Hey guys, it’s Spring and if you are like me, you are starting to clear some of the clutter out of your lives; cleaning the garage, looking for new love, rekindling old love, washing the car and buying new underwear.

If you need to stock up on some basics, now is for sure the time to do it! 25% off all C-IN2 sale going on now. Click the big picture to get to the sale.

Yesterday I received an email from someone getting to our website and getting a little confused.  In an email, he says:

I found your website while looking for a place to buy jockstraps.  I am into sports (it’s baseball time) and I was looking for something new and comfortable.  Your jockstraps don’t look like the kind my parents used to buy me, or the kind other guys on my team wear.  Do they really work?

The answer, as I emailed him, is yes they do.  It’s true that we don’t sell the $2.99 jock strap that you probably had in high school, but the jock strap has grown up.

Fabric and construction of jock straps has improved so much over the past few years they any of the itchy feeling you may have gotten in the past is, well, a thing of the past.  (I used to *hate* wearing jockstraps because of the stupid elastic-only bands around the legs)

As with most styles of clothing, there are people who love the look and/or feel of a jock strap, and like with most styles, some of those people love the fashion jock look, and some hate it.

We, of course, are catering to those who want comfort or style (or like the look of a modern jock strap), but in the case of the jock, we are also catering to those who need the function, but also like the comfort or style.

So, my new friend, shop away.  And hurry, because they are only on sale for a few more days!

A couple weekends ago I ran in my second for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.  This is a fun run because it is right before the parade that kicks off the rodeo, so there are people lining the streets cheering you on.

Anyways, I was wearing boxer briefs under my workout shorts…Papi Pima Stretch Boxer Briefs to be exact.  They worked well especially with the incredibly slick pima cotton, so even after 30 minutes, there was no skin on my legs that felt like it would fall off!

One of the best moments, however, is when I saw someone wearing the custom running shorts that we sell.  I was pretty sure they were ours, so I went up to the guy before the race and asked him where he got the awesome running shorts, and sure enough he bought them from us!

Another great thing is now there is a group of about 10 of us who are going, so it’s not so alone.  I’m thinking we should maybe set up some YourPrivates.com teams around the country to do some of these fun runs for people who don’t have groups to run with.  What do you think?  Maybe we could make up some YourPrivates.com Running Team shirts and together we could get out there and help raise some money for good causes.  Let me know in comments or email (blog at yourprivates.com) and if there is enough interest, I will get this put together.

Since taking our little break from blogging, we have received lots of questions and comments on or about underwear, and so I figure I will try to answer as many of these as I can.

The first one comes from David N. (and it’s the one that made me think of Eddie Murphy.

What kind of underwear should I be wearing if I want to look hot in a new pair of jeans?

Well, David, that’s a tough question that I actually get asked a lot, and have tried to answer here before.  There are a few factors to take into consideration when pairing the right pair.

1.  Personal Preference - Personal Preference isn’t just what you like to wear, but also how you like to look.  For example, I have a friend who hates wearing briefs because they are “too constricting,” he would much rather wear boxers.  To him, it’s a comfort thing that is the most important.  Another friend has the same preference, but wears briefs with jeans because he likes the way jeans look when he wears briefs.  For him, it’s a matter of looks.

2.  Style of Jeans - Are you wearing low rise jeans?  Skinny rocker jeans?  Loose fitting jeans?  Extremely low cut jeans?  Painted on jeans?  If it doesn’t matter to you which style underwear you wear, you are fine in boxers to briefs to jockstraps to thongs, then pick a pair that goes with the jeans you are wearing.

3.  Goal of the Jeans - So what are your goals?  Are you trying to show off a hot package?  Are you trying to look comfortable?  Do you have amazing legs, and want people to see your muscles moving underneath the fabric?  Do you have amazing abs, and intend to let people see them while wearing jeans?  Each of these can play a role in the underwear you decide to put on before your jeans.

Let’s first remove comfort and talk just about style.

• If you are wearing tight jeans, then I would check out a thong, jockstrap or bikini style brief.
• For low rise jeans, pair them with low rise briefs (my personal favorite for low rise, tight jeans are the Go Softwear Low Rise briefs.  Loads of colors to choose from, and they look hot in and out of jeans).
• If your jeans are baggy, then wear whatever your favorites are.
• Skinny rocker jeans?  That depends on how skinny…Some of those pants you cannot get on with underwear on at all.
• What if you are trying to show off a great package?  Try the C-IN2 with sling support or the C-IN2 with the trophy self, both make sure your package is right out in front.
• Grower instead of shower?  Still want a nice package?  Try out the big boy bulge…one of our best sellers.

If you are still thinking to yourself, “Man, comfort is still important, but I want the looks too,” then search for fabrics that are more comfortable like the Pima Stretch from Papi and the Skinz from JM.

I know this has been a winded response, but I think it’s important.  If you want specific advice, feel free to email me (or respond in the comments here) and I will get you some personal recommendations.  Let me know what style jeans you want to wear (if you can buy them online, let me know where and I will look at the jeans), what style underwear you usually buy, and anything else I should know about you to help you pick (if there is no way you can cram your junk into a bikini, let me know…we don’t want anyone losing limbs!)

That’s it for today, hope this helps!

The first change we have rolled out is full integration with Google Checkout!  When checkout was first released last year, we thought it had potential and put it on our radar to watch, but when we started getting requests to accept it, we thought it was time to make it happen.

What should you be excited about Google Checkout?  Checkout is like PayPal, but cheaper for everyone.  Also, you only have to fill out your information once, in Google Checkout, and then Google passes that information along to merchants…no need to keep creating accounts everywhere.

They also have a $10 bonus when you make your first purchase with Google Checkout, so come over and buy some underwear, and Google will chip in $10!

This was actually a little bit tricky for us to work in since many of the features and bonuses we offer requires an account on our system (like VYP points and our newsletter subscription), but we aren’t going to let that functionality keep you from being happy!

You can, of course, pay by credit card directly at our site, Google Checkout is totally optional.

So how do you make your choice?  When checking out, if you want to use Google Checkout, click on this button:

If you want to use your YourPrivates.com account and pay by credit card, you can use this button:

We’re looking for feedback on your experience with Google Checkout, so let me know what you think. 

I’ll be back soon with more witty commentary and tales from the inside of an underwear company soon, and will also have some great new site enhancements to share with you to!

One of the sexiest design elements when designing for the male body is how the abs are treated.  Depending how the cut works, different parts of the abs are highlighted.  Go Softwear has created two V-front designs that make a huge impact.  The v design on the front of each elongates the abs and draws the attention lower to the nether regions.

Looking at both of these products, one of the major differences is the use of the waistband.  Check out how on one, the waistband breaks up the lines between body and cloth, while the other waistband almost takes a step back and helps create the illusion that the body and the underwear are one piece.
Without any further introduction:

Go Softwear V Front Boxer vs. Go Softwear Square Cut V-Boxer

Go Softwear V Front Boxer	Go Softwear Square Cut V-Boxer
90% Cotton, 10% Lycra Slim, body conscious design Solid base with zig-zag contrasting color stitch	90% Cotton, 10% Lycra Square cut with short legs Sharp contrasting color options

While your voting this week, we’d love to get comments or reviews on both of these items from you guys.

MMge7gwdu
Check back Monday for the next round of Monday Melee!

Click here to suggest who we should put up next!

Last night I was running on the treadmill, jamming out on my iPod, when my trainer walked over to get me and decided to take a look at what I was listening to.

Ok, so I love The Prodigy and that is a great song to run to, but I have wide and varied tastes in music…if she had backed up a couple songs she would have seen Busta Rhymes I Like Big Butts.  Yeah, don’t ask…it motivates me.

I find it interesting that when I post about underwear I will get a few comments and emails, but when I post about exercise I get tons of email.  Like yesterday, when I was talking about running the fun run, I received lots of email and suggestions on how to save my nipples.

There were also several emails that asked about, or talked about, motivation.  What keeps you going?  For me, it’s music.  If I have music, I can do anything.  My iPod has a variety of playlists for any need.  I have a list to keep me pumped and moving, one to calm me down, one to comfort me, one to make me happy, one to get my groove on, and one to get me in the mood.

I am also motivated by people…that’s why I work out with a trainer a couple times a week.  Some of my friends around town work out and we try to motivate each other as well.

What motivates you?  Do you have a thing for music?  Do you have a desire to fit into a sexy pair of briefs?  Do you want to look lean and strong in some great workout gear?  Do you need/want to get healthier?

With that being said, since we are picking up lots of readers who either work out a lot or want to, what can we do here at the blog (and at yourprivates.com) to help motivate you?

Shoot me an email at blog @ yourprivates.com and let’s see if we can work together to have a fun program in place for the new year so we can motivate each other.

I should start off by saying that as much as I like to think I am into fitness and eating well and blah blah blah, I hate to run. Hate. Notice that capital H right there. That’s right: Hate.

The thing that suckered me in was the cause…well, maybe not the cause itself, but the fact that it was a cause. See, one of the things I decided I was going to do starting next year was to do good things. Or actually more good things. Spending a couple hours on a Sunday seemed like a good way to something good.

Still, it was running. I can run on a treadmill for 30 minutes to an hour, work up a good sweat, feel great at the end, and be refreshed all day. I ran 30 minutes on the fun run and thought I was going to die.

This isn’t the first run I have done before…I did do the Komen run and that was fun because it was so moving, but I wore the wrong clothing to that one, and the boys downstairs were none too pleased. I had some major rubbing action going on and was raw for about a week. Little did I know that running plus non protected environment could equal a good deal of pain?

This time I went prepared: I wore the C-IN2 Bamboo Jock Strap underneath the Go Softwear Work Out Pant. The Bamboo Jock Strap, in case you haven’t heard about it, is uber soft! It’s on the list of my favorite materials for sure. The fit was nice, and the cut didn’t rub anywhere odd. The workout pant was perfect, because it was frickin cold. The pants fit well and didn’t interfere with the run.

But what I didn’t protect were my nipples…the last time I ran I didn’t have a problem, but even today I feel like they have been shaved off. Every move I make is painful! Maybe next time I will tape over them or maybe try out the Go Softwear Bicycle Shirt.

Because I am on my kick to do good things, I’d like to start the conversation going with what you guys do to do good in the world. And how many of you do fun runs? And how do you save your nipples?

Welcome to another edition of Monday Melee! One of my favorite day to day types of underwear, and one that I recommend to guys who are new to the fashion underwear world, is the trunk brief.  Shorter than the boxer brief, but with more coverage than a regular brief, it is a great introductory pair to get people used to higher quality fabrics before getting used to more fashion oriented cuts. This weeks battle puts Pima Cotton against trendy design.

Without any further introduction:

Papi Trunk Brief vs. Baskit Ventilated Trunk

Papi Pima Cotton Trunk Brief	Baskit Ventilated Trunk Brief
High quality Pima Cotton (Soft!) Classic trunk brief design Fits well on most body frames	100% Cotton Fashion forward design with mesh striping on sides Shorter trunk body better for the guy with strong legs

While your voting this week, we’d love to get comments or reviews on both of these items from you guys.

MMyhe6Hys
Check back Monday for the next round of Monday Melee!

Click here to suggest who we should put up next!

Water is my friend; I love to shower, bathe, swim, SCUBA, float, walk in the rain and run through puddles. If there is any excuse to get wet, I’ll take it.

Today I decided to take part of the day off to help show my friends company around town. After I posted last night, we stayed up for hours all of us talking about who knows what, and they ended up being pretty cool. I figure today could be fun.

Anyways, I still woke up early. Habit I guess. So I went to the gym like normal, did my thing, spent some time in the hot tub, took a quick shower and headed home.

No one hear was awake yet, so I hopped back in the shower to wash away the rest of the chorine smell. The hot water felt awesome and the smell of my Billy Jealousy Ocean Front body wash gave me another boost of energy.

When I got out of the shower, the cool air made me very aware of every bead of water on my body. I took my time drying off, put on a mesh square cut trunk and a comfortable pair of jeans, and started writing here.

Should be a low key day, but fun all the same. I’ll be back to post the Monday Melee winner later.

Hope you all have a great Friday and a great weekend!

Last weekend one of my friends told me she had a bunch of college friends coming in this weekend and the number ended up being more than she had expected. I thought that was a good thing…meant people liked you more than you thought; however her feelings were different…she didn’t have the space.

What has happened now is that I have opened up my home to a group of people I do not know through the weekend; people that know I work in the men’s designer underwear field, but never really had that register.

They got here earlier today, I met them at my place so they could get cleaned up and rest some, and then headed back to work. Tonight we took the whole group out for a few drinks and dinner at a swanky new place just outside of town.

Just before we left I had a minor wardrobe malfunction; the clasp on my beltbuckle snapped and I was left with nothing really there to hold up my pants. Ok, no big deal, it’s just dinner and we’ll be sitting. It’s going to be fine.

I met everyone, we got to our seats pretty quick, and started to have a couple drinks. Since these are people I didn’t really know I thought it would be better to make sure I was drinking water in between mixed concoctions so I wouldn’t do anything stupid and embarrass my friend. Thing was, water may have been the dumbest thing I had done all day.

When I could no longer escape what I needed to do, I excused myself to the men’s room, found an open urinal, and started to go.

And go and go and go.

And then I lost my pants. Before I could even realize what happened, they slid right down and I had my Ginch Gonch Piggy Bottom Briefs and I was a little too busy to pull them up until I was finished. I was just going to have to wait it out; I put my hand on my hip and thought about how it was just perfect that the time I had a faulty belt was the time I chose to drink the most water.

It was at that exact moment that the door opened and half of my houseguest’s walked into the restroom and right into the line of site of my briefs.

I guess it was right then that they really made the connection that, yes, I really am in the fashion underwear business. After a short pause, a couple quick laughs, we all smiled, I finished up, and things were almost normal. Hopefully the rest of the weekend will be less interesting.

Whatever has started the sparked the thought has made its way pretty far into my mind today.

There is lots of advice on how to get better abs; eat less fat, do more crunches, do smarter crunches, don’t do crunches, skip days and do consecutive days.

It seems like everyone has there own person idea on how to make the perfect ads.

So the discussion today: What is your secret to better abs? If you wanted to become an male underwear model, what would you do to get those perfect abs?

Just this last weekend we introduced two new styles from Ginch Gonch. The first is a variation on the bandanna theme…we’ve moved from red to blue. The red bandanas have done really well for us, so I’m sure the blue will take off too.

I’m also really excited about the new Western Star line; apparently I am not alone. Just introduced to our site on Sunday, and they are already almost sold out! (Hopefully we’ll get some more soon)

If you’re looking for a fun present for a fun friend, you should check them out…I especially like the low rise brief in the Western Star.

Here’s a list of some of the new stuff that we still have left:

Ginch Gonch Western Star Brief
Ginch Gonch Western Star Sports Brief
Ginch Gonch Western Star Low Rise Brief

Ginch Gonch Blue Bandana Sports Brief
Ginch Gonch Blue Bandana Low Rise Brief

Welcome to another edition of Monday Melee!  Today I decided to match the cool weather with some cool bikinis to help warm us up!  Both of this weeks entrants are made of slick fabrics that help keep you cool and feel amazing on the skin.

Without any further introduction:

JM Red Line Bikini vs. Baskit Energy Bikini

JM Red Line Bikini	Baskit Energy Bikini
Sexy, fashion design Micro polyester/Lycra Spandex Blend Waistband blends with bikini	Quick Drying Softel Fabric Nylon/Cotton Blend Contrasting white waistband

While your voting this week, we’d love to get comments or reviews on both of these items from you guys.

Don’t for get to pick this hot item up before next Friday for an additional 25% off when you use this code:

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Check back Monday for the next round of Monday Melee!

Click here to suggest who we should put up next!

Now that things are slowing down and getting more normal, I have started to finally spend some quality time at my new gym.

Which has lead to a small problem, or maybe a small confusion: I don’t know what to wear!

The gym I belonged to before this was just a small gym near by that was open 24 hours. There was no locker room, no pool, no sauna, no juice bar, but there were tons of people you knew because it was just that small. Everyone there bonded some how, became friends through fitness, and it was just normal.

The owners of that gym sold out to a bigger chain, so now my gym is a giant two story monster with everything you could need except maybe a steam room and a whirlpool in the locker room (so I don’t have to walk all the way across the pool area).

I didn’t notice this until just this morning, but people dress very different here than at Small Gym. Here there are more people walking around in tight shorts and tight shirts, trying to show off in suburbia I guess.

And there is a locker room, something I haven’t used since college.

So my questions are:

What should I be wearing to work out in? I don’t want to show off like some gym rat and I want to be comfortable.

What kind of underwear do you usually wear when working out? I’ve hitting the gym harder than ever, and my regular briefs just aren’t cutting it.

What do you walk around the locker room in?

This last one I find interesting because I have actually seen some guys change into different underwear to wear around the locker room! Is that nuts, or do I need to start bringing more underwear to the gym?

What are your gym clothes routines?

We had a couple image entries that we posted, like this one of Robert in his chair with his tattoo and underwear showing, or the one we received from amateur hunk earlier with his white jock.

We also got an image in of a guy that had all his junk tattooed, talk about trouser snake! (That’s what image was tattooed).

There were some clever ideas too, like this one:

What if there was a sun on one cheek and a moon on the other?

The could be interesting…talk about moon’s over my hammy…Suns seemed to be a theme too, like in this one from Michelle:

I find it hot when a guy has a sun tattooed over his belly button. My ex had one and seeing that with him in his underwear always got me going!

Another reader had one, but couldn’t get a picture in on time. Of his, he writes:

I have a tribal tattoo going down where I should have a treasure trail. Just the top of it peaks out of the top of my briefs, but it’s enough to get people to want to see more.

We had lots more people write in (I wish they had sent pictures!), but we had such a huge response right off the bat from Robert’s picture that we decided he had to be the winner! So congrats Robert! And feel free to send us more pictures!

We’re still working on the format to get more people involved and to make it easier for everyone to participate, so if you have any ideas on how we can improve or men’s underwear related contests you would like to see, let me know!

Sometimes there is an insert that creates the illusion of a larger package, sometimes there is a built in sling, like this C-IN2 brief with sling support, and other times there are built in cock rings.

I have a couple pair of sling support briefs, and they work really well; the profile it gives you is really nice, especially in a tight pair of jeans! The only drawbacks I have found are:

1. After a while, they sometimes start to not be as comfortable. They aren’t something I would wear to work every day.
2. Because the sling rubs a little, it can be arousing, which sometimes leads to an even bigger bulge than I had planned on.

Both drawbacks are still worth the final result in my book.

The good news is that C-IN2 has just released a new line of products that still keep the boys up front and center, but does not rely on any mechanics pulling the whole package up.

The magic is in the cut; the crotch is actually fashioned with a type of fabric shelf built in, so everything you need to lift rests comfortably on this shelf instead of free hanging down below.

I have found two great benefits:

1. Because there is nothing physically pulling me up, I don’t get any odd rubs, even after hours of wear.
2. The fabric is Bamboo, which is incredibly soft. So not only do I still get a great profile, but they are just really comfortable.

The bulge you get with the sling is bigger, and the arousal factor is higher as well, but if they just aren’t your style, try the new C-IN2 Bamboo Trophy Shelf line today!