For those who think prices at the pump have gotten expensive, have you looked at what they’re charging for underwear? The most in-demand briefs today are by the Spanish designer brand, ES Collection. ES briefs typically retail between $55 to $65 each in boutiques and luxury department stores. And no, that isn’t for a three-pack. It’s for one pair!
Expensive, for sure. But those that can afford them say they’re worth it. Those that can’t afford them buy them anyway. It’s the price of looking good and if you want to ride the sexy train, you gotta cough up the ticket price.
Luckily, ES Collection’s latest line offers a reprieve to the fashion forward walking around with fat wallets yet empty bank accounts. Addicted by ES has all the style of sex appeal of the flagship brand, but at fashion friendly prices.
GC: Is Addicted the younger brother to ES?
ES: I guess you could call it that. ES collection is five and a half years old while Addicted is about to turn two. But in underwear years, ES is in it’s thirties while Addicted just graduated college.
GC: Addicted appears to be a more provocative active wear brand.
ES: Addicted is much more young, dynamic, powerful and strong. It’s for the more daring guy.
GC: Why did you create Addicted?
ES: ES is a high end brand that uses expensive fabrics. It’s not affordable to everyone. We realized pretty quickly that the style and cuts also appealed to a demographic that were just starting out in life and didn’t have the disposable income yet to spend on briefs. We decided to create a second brand with a similar spirit and an equally strong identity that would be more affordable to young guys.
GC: Why did you name the brand Addicted?
ES: Because you wear them once and you are addicted.
GC: Are you suggesting addictions can be good?
ES: Sure, there are many good addictions. Sports, the quest for optimum health, most love... Some addictions are great!
GC: Is Addicted a sports brand like ES?
ES: Not so much. It is more concept brand
GC: What kind of man wears Addicted?
ES: I would like to think everyone but our main demographic tends to be young men between 18 and 30. They’re athletic guys with a playful spirit. They’re fashion conscious which is something that kind of took us by surprise. It’s amazing how fashion conscious young guys are today! It used to be that girlfriends and wives bought their partner’s designer briefs. Now, guys have caught the underwear train.
GC: Do you expect the Addicted wearer will one day grow into ES?
ES: That’s our plan.
GC: Is that why Addicted seems to be on more store shelves than ES?
ES: Addicted is a consumer brand and so is in more places. The ES collection has a restrictive policy regarding distribution and wholesale. We don’t sell to just any stores. Retailers need to meet a pretty high standard to carry the line. One of the best places to purchase ES and view the entire collection is at LAJock.com.
GC: What new styles are you unveiling for Addicted?
ES: Our mesh collection has been a huge seller. It’s not your typical mesh. It’s a flex mesh that accentuates the curves in your body. This season, it isn’t so much about the cuts as it is about the colors. We’re introducing lots of new vibrant colors to the collection.
GC: What are some styles that you might do for Addicted that you would not do for ES?
ES: We wouldn’t do mesh for ES. It’s too young for the sophisticated ES Collection wearer. Also some of the long boxers that I designed for Addicted wouldn’t translate for ES. The ES wearer isn’t interested in the cut and also because of the high end fabric in ES, the briefs would be extremely expensive to make.
GC: The men’s underwear industry has exploded in recent years with tons of new designer brands.
ES: It’s a growing market. For so long, the men's underwear industry was lackluster with all brands looking the same. I am thrilled that so many new and great brands have come to the market offering color, comfort, sexiness, and now there are even eco friendly briefs.
GC: Do you worry that too many brands are flooding the market?
ES: I hear that a lot; designers worrying that too many brands will tip the scales of supply and demand. I don’t agree. The flood of brands has helped the entire industry to grow and has inspired innovation. Today, you have to offer something new and great if you’re going to enter the competitive athletic wear industry. The innovation has attracted tons of new buyers... guys that never bought underwear before!
GC: What inspired you to design men’s briefs?
ES: I started designing men’s swimwear and, in time, learned I could export those designs and convert them into underwear.
GC: What’s the most popular brief and cut in the Addicted line?
ES: The basic AD2 boxer. It’s extremely comfortable, fits great, and has some amazing color combinations. Young guys love them.
GC: Are young athletes moving away from baggy athletic wear to more fitted wear?
ES: I don’t think baggy athletic wear will ever die. It’s comfortable and when an athlete is training, comfort is key. It’s when you want to show off the results of your sweat and hard work that tighter athletic wear comes into play.
GC: Your campaigns seem to suggest that younger men have become more seductive.
ES: I think younger men have become more in touch with their sexuality. They’re more playful than past generations.
GC: Briefs appear to be part of their arsenal to lure sex... is that fair to say?
ES: I don’t know about that. For the railway campaign, we just let the models have fun and be themselves. They were playing, being silly and yeah, I suppose feeling sexy, but not in a luring kind-of-way. To be honest with you, they seemed more interested in exploring themselves than with putting themselves out as bait for others.
GC: Your models are also less bulky than what we see in most campaigns... are muscles out?
ES: Addicted is more about fashion. Our customer is athletic and fit, not bulky and buff.
GC: Sex sells underwear... does underwear buy sex?
ES: I never really thought of it that way but you know what? Maybe it does. There’s a reason all the best toys are sold in colorful boxes. It’s all about the pretty packaging, isn’t it?