chemical bleaching which would go against the concept of an environmentally-friendly line of underwear...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: Emporio Armani Stretch Cotton Brief
Designer/Manufacturer: Emporio Armani
Website: www.emporioarmani.com
Price: $19.50

Emporio Armani underwear has been on the market for some time now but they've recently bought themselves a lot of publicity for signing on David Beckham as the feature model for their latest advertising campaign. With all the attention paid to the man wearing the underwear I was interested in finding out if the actual product itself was worthy of the hype or if it was all just corporate marketing in over-drive. There are several variations of Armani Underwear available for purchase online and in-person in stores which is how I purchased these Stretch Cotton briefs from Macy's. The underwear comes in boxes with a style of artwork very reminiscent of Calvin Klein Underwear with b/w front and back photos and the Emporio Armani Logo centered in the middle...<< MORE >>

Underwear Guy Review: American Apparel Baby Rib Men's Brief
Designer/Manufacturer: American Apparel
Website: www.americanapparel.net
Price: $12.00

Blog reader Brian wrote in with some questions one of which was concerning my opinion on the American Apparel (AA) baby rib brief. This review covers that item in all its unfortunate detail and hopefully will help other readers make an informed purchase decision. For those of you unfamiliar with American Apparel it is a Los Angles, CA-based designer and manufacturer of sweatshop-labor-free clothing for men and women. The clothing items from AA are usually simple and basic but available in a broad variety of colors and a good range of fabric blends including organic cottons. Although anyone can wear these clothing items I would say in terms of marketing, AA clothing tends to be directed towards a younger consumer crowd in the roughly 18-30 y.o. age range. AA has sold a limited range of men's underwear for a while now with the primary item being this baby rib brief...<< MORE >>

Reader Comments and Questions 4th Edition
What's enhancing you? Reader questions regarding underwear that lifts, defines, shapes and just about everything else to make you look better in the package department.

I’m still working on answering the many questions that come in but I’m making progress and I’m honored that readers care about my opinions enough to the extent they have questions to ask! Today’s Reader Edition covers just two questions since I had so much to say in the answers and the article was getting fairly long otherwise.

Men’s profile enhancing underwear for men has advanced leaps and bounds over just the last few years and now there are numerous ways to help shape and define or otherwise give you that extra lift in the front. Reader Chet had a multi-part e-mail that spawned a general review of all the options out there-so read on and keep writing!

Underwear Guy (click "more" for the full article)<< MORE >>