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.

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.