The world of men’s underwear is currently being dominated by unhappy grumbles from Sweden!

Cautious spending from consumers has been blamed for a drop in first-quarter income as Swedish underwear brand Bjorn Borg announced that sales of their men’s range had fallen slightly.

Over the first three months of 2012, to March 31^st, sales fell by 7 per cent, which meant that the gross profit margin had dropped by 48 per cent, which saw a fall in operating profit.

Bjorn Borg CEO Arthur Engel said, “We leave behind a weak quarter. Sales were adversely affected by cautious purchasing during the fall and profit was weighed down by higher scheduled expenses.

The Swedish company has seen growing brand sales with an increase for smaller markets on top of continued strength in e-commerce sales.

Ex-Sweden footballer, Freddie Ljungberg has also been having a moan because he kept being groped by adoring fans ever since he took part in a photo shoot for Calvin Klein underwear.

Ljungberg, modelled for CK from 2003 to 2007 during one of the fashion company’s most successful advertising campaigns. However, the former Arsenal and West Ham midfield player, now 35 years old, said he found the attention from women in night clubs difficult to handle as they would walk up to him and grab his private parts without warning.

He said, “There were hands everywhere. From behind, from the sides, pulling and tugging. I couldn’t do anything about it.” How much of a battle Freddie actually put up to fight these swarms of women off, we will never know.

Despite these grumbles, Bjorn Borg and Calvin Klein Underwear remain some of the most popular brands for men’s underwear on the market and are sold on world-wide scale.

We thought we had left men wearing tights back in the medieval times, but it seems that the staple of women’s underwear is beginning to make its way back into the wardrobes of men as a trend for ‘Mantyhose’ gathers pace.

Emillio Cavallini, an Italian design house has brought out a range of unisex tights that are being snapped up by men who now make up around 3 per cent of their customers. The tights were launched in 2009 and they are made from a mix of cotton and nylon.

It appears that the functionality of the product is the drive behind many of the sales with them performing strongly in some of the worlds coldest countries, including the USA, Canada, France, Germany and Scandinavia.

Long johns were once the choice of men’s underwear for staving off the cold winter days and nights among northern Europeans. However, this product, with all its many varying designs, may finally give men the choice or opportunity to get back into tights without being frowned upon.

If you are reading this thinking it will never catch on, the trend has gained so much momentum that fashion intelligence specialists Racked have even conducted a poll to find the best name for how to describe these tights. Fashion news agency WWD coined the phrase ‘mantyhose’ but other suggestions discovered in the poll were ‘brosiery’, ‘guylons’, ‘he-tard’ and ‘beau-hose’.

Men of the UK and around the world, with so many wonderful men’s underwear products on the market, I urge you not to allow this fad to become a mainstream product. Jockey produce long johns that have been tried and tested for keeping our important areas frost free, whilst still allowing men to retain their masculinity and credibility.

I will certainly not become one of the men in tights – unless I get the lead role in Robin Hood or become a ballet dancer (neither scenario is remotely likely at my age!)

Most of us will use vending machines when we want to grab a quick snack to eat or a refreshing drink, but have you ever thought you might be popping over to a machine to get your underwear?

Well, this is the brainchild of Jonathan Shokrian and Barak Diskin, who are the founders of MeUndies.com. Their company provides the availability of men’s underwear from vending machines. They believe that the machines can be positioned anywhere and are a fun, convenient way to give people a product they want.

The MeUndies.com vending machine is groundbreaking in that it is the first in the world, but if you were caught short for a pair of underwear, at the moment you would need to travel to Confederacy Boutique on Hollywood Boulevard to experience the off the wall trading mechanism. Currently, the machines only dispense Y-fronts at a cost of $16 a pair, but there is the hope that a larger range will be available soon.

The underwear available is created by MeUndies.com out of micro modal, which is a very soft and breathable fabric. It is described as being ‘like cotton but it’s even more silky-feeling’.

The American entrepreneurs plan to expand their business from just selling men’s underwear, so that their vending machines will also dispatch boxers, women’s underwear, t-shirts and socks. They have highlighted a number of locations where they believe the idea will catch on too, including in hotels, fitness clubs and airports.

The concept might well work with backpackers and people with lost luggage at airports, but I think it will be a long time before we see a pair of Calvin Klein underwear rolling off a vending machine shelf.

Believe it or not, men’s underwear has helped to define the stars of film and music, make history, formed political fashions, been essential to the afterlife of pharaohs and are now regarded as an indicator of how an economy is doing.

Yet despite this, there is still little consideration given by men to the style and type of underwear they wear. Our underpants, boxers and briefs spend more time closer to us than our partners do, but are often considered as the small relation in our wardrobes.

Men will often take their time and spend their money when choosing a new suit, shirt, tie or pair of shoes, but when it comes to underwear, very few of us give the same consideration that women do when making a similar purchase for their undergarments.

Just because they are out of sight does not mean they are out of mind. You cannot look through a glossy magazine these days without seeing an advert using super-fit, toned men in just their underwear to promote a host of different products. David Beckham’s recent advertising campaign for his new range of underwear has brought it all to our attentions.

So why is there still a fear about giving the right consideration to choose a good, stylish and comfortable pair of pants? It is not as if it is a new concept. Boxer shorts, originally designed for boxers to wear under their shorts, have been on the market since the 1920s and Jockey shorts, designed for similar purposes, since the 1930s.

This year celebrates the 30^th anniversary for Calvin Klein’s first pair of men’s underwear to go on sale and even back in history, Tutankhamun had 150 loincloths buried with him in his tomb. 

Underwear is often the first piece of clothing we put on each day and the last to take off at night, so men owe it to themselves to start considering their underwear on the same level as other pieces of clothing to make for a complete, full and comfortable outfit.

#justsaying J    

A watching audience of more than 110 million tuned in to watch the New York Giants beat their East Coast rivals, the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI (46).

Whilst the spectators were entertained by the game and a halftime appearance from the Queen of Pop, Madonna, viewers at home enjoyed an advert launching David Beckham’s new range of men’s underwear, which has made boxers, briefs and undershirts a hot topic in the world of fashion.

Whilst many clothes are judged as either being a fashion statement or a necessity, mens underwear seems to sit right in the middle. Especially with global stars such as Beckham releasing his own line of underwear and brands like Jockey, signing up American Football star Tim Tebow to act as their spokesperson.

This is a guaranteed consumer market that will need to be met whatever the state of the economy. However, innovations in style have made underwear less of a fashion afterthought and more of a buzzword for trendsetters. It has taken the right conditions for mens underwear to get on the fashion industry’s radar, which include continued high-profile endorsements, streamlined design, the concept of dressing begins with a base layer, and new more comfortable stretch fabrics.

It seems that men in general are not as interested in fleeting trends, but will instead trade up or are willing to buy a product that has evolved, such as underwear, if they need to replace an old style.

One fashion expert said about boxers and briefs for men, “Undergarments are relatively inexpensive so everyone can participate. It is something that is easy for a woman to buy for a guy and something for a guy to buy for him. There is a need. It hits a large swathe of demographics.”

Fellas, it all starts with your underwear and you build your wardrobe from there. 

As the majority of the world continues to struggle to cope with the financial meltdown that has hit economies across the globe, one country is emerging as the next possible superpower, boasting a rapidly and ever-increasing economy.  

With this newly found responsibility, China and its population will have to be able to walk the walk, talk and talk and dress to impress to symbolize a powerful nation on the up and where better to start than selecting the correct underwear to give them that confidence lift.

Step up Bjorn Borg and their range of men’s underwear! The Borg underwear label has decided to launch in China under a new strategy, in partnership with a distributor that specializes in retail. This objective has been created through a new company for which Borg is the main shareholder with 75 per cent of the shares.     

The Bjorn Borg underwear range, which was founded in 1989, is still produced ​​primarily in Sweden. Since establishing itself in the Swedish market in the first half of the '90s, the brand has continued its growth throughout Europe and the USA.

The strategy will see the first Bjorn Borg store open up in Shanghai during the second half of 2012, with branded Bjorn Borg men’s underwear available in certain sections of some of China’s major department stores. This will also include internet sales and e-commerce, despite China’s strict internet rules.

Arthur Engel, President and general manager of Bjorn Borg said, "Our expansion into China is another important milestone for the growth and future of the brand. We believe that Bjorn Borg has great potential in a middle class looking for a strong brand with great personality,"

One of the new developmental partners in China is set to be Penny York, who has had dealings with the international brand Schiesser, in over 500 outlets worldwide.

Images of the much anticipated ‘Bodywear’ line from David Beckham, which is to be sold in H&M stores have been released and although Beck’s looks at his sultry modelling best, the range appears to be vest and pants to us.

The Swedish high-street chain have pulled off a master stroke as no doubt Beckham’s name will help these men’s boxer shorts fly off the shelves, but from the images released so far, it proves a little disappointing, unless you just want bog standard men’s underwear. At an estimated sale price of less than £10, they aren’t exactly asking the earth though.

The range is set to go on sale in the H&M stores on Valentine’s Day, so ladies will have to form an orderly line to snap up the gift for their husbands and boyfriends. Just how the men will react to having to have David Beckham’s name emblazoned across their underwear is anyone’s guess.

Beckham announced the new range he wanted to bring out last year, stating that he “had the idea of doing a bodywear collection for some time now. The push to do something of my own really came as a result of my collaboration with Armani’.

David Beckham modelled for Armani during their 2008 campaign, which saw the infamous ‘bulge’ picture released. During the time the campaign was run, Armani’s gross turnover climbed from £14.1 million to £38.7 million and Beckham thought he would get in on the act himself.

With his team of designers, they have spent time working on the fit, style and fabric to make sure the product is one he can be proud of.

Releasing any product that you put your name to must be a proud event, but we are slightly surprised at the rather ‘basic’ range that we have seen from the images published so far.

Maybe bringing out affordable men’s underwear with the Beckham name on is a masterstroke, we will all have to wait and see.       

With Christmas just around the corner, men’s underwear is a popular and simple gift for a partner or loved one. Buying the right style and fit is not that easy but there is a number of ways to save money when purchasing a festive present.

Buy in bulk! This is the best way to stock up with a particular style, design or brand that has been worn before and is a favourite, before the designer changes trends. Men’s underwear is also an item of clothing that will always be needed, so it makes sense to buy a lot of it when you get the chance.

If buying a brand of underwear that you haven’t come across before - try and have a look at the sizing, seams and stitching so you know the material will last and not fall apart after a few washes. CHECK the size chart – a Medium will vary from brand to brand. You do not want to get home to find your smalls are very much smaller than you wanted!

If you prefer to shop for boxer shorts online, there are plenty of bargains to be had here too. Buying shoes, jeans and suits is best to be done in person, but if there is a particular style or brand of underwear that you have bought previously and been happy with, then you can expect to get the same, quite often for cheaper, from online stores.

Underwear can make a perfect gift that men are always happy to receive!  

When you think of buying sexy underwear, you get an image of a bloke purchasing some as a special gift for their girlfriend, wife or in some cases, both! This may be true and women have started buying for their male partners too, but how often is it actually worn for the benefit of the other?

New research has suggested that a lot of the money that is spent on underwear in Britain is by both men and women, but it is not being worn in the bedroom, but rather on nights out with friends instead.

In fact, it was discovered that the average married person in the UK spends £101 a year on sexy underwear, but save it to be worn when hitting the town. It was revealed that women save their skimpiest knickers and bra’s for best, only donning them rarely for their spouses benefit. The same is true for designer men’s underwear, which is commonly kept for a night out with the boys.

It seems that the majority of provocative lingerie and sexy boxer shorts is rarely worn in the marital bedroom, with couples preferring to choose a ‘more comfortable’ and less appealing option of underwear.

Birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day and other special occasions are perhaps the only time they will be worn. A spokesperson for the company who carried out the survey of 1,000 married British couples, believes the results reflect that ‘laziness’ creeps into people’s relationships once they have walked down the aisle. It seems that married people are actually willing to make more of an effort for their friends than they do for their partners.

The poll also highlighted that the majority of men and women who wore their sexiest underwear on a night out were not doing so in the hope of ‘getting lucky’, but instead to feel more sexy and better about themselves.

For most men having the right kind of underwear is important to them, offering them a confidence boost that what is underneath the clothes is still stylish and comfortable. With the abundance of different brands, styles, colours, fabrics and fits on the men’s underwear market today, what is it male consumers are really looking for?

It is all about designing and producing underwear for a specific target audience and creating a product and brand that will attract repeat and loyal custom. Whether a fashion house is trying to create a masculine, sexy or athletic range of underwear, the key element has to be comfort and style. By using different materials, from cotton/spandex to more ‘performance’ textiles, being able to offer underwear for men that is comfortable for different occasions whilst also adhering to the brands reputation, is an all-important skill of the trade.

Recognising what makes your target demographic is vital. What is their age range? Where do they live? What are their interests? Identifying these allows designers an insight into their target consumer’s personality to get greater inspiration for producing the next line of fashionable men’s underwear to fly off the shelves.

The flare and motivation required for designing and creating a new range of underwear can be sought from all four corners of the world, decades in history, the arts, sports and many more genres. Taking a style and giving it a ‘tweak’ has been a common fashion trait for all types of garments, but especially underwear.

So, what is it that the modern man is looking for when they purchase underwear? The answer is simple, the same as they have always looked for. Originality, comfort and sexiness!