Alter Ego Break - Tighty Whities

I'll admit it.
I've become an underwear whore.

Up until a year ago, I thought nothing of going into a department store and picking up a 3-pack of Hanes or Calvin Klein plain white briefs. For many years, the suit, the shirt and the tie were the most important things to wear and as long as it was clean, who really cared about underwear?

That all changed when I met my new boyfriend and I began working out more. A lot more. It started out with a birthday present of some 2xist No Show trunks.

"These look awfully small."

"Patrick, believe me. You'll look great in them. Go ahead -- try them on."

Well I did. The way these are constructed, the grab your package and push it front and center. Of course, they were a little tight, but they felt incredibly good. I slipped a pair of snug, American Eagle jeans on.

"Holy crap! Your crotch always looked great, but you look so damn BIG now, it's amazing!"

"I hope that wasn't the first thing you noticed about me."

"Nope, first your eyes - then your crotch!" he laughed.

He grabbed my package and began to massage it. Needless to say, I was already semi-stiff from the new underwear and his tender ministrations only served to make me hard enough to punch a hole through concrete.

I didn't spend a lot of time in the new underwear that day.

So, out with the Hanes and in with the 2xists. People of course noticed the gains from the workouts, but the ab exercises and the new underwear also had men and women looking "below the belt", so to speak.

Of course, my friend Emily never minces words - "You're so fucking BIG, Patrick. Can I touch it?"

I started to look at underwear in a different light. Skiviez.com , Steveneven.com and Hisroom.com were sites I began to frequent. I developed a critical eye towards what I thought would not only feel good and and make me look better, but something that would look good in itself. Something fun.

I feel the most comfortable in trunks. Boxer briefs feel too long on my legs.

From the 2xists, I found a few more brands that I grew enjoy. Clever, Baskit, C-In2 and Udy. Literally and biblically.

First, Clever. Clever underwear is made and designed in Medellin, Colombia. Yes, that Medellin. Amazing what industries pop up once the drug cartels are out of the way. Clevers tend to run on the small side, but the cotton/lycra combination is stretchy enough to feel snug without feeling strangled. Their website is www.clevermoda.com. I have several pairs of Clevers and intend to get some more. My collection includes:

• White trunks with inkwork oriental dragon and red stitching
• White trunks with black and red tribal designs
• Black trunks with a black and white winter scene of trees
• Black on black trunks with tribal swirls
• Black trunks with purple accents and purple foil designs
• Yellow trunks with orange and red yin-yang accents and stylized dragons

/Baskit/ is another brand I've come to enjoy. Here's a great quote from their website:

If you want plain, white underwear that you can buy in a convenient 5-pack for under $10 /baskit/ is not for you.

At /baskit/ we insist on few simple things in everything we make. Quality. Design. Style.

We strive to provide a hip, comfortable alternative for modern men who want underwear that fits their lifestyles and their bodies. We make gear that is fits well and has a bit of style so it is pleasing to both body and eye.

So far, I've only gotten the one pair you see here. But they are extremely comfortable and fun to wear! Their website is at www.baskitwear.com

C-In2 is another brand I like. 2xist decided to discontinue their "regular" no-show trunks, so my C-In2's are a great alternative. The pouch here is a bit more "pointy" than the Clevers or Baskits, but nevertheless, they fit great and feel great too. C-In2s come "with" a strap or "without" - the strap is basically a fabric cockring that pulls your equipment up and into the pouch. I buy without - hell, if you're supposed to wear a cockring with these, I'll wear the real thing!

I've gotten a few pair in solid colors. Nice, non-flashy stuff for work. Well, not too flashy ...

C-In2's website is www.cin2.com

UDY is a less well-known firm. UDY began its activity in 1951, under the name Confecciones udi in Navarre, Spain. Always up on the latest trends Udy made a classical cotton underpant called 120A, that was a new model in those early years. In 1985, the company ownership and name were changed to the current name UDY, but it maintained the company team. Since then, UDY is located in Madrid and the owners belong to the foundation family. I only found these once in an Undergear catalog, and since then, the brand has seemed to fade from regular sellers.

Of course, I've also tried out Andrew Christian. They make extremely well-made items, but their fulfillment operations suck. If I'm buying underwear, I don't really feel like waiting 6-8 weeks (yes, weeks) for the order to arrive. I did purchase an "Espana" trunk which is right up on the comfort scale with the Clevers, but I'm going to hold off on any more purchases until they clean up their act.

So ... I've got a dirty little secret. Although, I doubt it is as bad as listening to The Backstreet Boys (Now, there's a group of guyz who never had a full body shave they didn't like ...)