For a long time women have had the option to modify their body shape using their underwear. Well it was only a matter of time until this trend made it's way to men as well. Now men who are self conscious about their tummy can use their underwear to achieve that slim, toned stomach that they desire.
The first option out there comes from 2(x)
ist and is known as their Form collection. 2(x)
ist Form is designed to "make abs out of
lovehandles". This is accomplished by extending the elastic waistband six inches above the natural waist. While it may not look incredibly stylish, the 2(x)
ist does its job and can cut off up to two inches from your tummy. It comes in both brief (shown) and trunk styles in black and white (but more colors are coming soon). It's hard to tell how effective these undies are because the only photos show them on models who already have perfectly toned bodies and don't need the help that the Form collection offers. 2(x)
ist Form just came out this month so the availability is limited. But you can currently get it at
Skiviez for $26 and $22 for the
trunk and
brief respectively.
Men's Underwear Store also stocks it for a slightly cheaper rate at $18 and $24 for the
brief and
trunk respectively.
The next two options on the market are undershirts instead of bottoms. I think this option looks better because it could look a little strange to have
shapewear showing above one's pants; an undershirt is less noticeable. However, I feel like the underwear is more likely to stay in place because it is anchored at the bottom whereas an undershirt could ride up. So the effectiveness of these options remains to be seen.
The first undershirt comes from a company called
RIPT Fusion.
RIPT (pronounced "ripped tee") is designed by Heather Thomson who designed and created
Yummie Tummie - a women's
shapewear line. She saw the need for men to have
shapewear as well so she designed the
RIPT. The
RIPT is a body-sculpting undershirt designed to support your core. It works off the same principle as compression garments like those used in athletics, the only difference is that this is designed to be worn as everyday wear and not just for sports. The
RIPT has a patent-pending design that appears to use a compression panel across the midsection to help achieve the desired look. The chest and the sweep of the shirt are made of lightweight cotton that makes this perfect for wearing under any outfit - or even alone! The
RIPT only comes in classic white in either
crewneck or v-neck. It retails for $58 and can be purchased at
RIPT's site or at
RibbedTee. Once again it's hard to say just how effective this shirt is, but from the pictures it does appear to tighten the core a lot better than standard undershirts. Stay tuned for a review.
The final product is actually undershirts and underwear. It is from a fairly new company called
Equmen. Although it's not exactly designed to be
shapewear - it's more of a
performancewear brand - it does have similar capabilities.
Equmen uses both Core Technology and Helix-Mapping to achieve a supportive, body-enhancing garment. The Core Technology of the garment is basically all about getting the core aligned properly and ergonomically so that everything in the body is positioned in a comfortable manner that puts the least amount of stress on the body. It is also about temperature control of the body. The Helix-Mapping system is a little more complicated. It was designed in conjunction with physiotherapists, ergonomic consultants, and athletic engineers.
Basically it is a built in compression and ventilation system. But unlike other
compressionwear it targets specific areas for optimal support that works with the
bodies natural systems. I know the science is a little complicated but these things have been getting rave reviews. A lot of the reviews have been saying how much more confident it makes them feel. And so maybe that is the point of this
shapewear even if it doesn't alter your shape as much as you would like.
Shapewear can boost your confidence which in turn leads to better posture and makes you look better. Confidence is sexy. The
Equmen undershirts come in three styles:
long sleeve, v-neck, and singlet. The
underwear is available for
pre-order in briefs, trunks and long trunks. Everything is available in four colors: blue, grey, black and white. The shirts sell for about $100 a piece and the underwear goes for about $50 a piece (they will be shipping to the US at the end of the month). Stay tuned for a review of
Equmen and a more
thorough brand profile.
.jpg)
It's getting to be that time of year again when a skimpy little thong just isn't going to cut it -- it's just too cold (although heated seats do help). But if you just can't give them up, maybe it's time to add another layer. That's right guys, I'm talking about long johns. I used to shudder at the thought of them; but like the rest of the men's underwear world, long johns have really come a long way with much more streamlined, stylish designs. 
This month marks Tiger Underwear's third anniversary. Staying in business for three years in the men's underwear world is quite a feat, especially with all the numerous competing brands continually popping up. So congratulations to Tiger Underwear for making it this far and may they have many more great years ahead of them. 
The first option out there comes from 2(x)ist and is known as their Form collection. 2(x)ist Form is designed to "make abs out of lovehandles". This is accomplished by extending the elastic waistband six inches above the natural waist. While it may not look incredibly stylish, the 2(x)ist does its job and can cut off up to two inches from your tummy. It comes in both brief (shown) and trunk styles in black and white (but more colors are coming soon). It's hard to tell how effective these undies are because the only photos show them on models who already have perfectly toned bodies and don't need the help that the Form collection offers. 2(x)ist Form just came out this month so the availability is limited. But you can currently get it at Skiviez for $26 and $22 for the trunk and brief respectively. Men's Underwear Store also stocks it for a slightly cheaper rate at $18 and $24 for the brief and trunk respectively.
The first undershirt comes from a company called RIPT Fusion. RIPT (pronounced "ripped tee") is designed by Heather Thomson who designed and created Yummie Tummie - a women's shapewear line. She saw the need for men to have shapewear as well so she designed the RIPT. The RIPT is a body-sculpting undershirt designed to support your core. It works off the same principle as compression garments like those used in athletics, the only difference is that this is designed to be worn as everyday wear and not just for sports. The RIPT has a patent-pending design that appears to use a compression panel across the midsection to help achieve the desired look. The chest and the sweep of the shirt are made of lightweight cotton that makes this perfect for wearing under any outfit - or even alone! The RIPT only comes in classic white in either crewneck or v-neck. It retails for $58 and can be purchased at RIPT's site or at RibbedTee. Once again it's hard to say just how effective this shirt is, but from the pictures it does appear to tighten the core a lot better than standard undershirts. Stay tuned for a review.
The final product is actually undershirts and underwear. It is from a fairly new company called Equmen. Although it's not exactly designed to be shapewear - it's more of a performancewear brand - it does have similar capabilities. Equmen uses both Core Technology and Helix-Mapping to achieve a supportive, body-enhancing garment. The Core Technology of the garment is basically all about getting the core aligned properly and ergonomically so that everything in the body is positioned in a comfortable manner that puts the least amount of stress on the body. It is also about temperature control of the body. The Helix-Mapping system is a little more complicated. It was designed in conjunction with physiotherapists, ergonomic consultants, and athletic engineers. 
Basically it is a built in compression and ventilation system. But unlike other compressionwear it targets specific areas for optimal support that works with the bodies natural systems. I know the science is a little complicated but these things have been getting rave reviews. A lot of the reviews have been saying how much more confident it makes them feel. And so maybe that is the point of this shapewear even if it doesn't alter your shape as much as you would like. Shapewear can boost your confidence which in turn leads to better posture and makes you look better. Confidence is sexy. The Equmen undershirts come in three styles: long sleeve, v-neck, and singlet. The underwear is available for pre-order in briefs, trunks and long trunks. Everything is available in four colors: blue, grey, black and white. The shirts sell for about $100 a piece and the underwear goes for about $50 a piece (they will be shipping to the US at the end of the month). Stay tuned for a review of Equmen and a more thorough brand profile.
So there you have it. The new trend on the men's underwear scene seems to be shapewear. What are your thoughts on shapewear? Would you try it?
It's official, briefs are back at American Eagle. A couple weeks back it came to my attention that most of the men's underwear at American Eagle was on clearance for 4.95, that got me to thinking that they must have something new up their sleeve as they never have all of it on clearance. My hunch was correct. AE just reintroduced their brief in 7 solid colors, a couple striped patterns, eagle design and camo. Along with the new style, AE has also redesigned the waistband on all their fitted men's underwear (i.e. briefs, boxerbriefs, trunks, etc.). The new band is thicker with a bigger and bolder logo - in keeping with the current waistband trend in men's underwear. This new band first came to my attention when it was seen in a promotional photo on the site a couple weeks ago (peeking above some boardshorts; image shown). The price point has stayed the same on the new undies ($12.50 each or 2 for $20), which is a steal when compared to other fashion-foward underwear. All the new underwear is currently available online and will be available in stores sometime next week.
aussieBum just came out with two great underwear options for you to wear this valentine's day. Normally I don't endorse boxers because I personally don't like them and they do not provide the support that I feel every man needs. But these boxers are different. They are stylish and they solve the support issue. The boxers are in silky valentine's designs and are very low-cut with short legs (so they don't cover too much) - perfect for a romantic valentine's day. Now you might be wondering, how do they provide support? Well, aussieBum has implemented a special supportive pouch that is much like their Wonder Jock undies, only in a boxer. The pouch appears to be made from a mesh-like material (similar to that found in some swim trunks) so you boxer wearers will still get the "airiness" that you enjoy. I think this is a genius idea, and it might just get me wearing boxers on occasion (of course they need to come out with some new fabric patterns so they will be suitable for everyday wear). The only drawback, they're a little pricey at $30 a piece, but they're probably worth it considering the quality that aussieBum is known for and the fact that it is for a special occasion. Also, be sure to check out their cute promo video below:
Ginch Gonch has a new line of underwear coming soon. In fact, their site appears to be under construction right this moment for the implementation of these new styles as well as a new look. This new collection is called the Jungle Fever Collection. I briefly mentioned this collection before with some leaked photos. Now we have some official photos of the first style to be launched, the Erect Eagles (shown). These new styles should be hitting stores sometime this month, so stay tuned! This collection is all about the inner animal desires within people. The collection will feature four animals: eagles, monkeys, tigers, and panthers. All predatory mammals associated with strength and power. So check out these new undies to help find your inner animal strenght. 
Check out these awesome new briefs from QZ Bodywear. They have a funky look with black body and high-contrast ribbing and waistband. And on the waistband they have their logo spelled out in metal Swarovski! They're available at Men Attitude for about $33 each. So check them out! 
This week WildmanT has some exciting new offerings. They have now launched their line of swimwear. As Tim promised in his blog post a while back, the swimwear has come. But make note, this is just the beginning and they will have a full-fledged line of swimwear for summer 2008. The initial launch of WildmanT swimwear comes in three different styles with a variety of color combinations. There's the four panel midcut, the bikini horizon, and the four panel bikini. Also as promised, there are new styles of Ball Lifters. This new style is the Ball Lifter Sport. It is just the basic Ball Lifter but in black and white for a more athletic look. As Tim realized in another blog post: