The Emerging Market for Men’s Underwear

As we have seen in the past the men’s underwear and swimwear market was not very diverse and was reserved mainly for the benefit of the female market. Going from a relatively monochromatic visual style to now having every colour under the sun and made from a large variety of innovative fabrics ranging from cotton, to chiffon, to silk and now mens underwear designer 2(x)ist introducing soy based fabrics. Similarly this wide variety can also be found in mens swimwear – going beyond board shorts and “speedos” with a vast array of designer brands.

Once considered purely functional men’s underwear has increasingly become an object of self adornment and self expression. This newfound sense of fashion and grooming has led coining the term “metrosexual” and is not necessarily viewed as a gay style but for a man wanting to be more creative, individualistic and aesthetic.

So you may ask “Why has this change occurred”? There are a few contributing factors.

In today’s society homosexuality has become more widely accepted. Men whom previously hid themselves from their true nature (also known as being in the closet) now have more freedom to be themselves. Many gay men are well-off city folk and therefore have the financial clout to indulge their expensive tastes. Catering to this growing demographic are such designer mens underwear brands as Calvin Klein, 2(x)ist, C-IN2, HOM, Andrew Christian and many more.

Male beauty and adornment is no longer in the shadows due to this rise in gay culture and this form of self expression has gone mainstream. So now we see “straight” men emulating their gay counterparts and becoming far more style conscious.

The loosening up of gender roles has also resulted in young straight men increasingly investigating style and fashion. While being well groomed used to be seen as effeminate, nowadays it is considered an integral part of heterosexual masculinity. Today’s young women, being more demanding than in the past, have added to this trend by requiring that their partners are not mere slobs in t-shirts and grubby jeans, but smartly dressed and exuding style and self respect.

These young, fit, style conscious men even have their own title. They are “metrosexuals”.

Today’s male sporting stars are more often than not metrosexuals. They are role models to millions all over the world, and enjoy a level of celebrity as great as any movie idol. Not surprisingly, several of these stars including David Beckham and Pat Rafter have decided to take advantage of their fame by venturing into the men’s underwear market!

These forces combine to create the phenomenon we see today: young fit, style-conscious men – both gay and straight – who have money to burn are exercising their considerable economic clout through their choice of clothing, particularly underwear and swimwear.