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