Underwear Guy Review: Life Underwear Cotton String Bikini
Designer/Manufacturer: Life Underwear
Website: www.lifeunderwear.com
Price: $9.99

Hello readers. You might have noticed the long break between posts which was due to vacation time in some very sunny weather. Just an FYI I'll continue to post some reviews with photos prior to vacation time so you'll notice post-tan and pre-tan differences. I really enjoyed my break and also realize how much I needed that time off. I did go longer between posting entries than intended but I am back now and have a follow-up review to the Life Underwear Modern Stretch String Bikini: the cotton version of the same cut. As reader Ed pointed out there is a noticeable difference between the way the two types of String Bikinis are sold and packaged with the new cotton versions sold in a 5-pack for $9.99. As I understand it, the Modern Stretch version is on its way out although you can probably still find it in stores as product is slowly cycled out of inventory. You’ll notice the new packaging style with the updated photo graphics as shown at right in a plastic-printed box and hang-tag combination. When I picked these up 2 weeks ago at Wal-Mart there were different color and pattern combinations to choose from with a blue-green set (which is where this turquoise bikini came from) as well as an orange-tone set, both of which include some solids and striped patterns. I believe there is also a solid-color set and there may have been more that I didn’t see out at the time. These are 100% cotton utilizing a minimalist string bikini cut with a waistband just slightly wider than a ¼” and a full back. Those of you who have read the Modern Stretch review know that I found the front flat front panel design problematic with the lack of room making for an overly-tight feeling. Thankfully this cotton pair was much more reasonably cut with almost an additional 1” of fabric across making for a comfortable fit, if not particularly shaping or lifting design.

The one caveat I have to mention here is something that was quite unexpected. After trying out the turquoise pair I also tried the striped pair and noticed a distinct difference in the front room. I then compared the two and measured the dimensions of the fabric cut and determined there is almost a ¾” difference between the two with the striped pair nearly matching the size of the Modern Stretch front. I subsequently measured all 5 of the string bikinis in this package and found a lot of variance between all the fabric cuts with the difference between the striped pair and the black pair measuring almost a full 1”. My guess is that this is due to quality-control issues in a high-volume manufacturing environment (the only way to make these profitable at $2 per pair). This is a case where you’ll have to determine for yourself how much of an issue this is for yourself. I can say that thanks to the increased stretch of the cotton even though the striped pair was close to the same front panel size they weren’t as bad in the fit and most of the other pairs were reasonable. I will knock the construction score down to reflect the wide variance but base the rest of the review on the one turquoise pair which fit fine.

The front panel is single-layer and somewhat revealing so keep that in mind if modesty is any issue. The covered waistband is true-to-size with the mediums reflecting an accurate 32-34” waist. There is a small fabric wash/care tag in the back which is thankfully minimal enough to not cause any scratching or irritation. Not surprisingly there are a few construction issues with some loose threads here and there as well as some rough edges on the fabric cutting although nothing that is a complete deal killer here. Oddly enough there was a relatively large chunk of cut fabric in the package which must have been leftover from the cutting process.

The Grades:

Fit:	B+	Not bad overall for the fit although the front panel could use a little more design for a better shape.
Design:	B+	The color combinations are fun and the true string-bikini styling is relatively unique for men’s underwear.
Material:	B+	The cotton has a good level of stretch and breathability but it is definitely thin so keep in mind these may be better summer-weather bikinis.
Construction:	C+	There are definitely some finishing issues in the sewing and cutting of the materials. The bigger issue here is the variations in pattern cut which results in some significantly different fits in the front.
Overall Grade:	B	I think the bargain-basement pricing moderates the construction issues to some degree here so I’m going with a B-level grade which is decent if not stellar.
Would I buy another pair? There’s 5 pair to a package so I probably don’t need anymore but I wouldn’t necessarily shy away from buying more given that there aren’t too many alternate mainstream underwear brands selling a string bikini at this minimalist level of cut.

Wear Recommendations:

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

Where To Buy:

As all Life Underwear products are Wal-Mart exclusives you’ll have to visit your local brick-and-mortar store location to pick these up.

Photos: