The naked truth Men get the fun, too!

By Maripet L. Poso, Staff Writer

10/14/2008

Who says only women have all the fun shopping for underwear? For the longest time, females had gotten all the thrills with the seemingly endless array of choices for lingerie, while guys only had boxers or briefs from which to choose. No wonder some simply choose to go commando (Gasp!).

Well, gone are the days when guys would rely on their suspenders and sense of humor when it comes to seductive nights. With the latest innovations in underwear, men’s underwear sections are becoming more elaborate — maybe not as much as women’s, but at least they have more choices and in fun selections, too. From thongs to bikinis, boxer briefs to boxer shorts, G-strings (Yes, some men actually wear them, and not just the tiger-print kind) to trunks, men now have the option to wear whatever suits their mood and need. And women are not complaining.

Whether it is brought about by the metrosexual syndrome or the fact that more and more women want their partners to freely express themselves, men’s underwear fashion has suddenly turned colorful, and we don’t only refer to the different hues. Fabrics are of the essence, too. They’re definitely not confined to silk or cotton anymore. And talk about prints. Before, when men wanted to look sexy for their partners, many ended up sleazy in leopard-print, barely-there briefs. Today, they can choose among a variety of prints to suit every personality. So, maybe there’s actually logic in “How to tell a guy’s personality based on his underwear” test.

It’s no surprising that more and more designer brands are giving men their own underwear section.

Going Undercover

Locally, Penshoppe recently joined the bandwagon, calling their underwear line, fittingly, Undercover. Although the line caters to both men and women, the men’s section is becoming a byword among younger Pinoys. Okay, Pinays are also raving about it, mostly because of Akihiro Sato, the Japanese-Brazilian model who is making a buzz in the industry and the newest addition to the Penshoppe family.

“We’ve been selling underwear for quite a while now, but we decided to brand it this time,” says Alex Mendoza, brand director of Penshoppe, during the launch of Undercover at Warehouse 135 in Makati. “We saw that there was a huge offering of interesting designs, more playful designs for underwear.”

As for the new face of Penshoppe, Mendoza has nothing but praises for the young model. “It was actually a very quick decision for us. When we saw him, we already knew that he was a Penshoppe person. We normally don’t get foreign models, but when we heard that he had decided on moving to the Philippines, that’s when we decided to sign him up.”

Within the four months since Sato set foot in the country, he has had a number of TV and print exposures, a couple of big-time modeling contracts and a growing string of shrieking and sighing female fans.

“It’s been really great, I’m overwhelmed actually,” confesses the chinky-eyed charmer in his thick accent. “I’m happy to be here. I’m learning the Filipino language,” he laughs while sharing his dreams to become a movie star in the country.

Admitting that he “definitely wears briefs” when asked the classic question (boxers or briefs?), Sato also shyly admits that he’s never comfortable being photographed in his underwear. Nonetheless, he managed to overcome this for the underwear campaign.

It’s all about versatility

Taking inspiration from the versatility of undercover agents (thus the name), Penshoppe Undercover makes men underwear shopping more fun and less gray.

According to the Penshoppe philosophy, “With Undercover, putting on underwear becomes as fun and exciting as putting on a new personality, mood or even a whole new identity. Concealed beneath your everyday garb, your chosen identity retains a sense of mystery.”

Undercover’s line of classic briefs, trendy hipster briefs or comfortable boxer briefs in exciting, playful and even sexy prints are available in different colors. Hipster briefs with multi-colored wide elastic, or ones in argyle or vertical stripes, and some with intricate paneling in spotted, newspaper or plaid prints are a sure way to spice up men’s wardrobe.

Pieces with novelty designs with bolder and edgier detailings are created for younger, funky men, while classic whites, blacks and grays are still available for more conservative types.

With wide selections for men’s underwear, it’s about time men finally understood why women take their time lingerie shopping.

Undercover is available at Penshoppe boutiques nationwide.

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