Brand Profile: Dirk Bikkembergs

Remember that crazy bananas movie, “Silence of the Lambs”? Do you also remember that scene when our beloved heroine, Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) was right on the verge of catching Buffalo Bill? She goes to visit Hannibal Lecter while he’s being held in Tennessee. He taunts her for not being able to put it all together, telling her that all the clues that she needs to catch him are in her case file. She’s flustered, grasping at anything she can get from Dr. Lecter. In his menacing, taunting retort, he tells her how to find him: “He covets. That is his nature. And how do we begin to covet, Clarice?” And we all know how that crazy business ended.

I love that scene, because it speaks to the basic motivation of why we do things. I covet, you covet, we all covet! Let’s say it together! We all covet! I’m also tangential…but anyway.

“What does brflines covet?” you may wonder. How about a sweet pair of Dirk Bikkembergs?

Dirk whozitwhatzit?

Ask yourself the following: which brand is positioned at the interface of sport and couture? Which label fuses football and fashion? If you don't know the answer, I'll tell you: Dirk Bikkembergs.

Dirk Bikkemberg’s sportswear line made its first public appearance in 2001 at a fashion show at San Siro stadium in Milan. For those of you who are athletically inclined, you know this as the home field of the storied Italian football sides, AC Milan and Inter. This is the epitome of Dirk’s vision, one that brings together the sporting culture of European football and haute couture. As the popularity of the brand grew, thanks in part to its ability to deliver high fashion with a sporting edge, the company actually bought a football (soccer) team. Talk about dedication to their art!

The absolute first thing that you need to do after you finish reading this review is to google the name. You’ll be opening up a pandora’s box of guy candy that will keep you busy looking for more for the next hour or so. Seriously though, their ad campaigns are beyond smoking hot, they’re molten! It’s like getting a sneak peek inside an Italian football team’s locker room and discovering that they’re all wearing super sexy underwear. As Rachel Ray would say, Yum-O!

Then, log onto the website (which is very navigable) and enjoy more guy candy. There’s also an e-store that sells items from Dirk Bikkembergs, including (insert sound of feigned shock here) underwear. And let me tell you, there’s so much underwear to covet in the e-store, about a hundred different varieties of briefs, trunks, undershirts, including the awesome golden underwear. Being a proud, briefer, I had to put on a drool bib when I saw their offering of briefs. There’s also a coquettish side to the brand, exemplified by the description of my favorites, the blue football briefs:

“Quintessence of virility on and off the field. These briefs prove to be perfect for active men who like the comfort of soft, extra-light microfibres. Better not leave them unattended.”

Cute, right? The e-store site also has some nice touches that make it a joy to navigate, like a coherent English translation, and the cool “get the look” feature. And you know the garments are going to be great quality because of the price point and the care taken just to market them.

So, here’s the rub, boys. The company does not deliver to the U.S. Outrageous! There must be some kind of UN thing we can do, or I should send an appeal to the WTO. I needs me my Dirk Bikkembergs!

So, if you’re lucky enough to live in a country where your flag is just a bunch of colored bars (three or fewer) or has the union jack on it, try Bikkembergs out and let the rest of us covet your new, sporty, sexy underwear.

Brand Profile: Bend the Rules

Bend the Rules is a Beverly Hills, California based luxury brand that specializes in making men's boxerbriefs and trunks. The brand is designed and owned by Markus Bender. Bend the Rules is all about luxury and comfort. Markus spent over a year perfecting the fabric - a special Tencel blend - so that it would have the perfect feel. This special fabric is more absorbent than cotton in addition to being breathable, antibacterial and eco-friendly. The styling of the line is very timeless with subtle details like dragons, crosses, and skulls on the leg. To me the line has an edgy, street flair while still being classy. It reminds me of the type of clothing that you might find in the Buckle. Many designs incorporate a Swarovski crystal making this the ultimate in luxury underwear. Bend the Rules boasts a large celebrity clientele, and with the attention to luxury and details it's obvious why. You can't get this underwear just anywhere. It's only available at the Bend the Rules site and upscale boutiques around the world. Bend the Rules is on the expensive side ranging from $54 (for a pair without a graphic) to $72 USD. But for the quality you are getting they are worth it. Stay tuned for a review of Bend the Rules and an interview with founder and designer Markus Bender.

Question of the Day: How much would you spend on a pair of luxury underwear? Do you have a limit even if you have unlimited purchasing power?

HUGE Destocking Event at Wyzman

Wyzman is having a huge destocking sale right now to clear the way for new product. They are offering a massive 30% off EVERYTHING until the end of the month. So that gives you just a little over a week to take advantage of this. And when they say everything they mean everything. This really is a great opportunity to get some of the hottest styles out there at a discounted rate. So go check it out now!

Chasing Waterfalls - A Review

In honor of the torrential downpour currently flooding my hometown, Chicago, I decided to wear and review the “waterfall” brief manufactured by Punto Blanco.

I’ll have to admit right off the bat, that I may be a bit biased towards Punto Blanco products because I’ve owned and loved their undergarments for years. My first foray into higher-end underwear was with Punto Blanco, and I’m still buying their stuff.

I attempted to do some background research in advance of writing this review about the company, but there is a dearth of details about Punto Blanco out on the www. What I do know is that a “Mr. Valls” founded a textile concern at the end of the 19th century. His son took over the conglomerate in 1948 and created the company that we know and love today. The garments are made in Spain and are top notch in quality.

So a year or so ago, I was online and one of my underwear chat friends asked me what my favorite brand of underwear was, if I could only name one. I told him right away, “Punto Blanco!”. He asked me why I like Punto Blancos so much. I said that besides the fact that they’re comfortable and fashionable, I feel like I’m wearing a piece of art every time I wear a garment from Punto Blanco. Like high-end fashion houses, Punto Blanco designs new, unique lines of garments twice a year. If you don’t get your hands on a garment that you want in season, chances are you’ll never be able to get it again. Trust me; I’ve learned the hard way!

This is the other great thing about Punto Blanco. It’s affordable luxury made in limited runs. Chances are, you’ll be the only dude in the locker room wearing PBs, so you won’t be caught in that oh-so-embarrassing scenario of detrou-ing, only to find out the guy next to you is wearing the same pair of undies you are. Talk about faux pas!

Like every Punto Blanco garment, the “waterfall” briefs are quite the eye catcher. Navy blue and white horizontal stripes ring the garment, with accents in orange in the front, bringing attention to your goods. The three centimeter waistband echoes the blue and white motif, but adds accent stripes of orange and a lighter blue as well. The company’s name is written in metallic thread on the waistband in very large letters. I find the brief’s aesthetics both fashion forward and masculine. Incidentally, the company’s name means “white dot” in Spanish, so you’ll find that there’s a dot included somewhere on every Punto Blanco garment.

These are made of 97% cotton and 3% elasthene, making for a very comfortable fit that I fully expect to last, especially with the inclusion of the elasthene to snap things back into place after you launder the briefs. All aspects of the construction are sound. Shape-wise, I’d say that they are not a true low rise and definitely not a full cut, but some happy place in between. In addition to a normal pouchal area, there’s pretty full coverage in the back, in case you’re worried about letting everyone know about your crack habit. The leg holes are also as to be expected in fit; not too big, but not too tight either. They are sized according to European standards in the waist, so if you’re in between sizes, you may want to go up one.

I don’t really have any criticisms for these briefs. I even can’t argue over the price point, especially since they're on sale at Undergear right now for $14.99, which believe me (I bought these for full price in Spain) is an unbelievable deal.

So, if you’re the kind of guy, who’s looking to break into the higher end underwear scene or maybe want to try a quality European brand, I’d definitely recommend you try both the “waterfall” brief and Punto Blanco. You’ll never want to go back!

MY RATING:
Overall, I give the Punto Blanco Waterfall Brief a score of 8.4 based on the following criteria:

COOL FACTOR -- 10 (out of 10) - European coolness, modern and fashionable
WEARABILITY -- 7 (out of 10) - good in between coverage, not too skimpy, not too full

QUALITY -- 9 (out of 10) - very well made garment with great attention to detail

HOTNESS -- 10 (out of 10) - these are eye catching

VALUE -- 5 (out of 10) - if they regularly sold for $14.99, they’d get a higher score

********** 8.4

Project Runway in Your Pants!

With the Season 6 premiere of hit TV show Project Runway tonight, I thought now would be the perfect time to talk about one of the new designers and his connection to the men's underwear world. Christopher Straub, a Minnesota native, is the man behind the men's underwear brand Cricket Syndicate. You may remember Cricket Syndicate from my review and profile in the past. If not, Cricket Syndicate specializes in creating underwear made from T-shirts. The front panel is cut from recycled t-shirts that Christopher has found. He also has a line (Cricket Clones) that are made from fabrics that he has specially designed. And if you have a t-shirt that you'd like made into undies for you or a loved one you can go the custom route and have a Cricket Custom made. Christopher started selling his underwear out of a bag in the back of bars, and now he's starring on Project Runway. He's come a long way and I'm looking forward to seeing where the future will take him.

New Joe Snyder Exclusively at Nuwear

I've just received word that Nuwear just got four new exclusive styles from Joe Snyder. These styles are really fun and are sure to bring out the adventurous side of you. What's unique about these new undies is that they feature a snap pouch that will allow you to be fully covered or fully uncovered - whichever you so desire. And you can change it up really easily. This fun new style is available in a jock, thong, boxerbrief, and bikini brief (shown). They come in red, white, yellow, and blue and feature the signature Joe Snyder logo by the pouch. They also feature a c-ring interior in the pouch so even if you are uncovered you will still be held in place and supported. You can get a pair for $25 - $28 at Nuwear. Right now you can only get these things at Nuwear or Undergear. They will be available at other stores in the future, but for now the availability is limited.

Since Nuwear is a new advertiser on our site they'd like to offer you a special coupon to get 15% off your purchase with them. Just enter promo code UBLOG at checkout. Don't want to do the math for how much these new undies will cost you? Don't worry, I've already done it for you. With the 15% off discount you will only have to pay $21.25 - $23.80 to get yourself into this exclusive new line from Joe Snyder. Not sure if snap pouch undies is your thing? Don't worry. Nuwear has plenty of other undies on their site and you can use this promo code to buy any of them. When it comes to great new underwear, Nuwear's got you covered.

Question of the Day:

Do you like underwear that allows you to show off or do you prefer to be more modest with your underwear choices?

Harlequin Bromance - A Review

Today we welcome back Brflines as a full-time contributor to MUB. Here's his review of the new Ginch Gonch low-rise briefs. I reviewed the older version a while ago here. And yes guys, the photo with the guy in the shirt is of Brflines. I tried to convince him to post a shirtless version but he was a little shy. But I'm sure we can convince him in the future. - UMan

A couple of years ago, briefs became cool to wear again. Accompanying this trend was the explosion of colors, patterns, and prints that provided men (and women shopping for their men) with a huge variety of styles and brand names to choose from.

At the vanguard of this move towards more varied patterns and colors was Ginch Gonch. The Canadian company brought a refreshing, tongue-in-cheek take on men’s underwear. True to their motto, “Live Like a Kid”, Ginch Gonch brings a nostalgic and playful aesthetic to garments that tends to be monochromatic and utilitarian.

Today I’m reviewing the “Tiger’s Wood” low rise brief.

Sometimes, I like to fantasize about what it would be like to be one of those New England-Nantucket, pink pant wearing, cable knit sweater thrown over a polo shirt prep. You know the type, the ones that go by names like “Biff” and “Trevor”. That’s what these briefs look like: the underwear version of preppy.

If you’ve never worn a low-rise brief from Ginch Gonch, it’s an experience in itself. True, they can get pretty wild, briefs covered with roosters (“Jolly Cocks”), hot dogs (“Wiener Eaters”), and dirt bikers (“Rim Jobbers”), but with this style you’ll be coming in at the more conservative end of the collection.

Know that Ginch Gonch doesn’t fool around when they categorize these briefs as low rise. They literally cover just enough of your boyzone to be considered decent. The garment fits true to size; the medium fit me just fine and would accommodate what I would consider the waist sizes generally accepted as a medium in North America.

I wore these bad boys all day to work. When I slipped them on in the morning, I was kind of nervous because they barely covered everything. The back coverage was especially stingy, with the waistband struggling to come to the top of my butt. That’s the great thing about these briefs though, the coverage is a constant reminder of how naughty you are being and that there’s a constant party in your pants. I was comfortable sitting in these all day at my desk job in an office, but if you’re shy about not having substantial coverage, or work in a job where you’re bending over all day, you may want to pass on these.

More about the brief: the waistband is super comfortable. The elastic feels substantial and well made. The contrast piping is black, with contrast stitching in white thread. Black, teal, grey, and red diamonds cover the brief in a playful, yet masculine, argyle/harlequin pattern. These are straight up attention getters. Everything about the brief is cool, even the tag in the back is stitched fabric, as to minimize the irritation that paper and other lower quality tags tend to produce.

My biggest beef with the “Tiger’s Wood” low rise brief is that the front is not comfortable at all if you have a lot of junk. Since there is barely enough room to accommodate a normal dude’s anatomy, I can imagine what a challenge it would be for someone more endowed.

I would definitely recommend the “Tiger’s Wood” low rise brief if you’re looking to try Ginch Gonch and want to start on the more conservative end. They’re great for just normal wear, probably awesome if you’re going out to a club with the expectation that someone else is going to be uncovering your man treasure, but probably not so great for a work out or a half marathon.

You can get them for about $22 USD from the company’s website.

MY RATING:
Overall, I give the Ginch Gonch Low-Rise Brief a total score of 8 based on the following criteria:
COOL FACTOR -- 10 (out of 10) - cool, masculine design
WEARABILITY -- 7 (out of 10) - skimpy coverage, pouch can be a problem for "bigger" guys
QUALITY -- 9 (out of 10) - very well made garment with great attention to detail
HOTNESS -- 10 (out of 10) - attention getters; you will get laid
VALUE -- 5 (out of 10) - pricey, but a good first buy if you're looking to try Ginch Gonch

********** 8

Review: Undergear Ribbed Brief

Undergear has long been a great place to get quality underwear. In addition to selling many different brands of underwear, they also sell their own house brand. The Undergear line is notable for making high-quality, basic underwear.

Today I'm going to review their basic cotton ribbed brief. This brief is all about comfort. It is the perfect go-to brief for days when you just want to be comfortable. If underwear could give you a warm, fuzzy feeling inside this underwear would do it. It is made of soft, cotton ribbing material that conforms perfectly to your body. The underwear stretches just enough to accommodate you but the ribbing holds it tight enough so that you are held in place. After wearing them all day they do get stretched out a little bit and there is a little bit of gaping towards the leg holes. But all you have to do is wash them and throw them in the dryer and they're back to normal and ready to wear. These are one of the few pairs of underwear that I throw in the dryer, usually I just line dry my underwear so it maintains its shape. But this underwear needs to be machine dried to maintain its shape - the white elastic banding prevents the briefs from shrinking too much in the dryer.

The style of these briefs is very reminiscent of American Apparel briefs; they are very basic but still stylish. They have white contrast banding around the legs and fly and a white logo waistband. This makes for a very crisp and classic look while still being hip and stylish. The only major difference between Undergear and American Apparel is that American Apparel makes a much larger array of colors. But I feel that the quality of Undergear's briefs is much better than that of American Apparel therefore making up for the lack of color choices.

As I just mentioned, the quality of these briefs is excellent. They hold their shape and color after repeated washes and machine dries - quite a feat for basic cotton briefs. And at the price of $12.99 each (or $10.99 if you buy two or more) they are well worth it. In fact, select colors are now on sale for $3.99. That's an absolute steal! If you're looking at Undergear's site, don't get confused. These are not the low-rise spandex briefs. Those fit quite differently and are not anywhere near as comfortable in my opinion.

So overall, these are incredibly comfortable briefs. They are basics with no frills, but they do their job well. The colorfulness of the briefs, however, gives them a bit of style and fun. You will definitely get your money's worth out of these briefs, especially if you get one of the pairs for $3.99.

MY RATING:
Overall, I give the Undergear Ribbed Brief a total score of 9.3 based on the following criteria:
FIT -- 8.5 (out of 10) - loses shape during the day
COMFORT -- 10 (out of 10)
STYLE -- 9 (out of 10) - basic
QUALITY -- 10 (out of 10)
VALUE -- 9 (out of 10) - a 10 if you get the ones on sale

********** 9.3

Question of the Day:
What are your thoughts on basic underwear vs. fashion underwear? Do you have a go-to pair when you just want to be comfortable?

It's Raining Men

Friday I had the opportunity to go to Macy's Glamorama, a fundraiser fashion show to benefit the Children's Cancer Research Fund. The show ended with a bang when male models came out in nothing but their Papi underwear. The models danced in the "rain" to the Weather Girl's song "It's Raining Men". They were a big hit. It was a great way to wrap up a great show.

As for the underwear itself. The new Papi collection was a lot more out there than previous collections. I've always thought of Papi as basics with style, but this new collection has made them a fashion underwear brand. There were bold, metallic waistbands (a big trend right now). And metallic foil embellishments on the back and legs of some pairs. It was a little difficult to tell exactly what the underwear looked like because it was all wet. But overall, it looks like a fun new collection and I'm excited to see it in stores.

(Also sorry for the lack of photos, I wasn't expecting to need to take photos so I had to rely on my camera phone and the photos that I could find online. Note: the first photo is from the rehearsal where the models did not wear Papi underwear but Armani.)

Guest Post: Confessions of a 32 Year Old Brief Addict

Today I'd like to welcome guest poster Brflines. He's got a massive collection of briefs - in fact it rivals my own collection. He has a whole album on Flickr devoted to showing off his undies. The photos in this entry are of Brflines' collection and him in them. Here's what he has to say about it:

I admit it, I’m a brief addict! With close to six hundred pairs of briefs overflowing from dresser drawers and storage boxes, it’s gotten to be a bit of an obsession for me. But, despite my credit card balance, I think it’s a fun and sexy addiction and one that has led to new friends and experiences.

ORIGINS
There's something about briefs that I love. It’s about the shape and the way that they fit. For me, they’re very masculine and very personal at the same time.



I don’t remember exactly when I got into buying briefs. I’ve always worn briefs (except for a short time in college in the late nineties when I experimented with boxers) and can remember my fascination with different colors and patterns whilst amongst my peers in middle school and college. It was the mid-nineties and briefs and bikinis were still going strong, and I remember the plethora of different colors and cuts, styles and designs. Seeing my friends and classmates in their briefs and bikinis made P.E. worth going to.

I don’t have the underwear I wore back then in my possession now. But my current collection is much larger and much more diverse. I know I probably didn’t have the cash to build up as varied and extensive a collection until I had left college. I reckon that my current collection began around 2004, when I started to work at a much better paying job.

ADDING TO THE COLLECTION
As you can imagine, when you have close to six hundred pairs of underwear, you sort of max out on the space that you have to accommodate that kind of volume of clothing. So any new additions have to be unusual in color, cut, or design. Right now, I’m really attracted to things that have fun or cool patterns or prints. As you can see from my Flickr album, I own almost every color imaginable, so anything new has to be different. This search for the unusual has pushed my purchases upscale. I started out with American brands like CK and 2xist, but now look for foreign brands like Nikos A., D&G, and Punto Blanco—which gets expensive.

I’m also a fan of underwear from other countries (I’m in the USA). I travel a lot and love to pick up new and different brands that are not available in the states. It’s fun when a guy unbuttons my pants and compliments my briefs and starts asking questions about them. It really gets him focused on the task on hand, and gets his eyes on the prize. My current favorites are Dolce and Gabbana and Nikos A.

I’m still buying briefs and get very excited when I’m shopping for them or waiting for them to be delivered. I hope that the fashion world never stops coming up with new colors or designs for them.

Having such a large collection of underwear leads to organization issues, like what exactly you have and where they're all located. Brflines keeps his collection organized by using an Excel spreadsheet. In his drawers he organizes them by color. How big is your collection and how do you keep it organized? Do you do it by style, color, brand, or something else?

aussieBum Soldier

Check out this video for the new aussieBum Soldier range coming soon.

MANstore Maya

MANstore is a great brand that comes from Germany. They come from the same stable as Olaf Benz. MANstore is known for their super sexy underwear that is perfect for those special occasions. One of their new lines Maya recently caught my eye and I thought I'd share it with you today. The Maya line is made from slate grey Titan fabric that has a metallic silver thread woven through it to give it a glittering effect. The yarn is fine enough that it does not detract from the soft finish of the fabric, as is often the case with metallic threads. I really love the way this fabric looks because it is sexy without looking trashy. It keeps the eye's attention and looks incredibly expensive and luxurious. This line is perfect for the bedroom with it's extra features like quick-release clasps on the strip string or metal ring on the circus string. You can get MANstore at Dead Good Undies.