Periodically, I ask myself why I like good underwear so much and how my interest in it all got started. In thinking it over I’ve come to the conclusion that my love of good underwear happened incrementally over the years. And I thought I’d share some of that story here.
In my mid-20s, I went to graduate school in Boston. There was a branch of the women-owned/centric sex store Good Vibrations (the same store that originated in San Francisco) in the city that would come to my school once a year and give these sex-positive talks about pornography and sex toys. These talks opened my mind in many ways. After one of them, I visited a department store in downtown Boston and bought a three-pack of some pretty skimpy, brightly colored briefs. I had never worn anything like these before, and I loved them!
Like many young men, in high school and college I had succumbed to the peer pressure to wear boxers, so wearing these new form-fitting briefs was a revelation. I loved how they felt and looked. It took such pride in seeing myself in these briefs and took a lot of self-portraits in them. I don’t think I waited long before I went back to the store to buy another pack of these colorful, form-fitting briefs, really just to more fully discover my new found joy in wearing underwear.
After grad school, I moved to New York to start my career. One afternoon I visited an adult store and bought my first thong. It was all on a whim, and yet I was really excited to try it on. This proved kind of a fiasco as the woman in my life at the time did not all go for it, and was actually very judgmental and shaming. It was a nice bright yellow thong, but I think I wore it once or twice before it found its way to the trashcan, because somehow I let her make me feel like a freak for wanting to wear it.
In hindsight, I regret that I let her shame me, but regardless of how she felt a seed was planted. From that point on, I became a bit more experimental in my underwear choices. This was about 10-15 years ago, and the fabric choices available for men’s underwear were just beginning to evolve. Not long after I got the thong, I visited a Jockey outlet store in Maine and purchased a pack of sheer, black nylon bikinis. My partner found these a little strange, but accepted them, and more importantly accepted me wearing them. And I loved them and wore them all the time. I enjoyed wearing the tight, stretchy fabric, and the sheer look thrilled me.
Product: Ripstop & Mesh Keyhole Brief
A few years later I started swimming. For much of my youth, I was very athletic and was a huge runner. After many years and many more miles running on city streets, I started having knee problems so I decided to switch sports. I started swimming laps. When I first got started, I wore the baggy swim shorts expected of men in the States. I was struck to see so many other men at the pool in swim briefs. Not long after I got started, I bought my first speedo. Not only did I feel empowered wearing it, I felt equally as empowered being seen in it. As much as I enjoyed swimming, I took pleasure in pulling on my swim briefs in the locker room and slowly walking out to the pool. Perhaps in a quiet way, this was the first time I used my underwear (or something like it) to strut my stuff.
Like anyone searching for alternative lifestyles, the internet opened new doors. As I’ve continued to explore my love of good underwear with progressive and showy designs, the internet has provided a ton of new resources. Not only was I able to discover Body Aware and other great underwear designers, but I also came to recognize that I was not alone in this obsession, that there are a lot of other men out there like me, both gay and straight, who love the thrill of high-quality, sexy underwear. And I think knowing I am not alone has helped me embrace this part of myself, and now I unashamedly and proudly wear my thongs, satin, and lace, knowing this is a healthy part of my self-expression and personal discovery.
Today I have a partner who not only fully supports my love of well designed, sexy underwear but is also as thrilled and excited as I am in seeing what new things I get to wear each month. This has become a thrilling and fun part of our relationship!
Now that I’ve shared a bit of my story, I would love to hear back from some of you! How did you get into underwear? Was there a first pair or experience that made you want more? Kept you on the hunt for new, classy, flashy, sexy, and comfortable things to wear? Please share!
Signing off for now!
-Brian
6 comments
I was always drawn to and attracted to womens colourful sexy lace underwear (french knickers especially) but just kind of admired from a distance and would always scan female friends rooms to see if there was any on display. I absolutely go crazy for a women in a lingerie set but my long term partner of 12 years now has no interest in lingerie and doesn’t even where knickers/panties at all anymore. One night out of frustration (and some beer) I decided to try on a pair of hers – a red lace thong) and the feeling was electric!! Wow it turned me on and felt amazing! I tried on all the pairs she had and realised I’d discovered something special! Now I have a collection of mainly knickers from x-dress but also have some of her old ones that are my favourites. She loves them on me and I always want to add more to the collection! I just wish she would share the same passion with Me so I could enjoy beautiful underwear on her :(
Thank you, Brian. I used look at the bikini underwear at a clothing store and wish I had a pair. I was in 8th or 9th grade. So, when my mom went to T G & Y, I ran down to the store and bought my contraband underwear. They were green nylon. It was really progressive for 1976 or 1977. I then found an underwear catalog called “International Male.” I wanted everyone of those underwear. Needless to say, when I went off to college, I ordered underwear to my hearts content. Loved the International Male catalog that came every month or two. It was semi-porn to look at all of those hot models in sexy underwear. My wife doesn’t like sexy underwear. However, I have a stash, and wear them to work. She goes to work before I do. What’s a boy to do???
The experiment for me started when I was 25. My girlfriend left a Kelly green pair of panties on St. Patricks Day. I tried them on and liked them, a lot. But I had to go to work so I quickly got out of them and put on my traditional boxers. All morning long, I could not stop thinking about the panties. I rushed home for lunch and put them on again and then wore them to the office. I kinda felt like Nuke in Bull Durham when he is wearing the garter belt on the mound and was a bit quiet for the day. BUt the feeling they had over me was electric! A semi hard on all afternoon. My girlfriend called me that night and I told her what I did. At first she giggled but then asked what I liked about them and was very open about it. She said I should keep them and wear them the next time we were together. I slowly developed confidence wearing them and was very pleased when I stumbled across Body Aware who makes them for guys. The Body Aware products fit me a bit better and offer a bit more support but I still do wear women’s panties from time to time, especially the hip huggers, thongs and cheekys. Today, I am with different girlfriend who has not been as open about manties or panties but she is coming along nicely. It’s very erotic to wear both of these items and bouncing back and forth is very fun! Women’s styles are obviously more in stock and easier to find but Body Aware is great! I just wish the inventory was a little better on some items.
I sometimes shudder when I think what we were expected to wear in days gone by and how uncomfortable they were – how on earth were boxer shorts supposed to support one – it was simply something not discussed – although suddenly springing to mind was an exchange visit at school when we went swimming and a French lad had such better swimming trunks than our passion killers. All the lads commented. I feel sorry for previous generations of men who were not able to have our experiences but then I consider what men wore in medieval times and think where did it all go so wrong.
I was raised in a conservative household, and tighty-whities were the only underwear I knew growing up. The jockstraps we had to wear for gym were purely utilitarian and didn’t feel any different than my everyday underwear, so I missed the point at the time.
Fast forward to college, and my mind and outlook were greatly expanded. That’s when I tried on my first thong underwear, which fit and felt great – but that my girl friend at the time just didn’t understand.
That was before the days of boxer-briefs of fashion jockstraps, but I’ve tried those over the years as well. My new favorite style is the “backless brief” style of jockstrap – looks like a low rise bikini from the front, but the back is open. And fortunately I found a lady that understands me.