Review: RIPS Drawstring Brief

Well, I've gotta say, on a whole, RIPS may very well be one of the most over-looked brands out there. I think this may be due in part to the fact that their imagery is pretty low-key and basic. But don't let that fool you, they are anything but boring and blah. Yes, their underwear is fairly basic, but it is incredibly high-quality basic and every man deserves to experience their comfort and quality. And as an added bonus, the are re-vamping their site and image to include much more flashier, sexier imagery of their products (some of the new imagery can be seen in this post).

I have had the opportunity to try all of the RIPS line and a lot of it has far exceeded my expectations. But today, I'd like to highlight their drawstring brief because it is such a unique product to their brand and you won't find anything like it elsewhere.

The drawstring brief, in a sense, is like a Speedo (swim brief) minus the water-proof fabric and liner. It is one of the most comfortable briefs that I have tried. The legbands fit snugly around the legs, as they should, and I have never felt them riding up too high during the day. But they are just the perfect amount of tightness, because I have also never felt constricted by them, nor have I found "legband marks" when I take them off at night. I think the unique aspect, though, that highly contributes to their comfort is the drawstring waist. Unlike other briefs, the fabric is not taut in the body of the brief, the waistband truly holds up the briefs. Without the waistband (or without tying it) the briefs would simply flop down around your mid-thigh (the legbands would still hold them that high). This feature is really great because it allows you to tie your briefs as tightly or as loosely as you desire, allowing for a more roomy or a more supported feel depending on your preference or mood.

The look of these briefs is also great. They provide full-coverage while still maintaining some sexiness. These briefs truly could be worn as swimwear and you would not feel exposed at all. But they still feel sexy because of the drawstring, and the fact that if the drawstring is loosened just a bit they will fall open and reveal all (which also makes for easy access in the restroom).

The variety in fabric and colors that these briefs come in is great. They make them in crisp, classic white, a heather gray and a sexy black. They also have them in blue in the RIPS colors range (shown). They also come in the performance range. And in the future, they will come in red and yellow once those colors in the colors range have been launched.

All in all, these briefs give a good bank for your buck. When you wear these, you'll be sure to have something comfortable and fun that hardly anyone else will have. The unique waist really makes these briefs the great product that they are. You can also get a trunk version with a drawstring if you prefer.

MY RATING:Overall, I give the RIPS Drawstring Brief a total score of 9 based on the following criteria:

FIT -- 10 (out of 10)
COMFORT -- 10 (out of 10)
STYLE -- 9 (out of 10)
QUALITY -- 9 (out of 10)
VALUE -- 8 (out of 10)

********** 9