In a men's underwear market where every company feels the need to offer every possible style (i.e., boxers, briefs, low-rise boxers, low-rise briefs, boxer briefs, low-rise boxer briefs, pouch brief, low-rise pouch brief, hip brief, low-rise hip brief, bikini brief, low-rise bikini brief, jockstrap, low-rise jockstrap, etc.) to reach the widest possible audience, I was recently shocked to discover a new company that currently only makes one thing -- trunk briefs.
Jameswinston Co. is a new men's underwear company based in the UK with products manufactured in the UK, tagging their products as "21st Century Underwear". You may have noticed Ron and I wear their styles in our "What We're Wearing" area as he and I have both been trying out their wares. After several wear and wash cycles, I can recommend Jameswinston Co. underwear wholeheartedly.
Why just trunk briefs? The guys behind Jameswinston Co. had become frustrated at buying well-marketed underwear that, after a few wears and washes, became not so comfortable. They took on the job of producing comfortable, supportive and aesthetically pleasing underwear for today's man at a fair price, drawing from vintage design elements of the 1950s but using more modern elastane lycra and cotton mix fabrics. Trunk briefs fit these stylings well, and while understated, give Jameswinston Co. a foundation upon which they can prove the quality of their underwear as they prepare to branch into a broader men's underwear offering.
What hits me about Jameswinston Co. men's underwear is that it just feels classy. My Jameswinston Co. styles arrived in a burlap-style bag with their logo emblazoned on the outside. Inside the bag, unique boxes showed that these guys took a serious amount of time to think through their branding, even to the point of creating boxes that aren't flashy or plastered with photos of men in underwear, but instead are understated but communicate quality and style. When you check out the underwear itself, the branding becomes clear as well. The Jameswinston Co. name and/or logo is physically placed on the underwear itself in no less than 4 locations. By the first time you put on this underwear, you know their name and their logo by heart.
The elements that seal that deal with the Jameswinston Co. trunk briefs are the quality feel of the fabric, the fit of these undies, and the broad range of colors available. I've worn both the Retro Trunk style and the Classic Rib style, and they both feel exquisite. The Retro Trunk is set apart by its sturdier fabric construction than the Classic Rib, but I really like the lighter feel of the Classic Rib as well. 
The seams are in all the right places, and the fabric feels sturdy and rugged. When I wear them, I feel like a fancy man. Actually, my only negative in this whole review is that they, like pretty much every trunk brief I've ever worn, seem to ride up my thighs as the day goes along. As you know from other reviews, I don't necessarily blame the underwear for this -- it seems that every pair of trunk briefs I've ever worn does this, so I think it has more to do with my soccer thighs than the underwear itself. Oh, and I just remembered -- order up a size, because their sizings are a little small than normal. If in doubt, check the sizing chart on the Jameswinston Co. site.
I often downgrade great underwear because they fail to offer enough color in their underwear lines. Not so with Jameswinston Co. They've done a great job of offering a wide range of colors, but again, their color schemes are understated and stylish instead of flashy. These colors are definitely eye-catching, but they communicate comfort and luxury more than some of the wild and crazy patterns on the market these days. With underwear color names like racing green, stone, cornflower, khakistone, mandarin and others, you can't help but feel pampered.
All in all, I really like the Jameswinston Co. men's underwear selections, and they're also affordable -- they cost about £15 each (about $30USD), which is understandable when you consider the quality of this underwear. If you are worried that you're not a trunk brief man and you just won't be satisfied, take a deep breath and wait. The guys at Jameswinston Co. are bubbling with excitement about their upcoming lines and styles in 2007, and they are dying to tell us what's coming, but they're holding back. We will keep you posted as they announce new lines, styles and colors. Until then, check out Jameswinston Co., and give their great underwear a try. It's fun to get to review a brand that works hard to promote its brand through great fit, great colors, and great fabrics, and we think you will appreciate their hard work when you wear their underwear.
MY RATING:
I give the Jameswinston Co. Classic Rib and Retro Trunk trunk briefs a total score of 9 based on the following criteria:
FIT -- 9 (out of 10)
STYLE-- 10 (out of 10)
QUALITY -- 10 (out of 10)
VALUE -- 9 (out of 10)
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