Is Commando the New Trend? (NSFW)

Is going commando the new trend? Rick Owens sure seems to think so with his latest runway show for Fall/Winter 2015. The Paris Fashion Week show that is now the talk of the town featured male models in long, flowing garments wearing now pants, no underpants and with just a bit of penis peeking out as the models moved down the runway (some more than others). 

The provocative fashion show has lead people to use the hashtag #DickOwens and tongue-in-cheek captions like "just the tip" when talking about the show.

The question is, is this pure runway couture or is it sign of the future? Is it really reasonable to expect men to go commando with little coverage, and in the middle of winter at that? 

It's probably unlikely that we'll all just go commando tomorrow, I think underwear is here to stay. But these provocative styles from Rick Owens may play a new role in the underwear world with men's fashions that are more revealing so that your underwear becomes an integral and visible part of your outfit. 

What do you think? Sound off in the comments below.

New Trend: Jock Boxers - Reviewed

Want to let your ass hang out this summer? Jockstraps have long been an option, but the sometimes tight straps and skimpy pouch don't always cut it. Enter the jock brief and jock boxer/trunk - you get the same bare feeling in the rear with a little more coverage up front.  Today I'm going to review the Addicted brand jock boxer.

These jock boxers come in a number of different stylish colors.  I tried the black one with a silver waistband - when your ass is hanging out you don't need to have lots of other things going on. They're rather simple in the front, they appear to be just a basic pair of trunks.  But then you turn around and BAM, surprise!  I really like the metallic silver waistband (which is only on the black pair). Although the graphic nature of the logo band is present on all the colors, which I really like.  The other pairs are more colorful and funky, with contrast piping.

As for the fit of these undies, in the front they fit very much like a regular pair of trunks.  Not too tight, but fitted.  The legs are not very long and line up with the bottom of the pouch. The pouch itself is a simple contour pouch; it's not very large but the fabric does stretch so it never feels too tight.  What I will say about the fit is the leg bands are made out of the same cotton fabric as the rest of the underwear, unlike a jockstrap's elastic straps.  This means that the pouch is not held as it would be in a jock, but the extra fabric on the sides is more than adequate to hold things in place.  If you do have larger balls and are sitting down, there is a potential for them to fall out the back a little bit; it depends on what you're wearing over the trunk and how tight it is.  Overall, I personally find these quite comfortable.  I barely even realized I'm wearing them. As with all ass-less underwear this is partly dependent on how comfortable/soft the jeans are that you wear.  The fabric of the actual underwear is also soft as is the waistband.  While not tagless like most underwear these days, the tag is placed on the right hip and goes unnoticed.

These hold up very well with repeated washings.  Definitely made out of quality materials with attention to all the details.  They are available from our friends at Vocla for $34, which is a reasonable price for a conversation piece like these.  Especially if you get them in a more colorful version.

MY RATING:
Overall, I give the Addicted Jock Boxers a total score of 8 based on the following criteria:
FIT -- 9 (out of 10) - Basic trunk fit with a surprise in the back.  Small pouch and potential for larger balls to fall out.
COMFORT -- 10 (out of 10) - Comfortable fabric and waistband.  Forgot I was wearing them.
STYLE -- 8 (out of 10) - Depends on the color you buy.  Looks like a pair of fairly basic trunks until you turn around.  Great graphic waistband.
QUALITY -- 9 (out of 10) - Good materials, held up well.
VALUE -- 8 (out of 10) - Reasonable price for something so unique, but also a little spendy.

********** 8

New Trend: Men's Shapewear

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.

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?

New from aussieBum: Armour

Australian brand aussieBum has outdone themselves - again. This time with their new line entitled Armour. This new line is based around metallic silver fabrics that are meant to represent the armor that medieval knights used to wear. The Armour series comes in three different metallic prints entitled shield, protect, and defend respectively. And all three prints come in both a brief and hipster design (so there are six different pairs in the collection). The fabric has the appearance of armor but with a sleek modern-day look. As is the trend, this series features a big, bold, metallic waistband. They retail for about $50 USD a pair at aussieBum. Don't be left in the Dark Ages - this collection is available for a limited time only so get your Armour and protect yourself while there's still time.

New from Diesel

Diesel has just recently launched a new line of men's underwear. This is the new metallic stud line. The waistband features the Diesel logo in metallic studs and contrast metallic top-stitching throughout. The Diesel undies come in briefs and trunks in red, white, and black. They retail for about $35 and $38 respectively. Metallic detailing is a trend that we are seeing more and more throughout men's world. This trend is very hot, and is definitely on the rise (stay tuned for a post about this trend). Meanwhile, check out the new collection from Diesel. You can get this new Diesel collection from International Jock, Skiviez, and many other fine underwear retailers.

Trend Alert: Metallic Waistband

A new trend that I have been noticing for a few months is metallic waistbands. When it finally turned up in a new Calvin Klein line, I knew I just had to blog about it. The first time I noticed this was in the fairly new collection called Super Series by aussieBum. It is not really a metallic waistband, but more a metallic accents. This line is meant to be like superhero underwear. Another signature feature of this line is the very wide waistband. I have actually tried some of these, so stay tuned for a review soon. The next place I noticed this trend was on the upcoming carbon line from 2(x)ist. You can pre-order the carbon line at 10percent. And finally, the new pro-stretch underwear from Calvin Klein available with either a gold or silver waistband at iwantpants. I think that this trend is definitely here to stay as Calvin Klein and 2(x)ist are both mainstream underwear brands, and if mainstream companies are pushing it it is going to be hot. Metallic waistbands will definitely make a flashy statement peeking over the top of your pants. This new trend has a lot of exciting possibilities and is a very classy take on metallic underwear for men.

New Trend: Double Waistband

I was inspired by a comment by a user to write this post. The commenter, Daniel, said that he wished that the new ball lifter from WildmanT came with different colored waistbands so one doesn't get a double waistband effect if one wears it under another pair of underwear. I pointed out that some underwear, like this Unico one, is designed with two waistbands. But I had no idea how much this is actually a trend until I was browsing Raffaello and I found that Dolce and Gabbana offers many pairs of underwear with two waistbands in their Spring 2007 collection. And I said to myself, if D&G is doing it then it is definitely a trend that is on the rise. So since it is obvious that this trend is just going to get bigger and will be here for a while, I thought I'd let you in on this information.
Here's the links to some of the D&G underwear that has this trend:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (shown), 6, 7,
Also, if you don't want to pay the D&G prices to accomplish this look, you could actually wear two pairs of underwear (I'd suggest wearing a regular one on the inside and a low-rise one on the outside).

I'd really like to hear your thoughts on this trend, let me know in a comment on this post.