the ultimate 21st Century goth chic!

For many years, the domain of men’s underwear has remained firmly divided into two camps: briefs and boxers. However, over the last few decades, the variety and trends in men’s underwear have evolved significantly – so much that owning fashionable underwear has become as important to many men as owning trendy outer garments!

The revolution in men’s underwear began in the 1950s, when underwear manufacturers began printing patterned and coloured undergarments. After years of simple, white underclothing, men were finally presented with more varied choices when it came to their underwear. However, the injection of “sex appeal” as one of the main selling points of underwear only really began in the 1970s and 1980s. The launch of ‘designer’ underwear, including Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Jockey, sealed the status of underwear as essentially a garment to treat with pride once and for all.

In fact, the status of underwear became increasingly exotic with the production of a series of adverts in the 1980s and early 1990s. Mark Wahlberg, for instance, embraced his success as an underwear model for Calvin Klein to launch his ensuing career as a hip-hop star and all-round Hollywood hotshot. Similarly, the classic 1985 Levis commercial – in which model Nick Kamen stripped to his underpants in a Laundromat to the sound of Marvin Gaye’s ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’ – is often credited with making boxers fashionable once again.

Today’s modern objectification of mens underwear has led to a number of fads. For instance, in the late 1980s, hip hop stars pioneered the image of wearing jeans and shorts very low on the waist, in order to expose their underwear. The trend has lasted the test of time and is now popular with a wide variety of men, from hip-hop icons to indie rock stars.

Popular trends of the ‘Noughties’ have also inspired new underwear trends; bright patterns and bold colors adorn many of the briefs and boxers of 2007, inspired by a range of modern indie and rave movements. Gone are the days when black, grey or white boxers or briefs were all men had to choose from in underwear departments – various men’s clothing retailers now sell men’s underwear in a range of colors, patterns and stripes. What’s more, 2007 has seen the Y-front return to the forefront of many retailer’s underwear lines. So whether you’re hankering after a pair of fire-red briefs, or you’re keen to find yourself a pair of 1980s retro print Y-fronts, you’re sure to discover the men’s underwear that’s perfect for you. So ditch those tighty-whities and embrace a new style of colorful drawers today!

(Daily Mirror)

Amy Winehouse’s taxi driving dad Mitch has made the startling revelation that not only has his singer daughter met Alex Reid, but they talked about what was the best sexy lingerie to buy.

Talking on his new chat show on Living TV, he said that Amy and cross-dressing cagefighter Alex – or perhaps it was his female alter-ego Roxanne – talked pants in London’s Selfridges the other day. Mitch made the revelation after saying how disappointed he was that Katie Price had quit I’m A Celebrity.

In his “Showbiz Rant” section of the show, he said: “I got the right hump today; Jordan’s out of the jungle. And as for her dumping Alex live on TV, I will be sad to see the back of him because his choice in underwear is absolutely superb. In fact we went underwear shopping the other day, Amy and I were in Selfridges and he was in there, Amy and Alex were swapping lingerie tips.”

Ratty things my man’s been missin’
Didn’t ask his permission
I’m wearing his jock
It’s stuffed with a sock
Walking ’round in hubby’s underwear.

Frayed long johns that let the gas out
Holey briefs that hang my ass out
I fart and I spit
I belch and pop zits
Walking ’round in hubby’s underwear.

In the drawer you’ll find a leather G-string,
Shiny silver snaps you can undo.
Nancy asks me, “Will you wear it for me?”
Let’s wait till all the Xmas shopping’s through.

Later on, if you like it
We can dress up like Brad Pitt;
We’ll glue on a beard
We won’t look so weird
Walking ’round in hubby’s underwear.

(I wrote these lyrics in about an hour. We were coming home from a Festival of Trees, my kid pointed out I’m the wrong gender to sing “Walking ‘Round In Women’s Underwear” and my brain took it on as a challenge. Feel free to sing it and pass it along.)

Thermal underwear is warm, but light, underwear. Patented fabric technology is used in making thermal underwear. This provides maximum warmth to the users. Most men’s thermal underwear has a soft fleece-like interior. Men’s thermal underwear is very comfortable to wear under any type of clothing, it provides comfort and warmth. The light weight, ultra-soft base layer of men’s thermal underwear provides protection against cold.

Men’s thermal underwear is made from different materials such as polyester and cotton. Polyester underwear has certain advantages over cotton thermal underwear. Polyester underwear drives away the perspiration across the underwear. This causes quick evaporation of sweat. This in turn keeps the user warm and dry. Most men’s thermal underwear has a breathable middle layer and outer layer. Thermal underwear is very useful for people participating in skiing or snowboarding. Men’s thermal underwear is generally designed in such a way that it stretches as the user moves and it does not ride up when the user sits. Because of this feature it is useful for people who engage in physical activities.

Thermal underwear is ideal for wearing in winter seasons. This underwear fits like a glove and has a slim look. Some specially designed men’s thermal underwear can be used both in cold and warm seasons. This type of thermal underwear has a base layer that keeps the user both warm and cool. This layer is usually made of phase change materials such as paraffin. Paraffin melts when the temperature gets higher than 85 degrees Fahrenheit and freezes below this temperature. This type of thermal underwear absorbs heat when paraffin melts. But it releases the heat, when paraffin freezes. Thermal underwear keeps the body temperature normal, when the outside temperature changes. Hence this underwear is perfect for people who need to work from the cool mornings to the hot afternoons.

A lovely town.  One you must visit, although it’s still not my favorite Italian city.  That spot (so far) is reserved for Verona, just an hour up the autostrada towards Milan.  But other than speeding through Verona, Goddess and I didn’t make it there this trip.  But we will.  Plus, there’s a lot Italy we have to explore.

And a lot of great wine.

So anyway, Goddess and I arrived on a Saturday evening.  After checking into the hotel to find our hotel room very cramped and reeking of cigarette smoke (both typical Italian hotel experiences), we headed off to find some dinner.  We got a recommendation from the lady working the hotel’s front desk and off we went.  We think we found the place that she recommended, mainly because there really weren’t any other options in the small downtown area of Mogliano Veneto.  We arrived “American early”, meaning around 7pm, which is at least an hour or so earlier than anyone else in Europe shows up for dinner.  So we had the place to ourselves. 

The food was good and the wine was better.  Apparently everyone else knew too, because the place filled up quickly after 8pm.  We enjoyed taking our time, but apparently not as much as the wait staff.  Once we were done, we asked three separate people and waited 25 minutes for our bill, even though they kept walking by not very busy.  It actually took us getting up to walk out before they moved.  Funny how that works.

So the next morning we headed off into the city.  Visiting Venice by train is the way to go, since parking VERY expensive (more later) and once you’re in the city, you can’t drive anyway.  So it’s better to get delivered directly to the grand canal with no traffic hassles.  And here’s the welcome:

As you can see, it’s pretty busy, even though it’s only 9am.  The tourists are already bustling around, making the walkways quite crowded.  But not unbearably so.

Goddess and I had rushed out of the house and had left behind my Venice maps from my last visit, which was just over ten years ago.  The beauty of the city is that it couldn’t change that much in ten years.  Sure, the shops may change owners, but the cathedrals, squares and markets would be in the same place.  So we had to buy another map.  At tourist prices.  And that became a recurring theme over the next two days.

Once we got walking, we noticed that there were people running down the alleys, each wearing a race number.  Very odd, considering the large number of tourists.  But these folks were clearly in hurry to get places, so they were definitely racing.  We watched a few and realized that it was an orienteering race.  The folks had their map and compass and would have to pause to get their bearings before taking off again.  It was fun to watch them weave their way through the crowds.  Some even at a pretty brisk run.  And I’m sure they enjoyed the ramps from the Venice Marathon, which was held just two weeks before.  I know those ramps made it easier to get over some of the bridges than actually running up the steps.  Hell, it made it easier for us to walk.

We worked our way to Piazza San Marco, passing canal after canal after canal.  One thing I found interesting was how green the water appeared.  It almost didn’t seem natural.  But it certainly was.  Even out in the open water, it was a different shade of green, but nowhere as bright as within the small canals, framed by the pastel colored buildings.

Once we arrived at the Piazza, we decided it was time to sit down and watch the world go by.  We sat at one of the cafés and ordered our coffees – me a Doppio (double espresso) and Goddess a cappuccino.  The total was €18, which works out to about $27.  Tourist prices. 

At least we got water and a chocolate with it.

But it wasn’t all bad.  We sat for the better part of an hour watching people go by, taking in the view of St Mark’s Basilica and clock tower.  We did what we do best – people watch.  One nice surprise was to see a young Asian couple, newly married, parade out and get their pictures taken in front of many of the buildings. 

Lovely couple.

After a while, we decided to head down along the waterfront.  Outside of the canals, this to me is the best view in Venice.

That’s the Basilica di San Giorgio Maggiore in the background.  A phenomenal complex that I’ve yet to visit.

So, being the tourists that we are, we decided to do the gondola ride.  If you go, beware that it is not cheap.  Bring the suitcase.  But it’s worth every second.  I’ve spent many hours roaming down side alleys, through doorways and into hidden courtyards.  But this is a completely different view of the city.  At one point our gondolier actually apologized for a jet flying overhead on its approach into the airport; he was upset that it shattered the calm.

But unlike the movies, he never sang for us.

Again, worth every penny.

And those of you who’ve traveled with me know how much I hate doing the touristy things.  I’d rather explore the back alleys.

Which is what Goddess and I did the rest of Sunday, well into the evening.

And we returned Monday.

Monday was definitely different.  The city shifted energies, away from a tourist-focused city to a living, breathing city on Monday.  The markets burst to life, the canals were packed with boat traffic as deliveries were made, and children filled the streets on their way to/from school.  And the tourists were still everywhere.

So we went the other direction.  To the point that the locals were looking at us funny, because it’s pretty obvious when two blonde folks are walking down a back alley in Venice that they aren’t locals.

And we’re better for the experience.

If you subscribe to National Geographic, then you saw this past Augusts’ article “Vanishing Venice”.  A wonderfully well-written, well photographed article (as you’d expect from NG) that delves into the disappearing native Venetian population.  But we caught glimpses of them at every turn.

Plus we got away from the tourist prices.

Believe it or not, this lunch (wine included) cost less than our two coffees in Piazza San Marco.

And we had it the tables all to ourselves along the side of a canal.

It was too cold for the Venetians to come out to take our order.  It was in the mid 60s (Fahrenheit for you snarky comments [you know who you are]).  But we sat out, sans jackets, and enjoyed the lovely day.

Soon it was time to make our way back across the city to look at carnivale masks. 

When I was here in 1999, I found one that I wanted to get Goddess.  We were dating at the time and I wanted to bring her a bit of this part of the world.  So I found the one I wanted to get her, then decided to go out and do some comparison shopping.  When I returned to buy it, the owner had taken her lunch siesta, but had hung the sign that she’d return at 2pm.  Well, 2pm came and went.  By 330pm I had to leave for the airport to catch my flight, which I did without the mask.

So ten years later we were in the store, picking out the ones that she wanted.  She walked out with a few.  All beautiful, including one that’s freaky (to me) when she puts it on.  But those will remain invisible to y’all until we find an opportunity to wear them.

But here’s one that was on the wall.

After that, we headed back to the garage to pick up our car.

Where we needed a suitcase of money to spring it free.

Since we had checked out of our hotel that morning, we couldn’t leave the car in their massive parking lot of four spots.  So we drove it to Venice, full of suitcases, then parked it in one of the towering parking garages at the city entrance that had a flat rate for any amount of time for under twelve hours.  The flat rate was the low, low price of €24 (that’s $36 USD).

From there we did a fine, fine job of getting lost in northern Italy.  But that’s a different story that involves not updating our GPS with new maps since we bought it.

But I won’t tell that here.

Next stop, a few places in Northern Italy (once we figured out where we were).

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BTW, you can click on each of the photos above.  The ones with the borders around them will just take you to a larger version of the image.  The ones with the blue lined borders will take you to my website, where a few other images are loaded.  I’ll be adding more in the coming days.  And if you see one you like, please consider buying it.  I’ve gotta pay for the parking somehow.  ;^)

Thermal underwear is warm, but light, underwear. Patented fabric technology is used in making thermal underwear. This provides maximum warmth to the users. Most men’s thermal underwear has a soft fleece-like interior. Men’s thermal underwear is very comfortable to wear under any type of clothing, it provides comfort and warmth. The light weight, ultra-soft base layer of men’s thermal underwear provides protection against cold.

Men’s thermal underwear is made from different materials such as polyester and cotton. Polyester underwear has certain advantages over cotton thermal underwear. Polyester underwear drives away the perspiration across the underwear. This causes quick evaporation of sweat. This in turn keeps the user warm and dry. Most men’s thermal underwear has a breathable middle layer and outer layer. Thermal underwear is very useful for people participating in skiing or snowboarding. Men’s thermal underwear is generally designed in such a way that it stretches as the user moves and it does not ride up when the user sits. Because of this feature it is useful for people who engage in physical activities.

Thermal underwear is ideal for wearing in winter seasons. This underwear fits like a glove and has a slim look. Some specially designed men’s thermal underwear can be used both in cold and warm seasons. This type of thermal underwear has a base layer that keeps the user both warm and cool. This layer is usually made of phase change materials such as paraffin. Paraffin melts when the temperature gets higher than 85 degrees Fahrenheit and freezes below this temperature. This type of thermal underwear absorbs heat when paraffin melts. But it releases the heat, when paraffin freezes. Thermal underwear keeps the body temperature normal, when the outside temperature changes. Hence this underwear is perfect for people who need to work from the cool mornings to the hot afternoons.

This is another ad from 1934.  This time it’s for men’s underwear (we’ve had enough women’s, I thought it was the men’s turn).

This ad is from the same catalog as the corset ads that I’ve posted before, but the tone is so different!  Those are all about how the corsets feel and how they will make your life better, this is all about how the nainsooks are “government standard” and strong!  I love the little illustration of the two men trying to tear the nainsook apart!

This ad made me laugh, but I’m also quite certain that it worked.  It hits all the right notes for the time.  Now I think you’d have a hard time selling something called a “nainsook” to men in America no matter what strategy you went with.

You may not need to ask where to buy UGGs. However, just because UGGs are in style and can be found anywhere doesn’t mean you should buy them anywhere too! Of course many online and non online stores sell UGGs but part of being a wise shopper is to know exactly where you should go for the authentic UGGs.

It’s easy for other merchants and other people to cash in and ride the wave of UGGs popularity. Many boots that are labeled as authentic UGGs are actually just plain knock offs that look good. You might wonder what the real difference is if the fakes look just as good as the real ones. Time will actually tell you how different fake ones are from real UGGs.

The real and authentic UGG shoes have interiors that are very soft. The soft fleece is one of the reasons why real UGGs are comfortable to wear. The sheepskin which is the crucial main component of UGGs also regulates the temperature, thus adding more comfort. Your feet get warmed up during winter but stay cool in the summer.

The exterior of the shoes or boots have soles that can give proper traction but are flexible enough not to impede movement. An entire ugg boot itself is so light that you won’t feel burdened carrying your boots along. UGG boots also fit snugly around your feet, making you feel like you are just wearing a pair of wool socks.

You should ask where to buy UGGs because getting fake ones could ruin your day. You could end up with boots that look a lot like UGGs but will not have the same flexibility, durability, lightness and thermostatic properties as real UGGs. Depending on the kind of fakes you are wearing, you could get a pair that isn’t comfortable or even painful to wear. You could even get sweaty feet because of faux materials that don’t allow your feet to breathe as well as sheepskin.

If you want to buy a pair of authentic UGGs, the most logical place to start looking is your local departments stores and branded shoe shops. These stores are the least likely to sell knock offs because they would naturally be interested in preserving their good names. After all, patronizing knock offs is really a way of supporting something illegal.

If you can’t find what you want in the usual stores, then you should consider shopping online. The first websites to drop by are those that are officially owned by legitimate UGGs manufacturers. In the U.S., the premiere sheepskin boot brand is UGG Australia. There are however, quite a number of other manufacturers who also make sheepskin boots.

Online auction blocks is another place where you can look for hard-to-find UGG boots. A similar shopping venue is online personal ads. Be ready though. You are more likely to encounter a lot of knock offs here. If you are able to get authentic ones, then you would probably have to settle for used ones.

The bottom may have dropped out of the market for women’s thongs, but it is not necessarily so for male thong underwear and some retailers are reporting that thongs for men are one of their most popular styles because of their long history for offering practical and functional support.

Most men naively associate men’s thongs with being gay, how backward thinking is this, and women usually scream ‘Aghhhh, no’. However, women need to remember that there are also a lot of women who equally don’t look too hot in a thong either and let’s face it, thongs only look good if you have the body to carry them off, is irrespective of whether you are male or female.

Whatever your views are about male thong underwear and men in g-strings, there has to be some reason why they have become so popular. Gone are the days when it was a case of the novelty thong, we are talking about top leading designer brands cottoning on to the fact that men wear this type of underwear and are manufacturing them to meet demand.

Many online retailers are reporting that since introducing men’s thongs to their range of underwear styles, they have seen a tremendous demand for them and surprised with just how popular they are. Retailers of female lingerie recently reported that ‘the bottom has fallen out of the market for women’s thongs’, but this is not the case for male thongs.

So why are men’s thongs so popular? Well, many customers seem to love them so much because of the incredible support, functionality and practical qualities they have. This concurs with the fact that there is probably a greater argument for the fact that thongs are more suited to men than they are to women.

Men’s thongs are believed to have been around for thousands of years and are documented as being over 5000 years old. Undoubtedly, our ancestors first wore thongs when vanity was not such any issue, men weren’t shouted out as being gay for running around in one whilst trying to kill a lion with their spear and women couldn’t have given a dam, so long as the bloke brought back some food. They most likely wore them because they did what they were supposed to do, cover, support and protect.

This basic need for men to have a practical and supportive is just the same today, it’s just that vanity, socialisation and cultures get in the way of us sometimes choosing what is right.

Women place just as much importance on their breast being adequately supported and are repeatedly told how important it is to be measured for a well fitting and supportive bra. Well, it is just as important to have a well fitting and supportive pair of pants, and men’s thongs do just that, without there needing to be more to them than necessary.

If only some ‘A’ list celebrity would promote them, then I am sure it would be the OK item to be seen in.

It is said that 16th century women began to wear knickers because of Catherine de Medici’s love of riding to the chase side-saddle on windy days. The Medici was small of stature and rather well-built but she had beautiful legs and a fine degree of modesty.

Catherine de Medici

These underpants were called calçons and they caused a bruhaha amongst some moralists of the day…

“Women should leave their buttocks uncovered under their skirts. They should not appropriate a masculine garment but leave their behinds nude as is suitable for their sex.”

Others were of a different opinion. Henri Estienne believed...”These calçons are useful for women – they help to keep them tidy, prevent the onslaught of dust and cold and stop them showing too much of their body whenever they happen to fall off a horse. It also affords them a certain measure of protection against dissolute young men who, when they stealthily slide their hand under a lady’s skirt, will no longer come into direct contact with her flesh.”

Also condemned by some were the vertugades or hoops that women wore under their skirts from about 1530. Satirized, and finally declared a public nuisance, the hoop remained in use for several decades.

Catherine de Medici’s daughter, Marguerite of Valois apparently had a novel use for her hoops. She wore one of great width in which she had pockets made large enough to hold a little box. Inside each little box lay the embalmed heart of a deceased lover. And each night, Margot would hang her hoop in a cupboard behind her bed which she kept firmly locked.

Thermal underwear is warm, but light, underwear. Patented fabric technology is used in making thermal underwear. This provides maximum warmth to the users. Most men’s thermal underwear has a soft fleece-like interior. Men’s thermal underwear is very comfortable to wear under any type of clothing, it provides comfort and warmth. The light weight, ultra-soft base layer of men’s thermal underwear provides protection against cold.

Men’s thermal underwear is made from different materials such as polyester and cotton. Polyester underwear has certain advantages over cotton thermal underwear. Polyester underwear drives away the perspiration across the underwear. This causes quick evaporation of sweat. This in turn keeps the user warm and dry. Most men’s thermal underwear has a breathable middle layer and outer layer. Thermal underwear is very useful for people participating in skiing or snowboarding. Men’s thermal underwear is generally designed in such a way that it stretches as the user moves and it does not ride up when the user sits. Because of this feature it is useful for people who engage in physical activities.

Thermal underwear is ideal for wearing in winter seasons. This underwear fits like a glove and has a slim look. Some specially designed men’s thermal underwear can be used both in cold and warm seasons. This type of thermal underwear has a base layer that keeps the user both warm and cool. This layer is usually made of phase change materials such as paraffin. Paraffin melts when the temperature gets higher than 85 degrees Fahrenheit and freezes below this temperature. This type of thermal underwear absorbs heat when paraffin melts. But it releases the heat, when paraffin freezes. Thermal underwear keeps the body temperature normal, when the outside temperature changes. Hence this underwear is perfect for people who need to work from the cool mornings to the hot afternoons.

Just one look at Djimon Hounsou’s 2007 Calvin Klein Underwear ad campaign would render most women speechless. His chiselled chocolate frame was featured on billboards around the world and no doubt were responsible for holding up traffic as women stepped out of their cars to get a better look. The model turned actor is more than just a gorgeous face. He has starred in movies like Gladiator, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life and Never Back Down.

read more on

http://www.sevafrica.com/Sneak-Peek/HunkDjimonHounsou.shtml

The second installment of the Agent Provocateur comic book is out.

Men’s nylon underwear is lightweight ,smooth underwear. These are made from breathable and absorbent nylon materials. Nylon underwear is designed to give comfort and fit. There is a reinforced neck in some of the nylon undershirts to give durability. Men’s nylon underwear stretches as the user moves and does not ride up when the user sits. The tricot lining in men’s nylon underwear makes it breathable and wicks away the moisture easily. There is a no-roll elastic waist in most of the men’s nylon underwear. This avoids the rolling of elastic waist which is a common problem in most underwears. Nylon underwear gives the same feeling as that of silk underwear. However, nylon underwear is more economical than silk underwear. Nylon underwear does not need ironing. Nylon fabrics are generally quick drying fabrics. Hence, underwear made from nylon fabrics are ideal for people who travel frequently.

Nylon underwear is available in various colors and prints. Different types of men’s nylon underwear are available such as boxer briefs, bikinis, thongs and G-strings. Boxer briefs have longer shape but they maintain the tightness. Bikinis are widely used by both men and women. String bikini briefs only have the front and rear sections and there is no fabric on the side of the legs. The nylon thong is widely used because of its erotic appeal. This type of underwear is perfect for wearing under tight trousers. G-string men’s nylon underwear usually has a front pouch for the genitals and no rear coverage.

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Underwear with 100% nylon is the purest nylon underwear. The price of nylon underwear varies with the percentage of nylon material contained in it. Men’s nylon underwear is available in various sizes. Men need to choose their underwear according to their size. Nylon underwear is suitable for all types of dresses. Because of its light weight, nylon underwear is perfect for people who take part in physical activities.

Men’s nylon underwear is lightweight ,smooth underwear. These are made from breathable and absorbent nylon materials. Nylon underwear is designed to give comfort and fit. There is a reinforced neck in some of the nylon undershirts to give durability. Men’s nylon underwear stretches as the user moves and does not ride up when the user sits. The tricot lining in men’s nylon underwear makes it breathable and wicks away the moisture easily. There is a no-roll elastic waist in most of the men’s nylon underwear. This avoids the rolling of elastic waist which is a common problem in most underwears. Nylon underwear gives the same feeling as that of silk underwear. However, nylon underwear is more economical than silk underwear. Nylon underwear does not need ironing. Nylon fabrics are generally quick drying fabrics. Hence, underwear made from nylon fabrics are ideal for people who travel frequently.

Nylon underwear is available in various colors and prints. Different types of men’s nylon underwear are available such as boxer briefs, bikinis, thongs and G-strings. Boxer briefs have longer shape but they maintain the tightness. Bikinis are widely used by both men and women. String bikini briefs only have the front and rear sections and there is no fabric on the side of the legs. The nylon thong is widely used because of its erotic appeal. This type of underwear is perfect for wearing under tight trousers. G-string men’s nylon underwear usually has a front pouch for the genitals and no rear coverage.

.

Underwear with 100% nylon is the purest nylon underwear. The price of nylon underwear varies with the percentage of nylon material contained in it. Men’s nylon underwear is available in various sizes. Men need to choose their underwear according to their size. Nylon underwear is suitable for all types of dresses. Because of its light weight, nylon underwear is perfect for people who take part in physical activities.