Getting into your underwear

Any individual who is self-conscious about their image would tell you an interesting fact, dressing up and feeling good about yourself begins from inside out.It does not matter whether the world can see what you are wearing underneath the many layers of clothes, what matters is that when you put that first garment on your body, one should be able to look at their reflections in the mirror and grin at the final product. 

As much as women worry and deliberate over their lingerie, whether there are any embarrassing panty cuts and their design, men too nowadays have something to look forward to when it comes to shopping for their underwear.  Calvin Klein, one of the leading top brands when it comes to male underwear, is a trendsetter in male underwear. Celebrities including David Beckham, Christiano Ronaldo, Djimon Hounsou, Mark Wahlberg and Antonio Sabato Jr. best sum up how underwear should look like on any men.

Female fans are known to have drooled over these men with their toned bodies and fallen in love with them. Over the years male underwear has evolved to so many levels. Finding and choosing that perfect underwear can leave one confused having browsed through the underwear section of any retailer. Gone are the days when men only had one cut to choose from, the traditional brief that has received a number of tweaks and changes over the years is so 199?

The modern age allows men nowadays to look stylish from their underwear to the last item of clothing that they put on. Internationally, men have far more options catering for their many tastes and preferences. Browsing through the internet, one can be left shocked with the outrageous designs and cuts having seen some eye popping underwear that are not for the faint hearted varying from jockstraps, pop cut out briefs and boy toy bikinis.

Top brands in male underwear include well know names such as Diesel, DKNY, Emporio Armani, Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Ralph Lauren, Jockey, and Calvin Klein which might be a bit pricey for those who are not prepared to splurge on something seldom seen by many.

BG Style looked around and tried to get a grip on the many cuts and designs of underwear that are currently available on the market as well as the important question of which cut to wear with what clothing from one’s wardrobe. According to underwear expert.com, there are so many styles today to choose from. The most popular ranges from briefs, boxer briefs, trunks, boxers, jockstraps, long underwear, G-strings and bikinis.

And it is vitally important that when one chooses their preferred underwear they also need to keep in mind the type of clothing that will suit that particular underwear, something that is often overlooked by some men. The earliest brief can be traced to 1935. They range from low, mid and high-rise, says underwear expert and should ideally be worn with moderate sports, everyday, dressing up and going out. Almost all men own a pair of briefs, that mostly cover the entire backside and package though they leave the upper thigh and side of the leg exposed.

“This makes them comfortable to wear under just about anything. Briefs are perfect for guys who need support or prefer to keep everything in one place but don’t care for the excess fabric found in boxer briefs, boxers or trunks; a well-made brief can even provide a little lift, it explains.

The second cut is the boxer briefs that can be worn with workout clothes, gym shorts, jeans and pants. The website points out that a true boxer will cover half a man’s thigh.   Boxer briefs also provide the same support just like a standard brief as well as full coverage. “They offer protection from chaffing during work-outs and sports, and often are made with a moderate rise on the waist,” it says. The third cut is trunks.

They go very well with anything that can be found in a man’s wardrobe. Another cut that men can choose from are boxers which can be worn with either everyday, casual sports, and going out. Further, boxers are loose fitting with no support and have more breathing space and can also be distinguished by an open fly, which allows the user an exit route with maximum ease. “Boxer short styles are varied, spanning from the underwear you may associate with your grandfather, to trendier, slimmer ones,” it explains. Other cuts such as jockstraps are suitable for uniforms, tight pants, and bike shorts.

According to the website they offer complete frontal support and protection though they do not have fabric to cover the backside. A snap survey conducted on Facebook has revealed that a good number of men locally, choose their underwear based on cut, labels and colour. Simon Motsage prefers light coloured underwear and also considers its durability.

“I am not a fan of dark colours and striped ones,” he said. He says men do not like purchasing underwear. “You would be lucky if you could find a man who owned more than five pairs of underwear...only a few do,” he said. Legwatagwata Kheme is particularly influenced by the brand and price. His favourite cut is boxer briefs while his favourite brand is Calvin Klein.

“I also like to choose my underwear cut based on whether my partner would love what she sees when I take off my clothes, which is very important. You also need to choose a cut that is very comfortable,” he says. He is also crazy about black trimmed with white and notes that some cuts from Jockey are ideal for gym.

One woman pointed that man’s underwear is important as it enhances his physique. She said that it is also vital that when shopping around, men should consider factors such as style and colour.