Dress Like a Man: Underwear 3.0
As you can see in their description, Andiamo was really geared towards cycling. Our blogger Teresa, as the triathlete of the blogging core, has received some padded women’s underwear and will be reviewing in a later post. I reviewed some of the unpadded versions that Andiamo has created over time.
Of all the underwear in this post, Andiamo is the simplest design of the bunch. There are no fancy colors or styles. It’s straight-up performance and functionality. In their collection, they have 3 men’s underwear products, 3 women’s products, and 1 unisex products. Their underwear comes in two versions – brief and Skins (think a longer boxer-brief), and those versions come in padded or unpadded. Simplicity at it’s finest.
I don’t have a whole lot of brief-style underwear in my arsenal, and the Sports Brief fit in well. I felt they performed more in line with an athletic briefs, as opposed to other more stylistically inclined briefs. They are not minimalistic, which means they haven’t sacrificed style for function. That really showed through by them staying in place when I was being active and keeping my “stuff” secure and in place. They stayed in place no matter which way I was moving, bending, or stretching – something that isn’t always the easiest for me to come by. For those who are used to a brief style, or who would like to be, I think this would be a fantastic option for workouts and runs.
The unpadded Skins provide a thin, and long, underlayer. As I generally run in compression shorts (when I’m not testing out underwear), these felt right at home. Initially, I had trouble determining which side was the front and which was the back (embarrassing I know). The crotch is made from one piece (with seams happily facing away from the undercarriage to limit chafing. I was expecting not to care for these, but I was pleasantly surprised. I was actually dealing with some minor chafing when I first got these and a few days of wearing the Skins (in between washes of course) really kept the irritation away. I could definitely see the padded version being wonderful for cyclists.
While these products are probably nothing to write home about in looks, they really make up for that with functionality and price. Also great about these products is that every pair is made one at a time, by hand…AND features a lifetime warranty. Yes, I said lifetime! Andiamo also has a couple of other underwear tops in their catalog – a women’s bra and bra tank, as well as a unisex tank and sport tee.
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Brand: MyPakage
Style: Pro Series Boxer Brief and Pro Series First Layer
Cost: Approximately $40 for boxer brief and $60 for firstlayer
Specs: 100% hydrophobic wicking polyester
Description: The Pro Series is made with our MyDRY fabric which wicks away moisture to keep you dry and comfortable at all times. With high-stretch and a lightweight, no-roll waistband, they are designed for athletes of all levels that are looking for the ultimate experience in performance and comfort.
Impressions:
MyPakage makes use of the “newest” thing in men’s underwear – the pouch. I have tried a bunch of pouches out, from ones that were a single hole, to ones that are adjustable. The Pro Series Boxer Brief has what they are calling a “KeyHole” – a 3 dimensional pouch that supports and eliminates the need to rearrange or adjust. I found the pouch to be simple – something that is my preference. It was also not uncomfortable and I never felt preoccupied like my stuff was “in a pouch”.
I also found the comfort itself to be relatively top-notch. There was no sagging in the back when I crouched – a big positive for me. It was definitely a little more compression-feeling, then everyday boxer briefs, but could be worn as both.
The Pro Series First Layer also features many of the components that MyPakage’s Pro Series offers – the same fabrics, keyhole, and waistband. However, it extends into a full length pant – a baselayer of sorts. I loved these, and found them perfect for running in cool temperatures. While I have generally been a shorts-wearing runner only, this year has forced me to invest in some running pants (I’m getting soft in my old age). While my pants are great – ideally I have kept wanting something to put under a pair of shorts instead. These are now my go-to in this department. They provide great comfort, doesn’t necessitate me wearing another pair of briefs under them (like my previous crappy baselayers), and look really normal under a pair of shorts. They have stuck through a few rainy runs and held up well and dried quickly.
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Brand:Jack Adams
Style: Athletica Boxer Brief and Cross Train Boxer Brief
Cost: Approximately $33 for Athletica and $33 for the Cross Train
Specs: 95% Cotton / 5% Elastane
Description: Founded in 2010, Jack Adams is an underwear and activewear brand that’s defined by the man who wears it. We appeal to the athletic man with a masculine style – and a strong sense of style at that. We are one of the few brands that clearly acknowledge the confidence that can come from a fashionable, maybe even sexy pair of underwear. That’s why the quintessential Jack Adams man is self-assured, comfortable in his own skin, and even more comfortable in Jack Adams style.
Athletica: The sexy pattern and cut make your body look amazing. Extremely cool and made with the finest and newest pique fabric. Fresh and comfortable fabric that is very soft and breathable. First in class fabric!
Cross Train: Performance underwear made for the active man. The Cross Train style utilizes the very best fiber and design innovations to provide a great fit and comfort.
Impressions:
Jack Adams is based right here in Portland, so right off the bat I was excited for these underwear. I’m not obsessed about local stuff, but it’s always bonus points when something is created/designed/made right here in our backyard.
I am a bigger guy (6’2; 200 lbs and dropping), and I usually fit into size L clothes and undergarments. With the two pairs I received, I would probably size up to an XL, if I were to do it again. My thighs are bigger and I found that the leg openings don’t have as much stretch to them as I would like. This meant that the fabric was really tight to my legs and undercarriage, and wasn’t super flexible. I realized that Jack Adams, especially the Cross Train line, is designed to hug the frame for a tight fit, but the tightness of the bottom leg cuff seemed to keep the movement flowing. That being said, I was able to run in these with no significant issues, but did have sagging issues in the back when I would bend over. I would venture a guess that if I had a size bigger, and they weren’t as glued to my things as they currently are, there would be more flexibility and this would be less of an issue.
The style, on the other hand, is great. They are modern, complete with some neat color schemes and designs. They were the first pairs that my wife commented “nice” on – which is a good thing. They are also soft with a lightweight feel that feels much more durable than some other similar pieces, and the pouch is also comfortable. I would like to think that the fit issues mentioned above would be remedied with versions that are a size bigger, or for those with smaller thighs. If you are up in the air, I would recommend trying one size larger than you usually wear.
Jack Adams also sent a few pieces of their activewear and loungewear collection, which we will be reviewing in a future post. This gear is GREAT and I can’t wait to write about them.