Bruno Banani Knights Line and 3Sixty

The Bruno Banani Knights line, which is available at DGU in shorts, string, or tanga styles, is a really fun new line that has quickly become a favorite of DGU customers. It is inspired by medieval times with a "toilesque" all-over knight pattern. These cool new undies also landed DGU on the cover of the August pride issue of 3Sixty magazine (shown above). If you're at all interested in the mag, the entire issue is available for download on their site. Otherwise you can head over to Dead Good Undies and get yourself some Bruno Banani.

Celebrity Underwear Sighting: David Beckham

David Beckham's super low-rise white briefs can be seen in a spread in the current issue of W magazine. It's not like we don't see his underwear often. With him being a soccer (or should I say football) player the soccer shorts often come off during victorious celebrations. But this sighting is a much sexier and fuller view of his underwear. The briefs that he is sporting are apparently from Dolce and Gabbana. I'm not sure quite what style, but they are from D&G. So if you know any places where they can be purchased, please post.

Cricket Syndicate featured in Lavender Magazine

Cricket Syndicate is a fun, small company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The local GLBT magazine (Lavender Magazine) in Minneapolis featured Cricket Syndicate back in March of this year. So here's the article the wrote up about Christopher Straub and his Cricket Syndicate line of underwear. To view the article at Lavender Magazine click here.

Christopher Straub is trying to get in your pants. That is, if he isn’t there already. But don’t call the cops just yet—you actually might like what he’s offering.

This 28-year-old fashion designer is the creator and artistic drive behind the underwear company Cricket Syndicate.

“A couple of years ago, I was really into the vintage thing—I wanted everything that I had when I was a kid,” Straub says. “And I wanted Underoos, but they don’t make Underoos in my size, so I had to make my own Spider-Man underwear. I found a Spider-Man shirt or whatever, I cut it up, and I made it into some underwear.”

Soon, Straub was hand-sewing underwear left and right for his friends. It wasn’t long before he decided to turn the new undertaking into a cash cow.

The designer recalls, “I started putting them in boutiques, and I’d sell like $1,200 in underwear a month. And then, that just kind of grew from there.”

As Straub explains, “I love to take something like NASCAR, beer, cigarettes—any of that stuff—and take it out of its element. Taking this total promo, giveaway crap, and turning it into a high-style menswear item.”

Straub sells the unmentionables on his Web site now, but his initial marketing strategy was quite different: “I would sell them at bars, and I’d leave with hundreds of dollars from people just buying underwear out of my messenger bag. A group of 10 friends would dig through, and then other people wanted to dig, also. It helped to create that frenzy. After 20 minutes, I’d be done selling, and I would just dance.”

For Straub, success with the underwear sales has been overwhelming and encouraging. He grew up in Edina. A family death early in his life meant he had to work and help pay the bills for his family.

Although Straub never formally went to school for fashion design, he used to make dresses for his best friend, Natalie. He worked a number of different jobs, from set designer to fashion retail merchandiser.

Straub remembers those early odd jobs: “I used to manage at a Kmart in Fargo, North Dakota, in the menswear department, and I would put these outfits together that were totally not the crowd.”

Straub’s days in the glamorous likes of Kmart and Old Navy might be over, but that doesn’t mean he’s done with dressing people up.

In the designer’s words, “I’ve gone to Paris twice to style for other designers. I’ll be styling down in Florida, and I’ve styled in California, too. It’s nice to work with some designers that sell $60 million worth of product a year.”

Straub hopes one day to be selling alongside big-name designers, but it probably won’t be happening in the next year or so.

As Straub relates, “In this part of the country, you can’t make a living making one-of-a-kind pieces. I don’t do suiting. I like to make fun, everyday pieces. And there’s not a lot of people willing to spend $80 on just a simple top without any buttons.”

Straub is planning to take Cricket Syndicate into the mainstream, however, with a new line of underwear called Clones.

As Straub remarks, “They’re the one-of-a-kind feel, and they have the same kind of philosophies, but they’re my own screen printed designs.

“Instead of getting 100 T-shirts, and making 100 separate pairs, we’ll produce different predetermined designs. It’ll be a lower price point. We’ll be able to produce more to get into stores that would demand a size run of all patterns.

“I’d still like to have the one-of-a-kind. You feel so good, because no one else is going to walk down the street wearing the same thing. I’d love to still offer that, but I’d love to be in Urban Outfitters, Metro Park—stores with a little more edge.”

In case you’re wondering what kind of underwear Straub is hoarding for himself, he reveals, “My absolute favorite images are photo-quality images of faces. I just sold one with Christina Aguilera’s face. I love sports ones like Kevin Garnett. I really like that kind of thing.”

So, if Crickets haven’t invaded your underwear drawer yet, they’re not far away. And you thought that chirping noise was something to call the exterminator over!

Free Subscription to Genre from Nuwear

Nuwear is offering its customers a free subscription to Genre Magazine. Just follow this link, fill in your info, and get your free magazines delivered to your house. No purchase necessary. It is absolutely free. This is not really related to underwear (although I'm sure some of their article are about undies), but it is being given away by an underwear retailer. Never heard of Genre before? Well here's how they describe themselves: GENRE is the complete lifestyle sourcebook for gay men. Every month, the magazine throws a spotlight on the hottest, the freshest and the best—in entertainment, the arts, fashion, home design, automotive, technology, health and fitness, grooming and travel. Our readers are smart, stylish and tuned in. They’re leaders. We engage them by looking at the world through their eyes and speaking to them in their own l anguage. Loaded with intelligence, insight and an irreverent wit, GENRE is for the man who's a lot more than just out.

Win some pirate booty for your booty

Have you been looking at the Andrew Christian line lately and wishing you could buy some but you just don't have the money in hand? Well don't worry. You now have the opportunity to WIN the entire 2007 line (that's a $500 value). Here's how it works. The deal is being offered by Playgirl. Simply send them your photo, your brief size (s, m, or l), your name, and your address to giveaway@playgirlmag.com and enter "Pirate Booty" in the subject line. And viola, you're entered to win! For more info check out what Andrew Christian has to say about it here. All entries must be submitted by June 5, 2007.