Well OK, maybe not really a tour.  More like a project.  And maybe not reinvention, maybe more like evolution.  Let me explain.

When we first started this blog our intention was to provide a medium for us to let you know what was going on with the company, to answer basic customer questions, to address any public concerns, to tell you what’s hot in underwear fashions, and to try to connect with you, dear reader.

Skip back to the beginning of June; several super secret projects kicked off here and I was consumed by them for a while.  No readers mentioned missing the blog.  No one left any comments.  It was like no on noticed the blog was inactive.  What happened to our readers?  That’s when I began to shift more of my attention to other projects.

Now jump with me to earlier last week.  One of our web guys pointed out that our blog was getting traffic.  Like a lot of traffic.  Like heaps of traffic.  So we started looking into what people were searching for when they found the blog.

Turns out you guys are reading, and you are looking for a few things.  According to this what we found last week, you are looking for:

• Honest, open discussions of men’s underwear.  And I mean open and honest.
• You are looking for reviews of underwear beyond just, “this feels nice” and more into the realm of, “this makes my balls sweat.”
• You are looking for other resources about men’s underwear
• And, ok, some of you are looking for pictures

Now I don’t think that is all that far from what I had been writing about, but after really looking at the questions asked, it looks like I need to get a little more up close and personal and make sure that I share any new underwear resources I find with you.

I had been working on some ideas to get started and like the threads of fate just did their thing, I received an email late last week with someone asking us to do just what I outlined above, and he even suggested some things he would like to know about.

That’s what I’m talking about…that’s what we are looking for.  Good, old fashioned reader interaction.  (BTW,thanks for the email, it really helped solidify our beliefs about the blog.)

Now here we are, a brand new week.  Keep checking back because I’m back baby, and ready to go.

Now send in those questions (you can email them to me at blog at yourprivates,com) and let’s get going.  Jump in with comments and let’s all have fun!

PS - Keep an eye out for other changes as well…if you’ve been to the site before, you probably noticed a slight change in the look.  Trust me, that’s just the beginning.

We have received many emails today regarding Ginch Gonch on our site.  Where did it go?

Well, it’s gone.  Or rather, we are out.  There is more on the way though, and should be in stock by the end of the week.  And new styles too!

I’ll keep everyone posted about it’s return, and I will leave you with this…what’s coming is hot!

Some people are just good with words.  The other day I was trying to figure out how to describe our selection of cock rings, and then someone posts a review with a great summary:

Truely beautiful addition to the arsenal.

Thanks man, that hits it perfectly.  They really are beautiful…like a work of art.  These are not your typical plastic or rubber rings, these really are like jewelry.

If you haven’t checked them out, you should at least have a look.

This is an easy question to answer, and I love it too.

Do people seriously by $250 gift certificates for underwear?

Yes, people actually do; however, we sell gift certificates for as little as $10. With Easter coming up, they might make a great gift!

Boxers or briefs: the eternal debate.  Today I respond to “Kevin” about which is better.

This is kind of embarrassing, but I have never bought my own underwear.  This is my first semester in college (I worked through last semester) and I want to try something nice.  My mom always bought me regular briefs or boxers.  I don’t have much cash, if you were in my shoes, what would you try first?  If you quote me, just call me “Kevin” or something.

No problem “Kevin.”  And thanks for dropping by!

Seriously, as much as people talk about “are you a boxers or briefs kind of guy?” that’s all there really is to it.  Beyond that, it’s all about comfort.  You’ll find differences even within those groups too…like some guys like baggy boxers, some like more fitted boxers, some like elastic waistbands, some like microfiber.  My advice would be to try different styles and cuts until you find one that you just really like.

If you are looking for things you haven’t tried, why not try a boxer brief?  I really like the low rise kind, or the trunks, but you can get them with longer legs too.  Or if you want something skimpier, try a thong or a jock strap.  Really nothing wrong with either of those, and if you haven’t worn them before, you should give them a go because you might love them!

And there is nothing wrong with “regular briefs and boxers” either.  You will find, I believe, that the ones we sell will probably be a lot more comfortable than the “regular” ones you have had before.

Short on cash isn’t a problem…just pick one and try it, and you can always come back for more.  We have a great buyer’s reward program, and if you buy more than $25, we pick up the shipping, so you can save and try over time.

Thanks again “Kevin!”

That’s right, there are no stupid questions and yes I will keep you anonymous. This one is actually very good.

I don’t mean to sound crude, but my girlfriend is really dry.  I want to use lube or something, but she doesn’t want to because she says she gets a rash.  Do you have any suggestions?

Why yes, actually, I do.  Some women don’t like the lubes you can buy right off the shelf because they don’t like how the look or are embarrassed to buy them, but there is a new player out there who has a fantastic alternative.

It’s called Pink and is form Empowered Products, makers of Stroke 29, Jack Jelly, and Gun Oil.  When we first got this in, I gave it to friends to try and everyone agreed: this is a great lube.

It’s silky soft, works very well, and comes in an Italian glass bottle so it blends in easily on a women’s night stand.

So if you are looking for something new to try, this might work out better for you.

I love it when we start making changes and people notice!

Hey, when did y’all start selling stainless steel jewelry for men?

Man, MONTHS ago; before Christmas.

We have a few teams here who work closely with customers and focus groups to constantly improve the site for you guys.  I even send them any suggestions or questions that come in from the blog email address.

A couple weeks ago in one of the focus groups someone said, “it would be great if you guys would sell some kind of jewelry for men.  I would totally buy some good briefs and a new chain together.  On a date, those are the things that get remembered.”

Interesting.  He went on to talk about how those were the things that made him feel sexy…good underwear and masculine jewelry.  In the room, lots of people started getting excited about what we should or shouldn’t do if we went in that direction.

And then the mediator opened up the site and navigated to the jewelry section, and the group was stunned.  Each of them had been on the site before, but none of them had noticed that section.

So yesterday, with their feedback, we made some changes to the layout of our navigation bar.  Now you will see a link to stainless steel jewelry (including steel cock rings) and we even broke out men’s skin care (which is really taking off).  We’re not sure where to put beanies just yet, and gym clothes and loungewear aren’t fitting in where they are, but we will find happy homes for them too.

If you didn’t know that we had some of these products, take a look, you will probably be very interested to see what’s out there!

Here’s a good question I got earlier today.  If you ever don’t understand a term used on the site, please, please let us know. 

I saw the phrase “functional fly” on this site several times.  I understand what functional means, but I don’t get how it can be applied to a fly.

Hey man, thanks for the question.  A functional fly means probably just what you expected it to me; it’s a fly that is functional…one that is easily used for the purpose it was designed for.

There are, however, some men’s underwear designs where the fly is not functional.  Some reasons might be that where the fly should be (and there is sometimes even the overlapping fabric), is instead just a seam.  Or some designs have an opening so small that you wouldn’t be able to fish anything out through it.  Those designs do not have a functional fly.

One of my favorite designs with a functional fly is the Action Mesh Brief from /Baskit/, which I am actually wearing today, because it has a horizontal fly, and it is one of the easiest I have ever used.

Sweet, I love answering questions!  It means you guys really care! 

You have been writing a lot about this /baskit/ brand, but I haven’t really seen them before.  What’s the deal?  Is it just a colored patch on the front?  I don’t get it.

Thanks for writing!

Part of the /baskit/ appeal is the colored pouch, but what is hard to tell from the photographs (and even if you read the detailed descriptions you might miss it) is that the pouch is actually made up of a polyester mesh in most cases.

The mesh pouch makes the underwear more breathable and keeps your junk cooler so that you don’t sweat as much and are just more comfortable.  The change of fabric isn’t really noticeable, but the effects are.

So yeah, the colored part is gimmick…it looks different from anything else out there, but it is also very functional, again unlike anything else out there.

Finding the Correct Size

When we first opened we received tons of letters just like this one.  Some changes were made to the website and most of them dropped off, but some people haven’t noticed the changes.  Here I respond to someone who asks…

How do I know what size I should be especially since you aren’t supposed to return underwear that you have tried on?

I have mixed feelings about the laws about trying on underwear (or swimwear).  On the one hand, I don’t know if I want to be trying on underwear someone else as worn, and on the other I don’t want to spend good money on good underwear if they aren’t going to fit.

To help combat this problem, we added sizing links to the majority of our products.  Take this Arc Brief from C-IN2.  If you look closely to where you select size, you’ll see a link that says Sizing Information.  Click on that, and it will take you to a size chart for this pair of underwear.  If you know your waist size, you’ll be able to match it up.

In case you don’t see that link, we have a general sizing link on the left hand navigation bar that will take you to a list of brands.  Click on the brand name, and you will see their general sizing information.

As more people report back to us with things like, “This fits, but it’s snug,” or, “Wow, these feel great, but a little baggy,” we will look for trends and start modifying descriptions.

Good question!

C-IN2 Arc Brief
General Sizing Information