Count to Valentine's - Day 1

-Brand: Andrew Christian
-Style: Lifeguard Low-cut boxer - red
-Who to give this to: This particular pair could probably be given to any hip man. He's bound to love it. And every pair of Andrew Christian underwear now comes with Show-It technology to help enhance your man's goods. So why not buy him a pair. He'll love you for it (although make sure that by giving this to him you aren't questioning his manhood by saying he's too small and needs the Show-It for enhancement).
-Price: $26 (a little pricey, but it's Valentine's, so splurge!)
-Valentine's Spin: This pair is fairly classic with a bit of updating. Great for the modern man. Other pairs from AC may be a little riskier to give, so make sure you really know your man well.
-Also: Frankly any of the other underwear in the Andrew Christian line would make a great Valentine's gift. But some of the underwear (especially the embellished pairs) may be a little too much for some men. So make sure that your man likes embellished underwear, not just the basic pairs.

*Remember, the "Count to Valentines" is not in any ranked order*

Artificial Flavor Deal

Freshpair is currently offering a deal where you buy 2 Artificial Flavor pairs of underwear and you get a free T-shirt. Not the best deal, but if you're going to buy some A-Flavors anyway it's worth taking them up on.

Jameswinston Co. Valentine's Deal

Jameswinston Co. is having a special Valentine's Day deal. So check it out. The deal is:
Retro Trunk -The original cult classic

Buy one pair of red cherry and any two other colors for only £27 (that's 25% off!)
Enter promo code JW004 at checkout
*Excludes postage.

Love is in the air...

With Valentine's day quickly approaching we will be launching a "Count to Valentines". Each day until Valentine's day I'll write a quick feature on a good Valentine's underwear gift and who it would be best for. So be sure to stop by everyday and check that out.

Daniel Radcliffe's Skivvies?

Daniel Radcliffe, the title-star of Warner Brother's Harry Potter movie series, has recently been coming under fire for his role in a London stage show, "Equus". In this show he strips down and bares all for a sex scene. This has angered many parents who now say they will boycott his films. But really, why does it matter? It is not as if he is playing the roll of Harry Potter in this show. It's his own life, and his own time off, why can't he do what ever he wants to? And even if he playing Harry Potter in the show, so what? It would not be the first time he did a nude scene as Harry Potter. You may remember he had some anxiety a while back about his nude scene in the Goblet of Fire: "I sort of come in with this dressing gown on and in theory I'm naked underneath. I actually had a pair of flesh-colored underwear on which was just like really something you'd never want to wear!". Well this just begs the question: "Daniel, what would you wear?" Boxers or briefs? Photos (displayed in this article, click them for a larger view) have been circulating on the Internet for a few days now and I just thought it would be interesting to speculate on the topic of his undies in the show and in daily life.

So let us know what you think about this topic? What do you think Daniel will wear while stripping in the show? And what do you think he prefers to wear in daily life? Do you have any photos or sources to share? Please answer these questions by commenting on this post.

Valentine's Buying Tips

Valentine's Day is coming up soon. Underwear is often a popular gift to give for this occasion. But it can also be a bad gift, so here are some universal tips for buying underwear for your man this Valentine's Day that will be sure to help you find him the perfect pair:

-Know your man: don't buy him skimpy, sexy undies if he's not into that type of thing. If you really aren't sure then sneak a peek at his underwear drawer and see what types of things he has there. If he has all boxers he most likely isn't going to appreciate a sheer thong. If he has all plain , white briefs, then he may be OK if you get him a colorful brief.
-Know your man's size: Sure you've seen it and him before, but that's not how to judge underwear size. You can do one of two things: ask him, or look at his drawer. But be careful, when looking through his drawer he may have things that are old and don't fit him right, so make sure to look at the size on his most recent pairs (note, not all underwear comes in pant sizes, most are in S,M, L so you probably will have to peek for this one).
- Why are you buying him underwear? Is it just because he needs some new ones, or are you trying to say something more. Make sure that you give the right message. If you just want to replenish his essentials, then don't give him something sexy (unless that is what he normally wears). For example, the underwear shown may be quite a kitschy, but it may not convey what you actually mean.
-How are you related? If he is just your best friend you may not want to give him the same thing you would if you were dating or if you were married (in fact if you're just a friend you may want to consider a different type of gift). Valentine's Day gifts can actually change what kind of a relationship you have with a person, so be careful.
- It is Valentine's Day: Valentine's day is a sexy holiday, so even if you don't want to say something sexy with what you buy him, keep in mind, this is Valentine's Day. So at least get him a fun color or something like that.
-My List: I will be doing a "Count to Valentines" starting February first. Everyday I will give one of my picks for a Valentine underwear gift (not in any specific ranked order, just as I think of them). So be on the look-out for that.
-Other lists: Here's a some lists that you can look at in the meantime, they've been compiled by various online underwear stores:

• Freshpair's "Valentine's Day for him"
  
• Mensuas' "Cupid's Picks"
• Planet Undies' "Sales"
• JustHom has Valentine's deals on main page
• International Jock
• ABC Underwear
• FigLeaves
• Bare Necessities
  
• Your Privates - does not have a list of undies, but has a lot of stuff that would be good
• UndiesDrawer's 'kyunderwear' put together a list that's worth a look.
  

So good luck and happy underwear hunting!

Not your old Jockeys

Greetings, fellow men’s underwear enthusiasts. As a personal friend of Uman, I, AndyUndy have been given the opportunity to serve as a guest critic for Men’s Underwear Blog, and generate some healthy difference of opinion. My latest acquired pair of skivvies is a trunk style from Jockey. I must commend the company on this since they have come a long way from the white-bread-briefs of our parents’ generation. These trunks/boxerbriefs (The fine line between the two in this case is compounded further by the length of your thighs and how you wear them) are on the whole quite good.

The most outstanding quality is the fabric blend: 86% polyamide / 12% spandex / 2% polypropylene. This may not mean much unless you’re a textiles engineer, but let me tell you it feels wonderful. The material has a great substance; it’s soft, breathable, and oh-so-stretchy! It is sure to retain its shape for years. The waistband and leg bands are incorporated into the material of the underwear. They are not merely elements sewn together. In addition, there are no side seams whatsoever. Therefore, the construction is practically flawless.

The fit by contrast is a bit surprising. These trunks have a strong tendency to rise up. (This is what I alluded above) Even the image on the product tag shows the waistline totally smothered. This fit is a bit dated given that “low rise” is all the rave these days. The leg bands have the same problem of not staying put. There is also no allowance made for one’s “naughty bits.” Many trunks have something of a pouch but these do not, and with all that polymer fabric, there isn’t going to be any give in the near future. I suppose the flip side to this is more support but that quality just isn’t working out in this case.

At the Jockey store this trunk came in two flavors; Indigo and fire engine red. The waistband and leg bands are adorned with an analogous tricolor stripe; a very nice touch. (Unfortunately I have not seen this feature on the website.) What is available online is just as nice though. The price is comparable to many of the more exclusive names on the market, which may or may not be justified. Personally I would not buy them at the suggested retail price. In closing I would like to say that the trunk’s strengths exceed its shortcomings. If you are very ..err… closely attached to trunks, these are a great fit for you.

MY RATING:
Overall, I give the Jockey Next to Nothing Boxer Brief (1156) a total score of 8.5 based on the following criteria:
FIT -- 6.5 (out of 10)
COMFORT -- 9 (out of 10)
STYLE -- 9 (out of 10)
QUALITY -- 10 (out of 10)
VALUE -- 8 (out of 10)

********** 8.5

New Contributors!!

A few of you have noticed that Nudle has moved from being a past contributor to a present contributor. To answer all your questions, yes Nudle will be contributing again sometime very soon.

We also have a fun new contributor lined up, Andy Undy (originally going to be Andies). Doesn't he sound like fun? I also have a few guest contributers lined up as well.

I'm very excited to see what everyone has to say and I'm sure you will be interested too. So be looking for their posts soon. I have no idea what they will post about (thus the question mark where the model's underwear should be), but whatever it is I'm sure it will be interesting and well worth reading.

If you think you have what it takes to be a contributor, or you'd like to post a guest article or review, just drop me an email and I'm sure we can work something out.

Big End of Season Sales at Wyzman!

Wyzman is currently having some great sales on men's underwear. They're clearing out the old season so they can bring in the new. And they have up to 70% off Punto Blanco (you know how I feel about Punto Blanco). So check out their sales here.

Boxerbriefs vs. Trunks - what's the difference?

One of the most common inconsistancies that I've seen in the men's underwear world is the use of the terms 'trunk' and 'boxerbrief'. Brands often use these terms interchangeably, however they refer to entirely different things. They are similar, but still very different. I may have this wrong, but as I see it the terms are defined as follows. If you disagree with these definitions please call me on it because these are the definitions that I go by when writing posts.

Boxerbriefs:
-usually has a fully functioning front fly
-has two back seams "framing" the ass.
-generally legs are a longer than trunks (hits mid-thighish)
-Elastic waistband and legbands




Trunks:
-usually has no fly
-usually no seam in back or one seam down the middle
-often they are "seamless"
-legs tend to be shorter than trunks (hitting just low enough to cover)
-often has elastic waistband
-usually does not have elastic legbands

Hope that clarifies the difference. It is very confusing. So let's not even talk about hipsters, or low-rise trunks, or any other similar terms that are also tossed around.

And don't even get me started on the punctuation of boxerbrief (boxerbrief, boxer brief, boxer-brief). I just tend to switch it up the punctuation because the idea is always clear.

Look at the photos for further clarification.

Poll of the day: What are your thoughts on this? Do you go by a different definition? What is that? Is my definition incorrect?

40% off Gregg Homme!

Get 40% off the ever popular Gregg Homme underwear collection at Wyzman.

Wonder Jock Review

aussieBum is a great line of men's underwear from Down Under. I've written about their products and innovations many times. Now I have finally had the chance to try some of their latest designs. That's right you guessed it, the Wonder Jock (also known as the Patriot, I guess technically the style is the Patriot and the technology is the Wonder Jock).

First off these things fit like a glove. The fit is excellent. aussieBum runs a little small (than what most men are used to), however the ribbing in the fabric allows for movement and does not constrict. The inside workings (the "wonder" part) fits well, unlike the Alio pocket. The fabric is nice and soft. They are so comfortable that you barely even realize that you are wearing anything. The only thing that you notice at all is that there is this strange "lifted" sensation down under (if you know what I mean). It's not a negative sensation, it's actually quite pleasant once you get used to it, it makes you feel supported. It's just that one isn't generally used to being so supported that it takes a little getting used to. I imagine that the cup feels something like wearing the sock jock. It really is basically just a jockstrap (without the straps) built right into the inside of a pair of briefs. I really didn't notice any visible enhancement, but I did physically feel lift. So I'm not sure if they did what they claim to do or not, but they are quite comfy.

The style is great. They are very fashionable. I just love the contrasting piping and the use of the ribbed material. Very Aussie and very fashionable. My only real complaints are these:

• They are too patriotic for everyday wear, I really don't like how the waistband says "property of ____ (fill in country of choice here)". They're OK for Independence day, but for everyday they're just too patriotic for my taste (I guess they are called "The Patriot", but I really would like this technology just implemented into their classic briefs).
• The color choice is very limited. I really like all the fun colors that their normal line of briefs offers. Also I don't necessarily want a Germany brief if I want a black brief.
• Also, they only come in brief style, currently. So this complaint I can waive because I know for sure that they will be coming out in a hipster style because it was in their podcast on 1/1/07. I don't know when the hipster will come out, but I know that it has been made and manufactured (because it was given out in the podcast).

While I'm talking about the Podcast, I just want to go on a little tangent about that. I recently found the aussieBum video podcast, it is great. A few of the episodes involve them cruising the beaches to give men some new undies. Most of the time they find that the men weren't even wearing any underwear to begin with (*gasp*). So they fix them up with some great new underwear which the men promptly show them off for the cameras. It's a really fun, unique spin on the podcast.

I have no complaints about the quality of the Wonder Jocks. They are excellent quality from down under for down under. I'm really looking forward to the release of the Patriot hipster!

The value is very good at 15.72 a brief (+ shipping).

MY RATING:
Overall, I give the aussieBum Patriot briefs a total score of 9 based on the following criteria:
FIT -- 10 (out of 10)
COMFORT -- 9 (out of 10)
STYLE -- 9 (out of 10)
QUALITY -- 10 (out of 10)
VALUE -- 10 (out of 10)

********** 9

Poll of the Day:
What do you think of the "enhancement" trend in the men's underwear world?