Some of you may have noticed things have been a little quiet around here lately…in fact, some of you even thought I was dead.
Believable though it may be, things have just been super busy with “regular” life lately, and I’ve only just started catching up on everything…but I’m happy to announce there was plenty going on in the meantime, including my first-ever product collaboration!
I teamed up with Wool & Prince, makers of some of the finest dress shirts around–-except with the added performance advantages of merino wool. They’re as good as it gets, and they’ve got a level of wool expertise that I wanted to leverage to create something just right.
And it’s been two whole years in the making, so here it finally is!
The secret project, finally unveiled…
Merino wool boxer briefs for men, with legs that stay in place all day.
I cannot put into words how lovely these are, and how well they keep everything in place––all with one weird trick that no one’s ever done before and was totally my idea and fixed everything perfectly. I’m super proud.
The legs stay in place, no matter what you do. Lunges, squats, high kicks, rolling around on the couch to find a comfy spot, or just whatever. No more constantly pulling legs down to keep them in place.
I’m super happy with how these turned out, and it was a lot of fun working with the team and figuring this out over the years. The finalized version showed up in the mail just yesterday, and they’re everything I’ve been waiting for this whole time. I can’t wait to hear what you guys think.
Which brings me to the rest of the news…
The review!
Obviously I’ll have a super-detailed review as soon as I’ve done some thorough testing…but I’m super happy with these so far, and I think you’re gonna love ’em. I just wanted to get this announcement out there as soon as the product went live, so you can hear about it right away.
The giveaway!
Even better: We’re planning on giving away several of these for free, to a few lucky readers of this blog! Just know the giveaway will likely happen after the holiday season, so if you’re hoping to get these sooner, go ahead and pick some up the regular way.
So where do I buy them?
Head over to Wool & Prince’s boxer briefs page, but keep in mind they have multiple versions. This particular model is labeled the 2.0. You can tell them apart by the contoured front pouch on this new version, as opposed to the flat panel of the original.
Stay tuned for more details, and happy holidays!
Looks great – but as a nomad, please consider a version with a pocket… I’ve been trying every pocket underwear lately and they move around like crazy – bunching, slipping, etc. or with huge or tiny pockets. Just need a simple and secure pocket to one side to carry passport/cash. Combine a pocket with non-creeping legs or non-bunching wastes and it would be incredible.
I tend to prefer pants with pockets, because these are definitely going to get sweaty, and if you stash your passport or some cash in here, well…you might not want to handle it ever again.
Wow… the cost is prohibitive.
Yup–expensive material, small company, and all that. I can’t get around the price, but I can promise that with the nylon-wrapped merino, it’ll last longer than other merino products, and with the way it fits, it won’t end up getting thrown out with other ill-fitting alternatives, of which I’ve seen quite a few.
Looks like you have introduced these just as I was looking for new undies :)
I just can’t wait to get into your pants.
And you couldn’t even negotiate the gig as the male model for these on the product page?!?? #unsubscribe ;)
You’re not the first person who’s asked that question.
Gotta hand it to the English, excellent work!
Finally someone has the foresight to incorporate wool into the fabric for underwear!
I will certainly give them a try.
Wool, particularly Australian Merino is the best known natural product available and should be used wherever possible. I can’t wait to try them!
Cheers on a job well done.
Absolutely agree, and part of the reason I kept bugging this company over and over again was for the way they integrate nylon with the merino, wrapping it around the merino to keep it from getting damaged. Merino is expensive, so it should be durable, too.
I’m greatly interested in the durability factor. With wool boxer briefs I’ve tried before, I was extremely disappointed that after 1-2 wearings the fabric was shredded by thigh friction. With polyester, that takes months for me, which is why it was so heartbreaking that wool (a fabric I love as a base layer) failed to hold up, especially given the price tag. BTW, I love my Wool & Price work shirt, so I’m intrigued.
That was a concern of mine as well, which is why I prefer the added nylon. It’s still too early for me to tell, but Wool & Prince say the nylon version solved the durability issues they had experienced with pure merino.
Seems good but too expensive, I stick with my uniqlo for now.
Yup, synthetic fabrics are definitely going to be cheaper, but I do like this one better. Not everyone can afford it, but then again, if you only need three of them per trip, it wouldn’t be too bad.
I’ve recently started investing in Icebreaker shirts, beanies and especially boxer briefs. This all began when I started flying to Auckland 3 times a month and found that I got a 30% discount (exchange rate) plus a 10% crew discount at the airport.
That said, the small dress shirts are just a bit tight and the medium too large. I discovered Wool and Prince whilst looking for a reasonable alternative. I’ve ordered my first shirt and t-shirt (Smartwool sizing for T’s just ended my relationship recently).
So how would Wool and Prince compare? Or have you any experience with Icebreaker?
I’ve used some Icebreaker products, and they definitely deserve credit for popularizing merino wool as a performance fabric. They have plenty of options, feel great, and can often be found on sale. I do prefer other brands with subtle colors and no logos anywhere, which is why I prefer Wool & Prince (I’m a traveler, not a hiker), but many Icebreaker products look just fine. Icebreaker has also started incorporating a lot more nylon into their fabric (which Wool & Prince also does), which I think is a good idea for durability, though some people feel like they’re getting shortchanged by getting synthetic material in the mix. Personally I think it’s just fine that way, as the products can be rather expensive, and I want them to last.
Thanks Snarky N.! ordered a pair last week and I LOVE them! all my old boxer briefs are getting binned. I Bought the Wool and Prince denim twill work shirt recently and it has become my favorite shirt. Their stuff isn’t the cheapest out there, but you definitely get what you pay for!
I agree with everything you just said, and I’m happy to hear you love them. It was a long time coming, and we’re excited to see it out there!
Have a few questions about the underwear:
1. About how long would you say the underwear would last given daily use? For close to $50.00, that’s a pretty big investment for underwear.
2. Would you recommend this kind of underwear for 4 season travel/camping? I’m looking to downsize my clothing to as little as possible for 4 season camping/travel/motorcycle tours.
3. Never used merino wool underwear before, so how would you rate the comfort and durability level?
complete side topic on underwear and socks: have you heard of bamboo socks or underwear, and how would they compare to this pair of underwear? I ask because I’ve heard the benefits of layering bamboo socks/underwear under merino wool socks/underwear.
Excellent questions; durability is a bit of a long-term mystery, so I’ll do my best to answer the questions given my experience with their t-shirts, which have the same fabric.
1) I have some 100% merino t-shirts, which I wear pretty regularly (though I have plenty of cheap cotton t-shirts as well), which started developing small holes at the hems and neckline after about 5-8 years of use. I stitched them up to keep them going, but I’m definitely happier to see merino blended with nylon to survive longer. Of my Wool & Prince shirts that use this blend, none have holes, but I’ve had them for a shorter time.
2) These would absolutely work in fall, winter, and spring, especially as it’s able to remain warm, even when somewhat wet; the only difficult time would be super hot summer, but then again, nothing is comfortable in super hot summer. Merino is good at regulating temperature, but I think it does this a little better in the cold. That being said, plenty of people wear merino of a similar thickness in Southeast Asian tropical heat, so they’re simply less sensitive to heat than I am. Linen works for me in the heat, but it doesn’t have the year-round versatility of merino.
3) There’s nothing out there as good as merino for next-to-skin comfort, moisture management, and temperature regulation. Merino absorbs moisture to the INSIDE of the fiber, so it will feel completely dry, even if it has soaked up a bit of perspiration. There’s a limit, but it’s beyond what you’d experience with cotton, bamboo, or polyester, all of which allow moisture to sit on the surface, creating that sticky/clammy feeling. Natural fabrics additionally absorb moisture to the inside, but they’ll leave some on the surface as well. Merino also dries faster than cotton or bamboo, and it only has to PARTIALLY dry, since it will feel dry even if it’s somewhat damp. When you remove merino from the washing machine, for example, it will feel noticeably drier than a cotton t-shirt, because it doesn’t hold on to moisture as long, releasing it more easily from the surface, and hiding the remaining moisture on the inside of the fiber.
I like bamboo, because it’s soft and super absorbent, but it doesn’t dry quickly. This is good for all sorts of weather, but maybe not extended physical exertion in warm or hot weather, at which point it will get soaked and stay soaked, at least longer than something made of merino. Obviously merino has a limit as well, but it will simply feel drier. You also can’t really sink-wash a bamboo fabric, because it’s so absorbent that it’ll soak up the water like a sponge, and take forever to dry, whereas merino just can’t get super-saturated like that.
There’s a reason merino has such a loyal following, and really it’s just the price (as well as super-hot conditions) that are the challenge. By adding the nylon wrap to the merino, it vastly extends its lifespan (and therefore the cost of a possible replacement), leaving only the super-hot weather that someone might have trouble with. If you’re constantly overheating in anything above room temperature, you can use merino everywhere but tropical summer; if you’re fine in fairly warm-to-hot weather, you can use it year-round, and you won’t ever prefer anything else.