Underwear Guy Review: Intimo Tiger Velvet Thong
Designer/Manufacturer: Intimo
Website: www.intimo.com
Price: $14.00

Blog reader Erik e-mailed me earlier this morning asking about why I hadn’t reviewed any thongs to date. Quick answer is that they aren’t my typical underwear choice so I hadn’t put any priority on reviewing them but I’m more than happy to respond to a reader request so I decided to take the plunge and review a thong from underwear label Intimo. Intimo has been on the underwear market for many years selling a broad range of cuts and styles including a comprehensive line of thongs from conservative athletics to daring metallic meshes. Intimo is also the parent company for Play Underwear which is a more every-day and sport-oriented line of underwear. This review covers the Tiger Velvet thong made of a 100% polyester fabric. There are several velvet print thongs available from Intimo including patterns labeled leopard, python and paisley as well as classic solid colors. I also own the python and leopard prints and can report that the material finish and composition is the same so the results of this review would apply to any of the other velvet thongs. First impression of the Intimo thong that caught me off-guard was the sizing issue. I am reliably a medium across most underwear lines but these Intimo thongs are definitely almost one full size up. I bought a Python velvet thong in a medium and also a small as initial testers and the small was much more accurate in fit for myself and still had enough material in the cut to allow for a larger waist size. Every cut and material type is different across the Intimo line so I wouldn’t want to speak too generally but I also own a pair of the metallic briefs in medium and they were cut a bit generously as well. Your personal experience may vary but this was definitely a learning experience for myself about Intimo’s somewhat large sizing ranges.

The polyester velvet material is not super stretchable but there is enough give to it to supply comfort and support (in the right size). The pouch front is well designed to provide enough room to be suitable for all-day wear although it doesn’t provide any significant amount of lift or shape to be considered enhancing underwear. A nice touch is the use of the same velvet material for the lining of the inside of the pouch. The waist is fabric-covered and relatively thin at about 1” from the sides to the back strap which is also about 1”. There is a fabric brand and care label attached on the interior back of the waistband that is thankfully not scratchy or noticeable to any significant degree. There were definitely a few loose threads and stitches here and there along the waistband as well as some slightly crooked seams which, although not too severe, were not indicative of the best quality control. To be completely fair, synthetic velvet like the material employed here is tough to sew since it will want to slip and move during the sewing process.

The Grades:

Fit:	A-	This is a bit tough to score here because once you go down a size, things seem pretty good but if you by the advertised size you’re going to find these a bit too loose.
Design:	A-	The pouch front with the inner facing lining is nice and the thong-strap is comfortable which is always important with this style of underwear. The variety of prints is fun as well so I’m giving a high score for design.
Material:	A-	I would have liked a little more stretch to create a more body-conforming fit but overall the velvet was very cleanly printed with the pattern and the finish appeared very high-end.
Construction:	B	I’m a bit disappointed with some of the previously mentioned loose threads and crooked seams so a small hit on this category.
Overall Grade:	A-	Despite some minor issues I’m going to pull through for Intimo due to the uniqueness of the design and finish which is carried out in a manner that doesn’t feel tacky which can easily happen with novelty materials and thong-cut underwear. The price is also hard to beat at just $14 per pair with discounts applying for multiple pairs of the same print.
Would I buy another pair? Yes, after figuring out my personal size for Intimo I bought some of the other velvet thongs in other prints in size small.

Where To Buy:
Intimo’s own site is the best place to find their full range of underwear and thongs and their customer service is excellent in my experience. Tiger Velvet Thong: Product Page. All other Velvet thongs from Intimo can be viewed here: Product Index

Wear Recommendations:

All-day Wear	Loungewear	Athletic	Sleepwear	Office Wear	Special Occasion	Bedroom Wear