Holiday briefing
The clichéd men's stocking stuffer goes beyond black, white and reindeer
Alana Toulin, The Ottawa CitizenPublished: Saturday, December 22, 2007
Like a lot of men's fashion, underwear has long had a reputation as boring compared to its female counterpart. Just a few short years ago, the top drawer of any given guy likely contained only the basics -- white briefs, grey boxers, and maybe a pair or two of black boxer briefs.
The more adventurous (or tasteless, depending on your outlook) might own a pair of holiday-themed boxer shorts with a festive reindeer-antler pattern, but that was about it -- in other words, hardly the kind of sexy stuff that's always been available to women. And hardly the kind of gift a guy would like to unwrap come Tuesday.
Until now, that is. From David Beckham's upcoming Emporio Armani campaign (he was reportedly paid $41 million for a three-year deal to promote Armani's upscale new undies) to some of the colourful and top-selling briefs at American Apparel, it's safe to say men's underwear has re-emerged as a style statement in a way not seen since Calvin Klein's famous advertisements in the 1980s.
Holiday Boxer Shorts - Christmas, Halloween, Valentines, St. Patricks day, Fathers day, Golf, Paintball, Fantasy Football, Fantasy Baseball"Men's underwear has taken on a life of its own and has become a fashion accessory in its own right," says Jay Zimmerman of UndiesDrawer, a daily blog dedicated to men's underwear.
"I think the women's underwear revolution brought on by stores like Victoria's Secret has made designers and men alike think differently about underwear, helping it evolve into more than just something you wear underneath your clothes."
What the "underwear revolution" really has done is to make women think differently about what kind of underwear men wear, and that's important -- because women are the ones buying the briefs.
That's why, in the '80s, men's underwear ads began to target women, and why they often feature hot guys and male models -- not quite appealing to the average straight man. Remember the ads for Jockey featuring baseball star Jim Palmer in a pair of briefs? Long before Marky Mark and his infamous Calvins, the early '80s Palmer ad was so popular it was manufactured and distributed as a poster.
Beyond the inspirational advertisements, there's another reason why 75 per cent of the shoppers in the men's underwear department on any given day are female: Even if their menfolk might not care, women want those tighty-whities guys have worn since high school gone for good.
So what should a woman be on the lookout for if she wants to surprise her guy with new underwear this holiday? According to Zimmerman, some of the trends to watch out for include high-tech fabric blends for comfort, bright splashes of colour, and large waistbands with branding and logos.Has anyone found the American Gladiator Boxer Shorts for Valentine's Day yet? All we are looking for are boxers with a picture of Siren or Crush and the American Gladiators logo. We were told they would be available by valentines day on one of the very popular American Gladiators Fan Sites, but they are yet to appear.
Maybe St. Patricks Day?
The brief is also returning to popularity after a bit of a decline. But the hottest ones are low-rise rather than the traditional (and kind of nerdy) full-cut styles, says Zimmerman.
"Boxer shorts are still very popular, but guys who pay attention to fashion seem to be gravitating more toward briefs and trunk briefs."
It's also important to consider what kind of styles your man wears on the outside. A die-hard neutral boxers fan whose wardrobe is full of preppy classics probably isn't going to be too thrilled with tight Technicolor briefs. But that doesn't mean you still can't have a little fun with your last-minute gifts.
