When thinking about men’s underwear, there are several factors that usually pop into people’s minds.  Price is usually a big one, as is style, color and feel.  More and more brand is playing a part in decision making as well.

Unless trying to be uber trendy and showing off a name brand waistband under a pair of overpriced jeans, the waistband tends to get ignored.

So just why is the waistband so important?

The obvious answer is that it holds your underwear up, but there is more to the story than that.  Sure, without the waistband you wouldn’t stand a chance at keep your briefs up, but a bigger consideration is comfort.

Let’s start with fit.  Let’s say you buy the perfect pair of briefs; they fit snug on your thighs, the ride right along the edge of your butt, and the front isn’t tight, but it isn’t baggy either, but the elastic waistband is just a little too tight.  Sure, they fit everywhere, but in an effort to make sure they fit a wide number of people, the designer used an elastic waistband smaller than it needed to be, and you end up at the end of the day with either waistband marks dug into your waist, or you just feel uncomfortable and can’t figure out why, but can’t wait to get home and change clothes.

Make sure that when you buy underwear, the whole brief or bikini or whatever style fits.  If you are having trouble finding one that works out for you, you could check out some of the brands that have numbered sizes, not just S-M-L-XL like the C-IN2 3 pack briefs.

Another consideration is the width of the waistband.  Many jockstraps come with an extra wide waistband for support, which, in a jockstrap, is a good thing to have.  Some briefs (especially bikinis, g-strings, and thongs) come with a minimal waistband so as not to distract from the look and feel of the bottom.

But those are just guidelines, you really should pick a waistband by your body.  For example, let’s say you are a workout fiend and your goal is not to have a super lean body, but to really put on some muscle.  A jockstrap with a wider waistband may not fit your waist especially well, especially if you have built up a lot of muscle above the waist.  If the waistband sits around two areas of your body that are different sizes, you lose on the comfort front.  Or let’s say you are a guy who has a few pounds to lose, if a large waistband hits right on your pooch, you could end up bending the waistband when you sit which will stretch part of it out more and make it more uncomfortable for you.

With a smaller waistband, you should not only check comfort, but also check how it looks on your body.  On some people a small waistband just doesn’t look right, something appears unbalanced.  Use your judgement on this one, if you don’t think you look good with a smaller waistband, don’t wear one.

The last factor you should consider is the material.  Cheap elastic feels cheap.  Cloth covered waistbands are great on comfort, but unless the quality is high, the cloth can sometimes bunch up.  A favorite of many of our customers is the microfiber waistband, which has a great feel, tends not to lose its shape, and unlike regular elastic, never catches hair which can be a concern for some guys.

The next time you are looking for a good pair of underwear keep these things in mind:

1. Does this waistband fit as well as the rest of the product?
2. Is this waistband wide or narrow enough for me?
3. Will this waistband not bunch up, lose its shape, or grab my hair when I am wearing these?
4. Does this style waistband look good on me?

Following those guidelines will help ensure that you are getting the perfect pair.

It’s been a while since I have been able to travel for a vacation.  I keep meaning to go, but the timing just hasn’t worked out for a while.  The good thing for me is that with this job, I do get to travel a bunch, so it’s like taking mini work vacations.

Anyway, as I have mentioned before I am off to Maui in a month and I am thrilled!  I can’t seem to stop thinking about what I need to do to make sure that I am ready to go.

Last night I was looking at my tickets again and that’s when it hit me…I picked flights that will have me in the air for a very long time.  Very.  Long.  Time.  That was smart.  So I started thinking about comfort and what I could wear in public that would be comfortable enough with withstand 10 hours in the air and 5 hours in 3 airports.

That’s where you come in.  What do you wear when you travel?  I know I should wear light underwear, because I don’t want to get all sweaty.  Sometimes it’s good to get sweaty, but probably not on a plane full of strangers.  Perhaps the JM Skinz Bikini Brief?  That skinz material is pretty slick and will help wick away moisture.  Or maybe the /Baskit/ Mesh Jock Strap?  It’s comfortable, not much coverage, and made of mesh so it can breathe.

As for outerwear, I could wear the Go Softwear Workout Pants and maybe this awesome Ginch Gonch Crotch Rockets T-Shirt.

So what do you guys think?  What would you wear while traveling?