Underwear Guy Review: Go Softwear Hibiscus Low Rise Brief
Designer/Manufacturer: Go Softwear
Website:  www.gosoftwear.com
Price: $17.00

The Go Softwear underwear and clothing line originally specialized in jocks and athletic wear such as tank tops and gym shorts but over time their underwear line has branched out to include a broad variety of bikinis, briefs, boxer briefs and loungewear styles in cotton and synthetic blends. Go Softwear’s first real shift into product diversity started with the colorful lo-rise briefs and v-front boxer briefs which are still going strong years after their introduction. The second round of the low rise briefs diversified the color ranges and the third round introduced a hibiscus print available in lime green and bright turquoise. The hibiscus low-rise briefs reviewed here are in the lime green shade which is a relatively thin but very stretchable 90% cotton 10% lycra blend. One thing regular purchasers (like myself) of Go Softwear Underwear have learned is that the sizing of their underwear varies greatly from line to line. A large percentage of their underwear products are true-to-size but some are definitely sized down as is the case with these low-rise briefs. You will absolutely need to order one size up for these briefs to come anywhere close to fitting correctly. Wearing the large size seemed like a decent waist and leg fit for myself and I normally wear a medium. The waistband is a relatively plain affair fashioned in an off-white elastic with the Go Softwear logo repeated around and a plain interior. The waistband is 1 ¼” tall and has a smooth finish so it’s not as big a deal that it does not include a higher-end brushed surface on the interior.

The sides of these briefs extend a minimal 1 ¾” on the shortest sides measured from the base of the waistband and including the elastic-covered piping and the narrowest point at the base of the pouch measures about 3” across. The back of these briefs is not quite full coverage and is “brief” by about ½” of material on each side of your backside. The pouch in front is only single-layer material and is nicely accented with classic-look piping. The pouch size itself is fairly tight and doesn’t feel as comfortable as I think most guys would like. With the ultra-low-rise of these briefs as well as that ultra-narrow base dimension you may have trouble finding a good fit for everything in front and I think this unfortunately mars an otherwise excellent design. The hibiscus pattern itself is accomplished with silk-screened graphics in a couple shades of white. The white ink is definitely cracked even when new and I believe it will most likely be prone to peeling meaning long-term integrity of the images isn’t probably great.

The Grades:

Fit:	C+/B-	Although the waist and legs work fine for the fit the pouch is really on the small side and makes for a somewhat uncomfortable every-day, all-day experience. I think the low-rise design could still be maintained if the pouch were simply given a bit more material cut up front.
Design:	A	I like the bright colors, the pattern print is fun for loungewear and the classic piping accents make for a nicely designed brief.
Material:	A	Although a little on the thin side for my tastes I think the high lycra content helps make the material particularly soft and suitable for underwear.
Construction:	A	Go Softwear manufacturing quality is usually top-notch and these low-rise briefs had nice seams with just a little errant stitching here and there but otherwise solid scores.
Overall Grade:	B-	This is a tough call, I like the design and low rise style but the pouch makes it hard to recommend broadly. If you really like the styling and unique design and can deal with a particularly tight front pouch then by all means try these briefs out but if you want something that is really comfortable for a variety of activities throughout the day then I’d say these may not fit the bill.
Would I buy another pair? Probably not, although I liked these briefs it wasn't enough to the level that I would purchase another one for myself.

Where To Buy:
There are a variety of online stores carrying the hibiscus print including: MensUnderwearStore.com: Product Page, JockBoyLocker.com: Product Page, MaleBasics.com: Product Page, FreshPair.com: Product Page, NuWear.com: Product Page, Erogneos.com: Product Page, and of course GoSoftwear.com: Product Page.

Wear Recommendations:

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