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Underwear Guy Review: Clever Cotton Thong
Designer/Manufacturer: Clever Underwear
Website: www.clevermoda.com
Price: $19.00

The Colombian-based men's underwear tidal wave continues with Clever Underwear releasing more and more products over the last year. This cotton thong is a slightly older release from Clever but a notable addition to your options for men's thong-cut underwear. This thong is offered in a selection of bright colors including pink, lime green and my pick: light blue. For the more conservative purchasers out there a dark charcoal gray is also available. The main body of the thong is composed of a 91% cotton and 9% spandex blend which is thin but very soft to the touch with a fairly high level of stretch. Each color option is accompanied by a matching 1 3/8" tall elastic waistband that carries over the same hue as the main body but in a much darker shade. The waistband is fairly basic with gray Clever logo text repeated all the way around and limited interior surface treatment. Not surprisingly given the South American origins of this label, you'd best order a full size up from your normal range. Clever underwear typically runs a size small and this thong was no exception. With my size up to a large the waistband was comfortable without being too loose.

In similar fashion to the Mundo Unico thong design, this Clever cotton thong has a waistband that does not make it way all the way around your waist. In place of the elastic waistband in back, Clever has employed an 8 1/2" wide panel that is the same cotton as the rest of the brief. The wash/care and logo tag is sewn into the fabric panel and measures 1" wide by 1 1/8" tall. Given the trend for giant tags or logos I appreciated the single layer, minimalist nylon tag that did not interfere with the fit or visual style of the brief. The back strap is a very traditional thong design with a width that measures 5 1/2" across at the base of the waistband and tapers down to a minimal 3/4" wide strap that is reinforced by 1/4" covered elastic on the outside edges. The front pouch of this thong is cut very similar to Mundo Unico's pouch which is to say it's fairly snug-although surprisingly the expected lift and shaping isn't quite there. I did a lot of careful comparison between this Clever thong's pouch and the Mundo Unico classic thong pouch to see why I was feeling like the Clever version wasn't quite as good. The pouch pattern shape is literally exactly the same cut as Unico's so I know it's not that element. Comparing the two cotton blends I noticed the thinness and higher level of stretch the Clever version had which does up the softness but it also lowers the structure that the pouch provides. The side-reinforcing elastic on the pouch of the Clever thong is also a lot weaker than the Mundo Unico version which I think in concert with the fabric choice, tends to limit the lift effect the pouch could have provided. I'm not particularly enthused about the choice to keep to the thin fabric in just a single-layer design in the pouch which makes the quality of the garment feel a bit lowered.

The Grades:

Fit:	B	The modified waistband design helps to make this thong a comfortable fit while wearing throughout the day. The back strap is minimal enough to not cause any irritation or other fit problems-which is a must for a good thong. The main downside to this thong is the pouch which I think could have been much more shaping and lifting or perhaps a double-layer of fabric which would also help provide a little more structure.	Pouch Fit
Design:	A-	The bright colors and matching contrast waistbands are nice design touches and I like the fabric/elastic combination waist design. The classic profile of this thong provides a good option for those looking for a sporty, masculine design.
Material:	B	The softness and stretch of the cotton blend is very nice but the extra light weight starts to make me wonder if this thong is going to be durable for the long haul.
Construction:	A-	In general, the construction of this thong is top-notch with clean seams and an even cut on the pattern. There were some loose threads on the back panel which I think could have been cleaned up a bit before considering this thong "finished".
Overall Grade:	B+	This is a solid thong with a nice design that you can wear for a variety of purposes. If the pouch design were engineered a bit better this would definitely be in the "A" category but as it exists now I'm going with a solid if not perfect "B+"
Would I buy another pair? Yes, I would consider another Clever cotton thong purchase. The price-point is reasonable and the color options make it worth trying a couple out for variety.

Wear Recommendations:

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

Where To Buy:

Clever Underwear is carried by several online stores with this specific brief pattern available for purchase at FreshPair.com: Product Page, Skiviez.com: Product Page, MensUnderwearClub.com: Product Page, 10Percent.com: Product Page, Mensuas.com: Product Page, Erogenos.com: Product Page, StevenEven.com: Product Page, Wyzman.com: Product Page and Undergear.com: Product Page.

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