Shielded - A Review

ES Collection is a brand based in Barcelona, Spain.  All their fabrics and designs are made there, but they are quickly expanding in popularity to all parts of the world.  They are noted for their unique cuts in both swimwear and underwear.  Today I am going to be reviewing the Shields briefs from their winter collection; however, I believe for reasons listed below that this piece is more suited to summer wear.  Stay tuned for a review of swimwear.

The fit of these briefs is what I would call skimpy to say the least.  At first glance they don't look it because they are so well designed.  But  upon closer inspection, they are quite small.  They just cover all the essential parts.  The legs are very high-rise making for only a few inches of fabric on the side.  The pouch has a unique, u-shaped top opening that seamlessly integrates with the rest of the brief.  The only seams are on the sides.  

These things are really comfy!  Usually briefs that are this small ride up or ride down causing discomfort.  But these stay in place and keep you comfortable.  They are made of a light-weight cotton blend and are perfect for the summer.  The cotton breaths well and isn't too heavy for the hot weather.  Also, the skimpy fit makes for minimal coverage - also a good thing in the summer.  While they are part of the winter collection, I think they are perfectly suited to summer wear as well.

ES Collection is really all about the style.  These things scream stylish.  From the skimpy, Euro-fit to the unique pouch.  The fly is more stylish than it is functional, but that's okay because no one really uses them these days anyway.  The brief is mostly white with shields printed on it in honor of the Olympics.  There are black bands that accent the white on the legs, fly, and waistband.  My only complaint about the style of these is that I'm not a huge fan of the print and wish that they made this same design with other prints.  

These briefs are well-crafted and still look as good as the day I first got them.  The print, while not my favorite, does not fade even after repeated washings.  The elastic waistband remains crisp and does not fray like many often do.  These, however are really expensive at 40 Euros (roughly 50 USD).  It does not help that the dollar is so weak right now.  If you have the money they are definitely worth it.  But it would be worth waiting for a sale or going to Europe to get them at a better price. 

 

MY RATING:
Overall, I give the ES Collection Shields Brief a total score of 8 based on the following criteria:
FIT -- 9 (out of 10) - Skimpy.

COMFORT -- 10 (out of 10) - Comfy and light-weight.  Great for the summer. 
STYLE -- 9 (out of 10) - Very stylish.  I wish they came in more varied prints. 
QUALITY -- 9 (out of 10) - High quality, will last you. 
VALUE -- 6 (out of 10) - Quite expensive with the weak dollar.  If you have the money, they're worth it. 

**********8

Will the Real Lowrise Please Stand Up?

I’m baaacccckkkkk! Damn! It’s been a long time. But you can’t keep a good contributor down.

Now, I consider myself a men’s briefs expert. I’ve tried them and own a large variety of them. And much to the chagrin of my dad, I’ve touched them on other boys. I love the variety of cuts, prints, and colors that are now available to men nowadays. We ARE living in the age of underwear.

But above all else, I love a good low-rise brief. I think my unexplainable adoration of the low-rise stems from the way they provide the support of a brief, but allow for greater freedom of movement than your average tighty whitey (not that I have anything against those). To me, the skimpier cut says a lot about the wearer; it says that you’re sporty and need just the barest of coverage for you to move in for the score. It could be that they say that you’re naughty, and that the brief coverage is just a promissory note for what’s to come.

In the hierarchy of underwear I think “low-rise” gets confused at times with “bikini” or “hi-cut”. In my opinion, these three terms refer to three distinct garments. The rise refers to where the waistband stops on your body. Bikinis do not have waistbands and hi-cut briefs are pretty much bikinis with a waistband.

To qualify as low-rise (to me) the brief has to be cut in a way so that when one slips them on, they provide coverage so low riding in the front and back that it barely covers your red zones…basically, you need to see bush and crack Sadly, manufacturers and designers don’t have a consistent vision as to what constitutes a low-rise, a hi-cut, and a bikini. This lack of consensus is frustrating for consumers; imagine rushing home after thinking you purchased an uber hot low-rider and unwrap something that is not lowrise at all. It’s definitely happened to me a couple of times, ergo, this article.

Luckily for you, dear readers, I have gone into my vast underwear drawers to dredge up a couple of tried and true lowrise briefs that I heartily recommend for your wearing pleasure:

C-in 2: C-in2 lowrise are dependable low rise. They come in a bunch of fun colors and prints. Their lowrise briefs are called no-show.

2(x)ist: These are from the contrast line. 2xist lowrise briefs are notoriously inconsistent from line to line. For example, their Optic line no shows are pretty full cut so much so that I wouldn’t consider them lowrise. But this contrast brief…love it!

Go Softwear: Remember the super low cotton-lycra contrast briefs? They really are super low. Here, I’m rockin’ the camouflage version. These are one of the original super lowrise briefs.

Emporio Armani: These were advertised as a Macy*s anniversary edition hip brief. But when I pulled these suckers on, well, Happy Anniversary!

So my little chickadees, now that you know the difference go out and get them lowrise and don’t be afraid to fancy up all that junk up in your trunk.

Sinuously, Though - A Review

WARNING! This review uses blatant, ethnocentric generalizations Americans have of Australia. Be warned! No actual Australians were harmed in writing this review.

So, I visited Australia about a year ago. Before I left I made a list of “must do” items. 1. Hug a koala (check!), 2. Put something on a “barbie” (check!), 3. Go to one of those surf carnivals where all the crazy hot Australian men hike up their Speedos (sadly, no check). Though I did not accomplish everything I wanted to during my trip to the southern hemisphere, I left feeling edified (and with a suitcase full of underwear).

One of the first things I learned during my time in Australia is that the lovely men of that country can generally be categorized in two ways:

1. Hot
2. Hella hot!!!

So, I guess you’re wondering why I’m blah-blah-blahing about Australia when you really just want to read a review of the sinuous low rise bikini brief. Well, besides the fact that the garment I’m reviewing is designed and made there, the sinuous brief is the embodiment of everything that is awesome about Australia.

Obviously is an Australian brand that came into being in 2007 and with its founding, it brought forth an underwear reformation, one where comfort was paramount. Their well constructed garments personify the laid back attitude of the austral continent and its hysterically hot inhabitants. Simply put, the super comfortable, super sexy, sinuous low rise bikini brief is underwear at its very best. There's truth to the company's claim to being the most comfortable underwear in the world.

More about the briefs themselves: they’re eye catching and will surely warrant second looks or follow up questions to anyone who “accidentally” happen to see the flash of apple green. There’s also a rather cool looking design element in the back of the garment, reminiscent of a tribal tattoo-very timely and contemporary, and best of all sparing (not frenetically psycho like other tattoo inspired brands, *cough* ed hardy *cough*).

The shape of the briefs are less what we North Americans call a bikini brief, but more along the lines of what we think of as string bikinis, or for our Euro friends, tangas, with the pouch and the rear connected only by the waistband. The pouch and the rear provide minimal coverage, but I kind of like that. If you like full rear coverage, you probably will want to take a pass at these as the fabric approaches more of a ¾ coverage of your badonkadonk.

So, now, on to the good part: the fit and feel of the low rise bikini briefs. When you put the things on, you get a feeling that something different is going on. There’s an adherence to the male anatomy that make the briefs feel like a natural extension or a second skin. No woman (no offense ladies!) could make briefs that feel so right on your body. Your boys will be your besties when you carry them around in a pair of Obviously brand underwear. They’ll hang free and natrually in a luxurious, lightweight encasement that is both comfortable and enhancing. It goes without saying that you’ll upgrade yourself in the bulge department when you slip these on.

I cannot reiterate how comfortable the fabric is. It’s paper thin and super light weight. If only all underwear could be made out of it. It does tend towards the risqué, so if you are going to be on display and in polite company, and don’t want to give away your religious affiliation, better take a pass.

In economic terms, you’ll probably take a ding buying these. They're at the upper end of the price range, but considering the construction and material and the fact that they were made in a country with a developed economy, the price is justified. If you don’t want to shell out the duckets for a pair of the sinuous line, Obviously has its original line of low rise garments in a monochromatic scheme with similar cuts and materials at a lower price point.

Otherwise, I would definitely, definitely recommend the Obviously brand, sinuous bikini brief.

OVERALL, I give the Obviously Low Rise Bikini Brief a score of 9.0 based on the following criteria:
COOL FACTOR -- 9 (out of 10) – bright vibrant color, masculine design

WEARABILITY -- 9 (out of 10) – super comfortable, one point knocked off because the rear may not offer as full of coverage as one would expect

QUALITY -- 10 (out of 10) - very well made garment with great attention to detail

HOTNESS -- 10 (out of 10) – you’ll be full grown in these (wink, wink)

VALUE -- 7 (out of 10) – expensive, but considering construction, quality, and origin may be worth it to you to invest in a pair

********** 9.0

Harlequin Bromance - A Review

Today we welcome back Brflines as a full-time contributor to MUB. Here's his review of the new Ginch Gonch low-rise briefs. I reviewed the older version a while ago here. And yes guys, the photo with the guy in the shirt is of Brflines. I tried to convince him to post a shirtless version but he was a little shy. But I'm sure we can convince him in the future. - UMan

A couple of years ago, briefs became cool to wear again. Accompanying this trend was the explosion of colors, patterns, and prints that provided men (and women shopping for their men) with a huge variety of styles and brand names to choose from.

At the vanguard of this move towards more varied patterns and colors was Ginch Gonch. The Canadian company brought a refreshing, tongue-in-cheek take on men’s underwear. True to their motto, “Live Like a Kid”, Ginch Gonch brings a nostalgic and playful aesthetic to garments that tends to be monochromatic and utilitarian.

Today I’m reviewing the “Tiger’s Wood” low rise brief.

Sometimes, I like to fantasize about what it would be like to be one of those New England-Nantucket, pink pant wearing, cable knit sweater thrown over a polo shirt prep. You know the type, the ones that go by names like “Biff” and “Trevor”. That’s what these briefs look like: the underwear version of preppy.

If you’ve never worn a low-rise brief from Ginch Gonch, it’s an experience in itself. True, they can get pretty wild, briefs covered with roosters (“Jolly Cocks”), hot dogs (“Wiener Eaters”), and dirt bikers (“Rim Jobbers”), but with this style you’ll be coming in at the more conservative end of the collection.

Know that Ginch Gonch doesn’t fool around when they categorize these briefs as low rise. They literally cover just enough of your boyzone to be considered decent. The garment fits true to size; the medium fit me just fine and would accommodate what I would consider the waist sizes generally accepted as a medium in North America.

I wore these bad boys all day to work. When I slipped them on in the morning, I was kind of nervous because they barely covered everything. The back coverage was especially stingy, with the waistband struggling to come to the top of my butt. That’s the great thing about these briefs though, the coverage is a constant reminder of how naughty you are being and that there’s a constant party in your pants. I was comfortable sitting in these all day at my desk job in an office, but if you’re shy about not having substantial coverage, or work in a job where you’re bending over all day, you may want to pass on these.

More about the brief: the waistband is super comfortable. The elastic feels substantial and well made. The contrast piping is black, with contrast stitching in white thread. Black, teal, grey, and red diamonds cover the brief in a playful, yet masculine, argyle/harlequin pattern. These are straight up attention getters. Everything about the brief is cool, even the tag in the back is stitched fabric, as to minimize the irritation that paper and other lower quality tags tend to produce.

My biggest beef with the “Tiger’s Wood” low rise brief is that the front is not comfortable at all if you have a lot of junk. Since there is barely enough room to accommodate a normal dude’s anatomy, I can imagine what a challenge it would be for someone more endowed.

I would definitely recommend the “Tiger’s Wood” low rise brief if you’re looking to try Ginch Gonch and want to start on the more conservative end. They’re great for just normal wear, probably awesome if you’re going out to a club with the expectation that someone else is going to be uncovering your man treasure, but probably not so great for a work out or a half marathon.

You can get them for about $22 USD from the company’s website.

MY RATING:
Overall, I give the Ginch Gonch Low-Rise Brief a total score of 8 based on the following criteria:
COOL FACTOR -- 10 (out of 10) - cool, masculine design
WEARABILITY -- 7 (out of 10) - skimpy coverage, pouch can be a problem for "bigger" guys
QUALITY -- 9 (out of 10) - very well made garment with great attention to detail
HOTNESS -- 10 (out of 10) - attention getters; you will get laid
VALUE -- 5 (out of 10) - pricey, but a good first buy if you're looking to try Ginch Gonch

********** 8