Yesterday was National Underwear Day.
Its a made-up holiday created by Freshpair, a company that sells underwear. No surprise there.
But the underwear industry has really grown in the last 40 years. For men the choices used to be boxers or briefs. Usually cotton. Usually white for briefs, and solid or benign prints for boxers.
Nowadays there are literally hundreds of sellers of men's underwear, each with lots of varieties. Boxers, briefs, boxer-briefs, bikinis, string bikinis, thongs, jocks. In every color and color combination you could want. Fashion underwear is a multi-billion dollar per year industry.
Then there's all the 'novelty' and fetish underwear. Cotton, polyester, nylon, mesh, spandex, latex, lycra, and leather.
Things have certainly changed over the years, so maybe there's a real reason now to celebrate National Underwear Day.
How will YOU be celebrating?
Today is National Underwear Day!
According to its website, it was created by an underwear manufacturer in 2003 to "shine light on 'unmentionables'". Really? Underwear needed to have a light shown on it? It seems more like a gigantic advertising scheme to me, but I'm not complaining. I love seeing people (read: men) in underwear so I'm calling attention to this 'holiday'.
Past celebrations have included underwear modeling events, giveaways, celebrity appearances, and the setting a new Guinness Book of World Records. Click here for videos.
While on the topic of underwear, I'm just gonna go ahead and put this out there: I don't 'get' the idea of buying expensive designer underwear. No one sees my underwear but me and Spouse, and neither of us are impressed with brand names on our waistbands. Some will claim that designer underwear is better quality and premium fabrics, but I've had some good old fashioned Fruit of the Looms and Hanes tighty-whities for years, so I'm not sure I believe that argument.
Designers like Andrew Christian, Papi, and NastyPig have done a lot to eroticize and sell underwear, and I've definitely watched more than a few of their promotional videos. But sexy or not, I'm not spending $25 or $30 on a single pair of underwear when I can buy a 5-pack for half that, or less. I'd rather spend my money on something other than underwear.
What you do think??
As long as I can remember I have only worn white briefs. I have dabbled once or twice into the colorful bikinis, boxers, and boxer-briefs, have always come back to plain white briefs (PWB). While I know they aren't stylish like Andrew Christian, NastyPig, or the like, I enjoy the simplicity and stark white cleanliness of PWB. I'm not dating or hooking up so I don't need to impress anyone with my stylish underwear. Besides, are 50-year olds even allowed to wear Andrew Christian or Nasty Pig??
Recently I determined I was in need of some new underwear, and since I had a $20 rewards certificate for Marshalls/TJ Maxx/HomeGoods, I decided I would get my new underwear at Marshalls. While I found a multitude of white undershirts, v-necks, and tanks, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me that there were no PWB. Oh sure, there were the individual Calvin Klein white briefs, 1 per box for $12 each. But I was looking for a 4-pack or 5-pack for no more than $20.
It just wasn't going to happen, at least not that day, and not in that Marshalls. So I contemplated coming back another day in hopes the inventory would be different, or breaking out of my PWB routine. I decided there was no real 'reason' I needed to stick with PWB since they were getting so hard to find, and ended up with a 5-pack of Reebok cotton briefs for $9.99. Make that two 5-packs, since I had $20 to spend.
So now I have 10 new pairs of comfortable, cotton briefs in an array of colors. Not that anyone sees them but me and occasionally Spouse.
I am a 'briefs' kind of guy.
I grew up wearing Fruit of the Loom or Hanes white cotton briefs, and always found them to be comfortable.
In the mid-80s I experimented with bikini briefs because that's what was in style then.
But I felt a constant urge to pull them up all the time, and the ones I got were some kind of blend of manmade fibers so they weren't as comfortable as cotton. So I went back to my traditional white cotton briefs.
Then in the mid-90s I experimented with boxers because that's what was in style then.
But that experiment was even shorter-lived. The loose legs got bunched up under the legs of my jeans/pants, and I really didn't like the lack of support. My loose junk jiggled around so much that I was constantly aware of it, and I do NOT need to be constantly thinking about my junk. So I returned to the comfort and support of briefs.
The next underwear fad to come along was the boxer brief. I didn't bother experimenting with boxer briefs because I assumed they would bunch up under my jeans/pants, and I would once again return to my old standby. Besides, nobody sees my underwear but me and Spouse so why I should I try something new? It would be different if I were single and wanted to 'impress' guys with my cute, in-style undies.
But recently I made a little shopping snafu at Marshalls. While intending to by these comfortable, supportive, cotton briefs:
I accidentally purchased these cotton boxer briefs:
Since stores do not accept underwear returns, I decided to go ahead and give the boxer briefs a try. I was pleasantly surprised to find they weren't half bad. They gave me sufficient support and the light elastic in the legs prevented them from bunching up. While I still prefer briefs, these boxer briefs are the next best thing.
So what about you? Briefs? Boxers? Or boxer briefs?
I saw this cheeky commercial/video on facebook and couldn't resist sharing it with you. It features Canadian model Thierry Pepin who's walked fashion runways and appeared in ad campaigns for nearly every major designer. He also had bit parts in a couple films and TV series.
I think you'll agree that Thierry's body is pretty impressive. If only we would look this good by wearing these underwear!
I really wanted to write about something else other than the house offers. I figured no one really wants to hear all the sordid details of the buyer's counter offer to our counter offer, followed by yet another counter offer. Let's face it: unless its happening to you, its just not that interesting.
So I'll just condense it all by saying that this afternoon the buyers signed off on our 2nd counter offer, which means the house is officially 'under contract'. But I use that term with extreme caution and will wait to celebrate. As anyone whose bought or sold real estate knows, the next step is the home inspection and many-a-deal has fallen apart as a result of the home inspection.
The purpose of a home inspection is to diagnose any faulty, dangerous, or non-working systems and appliances. Stoves, dishwashers, refrigerators, heaters, and a/c units must be in working condition or the seller must repair them or compensate the buyer at settlement so the buyer can coordinate the repair. But some buyers use the home inspection to note and request compensation for other items that are related to personal taste, not faulty, dangerous, or non-working things. (ie: remove old caulk and replace with new caulk around bath tub.) A seller is not required to address personal taste items, but the buyer can void the contract and walk away from the deal over such things if they want to.So we will remain cautiously optimistic over the next week until the home inspection is completed, and hope that the buyers do not ask for us to accommodate their personal taste.So I wanted to write about something else, but not much else has come to mind. I guess I'm a bit pre-occupied.Oh wait, there is this. Today is National Underwear Day. Enjoy this video of guys in underwear, and note that today's Crush du Jour is also in underwear.Crush du Jour: Rafael Branciforti
