Underwear Guy Review: Andrew Christian Low Rise Hustle Brief
Designer/Manufacturer: Andrew Christian
Website: www.andrewchristian.com
Price: $26.00

Andrew Christian has rapidly become a major player in the Men’s underwear world with an impressive range of designs including metallic prints, sports inspired themes and rhinestone studded graphics in brief and squarecut profiles. This review covers the “Hustle” brief which was one of the earlier releases from Andrew Christian and is still readily available from a variety of online stores. This pair of underwear can be termed “classic brief styling meets rock and roll” with an exposed 1 ¼” elastic waistband with woven Andrew Christian text, contrast gray piping, functional fly and dynamic metallic printed graphics on the back. The fabric composition of this brief is a thick and comfortable 55% cotton, 35% polyester and 10% lycra for stretch. The fit of most Andrew Christian underwear is not true to size and you should make sure to purchase one size up in order to get the right fit. For myself, that meant sizing up to a large from my normal medium. Once you do size up you’ll find the fit is decent if not stellar with a full coverage back, sides that narrow to 2 ¾” (not including the waistband) and a flat front. On the interior back of the microfiber textured waistband is a woven Andrew Christian logo patch with a red background and white cross on a 2” wide by 1 ¼” tall rectangle with the wash/care label attached at the center-base. There is a small 5/8” X ¾” Andrew Christian cross logo tag sewn flat on the front of these briefs which is a nice design element that creates a contrast highlight with a bright red color against the black fabric (see detail photo). The ½” gray piping and leg elastic covering is relatively thick but still comfortable. I do have an issue with the piping on the legs as the design has an awkward seam on the side that isn’t finished as cleanly as I think most of us would like.

The front design of this brief is probably the weakest element as it is completely flat which doesn’t help your profile at all and also lends to a “flat-mash” feel through daily wearing. Ironically, this brief also includes the profile-enhancing Andrew Christian “Show-It” strap which is very much like the C-In2 sling but instead of thick microfiber elastic and an adjustable “button”, this brief has a very light-weight elastic loop with several snaps available for adjustment (see detail). The technology between the Andrew Christian and C-In2 designs does the same thing which is push your package up and out for a better profile. The comfort of the Andrew Christian profile enhancer design seems slightly better than the C-In2 version thanks to the thinner elastic and the snaps that are easier to adjust, so I give an edge to their design. The effect of the “Show-It” technology is significantly minimized, however due to the previously mentioned flat front so I’m not sure it’s really a significant factor here. Although the fit is definitely problematic the biggest draw of this brief for myself wasn’t specifically the profile technology but the amazing graphic work on the back (see detail). Rock and roll inspired graphics include gray, silver and gold ink printed with a central skull with wings and the word “Hustle” across the back. The graphic is very large spanning 11 ½” across and 8” tall and does impact the feel of the fabric to some degree since the ink reduces the stretch in the large area it covers and increases the thickness in certain spots. Overall the graphic is not a significant problem for the fit and I think it’s a great concept for men’s underwear to see bold and vivid graphics like these.

The Grades:

Fit:	B-	Unfortunately the flat front really diminishes the comfort level that this brief could provide for an all-day wearing experience so I’m lowering the fit score down to a B.
Design:	A+	The classic styling contrasted with the bold graphic work creates a nicely masculine yet daring design and the “extras” like the small logo tag on front and the “Show-It” strap really help top the design score.
Material:	A	The fabric blend feel soft to the touch, the stretch of the 10% lycra content helps with flexibility and movement and the thickness all give a high-quality and durable feel to the brief.
Construction:	A-	There are some small finishing issues with the piping (as mentioned in review) and there are a few errant threads here and there but overall the construction of this brief is very good.
Overall Grade:	B	Some very real problems on the fit regarding the front of the brief lower the score down to a B although the excellent design marks help compensate in the overall score.
Would I buy another pair? Because I like the graphics so much I did buy the “Mere Mortal” version of this brief as well so yes, I would buy another pair despite fit issues.

Wear Recommendations:

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

Where To Buy:
There are many online stores currently stocking the Andrew Christian underwear line where this brief is readily available for order from UnderwearProducts.com: Product Page, Skiviez.com: Product Page, PacificJock.com: Product Page, Wyzman.com: Product Page, InternationalJock.com: Product Page, Erogenos.com: Product Page and of course direct from Andrew Christian's online store: Product Page. The UnderU4men stores also carry Andrew Christian underwear and can accept phone orders.