For my entire life my underwear drawer has been filled with boring, white cotton briefs. Yeah, the same 'fruit of the loom' type undies that my mother first got me as a kid I've been buying for myself as an adult. Sometimes they were Hanes, or some store brand, just picked up off a hanging pegboard or shelf at the local Target, Walmart, or Costco. Nothing exciting here, most men don't spend much time doing research for underwear purchases. The plain cotton briefs fit well enough, the cotton fabric is gentle on the skin, comfort is adequate. However they don't rate high on 'support'. I often find myself having to 'adjust' things down there when something slips out of place. And this often happens when privacy isn't available. Embarrassing moment.
I've never been a member of a gym, or participated in active sports. I've done some cycling, and swimming and other sporadic exercise, but nothing on a regular basic. If I had been on more of a regular at a fitness regime, I'd probably have at least a few pairs of athletic underwear, such as jockstraps. These have a pouch held in place with elastic in the right places to hold the 'boys' where they belong. While jockstraps are more comfortable in the support department, they do have a wide elastic waist band and two elastic leg bands that can be uncomfortable long term.
After my effective retirement from software engineering following heart surgery for mitral valve repair, I started to attempt some light exercise to get my styma back. So I bought some exercise shorts, and looked for something better to wear underneath than the briefs. I tried several different styles of jockstraps, but I wasn't happy with the fit. A google search for men's underwear came up with several ideas, one of which was thongs.
Men's thong underwear are made in quite a lot of different styles. One style isn't much different than the jockstrap, except for replacing the two leg straps with the one between the butt checks. There are also much lighter and airy styles made from nylon, spandex, and other synthetic fabrics. While the synthetics don't absorb perspiration like cotton does, they are lighter, and they dry quickly. (You can use them as swimwear, where appropriate). Also the open weave allows for more air flow. So as long as you're not allergic to the synthetic fibers, they can be more comfortable than cotton. Some of the more open weave types are called 'see through', though 'print though' is perhaps more accurate.
Many men won't go near thongs because they believe that only gay men wear them, or at least admit that they do. I think this story originated with the companies that make and sell the underwear. They seem to have targeted their product to the gay community hoping to carve a niche for themselves. The fact that so much of the underwear is made in China doesn't help here as the product descriptions on Amazon, Ebay, and other sites are written in 'Chenglish', a poor translation from Chinese to English, sometimes calling the product 'Men's Panties' which doesn't help either.
I did a careful search on line before finding one brand and style that looked promising. These thong briefs have a decent sized 'pouch', and a nice open weave fabric. Choosing the right size is a problem because the Asian size descriptions don't match up with what Americans are used to seeing in the stores. The Amazon web site did give a size guide table that cross referenced waist size in inches vs garment size. Buyer review feedback indicated that the sizes either ran true, or a bit small. Since a size L seemed to run from my waist size to one two sizes larger, I decided to try this. My size selection was generally good, but the thongs varied a bit in size with color. The red and pink were the tightest, and the yellow and green were that largest. All were wearable, but the red ones barely fit.
If you've never worn thong underwear before, you probably think that they will feel weird for two reasons: the thong strap between your butt cheeks, and leaving your buttocks bare. Neither issue is really a problem. The first time I tried one on, I never noticed the thong strap. If you have the right size, that strap simply disappears, you get used to it right away. As for the lack of fabric over your glutts, that will depend on what you're wearing over it. Cotton jeans feel the same as if you had those cotton briefs on, no problem. Athletic shorts are usually loose and airy, so it will be like wearing nothing under them. I like the sensation, actually.
I'm quite happy with the thong underwear. It gives good support as the elastic lined pouch cradles my genitalia in place. Light weight and airy, they are very comfortable. While I bought them for the purpose of exercise, I actually don't see any reason not to wear them full time instead of the cotton briefs. Now that decision might change come the colder weather, but it is possible to wear the thongs under my briefs should I need the warmth.
Oh and my wife bought me two more nine packs of them for a birthday present.
:-)
I've never been a member of a gym, or participated in active sports. I've done some cycling, and swimming and other sporadic exercise, but nothing on a regular basic. If I had been on more of a regular at a fitness regime, I'd probably have at least a few pairs of athletic underwear, such as jockstraps. These have a pouch held in place with elastic in the right places to hold the 'boys' where they belong. While jockstraps are more comfortable in the support department, they do have a wide elastic waist band and two elastic leg bands that can be uncomfortable long term.
After my effective retirement from software engineering following heart surgery for mitral valve repair, I started to attempt some light exercise to get my styma back. So I bought some exercise shorts, and looked for something better to wear underneath than the briefs. I tried several different styles of jockstraps, but I wasn't happy with the fit. A google search for men's underwear came up with several ideas, one of which was thongs.
Men's thong underwear are made in quite a lot of different styles. One style isn't much different than the jockstrap, except for replacing the two leg straps with the one between the butt checks. There are also much lighter and airy styles made from nylon, spandex, and other synthetic fabrics. While the synthetics don't absorb perspiration like cotton does, they are lighter, and they dry quickly. (You can use them as swimwear, where appropriate). Also the open weave allows for more air flow. So as long as you're not allergic to the synthetic fibers, they can be more comfortable than cotton. Some of the more open weave types are called 'see through', though 'print though' is perhaps more accurate.
Many men won't go near thongs because they believe that only gay men wear them, or at least admit that they do. I think this story originated with the companies that make and sell the underwear. They seem to have targeted their product to the gay community hoping to carve a niche for themselves. The fact that so much of the underwear is made in China doesn't help here as the product descriptions on Amazon, Ebay, and other sites are written in 'Chenglish', a poor translation from Chinese to English, sometimes calling the product 'Men's Panties' which doesn't help either.
I did a careful search on line before finding one brand and style that looked promising. These thong briefs have a decent sized 'pouch', and a nice open weave fabric. Choosing the right size is a problem because the Asian size descriptions don't match up with what Americans are used to seeing in the stores. The Amazon web site did give a size guide table that cross referenced waist size in inches vs garment size. Buyer review feedback indicated that the sizes either ran true, or a bit small. Since a size L seemed to run from my waist size to one two sizes larger, I decided to try this. My size selection was generally good, but the thongs varied a bit in size with color. The red and pink were the tightest, and the yellow and green were that largest. All were wearable, but the red ones barely fit.
If you've never worn thong underwear before, you probably think that they will feel weird for two reasons: the thong strap between your butt cheeks, and leaving your buttocks bare. Neither issue is really a problem. The first time I tried one on, I never noticed the thong strap. If you have the right size, that strap simply disappears, you get used to it right away. As for the lack of fabric over your glutts, that will depend on what you're wearing over it. Cotton jeans feel the same as if you had those cotton briefs on, no problem. Athletic shorts are usually loose and airy, so it will be like wearing nothing under them. I like the sensation, actually.
I'm quite happy with the thong underwear. It gives good support as the elastic lined pouch cradles my genitalia in place. Light weight and airy, they are very comfortable. While I bought them for the purpose of exercise, I actually don't see any reason not to wear them full time instead of the cotton briefs. Now that decision might change come the colder weather, but it is possible to wear the thongs under my briefs should I need the warmth.
Oh and my wife bought me two more nine packs of them for a birthday present.
:-)