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. If you decide to purchase this underwear probably one of the first things you will notice is the rough texture of the fabric. You will want to wash Go Natural underwear a few times to help soften the fabric out but keep in mind these will probably never be as soft as a synthetic blend, a traditional cotton/spandex blend or micro modal.

I've found Go Softwear underwear to be inconsistent in sizing with some lines running about normal and then others running on the small side. I've been told that they are working to "normalize" the sizing on their new lines but I stuck to a large for this trial and it seemed to fit better. I think my normal medium would have been uncomfortably tight so based on my own personal experience I would still say order a size up if in doubt. The overall styling of this line is meant to be "old-school" and that's certainly held true with the waistband which is a no-frills 1 1/4" elastic affair with 3 fine red stripes running all the way around. The Go Softwear logo and fabric content tag sewn flat against the interior-back of the waistband is an attractive silver color and takes up a 2" wide by 1 1/2" tall space. Back on the outside of the underwear you'll find contrast-color stitching throughout employing a dark olive-green thread. The front pouch is billed as "roomy" by Go Softwear although I would say it's more on the underwear "average" size especially compared to N2N Bodywear or Male Power underwear. There is a functional "kangaroo" fly in the front which basically takes the traditional vertical opening and turns it on axis to be horizontal. This is mostly a style-choice in my opinion and at least makes for something visually different as well as mimics some vintage underwear designs. The legs are finished off with 1/2" folded over edge without elastic reinforcement and simply rely on the stretch of the fabric to keep things in place.

The Grades:

Fit:	B	With this size-up to a large I found the fit to be good if not stellar. I felt there was something about where the pouch and leg seams combined that felt a bit constricting and the legs were on the slightly tight side so a positive score if not a super-great one.	Pouch Fit
Design:	A	I think Go Softwear did an excellent job of thinking through all the visual elements to create a vintage-look underwear line with the contrast stitching, kangaroo pouch and of course rough-finish fabric.
Material:	B+	For anyone interested in a more environmentally-friendly fabric choice I recommend you try out this hemp/cotton blend. For anyone more interested in pure comfort and smoothness then you probably should stick to the traditional cotton/spandex and micro modal fabrics.
Construction:	A	Excellent seams, stitching and material edges were evident throughout so high marks on the construction category.
Overall Grade:	B+	I think the excellent design and material innovation count for a lot with this trunk but some issues with the fit make me fall back to a B+ score which is solid.
Would I buy another pair? I think I would like to try the other cuts, particularly the brief which might feel a bit freer without the extended legs.

Wear Recommendations:

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

Where To Buy:
You can find these eco-compatible trunks at several stores online including of course Go Softwear: Product Page, as well as FreshPair.com: Product Page, MensUnderwearStore.com: Product Page, TopDrawers.com: Product Page, MaleBasics.com: Product Page, and UnderU4men (via phone order).