Garcon Model Elite Sport Brief

Garcon Model is a Canadian underwear and swimwear company that was started in 2012. The Elite Sport Brief, one of their newer offerings, is from a range that is offered both in boxer briefs and briefs. The design is unique, and although it has some great features, it also includes some major oversights, as I discuss below. I think the young company needs to rework its designs a bit before it could justify charging the price of high-end men’s underwear. 

Materials and construction: The website records the materials as 95% bamboo and 5% elastane (spandex). It’s a comfortable, soft and stretchy material that conforms well to the body. The stitching seems adequate, although there is some obvious asymmetry where the waistband is stitched together in the back. This item also utilizes a fly with a wide and functional opening, which is the first time I’ve seen such a thing that could be used comfortably on a high-end pair of underwear. Unfortunately, there is little to no elastic around the leg holes, which is a major oversight on an otherwise well-designed and well-made item. I’ve washed the garment a handful of times and see no signs of deterioration. The design is tagless, which is a plus. 6/10

Comfort and usability: The lack of elastic in the leg holes compromises the stability a great deal. The material constantly slides up the back as a result. For this reason, I cannot recommend this item for any athletic purposes, or even for long walks. The pouch, however, is more interesting. Of the two sheets of fabric used in the pouch as the fly, neither is fastened on all sides. This lends the pouch an impressive degree of flexibility and practical support without feeling particularly restraining. The pouch itself is not particularly large, but it provides more comfort than one would expect for its size. Overall, I found the Elite Sport Brief to be tolerably comfortable. 5/10

Aesthetics: I usually give high ratings in this category, simply because I get the pairs of underwear whose appearance pleases me. The grey material, blue accents, and clean lines around the pouch and fly work well together, but are a little less distinctive than the other Garcon Model varieties. 7/10

Overall rating: 6/10

Big enough? Not quite, although I could spend the day wearing it with some adjustments.