Underwear Guy Review: Undergear Big Rib Bodysuit

For this review I'm covering a slightly more unusual underwear item in the form of the classic Undergear Big Rib Bodysuit. This may be one of Undergear's longest-running products next to the bootlegger brief. This is a unique item produced exclusively by Undergear although you can find other men's bodysuits or leotards produced by NDS Wear, California Muscle and BodyAware among others. Often used in dance, gymnastics, or general workouts, leotard/bodysuits typically consist of a tank or full-shirt top that includes a brief or thong bottom designed as a single piece to keep the top in place through all sorts of active movement. Usually these garments are made out of nylon/spandex combinations but in the case of this version from Undergear 100% cotton is used throughout. Earning its name, the cotton fabric has a very large rib weave that is spaced out by about 1/4" between each rib. The cotton material is thin but not transparent and has a medium amount of stretch although that's thanks to the rib so the stretch runs on the horizontal direction but only minimally on the vertical. Color options are basic with the usual white, gray and black available for purchase. I've found through several Undergear purchases that their in-house designs often run larger than normal so I ordered this bodysuit in a size small and it fit well. I think sizing for a bodysuit is a bit more tricky to make global recommendations on since it's not just waist sizing but also overall torso dimensions but I'll go out on a limb and say size down for a better fit. You'll find the logo and size tags are attached side by side at the top of the back and measure 1" wide by 1" tall for the size tag and 7/8" tall by 2 3/16" wide for the Undergear logo tag.

Something I haven't mentioned yet is the back of this bodysuit which is styled as a thong. The back includes the leg-bands which are very wide at 1" although there is overlap as they converge into the strap in back which results in a width about 1 1/4" wide. Although I'm not sure the back strap was as comfortable as possible I did like the look of the wide leg-bands coming around the back and around the legs which created a sturdy and masculine look. The front includes a basic seamed pouch which provides decent room but not a lot of shaping. I wasn't particularly in love with the finishing of the seam of the pouch which was very visible and left a noticeable fabric "nub" on the outside. Single-layer fabric in the front pouch wouldn't have been ideal for performance so there is a somewhat unusual solution created via a fabric "flap" on the inside that doubles the material thickness from the base of the pouch up to 4 1/2". This solution isn't a bad idea but I think the design/manufacturing could have been better as the flap is sewn up on the sides but left loose on the top. The fabric flap doesn't stay in place as well as it could and has a tendency to fold down while putting the bodysuit on or moving around.

Fit:	B-	Although I haven't worn many bodysuits I know that there could have been a better design built around the pouch. I also feel the thong back could probably have been worked out to be a little more minimal in material thickness so I'm going to go with a decent if not stellar score on fit.	Pouch Fit
Design:	B	The design of this bodysuit is basic with the two biggest visual contributions coming from the ribbing of the fabric and the wide reinforced edges of the legs and top. For the overall design score I'm going to go with a "B" which seems to fit the level of detailing provided in the garment.
Material:	C+/B-	I know the name is "Big Rib" but I wasn't a fan of this fabric. I think the ribbing could have been maintained but with a more comfortable, stretchable and thicker fabric. The 100% cotton weave is basic and functional but not in-line with a more top-tier cotton from C-In2 or 2Xist for example.
Construction:	A	Quality of construction on this item was very good with clean and straight stitching throughout and good finishing on the cut edges of the material.
Overall Grade:	C+/B-	Often you get what you pay for and at $20 this isn't a major investment. Nevertheless, I think I would rather spend a little more money and in return get a more "designed" underwear item.
Would I buy another pair? No, I think this makes for an interesting trial but I would check out the alternate brands available if I were looking for another bodysuit.

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