The Future, In Brief

Men’s underwear is witnessing a revolution of sorts, with hi-tech start-ups taking up the mantle.

April 13, 2017

It was as far back as 1934 when the last big breakthrough in the underwear industry took place. This was the year when Arthur Kneibler, a designer at the American hosiery company Coopers, received a postcard from his friend from the French Riviera, depicting a man in a bikini-style bathing suit. Following this, the company (which is now called Jockey, by the way) developed the snug, legless underwear with an overlapping Y-front fly.

The only developments of note in men’s underwear thereafter have involved flashy colours, better elastics and more sex appeal. But coming in as a whiff of fresh air (no pun intended), a multi-national start-up called Spartan is embedding technology into your skivvies. No, you can’t make them internet hotspots yet, but Spartan is using a hi-tech fibre to block all radiations from affecting your package.

Though there has been no conclusive evidence to suggest that these radiations cause impotency, there is still enough reason to give it a second thought. That’s why these undies attracted a large number of eyeballs at the Consumer Electronic Show earlier this year, and even raised almost half a million dollars through an online crowdfunding campaign.

The radiation is blocked by anti-bacterial silver fibres blended into cotton, to create an electromagnetic shield around your family jewels. However, all this does come at a slightly premium cost, with a basic pair costing around $50, with an additional $7 to $8 for shipping to our part of the world (but hey, it’s a price worth paying for men who are really obsessed with their orbs).

Furthermore, you also have the likes of the Tommy John (no-wedgieno-adjustment guarantee, moisture control and cool zones) and the Mack Weldon (18-hour offerings, convenient leg openings and no tags) that are also offering men worldwide new reasons to stock up on their drawers. Though a touch expensive, it should only be a matter of time before this underwear revolution sweeps India too.