Longevity test 1

I switched from wearing loose boxers to higher quality pouch underwear about a year and a half ago. This has given me enough time to observe the actual longevity of these products. The following is some observations on some items of the first few brands from which I purchased. (You can assume that I’ve washed these on a gentle laundry cycle an average of about twice per month since I purchased them, and have air dried them each time [unless otherwise specified]. Of course, more use means more wear.)

Andrew Christian Trophy Boy Boxer, purchased November 2015: Andrew Christian is all over the place in terms of quality. While this was a very comfortable item when I first purchased it, it has deteriorated substantially, losing its color (the lime green is turning into a muddy gray), shape, and ability to stay in place well. The waistband is in particularly bad condition. I haven’t worn it much in the past six months, as it’s not very usable at this point.

 
Andrew Christian Trophy Boy Brief, purchased November 2015: Same as above, but to an even greater extent. The waistband looks shredded, and the color scheme makes the deterioration much more noticeable.

Diesel Kory Boxer Briefs, purchased November 2015: This is a cotton blend which has kept its shape well. There is noticeable shrinking, which I attribute to the times in which I carelessly threw this in the dryer with the rest of my clothes. There is some fading of the color, which is not surprising for a black clothing item. Overall, this has held up pretty well, and I’ll probably eventually purchase a replacement pair and be more careful not to put it in the dryer.

Obviously AnatoFREE Brief, purchased December 2015: This one has held up impressively well. The only obvious changed I’ve noticed are a little bit of deterioration on the waistband, which no longer lies perfectly flat (see photograph below). The AnatoFREE Brief fits the same as when I first purchased it. I expect these to last a very long time.

Saxx 24-Seven Boxer Brief, purchased December 2015: This item has become looser and has lost some of its shape over the time I’ve had it. It doesn’t stay in place while I’m wearing it as well as it originally did, and the comfort level has decreased. Still, there are no loose threads or parts coming off, which makes it much higher quality than most underwear products. 

Andrew Christian Trophy Boy Brief

 
Andrew Christian is an underwear company whose Trophy Boy line has excellent, large pouches. Their frequent changes in inventory make it confusing to simply refer to the name of an item, and the item in this review seems to be going on sale to be discontinued already. (Since I like to keep and wear my underwear a while before posting a review, I can rarely keep up with Andrew Christian’s current lineup.) Nonetheless, it represents a number of improvements over some past Trophy Boy offerings from the company, and I thought they were worth mentioning in a review. 

Materials and construction: The item is 97% rayon and 3% spandex, which is a standard blend for Andrew Christian. It’s constructed in much the same way as many AC Trophy Boy briefs are, with the exception of two changes. First, this has been designed without the tag in the back that older AC items used to have. This is always a good thing. The other change is in the waistband. Some of the older waistbands from the brand (especially those with a shiny/glittery appearance) fell apart quite quickly after being washed a few times. This item held is holding up rather well, although the thin material should be handled with some care. 8/10 

Comfort and usability: The Trophy Boy underwear line is definitely among the most comfortable varieties of underwear on the market today. The pouch is both large and stretchy, and will accommodate however much space you need. While it doesn’t feel restrictive at all, it is still supportive, and will keep you consistently in the same position as you sit, stand, walk, and even jump. Since the pouch lets your package hang close to your thighs, this is probably not a good item for running, and seems to be more geared towards leisure than athletics. The thin material breathes well, which makes it ideally suited for warmer weather. Also, keep in mind that this underwear will not hide your bulge under your pants. 7/10 

Aesthetics: If you’ve read many of my posts, you might realize that the waistband is the same as the first item I reviewed. It looks good, and matches with the blue body and black elastic around the leg holes.  8/10

Overall rating: 8/10

Big enough? Yes.

Andrew Christian Black Boxer Briefs

 

Andrew Christian’s Black Boxer Briefs are another one of their more subdued styles. Available in briefs and boxer briefs and in three simple colors (black, blue, red), this collection is not as attention grabbing or innovative as many, but is well constructed and solid enough for me to enjoy wearing them. (Note: Apparently the item in review, purchased a few months ago, is not identical to the current version.) 

Materials and construction: The material is a rayon/spandex mix. It’s comfortable and stretchy, but after a few washings (air dried each time), the body of the underwear has started to adopt a fuzzy look due to the degradation of the material. (The waistband still looks new.) The pouch is similar to the horseshoe-shaped attachment found on the Obviously Essence AnatoFREE Hipster Trunk, with the exception that the pouch on this item has more depth and has more material in the pouch, both of which increase comfort for the genitals. The leg holes don’t have much elastic material, and the garment as a whole doesn’t stay in place well as a result. There is a fairly long tag in the back, although it seems like the newest version has resolved this problem. 6/10

Comfort and usability: The overall fit is comfortably fitted around the waist and a little looser in everything below. The legs, given their minimal elastic, do slide up my legs quite a bit. For this reason, I do not think this boxer would be acceptable for exercise, although it is decent for leisurewear. The large pouch is rather comfortable in a sitting or standing position, and stays that way even when the material around the legs piles up, but the pouch’s inflexible seam makes deep squatting and crouching uncomfortable. 6/10

Aesthetics: With the thin yellow stripes on the waistband being a nice accent, the colors work together, but the overall visual appeal strikes me as a bland compromise between the playfulness that Andrew Christian is known for and a more conservative style. The way the pouch holds the genitals, while comfortable, is also unflattering. 5/10

Overall rating: 6/10

Big enough? Yes, although this is not among the best offerings from Andrew Christian.

Andrew Christian Air Brief

 
Now that we’re well into summer, it’d be a great time to discuss a recent item from Andrew Christian, one of the companies that offer the biggest pouches. The Air Brief is a mesh brief composed of 90% polyamide and 10% spandex. The colorful waistband has something of a retro vibe, but the simple black and blue colors on all of the material beneath give what is for an Andrew Christian item a rather understated appeal. All in all, it is a good and practical item worthy of the Andrew Christian label. 

Materials and construction: The pouch is similar to what Andrew Christian uses in their Almost Naked line: Considerably bigger than most underwear, but not as big as the Trophy Boy line. The elastic in the waistband is not very taut, but seems firmer around the leg holes. The polyamide/spandex blend is stretchy, but not quite as stretchy as the modal fabrics the company usually uses. Overall, it’s a design that’s pretty well oriented for athletics. There’s a tag in the back, and tagless designs are always preferred, especially for underwear that’s geared towards athletics. As a bonus, the mesh material dries very fast, although the waistband retains water as long as most underwear does. 6/10 

Comfort and usability: Being used to the biggest pouches that Andrew Christian offers, the Trophy Boy pouches, I was a little underwhelmed by the pouch in this pair, although it is by no means small. I managed to compensate by wearing the underwear a little lower than I usually do, which was manageable and comfortable due to the relatively slack waistband. Support is great, and with the strong leg holes, I found this pair great for athletic sessions and time outdoors in the summer heat, but for the longer periods, I still find the Trophy Boy offerings ideal. 7/10 

Aesthetics: If you like the feel of Andrew Christian but not the eccentric styling, this might be what you’re looking for. The colors and patterns work together well, and there’s a bit of an old 80’s retro vibe to it. Still, I find this one a bit uninteresting visually, which is something that can’t usually be said about Andrew Christian items. 5/10

Overall rating: 6/10

Big enough? You could find bigger pouches, but I find it appropriate for trips to the gym and summer walks. 

Too Tight to Review 1: Andrew Christian W/ Show-It (2 items)

The “Too Tight to Review” series covers the pairs of underwear I’ve tried on that I couldn’t wear long enough to give a fair review. If I can’t keep a pair on for at least the length of one day, I’ll leave a few brief thoughts rather than a full review. 

 

“Show-It” technology is a feature found on many pairs of Andrew Christian underwear. According to their website, its “maximum frontal support adds up to 1.5” (3.8cm) onto your current frontal measurements."  An elastic band supported by a sheet of fabric is designed to go behind the testicles, raising the entire package up and forward. I thought the feature might be useful for keeping my package from falling between my legs while sitting, so I decided to order the CoolFlex Tagless Brief W/ Show-It.

When briefs arrived, I realized that the pouch is rather small for an Andrew Christian brief, even without taking the Show-It feature into account. I slipped them on and immediately realized these were far too tight. They put more uncomfortable pressure on my testicles than any other pair of underwear I’ve tried, and after about ten seconds of adjusting in vain, I had to take them off.

Suspecting that the small overall pouch size on the first pair I tried might have been responsible for my discomfort, I decided to try out a Show-It item from their line with the biggest pouches: Trophy Boy Link Brief W/ Show-It. Trying this on just confirmed that Show-It pouches were unusable for me.

Review: Andrew Christian Trophy Boy Apex Brief

 

Although a little subdued in color, this brief is quintessentially Andrew Christian. The body of the garment is black with white accents, while light blue, purple and a thin strip of red adorn the waistband. Functionally, the only thing that significantly differentiates this model from other Andrew Christian Trophy Boy briefs is the support of the pouch, which is bordered by two lines of stitching that stretch diagonally around the top and sides. That being said, I believe all alterations to the existing Trophy Boy lines should observe the “less is more” principle, as the collection is already so comfortable. 

 

Materials and construction: AC’s website lists the item as “93% Rayon Made From Bamboo, 7% Spandex,” which is a mix frequently seen on AC garments, and for good reason: It’s soft, comfortable, and gains a lot of durability from it’s flexibility. I’d prefer a tagless design, but I can’t complain about AC’s good quality. 7/10

Comfort and usability: Andrew Christian’s Trophy Boy line generally has the best pouches I’ve encountered. Compared to the other briefs in the Trophy Boy collection, the close stitching that surrounds the pouch actually holds the pouch closer to the body, providing greater support but slightly reducing the effective overall size (as well as the visual impression of size). For this reason, I think these briefs are better for athletic activity but worse for leisure. On the backside, the material lies very flat against my body and does not slide around. The briefs are made for men with small frames, and men with larger hips or glutes should keep that in mind when thinking about a purchase. 6/10

Aesthetics: This is really where the brief shines compared to other items in the AC line. The pseudo-diamond shape that surrounds the pouch adds a cool geometric silhouette. Instead of implementing the usual neon colors, the black and white works well to accentuate the waistband. A combination of the nice stitching of the TROPHY BOY letters and the subtle red strip on the waistband not only make the colors look crisp and distinct, but also add a luxurious overall impression. The only suggestion I would have made to the design team is to suggest a wider waistband. 8/10

Overall rating: 7/10

Big enough? Yes, although the other Trophy Boy products are better in this respect.