For years, men's boxer briefs have essentially looked and performed the same. Not much has changed regarding how boxer briefs feel—arguably the most popular style of men's underwear. We are nearing completion in the journey of developing our first product, and I couldn't be more excited about what next year will bring! Hopefully, by springtime, we will have finished product development and be well on our way to getting our first orders shipped.
Our third prototype showed up at the start of November, and it turned out awesome! It was much closer to the concepts we were aiming for, serving as a much-needed sign of progress. The overall fit and comfort of the underwear were amazing, but we still have a few key issues to address—namely, the fit of our TOOL pouch and the No Ride-up Grip. The goal is to develop both of these features to such a degree that they perform effectively, eliminating day-to-day distractions while remaining comfortable and supportive. Since these features proved to be fairly technical in terms of construction, we have some more refinement to do to create the most comfortable pair of underwear possible.
For our grip, we need to ensure that the fit isn't too tight to make it less noticeable in day-to-day wear. As this underwear was developed to address the common issue of boxer briefs bunching up, we also have to allow the underwear to feel natural and not "grip" the legs completely. This has proven to be a fairly complex challenge when it comes to producing the underwear itself. Nevertheless, we are making progress, and the next prototype should be much closer to perfection.
Regarding the TOOL pouch, we've made a ton of changes for the next pair, and I'm thrilled with how it's turning out. Because most pouch designs fall short when it comes to active use and movement throughout the day, we've developed a unique pouch design that not only encompasses the wearer but also allows for freedom of movement and breathability. I initially started this whole project to create a pair of underwear that wouldn't ride up, and it has slowly evolved into building a truly unique pair of boxer briefs that I believe will represent a completely new approach to this type of underwear.
Initially, we had planned to have our first pair of boxer briefs made in Canada, but unfortunately, we had to reconsider this due to the technicalities of making everything as good as it can be. With our first prototype, it was pretty basic, and at that point, it seemed feasible that we would be able to stick with manufacturing the underwear here. But as the underwear progressed, so did the need for more complicated construction processes. From the outside, a boxer brief is usually pretty simple to make, but as this underwear progresses closer and closer to the actual vision, things have changed. We are still going to work with our Canadian partner for development, but the actual construction of the underwear will have to take place in a dedicated underwear garment factory. We have not sourced this yet, but there are some high-quality options we are looking into with the help of our Canadian partner. This is going to be a hard hit in the beginning just due to volume requirements and the production costs. But this allows us the opportunity to scale upwards in the future and quickly add new products and make changes as we go. I'm excited about this opportunity and I am looking forward to being able to work with a real underwear factory that will know how to put all of this together and ensure that each and every pair is as good as it can be.
The next prototype should be about where the underwear needs to be and should give us a good idea of any final changes that we might have to make before sourcing the manufacturing. All of this to come early in the new year. Fingers crossed.
Progress has been slowed in these last couple of months due to some changes happening with our manufacturing partner. They have faced numerous uphill battles. However, I'm hopeful that in the new year, we will make more progress and find new ways to expedite this entire process. In the meantime, I'm working on developing the garment patterns and creating more visuals for the brand. Stay tuned for what's to come! And happy holidays!
