UK Shopping Advice Needed: Underwear for Men

UK shopping advice needed for mens underwear:

Someone I know who is helping homeless men in Central London has suggested that I may provide some underwear. (Not a subject about which I know much.) Am looking to find the best balance between expense and ethical sourcing. Happy to support local, independent and artisanal suppliers. All suggestions received with gratitude!

Hi Lo Armani Lining

WARNING - OLDIE RANT ALERT

I have been spoiled in the past by having a ten yard commute from my bedroom to the office. Karma is coming back to me though, as these days I must take the Northern Line tube trains to get to work. Until now, I had thought that the Manhattan underground during rush-hour was the ultimate in sardine subway experiences. No longer is that so. In the past few weeks I have been in more intimate contact with utter strangers than with people I have dated. Since I am armpit height, I have conducted an involuntary survey on the efficacy of the use of underarm deodorants. And I have developed a strong dislike of the current fashion for women to have long hair that flows freely around their shoulders, particularly if they have a tic that means they flick their hair every few seconds. Someone's going to lose an eye one of these days!

Today, however, for some strange reason (and those who know me will know how strange this is), the issue that enraged me was younger men and their pants. There are those who currently enjoy going without whilst wearing trackie bottoms. Please don't! There's nothing more unsavoury than being crushed against unrestrained dangly bits from Finchley Central to Warren Street. As for those who are kind enough to don a pair, I am most grateful. However, I have no need for visual proof of this fact. I'm happy to trust you to get dressed properly before you leave your home. And I'm really not impressed by the label on the waistband.

Actually, I was thinking about why this bothers me so much. It's a toss-up between the anxiety engendered by worrying if your trousers will fall down at any moment, and envy that you seem to be able to keep your trousers up despite having absolutely no hips whatsoever.

In the end, if the research in the picture below is accurate, I don't understand why you'd want to do it in the first place.

wonderbra woman

you would not believe how many hits i have been getting for the blurb about jeremy paxman and his pants. big papers took up the story and now it seems all people are thinking about is knickers. in an effort to be egalitarian, i now bring to you the latest news from wonderbra. after a previous commercial that ripped off the drumming gorilla from the cadbury's chocolate ad:


the company has now engaged the stunning dita von teese to be the new, er, face of wonderbra. the telegraph reports:

"Von Teese is renowned for her "traditional feather fan dance" as well as her "boudoir/bathtub show", according to her website. In 2005, she performed naked except for $5 million worth of diamonds for a benefit show at the New York Academy of Art. In her latest "Lipteese" show, she straddles a giant lipstick that spins and bucks like a mechanic bull, her website explains. She has also published a book, Burlesque/Fetish and The Art of the Teese, and is credited with being the main force behind "New Burlesque", the recent revival of burlesque dancing."

it all sounds quite wonderful, but i think it may take a bit more than this to talk me out of my marks & sparks underwire bras :-)

paxman's pants

the bbc's newsnight host, jeremy paxman, is mad at marks and spencer. he believes that the quality of their socks and underwear has fallen. being paxman, he contacted the ceo of the company to discuss the matter, and they will have a meeting in the near future. meanwhile, there is apparently so little of note in the world to be reported today that the daily mail decided to share mr. paxman's woes with us all. and i read the article. well, it spoke to me, it really did. in particular, it was this quote:

""Like very large numbers of men in this country I have always bought my socks and pants at Marks & Sparks," Paxman said."

until i dated lld, it was the same for me. m&s pants and bras my entire life. i remember when i was on kibbutz for 6 months and members of the congregation brought me a care package from my mother, it included a couple of pairs of lovely new knickers.

what is it about marks & sparks and underwear? i don't really know. i suppose it is some kind of middle-class english thing :-) nu - if you have had your fill of primaries and kenya and gaza and cetera, the article is here.

btw the mail also reports that m&s is planning a revolution in the world of men's pants:

"... the elimination of the visible pants line. The new pants will have a seamless design and are being made from material developed for women's lingerie." huzzah!

this news is pants! *

"Baggy pants that show boxer shorts or thongs would be illegal under a proposed amendment to Atlanta's indecency laws. The amendment, sponsored by city councilman C.T. Martin, states that sagging pants are an "epidemic" that is becoming a "major concern" around the country. that half-dressing is the way to go. I want them to think about their future."

The proposed ordinance would also bar women from showing the strap of a thong beneath their pants. They would also be prohibited from wearing jogging bras in public or show a bra strap, said Debbie Seagraves, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia. The proposed ordinance states that "the indecent exposure of his or her undergarments" would be unlawful in a public place. It would go in the same portion of the city code that outlaws sex in public and the exposure or fondling of genitals."

o puh-leez! how many dead are there now in iraq? afghanistan? why is putin sending up fighter jets? darfur? poverty? child abuse? hunger? and baggy trousers ?????

here is where i found this.

* fyi 'pants' in england refers to underwear and is also used as a derogatory term, i.e., that something is a load of rubbish

discarded pants boosted literacy

ok, this has to be one of the more random stories of the day. the grauniad reports that underwear had a vital role to play in the making of cheap paper, and that allowed knowledge to come within reach of a much greater audience.

apparently the use of underwear increased in the 13th century as peasants became townspeople and found themselves in more business encounters with members of the opposite sex. this increased the supply of rags, which were used for the making of the cheap paper. before then, it was just hyper-expensive parchment, beyond the reach of the likes of you and me.

today is 12th july, not the first of april. i don't think they are joking. read about it right here.

see also this expanded version.

ps remember that 'pants' in england are 'underpants' in the usa