Guys' Underwear Blog

So, I received this e-mail from a follower of the Guys’ Underwear Blog, and it got me wondering; is the classic sport brief on its way out in favor of more modern designs?

Here’s what Edwin wrote:

I’ve always liked sport briefs, particularly the ones by Calvin Klein. The U1060′s with their thick, soft waistband provided the feel and look of a jockstrap in the front, while maintaining the characteristics of a brief in the back.  I only bought 2 of those at the time and was amazed at how quickly they sold out.

I had similar experiences with the U4152, which had the ribbed cotton look and a thinner, less comfortable waistband.  After about a year or so, I couldn’t find them for sale anymore.  The latest examples are the U2745 with its characteristic red stripe on top of the waistband, and the superior U1683, arguably the most comfortable of them all.  Both of them are out of stock, everywhere.  You can still find some on eBay but most of them are in size Small.

Currently, Calvin Klein has no sports briefs for sale.  None. Apparently, no other brand has anything comparable, except for 2(x)ist’s Sliq sport brief which has a very thin waistband and is less comfortable than most of the comparable Calvin Klein products were. Do you happen to know why this style of men’s underwear seems to be all-but-dead?  I find this development interesting.

Here’s what I think…

It is true that some of the huge mainstream brands like CK seem to have abandoned the classic sport brief (tanga) cut. Their reasons for doing so could be many; lack of sales, tough market, fashion changes etc. I speculate that guys who used to buy the classic CK sport briefs have now turned to brands such as 2(x)ist, N2N, Magic Silk, and Sloggi.

I don’t think, though, we’ll ever see the sport brief vanish completely. It’s a very distinct cut and one enjoyed by many guys, especially for sports purposes, obviously.

Judging from my sports underwear poll from last summer it doesn’t seem like guys in great numbers are about to drop the traditional sport brief (or the jockstrap) in favor of, for example, the compression short.

And in fact, just yesterday, N2N revealed a stunning new sport brief as part of their 2011 underwear range launch.

So, guys, take a good look at the sport briefs below the poll and share your opinion: