Basics - socks and underpants part II

Cinder & White Photo: American Apparel

Like I said yesterday, just about everybody wears them, hardly anyone sees them, and nobody talks about them...except me. It's easy to assume that the subject of underpants is a touchy rather personal one. Undoubtably, not everyone will agree with what I have to say in this article, and I don't blame you. It's taken me years to find a good mix of comfort, quality, and style in this, the most close to home of all we wear on a daily basis.

A few years ago my friend, and fellow fashion junky, Jeb, AKA £50 Note, alerted me to the existence of American Apparel underpants and I've been hooked ever since. Like the good people at Wire & Twine, American Apparel is also making clothing with a conscience. They know that the manufacuring process for clothing is hard work. American Apparel sewers make a wage twice that of the federal minimum and they provide a long list of benefits including subsidized lunches and public transport, free onsite massages, health insurance, paid days off, and something almost unheard of in the clothing industry, job security.

So, as a business, American Apparel is obviously not like everyone else in the world of undergarments and this becomes even more obvious when you try on your first pair of their gotchies. The first thing you'll notice is their mad style. Somebody at American Apparel has actually thought about and therefore imbued a certain importance and priority to the styling of that which very few people see you wearing. The material from which they're made is so soft it makes you wonder why everyone else in this business is using such comparatively coarse cloth, and the fit and finish is perfect.

The briefs are pretty minimalist, fit snugly at first, and ride a bit lower than your average tighty-whities. I'll admit, I found their low rise a little disconcerting at first but quickly forgot about it once I was fully dressed. After a few hours of wearing them it dawned on me that their low-rise design means that you never have to deal with them riding up and you'll never walk around with 3 inches of underwear showing out of the top of your jeans. Genius!

If you have to wear underwear, they may as well be comfortable. If you want to wear underwear, they may as well be stylish. American Apparel has you covered on both counts.

If you are of the commando persuasion you should probably click here.