Several months ago I undertook a project on
Permanent Style to find the best underwear in the world, in terms of both
quality and style. I interviewed Zimmerli, The White Briefs, Sunspel and Hanro,
and tested out their product (wearing and washing for at least 10 days).
The best underwear was undoubtedly from
Zimmerli, the Switzerland-based company that is also the most expensive. Some
of their styling may be a little old-fashioned, but if you find a style you
like then their make is great and their materials unmatched.
I also visited Zimmerli’s facilities to see
the production first hand, in order to include them in my forthcoming book: The
Finest Menswear in the World.
The project was not in abstract. Having
decided that Zimmerli was the best in the world, and tried out five different styles,
I threw out every old tatty pair of pants I owned and replaced them with Zimmerli.
More specifically, the Pureness Closed-Fly Pant in white.
That may be more than you wanted to know
about my nether garments.
But for those that are interested in the
technical details, the underwear is made from a natural beech-tree cellulose
called micro modal – very similar to cotton but made from reconstituted
cellulose fibres. It’s more environmentally friendly than cotton, absorbs
moisture faster and is finer than that or silk.
But those were not the reasons I chose micro
modal. I chose it because it’s an essentially natural fibre that has intrinsic stretch.
Add a small amount of Lycra (5%) and it is highly comfortable and more
breathable than a more synthetic stretch fabric. Several people I interviewed
during the underwear project told me of the important of 100% cotton for
breathability, but frankly I haven’t found that to be the case.
I bought my stock from A Suitable Wardrobe,
Will Boehlke’s rapidly expanding online haberdashery. Over the past few years
the ASW store has become the biggest source for the best formal accessories and
clothing in the world, particularly for my favourites like Bresciani socks. There’s
an early sale on, too.
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Nice find. However, I have a theory that the ribbed hemming of my trunk boxers may be contributing to the much dreaded piling of my suit trousers. Controlled experiments are still in progress!
ReplyDeleteWhat about american apparel? Especially the organic ones
ReplyDeleteAs with almost everything I've owned from American Apparel, I find the longevity isn't there
DeleteThere is probably the worlds best men's underwear right near where you live Simon - Sunspel
ReplyDeleteUnlike other brands, like the one you've reviewed, you don't need a body like a 30 year old buff body builder to feel good in Sunspel.
If you want something for special occaison inc that romantic dinner (or after dinner) with your wife / partner - drakes men's boxers are a cut above anything else I've worn in my 50+ years
Love the column
I reviewed Sunspel, as mentioned in the column above, trying three different models. I'm afraid they weren't as good, but they won the award for best value
DeleteSimon,
ReplyDeleteI've been holding my breath for this post for quite some time, thank you for finally posting it! Could you comment on which ones that ranked second and third?
I was thoroughly convinced that good quality cotton was the way to go for socks, until I tried socks made out of good quality wool. Did you consider or test any wool garments?
-- Morten
Follow the links in the post to reviews of Sunspel and The White Briefs.
DeleteI do have quite a lot of experience with merino wool, through rapha shorts and underwear. But it is not versatile enough for every day
Simon
Simon, very interesting post. I wonder if you have already (I did not find it then) written an article about undershirts, or if you have thought about writing something about undershirts.
ReplyDeleteFor me it is one the most difficult pieces in my wardrobe. I always wear an undershirt, but I find a lot of undershirts very uncomfortable, making me sweat more under the armpits and creating sweat stains instead of avoiding them.
Recently I changed to more expensive undershirts (f.e. from the 'White Briefs') and that was a good step I took.
However, I still have many questions about undershirts.
Why are most undershirts made in cotton? Is this the most appropriate fiber to prevent sweating?
How tight should an undershirt fit? For me, well fitting undershirts definitely look best under a shirt (they don't mess up the fit of the shirt), but they are closer to the armpits, making me sweat more. So I go for more roomy fitting undershirts, but they make your shirts look more bulky.
I would really like to read your opinion over this difficult piece of clothing!
Hi,
DeleteI'm not sure I will be able to help you here, as I don't wear undershirts. In fact no European men do, and I find it an odd trait of the Americans. They seem to do little for the sweat factor and add needless bulk.
Simon