In this holy week of Passover and Easter, the heavens have blessed us with two manty stories in as many days. First we learned that pink men's briefs were enjoying increased sales. Yesterday, WWD treats us to a lengthy article on the latest in popular men's fashion statements: eye-catching underwear waistbands that peek out from low-slung pants.
The waistband -- originally tasked with the humble job of keeping the garment on the hips --; now functions as part billboard and part design lab, where underwear companies experiment with color and pattern, new printing techniques, larger widths and oversize logos.
"They used to be pretty basic, but now they are like sneakers: their fun colors and patterns say something about the guy that is wearing them," said Michael Kleinmann, president of underwear e-tailer Freshpair.com.
2xist's spring waistbands come in ombre and tropical colors. The brand's fall underpants come with color-blocked waistbands in metallic and autumnal hues. Calvin Klein's new waistbands come in multicolored stripes, neon, patterns, and texture. We are all for straight, American men embracing trends like neon, metallic, and ombre, and if they have to start with innerwear, so be it. So be warned, ladies: if you bring a guy home in the coming weeks and discover he's wearing neon-pink-and-white-ombre underpants with raised metallic-silver lettering, acid did not necessarily fall into your drink when you weren't looking. You may have just picked a very fashionable fellow.
