Just a guy sharing his love for underwear of all kinds!
While I’m on a Bruno kick, here’s another of their LOVEPRIDE collection. This isn’t actually a pair of underwear, but a fun little pair of shorts – one that looks like it would do well going commando though. 😉 It’s described as a “cotton plush” fabric, so I’m guessing it would certainly be comfortable on your sensitive area. And, despite being shorts, it looks like the front is fairly impressively shaped! The ass (not shown here) also hugs your cheeks nicely, while the back of the waistband (in fun rainbow striping) seems to go a lot higher than the front does. The pockets look nice and big, which is a plus! Especially if they go fairly far down front…
Material: 95% Cotton, 5% Spandex, and marketed as the “four-way stretch” that has popped up occasionally in my reviews. I still don’t know what the definition is, especially since I’ve seen variable material blends for it… Anyway, the material on this pair isn’t super-thick but does have a feeling of weight to it – it’s not a fabric you’re gonna wear through easily. Aesthetic: Full disclaimer, I’m about ready to gush over this pair! The classic white combined with black piping gives a very bold base look, and that’s mirrored with a playful font on the waistband. What really sells this pair’s look, though, is the all-around (but not overdone) “Texas” feel: some nice stars on the waistband, a sexy stylized bull right in front (so it’s nice and puffed out with your bulge), and a red cowboy-inspiried border from one hip all the way around back to the other hip. Adding the red to the bold black & white color scheme adds a feeling of swagger and power, and both bulls (there’s another one around back too) fit so well with the overall masculine feel of this pair. (Not to say this general design doesn’t look damn sexy on women too – Ginch Gonch makes underwear for everyone – the same bold colors and confidence work just as well for the ladies!) I just love the overall attitude this pair exudes. Giddyup! Other: The one big downside to the above paragraph about the aesthetics is that both the bull in front and the red border design is that they do stretch/fade over time as the vertical white threads of the underlying fabric do start showing through after enough washes. If you’re a big guy, you might see that stretch-whitening in the red border just by wearing the pair. Waistband: Very typical, about what you’d expect for a waistband. Simple, fairly soft, and nicely stretchy at least. Sits mostly at the waist, though the front center does come down a little bit (at least on me). One thing that is advertised about this waistband is its “anti muffin-top”, to which I assume means they’ve tried to design it so that it prevents a bit of that overhang you can get from your belly, sides, or back. Of course it’ll depend on your body type, and I still have a bit of donuting with my side fat, but overall I think it does an okay job of what’s advertised. The tag in back is its own kind of fabric, so it’s soft and relatively unnoticeable even if it’s big. Pouch: Nothing super-well shaped, but between a smart construction and (I’m guessing) the four-way stretch fabric, you can still end up showing off a lot even though the front is ostensibly rather flat. Part of that “flatness” comes from the fact that it’s got a traditional vertical fly, and the extra layer of fabric that necessitates almost always means a flatter front. (We’ve seen Aussiebum and Andrew Christian experiment before with a highly-shaped vertical-fly pouch before, and the shaping almost always renders the fly useless.) Here though, that smart design and four-way stretch come into play yet again, as the flies on these pairs are incredibly easy to use, which is always worth some points in my book. (To the point where, like the CK briefs and Piado briefs, you can pull everything through the fly without it being uncomfortable!) The pouch is also one of the two places I can tell the difference between the two cuts, and it fits a pattern I’ve noticed. The pattern is that, if a pair of underwear has a traditional vertical fly, then the lower parts of the pouch’s edges give better support the shorter the pair’s legs are. I’m not sure exactly why, but the longer a pair’s legs are, the worse job the pair usually does at coming up to where the inner thighs meet the crotch. These Ginch Gonch pairs are a great comparison case, (in fact Ginch Gonch’s entire line is, as I also have one of their regular briefs,) as the Long Brief usually feels like there’s just a little bit of gap on either side of your balls, which isn’t really there in the Sort Brief. Backside: Does a fairly good job of holding you and and making you look a bit tighter in the rump than you might actually be. X-D
Legs: The body of the legs is great in both pairs, as are the hems themselves – always a good, healthy amount of stretch and grip in both. The Sport Brief’s legs have a 1″ or 2″ inseam, (darn “four-way stretch” makes it hard to say for sure,) while the Long Briefs have a 5″ or 6″ inseam. And, fitting with another pattern I’ve noticed that depends on leg length, the shorter legs on the Sport Brief do occasionally begin to roll up on my big thighs depending on my positions and motions through any given time; the longer legs on the Long Brief generally stay in place and avoid the rolling. Other: Interestingly, I can’t really tell any difference between the sizes, at least aside from the obvious case with the leg length! Overall: 4/5 – this is just such a fun pair – and it’s really comfy too! It’s not “lightweight”, but if you don’t mind medium-weight fabric, definitely get this pair. Or any Ginch Gonch pair! I have four total pairs from Ginch Gonch, and they all have the same general construction, so the only differences are what cut you like and what visual design appeals to you. (I may show the other two in a brand review post… TBD) Great for: Everyday wear, Sexy wear Good for: Loungewear
Material: 95% Cotton, 5% Elastane, nice and lightweight but not quite as breathable as you might expect. Generally a bit snug all-around, in a good way. (That could likely be the result of this pair being a small instead of a medium.) Aesthetic: Visually, this pair is almost identical to the Ergowear FEEL Modal Long Boxer I reviewed not too long ago. What can I say? I love pure white, longer-legged undies. X-D Well, as long-legged as I can get… Still can’t see to find one that gets close to my knees. Anyway: yes, it’s plain, but I like the plain white look. Waistband: Again, a fairly typical waistband in terms of height, comfort, etc. The elastic in the waistband is a tad bit tighter than some other waistbands, but not to the point that it’s uncomfortable or hard to put on – just snug! And this is definitely quality of the construction, not because of the sizing – I’d guess a medium’s waistband would still be very body-hugging. Infrequently, the top of the waistband might roll down a little bit – more when you’re sitting than otherwise. The waistband here is lower-rise, sitting at or above the hips. Pouch: The front on this pair is the biggest difference between it and the FEEL Modal Boxer, in that the pouch here is a very specific, rounded shape as opposed to a loose-hanging pouch. Both support your boys very well, just in different ways. This pair definitely aims to hold your junk in place snugly – though that’s not to say the pouch is small, since it’s got a nice amount of room itself. It’s just a very well-defined pocket that keeps you in place! Backside: Have I mentioned that this pair is sung? X-D If you’ve got a big, flabby butt like I do, it might not be the best look around, especially since the fabric is kinda thin to begin with and starts showing things off a lot when it’s stretched out, but on fitter butts this should look amazing, especially with the seam that goes right down the middle and accentuates the lower part of your cheeks. (Lifts and separates!) The extra seams that go down the backs of the legs also are a kinda fun look.
Legs: Overall, I like the legs here. THe snugness is good, as is the length. The only small drawback – and it’s not a very noticeable one during everyday wear – is that the hems of the legs do roll up on occasion. Other: This pair has been rebranded as the CORE Basic Long Trunk since I bought it. Aside from a stylized CORE logo on the waistband in close of the basic CheapUndies name, I don’t think it’s any different now. Overall: 4/5 – for me personally, the FEEL Modal Boxer just has a better material and better legs. Both pouches are excellent even if I’m more likely to wear the FEEL, simply because I like to lounge about more. Those all said, this is still an excellent pair of underwear, so if you prefer a tighter pouch or if price point is an issue, then definitely get the CheapUndies long white boxer instead! Great for: Everyday wear Good for: Loungewear, Sleepwear, Activewear
Bruno. Buddy. I know it’s been a while. We need to chat. X’-D
I dunno who dreamed up this combination Crop Top Thong, but it’s the most outlandish item in Bruno’s new LOVEPRIDE collection. Most outlandish, and yet in a demented way, also the most genius? I mean, it does a fairly seamless job of incorporating a bunch of gay standards: the crop top, the thong (bodythong no less), and mesh!
As I’ve mentioned with previous Bruno items, I do reeeaaally like outfits that are smooth across the sides of the hips – either from having fabric all the way up or from not having fabric at all! Of course, Bruno often chooses the latter, and I’m not complaining! The shape of this piece, crazy as it is, really does work well in my opinion.
The Y-shaped strap(?) that connect the pouch to the crop top on the front are repeated on the back. Also not seen in the view above are the fact that there are rainbow stripes down the sides of the arms – so I’ve included another view below. You can clearly see how the back strap comes off the back and goes down between the cheeks to make the thong part of the thong, plus you can really see a great shape on the pouch. Even in the front view above, the pouch looks like it has a great, rounded shape to it – and very promoting!
Renoma! First time I’m seeing this brand. And first Japanese brand, too! Nothing that sticks out to me as outstanding, but I’d definitely be interested in getting a pair of these to see what they’re like! Nice big waistband, looks like a nice fabric, and the print pattern is pretty cool.
I’ve reviewed some Nike Pro compression shorts before, so here I’ll point out the obvious design differences: the pouch has different seaming, opting for a more pouch-like design instead of the vertical panels; the legs look longer in comparison to the overall cut, and the waistband looks smaller; finally, the material looks tighter and more synthetic, giving an overall even more athletic feel than before. If the previous white compression shorts were for a baseball or gridiron player, this pair looks way more suited for lots and lots of running, like in soccer or simply for I-run-an-hour-every-morning. Looks good!
…also, the tennis shoes may not be the same shade of grey as the shorts, but damn they do complete that “runner” look – not to mention the backwards baseball cap and earbuds. So I guess this is technically an outfit by my standards too. X-D
Here’s an “outfit” where the top and bottom are definitely NOT from the same maker! That sweater is far, far away from this kinds of things you’d find on Andrew Christian’s production line! Well, maybe if it’s a crop-top-y sweater, that might be a similarity. But that’s about it!
I can kinda see what the intent of this outfit was, but… I’m not a huge fan of the idea to begin with and I don’t think it was pulled off incredibly well. Each half of the outfit individually looks good against the background, but the two halves just don’t mesh very well IMO. There needs to be some sort of synergy, and it’s just kinda lacking at the moment. And yes, I did schedule this post after yesterday’s for the contrast in outfit construction.
I think the underwear here is the Show-It Retro Pop Brief? The front pouch certainly does with the three seams and tight round shaping, but it’s missing the hip bands I’m used to seeing on the Retro Pop Briefs. Maybe it’s a Happy Brief? But those use Almost Naked instead of Show-It… IDK. I do like the relatively full coverage.
Can’t tell anything about the brands of the underwear here, but I do appreciate the overall “outfit”! It’s a great shade of red, and I’m suspicious that the plain t-shirt and plain briefs might even be from the same producer because of how well they match.
Also can’t see much of the briefs here, but the pouch has a nice shape (and is being filled out nicely here!)
As a final and somewhat unrelated note, I gotta give some props to the model-photographer here; he picked a great spot for lighting, giving some great contrast and setting up the overall mood of the photograph – not quite brooding or moody, but there’s a definite weight to it. The angle of the photo adds to that somewhat-unsettled ambiance, and the simplicity of the background works well with the simplicity of the outfit.
Material: 90% cotton, 10% Elastane, lightweight and soft but not quite as soft of you might expect a cotton mix to be. Breathable and stretchy too. Aesthetic: The main fabric of this pair is plain orange, and while orange is my favorite color, the pair might seem a little plain if that was it. However, the waistband has a belt-like look to it with white and gold on a brown base, which adds a fun little flair to the pair. The visual seams are also at fun angles. Waistband: Fairly typical as far as waistbands go, I’d say. Middle-height, fairly solid but still nicely stretchy and soft enough. The tag in back is fairly big, but soft enough to be generally unnoticeable. Pouch: Not aggressively promoting but still shaped well – gives you space without being loose. Very nicely supportive of your balls in the lower half of the pouch. Backside: Nothing to really write home about, but I like the full coverage, and there is a hint of shaping for your cheeks right before the backside comes down between your legs. Legs: This pair has a hem that’s a bit larger than you find on a lot of other briefs (thought I’m reminded of the legs on the first AussieBum brief I reviewed, so it has precedent in the brand) meaning they don’t cut in at all, stay in place nicely, and give that extra little bit of coverage – all while being as stretchy as the rest of the pair. Overall: 3.5/5 – Screw it, I’m dropping the pair to 3.5, just with other reviews I’m done since. New standard!I went back and forth a lot on whether to give this a 3.5 or a 4… I lean toward a 3.5 since it’s definitely not quite as good as the Clan Brief, but comparing to other previous reviews as a whole, I think the 4 is more in-line with what I’ve established so far. Either way, this is a very good (if not outstanding) fly-less brief for general everyday wear! Great for: Everyday wear Good for: Activewear, Loungewear(?)
Hope you all enjoyed the series of reblog reviews this past week! And I’ll be posting the first of my own full reviews tomorrow. The idea at the moment is to post one or two full reviews each weekend and three to five reblog reviews each week. Still also toying with the idea of doing brand/line reviews, but that’s on the backburner for now.
Undie Reviews DC 