International Jock

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Gap's finest

I've been plying the internet recently for good deals on quality underwear, and I have just acquired some really cool briefs from The Gap. The goods are called an “athletic brief,” which is along the lines of “sport briefs,” “fitted briefs,” or any of the other catch phrases used these days. Basically it all comes down to a collective description: really well fitting, comfortable, supportive, and stylish. All of these qualities describe what I got perfectly. They are made of really soft 100% cotton and have just the right amount of coverage in the seat. The front has a pouch that is also just the right size. In addition, the waistband has a very comfortable, clingly feel to it. Although sources tell me that Gap briefs have a tendancy to stretch out, I have not found this to be the case even after a long day of wear. The brief held its shape quite well as a matter of fact. Repeated wearings may prove otherwise, but for now this does not seem to be a problem. I suspect that a dryer may be fatal to these briefs, shrinking them irreversibly. I base this assumption on the fact that they are 100% cotton and also the weave of the fabric, which has that shrinkable feel to it. I doubt I will take a chance on them.

On Gap.com the underwear is available in solid colors. In the store I have seen them with contrasting stripes and even some graphic prints. All of them are very stylish with contrasting leg openings. What’s even better, they are on sale for about half the price! In all honesty the only thing I would fault them on is the substance of the fabric. It has a good feel, but if it were just a little thicker, it would be top notch.

MY RATING:
Overall, I give the GAP Athletic Briefs a total score of 10 based on the following criteria:
FIT -- 10 (out of 10) -
As of right now, they fit wonderfully.
COMFORT -- 10 (out of 10)
STYLE -- 10 (out of 10)
QUALITY -- 9 (out of 10) - The fabric should have a bit more substance.
VALUE -- 10 (out of 10) - $6.99 Gap.com; can’t beat that.

********** 10
Note from UMan: I have tried some of the GAP boxerbriefs and I have experienced the stretching out that Andy mentioned he had heard tell of. What I've found is that they stretch out as you wear them (after they've been washed once). And if you just put them in the washer (and not the dryer) they stretch out too, but once you put them in the dryer they get back to a comfortable size again. And then the whole cycle repeats once you wear them again.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I think the issue with drying clothes in the dryer is that most dry their clothes too long at the highest heating settings, hence the shrinkage issues. A medium heat may take a bit longer with the benefit being far less shrinkage if any with your clothes.

Upon your recomendation I checked out the Gap on line store and ended up buying 5 pairs of these pouched briefs and really like them, plus they sent me a coupon for an additional 15% off of my next purchase good through mid June, in addition to whatever discounts are posted for the merchandise.