Men's Underwear Blog

Calvin Klein Underwear 30th Anniversary

2012-02-05T12:07:00.000-08:00

Since the launch of Calvin Klein Underwear in 1982 the brand has provided iconic advertising that have launched careers and featured super models and celebrities alike. The campaigns are imprinted into the minds of a generation and still turn heads thirty years on.

From the first advert featuring Tom Hintnaus to this year’s featuring Bold advert with Matthew Terry, Calvin Klein have reconfigured the men’s underwear market over the last thirty years and remain the market leader.

We have compiled a small selection of those iconic images featuring Calvin Klein men’s underwear, television ads and the models that appeared in them.

We have also included some of the most controversial adverts from Calvin Klein.

1982

The first advertising campaign featured Tom Hintnaus, a US pole-vaulter who qualified first for the 1980 United States Olympic Trials in track and field. Following the United States boycott of the Olympic games he became estranged and represented Brazil from 1983. The advertising campaign was photographed by Bruce Weber and showed Hintnaus in white briefs leaning against a whitewashed chimney on Santorini Island in Greece. The image became iconic and was named as one of “10 Pictures That Changed America” by American Photographer Magazine.

Hintnaus frustrated by his notoriety was quoted in the Los Angeles Times saying;

“I worked so hard to be the best pole-vaulter in the world and I ended up being more well known for putting on a pair of briefs.”

The image stopped traffic when it appeared in Times Square, New York and also became a gay icon. Today Tom Hintnaus, he is a contractor in specialising in dock building.

Previous Calvin Klein Underwear models in 2007, Ed Bergin, Joel West, Antonio Sabato and Tom Hintnaus.

1988

Bruce Weber again for Calvin Klein in this campaign image from 1988 featuring Ed Flory.

1992

Mark Wahlberg was born in Dorchester, Boston in 1971. The youngest of nine children, by thirteen he had developed an addition to cocaine and other substances. Wahlberg claims he was in trouble with the Boston Police Department up to 25 times as a teenager. At 16, he was charged with attempted murder after he approached a middle-aged Vietnamese man on the street and, using a large wooden stick, knocked him unconscious. He also attacked another Vietnamese man, leaving him permanently blind in one eye, and attacked a security guard.

"I did a lot of things that I regretted and I have certainly paid for my mistakes. You have to go and ask for forgiveness and it wasn't until I really started doing good and doing right, by other people as well as myself, that I really started to feel that guilt go away. So I don't have a problem going to sleep at night. I feel good when I wake up in the morning."

Whilst in prison Wahlberg decided to change his ways. Relying on the guidance of his parish priest to turn his back on crime. He told his street gang that he was leaving them.

In 1992 after launching his music career, Wahlberg posed for a series of underwear advertisements in print and television shot by Herb Ritts alongside Kate Moss.

Klein later revealed, "It didn't go too well, [Kate] didn't like [Mark] at all. I have worked with so many women, great ones, and Kate was always difficult." But lest you think everyone on set was a capital D diva, Calvin adds, "[Mark] was a pleasure."

The campaign cemented the career of Wahlberg and since has gone on to appear in movies including Three Kings (1999), The Perfect Storm (2000), The Departed (2006) and The Lovely Bones (2009).

1995

17-year old Joel West from Indianola, Iowa was one of the top supermodels in the 1990’s and signed an exclusive contract with Calvin Klein. West followed a career in acting and has appeared in many television series, with credits including Hereos, CSI: Miami and Charmed.

1999

Travis Fimmel was raised on a 5500-acre dairy farm in Echuca, Victoria, Australia. After high school, higher education called and he was accepted to Melbourne University. It was not long until his intense curiosity led him to begin his global adventures. While bar tending in London, he met his would-be manager, David Seltzer. He saw a spark in Fimmel and suggested he move to the US. Fimmel made the move to Los Angeles with just $60 in his pockets, spent $40 on a taxi into the city and his last $20 at a bar. Fimmel found himself broke, walked barefoot into the offices of LA Models, where Paul Nelson recognised his potential and signed him. Asked whether landing in LA with $60 was a good way to launch a career, Travis replied;

“Probably not. I just chanced it. I went to the airport and the friend who drove me lent me the money. It was a Monday morning when I arrived. I went into the agency with no shoes on and just said: 'Hey.' They just picked me up straight away. They got me a flat, rented me a car and really looked after me.”

After easily booking a few jobs, Nelson brokered his first campaign with Calvin Klein Underwear.

It was claimed that an advertising hoarding featuring Fimmel caused such a commotion on Oxford Street in London that it was removed after claims women drivers were slowing down to ogle the advertisement, triggering accidents and traffic jams, however this was considered to be an internet rumour. Calvin Klein defended the ad, denying that the image was suggestive or demeaning, and the Advertising Standards Agency agreed, ruling that it was relevant to the product and was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.

Some countries decided to ban the ads, reasoning that it was too sexually suggestive and demeaning to men.

“Fimmel was self-conscious as a youngster. He was small, the little guy”

Jenny Fimmel

Fimmel also featured in the 2002 Calvin Klein campaign for Crave well as having a successful acting career.

2007

2007 saw the launch of Steel, featuring the infamous chunky metallic waistband in cotton and microfiber modeled by Djimon Hounsou. Hounsou, an actor and model from Benin and his acting credits include ER, Beverly Hills, 90210 and Stargate.

2009

In 2009, Jamie Dornan was selected to model with Eva Mendes for Calvin Klein Underwear as part of their “White” and “Black” range, which was a superior quality product with pricing from £34 - £42 an item.

Dornan, who has also modeled with Calvin Klein alongside Kate Moss, continues to pursue his career in modeling and drama and is currently starring as Sheriff Graham in the ABC series Once Upon a Time.

2010

In 2010, Calvin Klein Underwear launched the X range with Twilight star Kellan Lutz alongside, Spanish tennis player Fernando Verdasco, Japanese Footballer Hidstoshi Nakata and actor Mehad Brooks.

The Calvin Klein X line, which came in two modern fabrications for ultimate comfort and fit: cotton modal and microfiber. Modal provides softness and luster whilst the cotton allows for comfort and breathability; the microfiber is an ultra-luxe premium fabrication. Both have stretch for ease of movement, and styles are distinguished with colored, microfiber logo waistbands cotton features a blue logo, microfiber in red. Each is overlaid with a distinctive center front gray patch with an embossed "X"; over the signature Calvin Klein logo in bold proportions for maximum impact.

The imagery for the campaigns includes both still photography by fashion photographer Mikael Jansson and digital films produced by Darius Khondji, shot in New York City. Trey Laird of Laird and Partners directed the campaign. Ads were launched globally in April 2010 magazines. Impactful imagery was featured in a global outdoor advertising program spanning key sites in markets across the Americas, Europe, Japan, and Asia.

2011

In 2011, Calvin Klein launched their attempt at making ck one a global lifestyle brand by launching the ck one. Backed with the ckone.com website as a digital hub for the campaign.

The outdoor campaign featured on LED billboards in high impact locations in New York City (at Houston & Lafayette Streets and on Subway Urban Panels) and in Los Angeles, California (at Sunset Boulevard & Havenhurst Drive), as well as key sites in Seoul, Rome, Madrid, and Barcelona. The full outdoor campaign rolled out to Paris, London, Milan, Hamburg, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, and Melbourne.

The imagery for the campaign was captured during a multi-day shoot in NewYork City by renowned fashion photographer Steven Meisel, who shot the original campaign for the launch of the ck one fragrance in 1994, setting the tone for this powerful brand. The campaign imagery was filmed and all of the print images are still captures from the video footage.

The campaign featured amongst others Lara Stone, Pixie Geldof, Sky Ferreira, Fei Fei Sun, Wang Xiao, Robert Evans, Aaron Frew, David Agbodji and Dan Kling.

Simon Nessman appeared as the model on packaging of men’s underwear.

“The new ck one apparel brand gives us the ability to extend our conversation with an expanded global audience, and we feel strongly that this campaign will resonate with the target demographic and further the reach of the ck one brand."

Craig Brommers, Warnaco Inc.

2012

2012 will see a new Calvin Klein Underwear advertising campaign for Calvin Klein Bold. Bold features clean lines and masculine details with lightweight cotton spandex for comfort, easy care and added shape retention.

The range launches with bright and bold colours such as nara orange, banana and bright zinnia, with a range of masculine blues. Japanese illustrator Yokoyama Yuichi was a source of inspiration for colour, taken from his funky cartoon characters.

The advertising campaign, shot in Joshua Tree by Steven Klein and Fabien Baron features Matthew Terry, Myles Crosby, Arran Sly and Chris Garavaglia. Below is some of the imagery and a behind the scene video of the shoot.

Controversial Adverts

1980 - Brooke Shields

In early 1980, the 14-year-old Shields was the youngest fashion model ever to appear on the cover of the top fashion publication Vogue magazine. Later that same year, Shields appeared in controversial print and TV ads for Calvin Klein jeans. It’s difficult to think of another series of ads that kicked up as big a brouhaha as did Richard Avedon’s 1980 TV commercial featuring a 15-year-old Shields looking directly into the camera and asking, “You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.”

Brooke Shields had played a pre-pubescent prostitute in the film Pretty Baby sever years earlier, this also added to the controversy over the choice of model. Shields later said;

“There was an iconic tone to it. I don’t think you can really know that at the time, because it feels like that type of vision is after the fact. But [the response] was immediate. It was me and the jeans. We were inseparable. I didn’t do a television show without that being in my bio. I didn’t go on the street without somebody saying, ‘Got your Calvins on?’ People still come up to me and mention it.”

1995 - Kids Jeans

Calvin Klein came in for further criticism after their 1995 Calvin Klein Jeans commercials were aired in the United States. The print ads which used images of models who were reportedly as young as fifteen was meant to mimic "picture set" pornography of the '60s. The commecials left little doubt that the images intended to imitate pornography. In one of these ads, the camera focused on the face of a young man, as an off camera male voice cajoled him into ripping off his shirt, saying;

"You got a real nice look. How old are you? Are you strong? You think you could rip that shirt off of you? That's a real nice body. You work out? I can tell."

In another, a young girl is told that she's pretty and not to be nervous, as she begins to unbutton her clothes.

Calvin Klein insisted that the campaign was not pornographic and the true intent was to "convey the idea that glamour is an inner quality that can be found in regular people in the most ordinary setting; it is not something exclusive to movie stars and models."

Consumer and child welfare advocates disagreed, finding the ads disturbing and exploitative. The American Family Association began a campaign threatening to boycott retailers if they carried Calvin Klein Jeans. Seventeen and other major magazines refused to carry the campaign.

Eventually the U.S. Justice Department launched an investigation into whether or not Klein had violated child pornography laws.

Under increasing pressure, Calvin Klein recalled the ads, but not before the ensuing controversy had made his jeans into the "must-have" item.

As one marketing director noted, this controversy took Klein's "coolness factor from a 10 to a 60," and if continued sales are any indication, his "bad boy" reputation has only enhanced his products in the eyes of young consumers.

One comment on YouTube sums up the advertising campaign brilliantly;

“Creepy, Yes. But ingenious nevertheless. I can’t think of any other ad which sends a chill down my spine. Simply authentic.”

Also in 1995 another campaign by Calvin Klein was criticised for showing men modeling underwear in what some critics stated to be “a state of arousal.”

1999 - Kids Underwear

Calvin Klein came in for heavy criticism in early 1999 when they launched an advertising campaign for the launch of their children’s underwear range. CRK Adverting, Calvin Klein’s own in-house marketing agency, created the campaign. Critics ranged from conservative groups through to the mayor of New York City, where Calvin Klein had planned to unveil a huge billboard in Times Square.

The images, which can be seen above, were immediately pulled;

''The comments and reaction that we have received today raised issues that we had not fully considered. As a result, we have decided to discontinue the campaign immediately.''

The advert had already been printed in the New York Times, Martha Stewart Living and due to being printed in advance the The New York Times Magazine.

ASA Complaint - 2011

A Calvin Klein Underwear poster advertising women’s lingerie sparked a complaint to the Advertising Standards Agency in the United Kingdom. The issues within the complaint was that the ad was offensive to the large Orthodox Jewish population of Stamford Hill, whose religious beliefs required them not to see images of women wearing only underwear and that it was irresponsible to display the ad in untargeted media in public as it would be seen by children.

Calvin Klein defended the advert stating they did not believe that the ad was offensive or socially irresponsible. They said the ad merely featured the product, their underwear range, being worn by a model. They believed it was reasonable to feature models wearing underwear when advertising these products, and that the ad was neither sexually suggestive nor overtly sexual. They also said their media vendor had not believed that the ad fell into the "risky" category, and had been happy for the ad campaign to proceed.

The Advertising Standards Agency did not uphold the complaint on either grounds after investigating under the CAP Code and were unable to find a breach of the code.

The Dirty Truth About Men's Underwear

2012-01-17T10:45:00.000-08:00

A fresh pair of underwear and socks each day is certainly not something we give a thought to, however shocking statistics have been uncovered by Mintel suggesting that only 78% of British men change their underwear and socks on a daily basis. With British women achieving a bit more respectable 95%. You would think they could hold back on airing our dirty laundry in public but no it made it to The Huffington Post, The Times of India and even South Africa's IOL.

"Our research reveals there is a distinct whiff of laziness amongst men in the UK today when it comes to underwear. You might assume that for personal hygiene reasons everyone puts on clean underwear when they get dressed at the start of the day, yet only eight in ten men appear to be doing so. It seems that the influence of a partner is a positive one when it comes to changing underwear and socks, with those who are married more likely to change their underwear on a daily basis (88%)."

Richard Caines, Senior Consumer Analyst at Mintel

At the Car Wash! ... Just Another Day at Andrew Christian

2012-01-16T10:10:00.000-08:00

Proceed with caution!

Andrew Christian have continued with their promotional videos with their Freshman Car Wash. Which leaves very little to the imagination. The raunchy video has already clocked up 600 000 views in just four days and has been marked as age restricted and this isn't even the uncensored version. The video when posted on the Andrew Christian website crashed the servers!

Lingerie Models Create Chaos at the Musee d'Orsay

2012-01-14T10:19:00.000-08:00

Etam, the French underwear brand covertly sent in models to film a teaser clip for their S/S 2012 collection. The video has gone viral, creating a debate in France, and with objections from Musee d'Orsay. It has reached such a level that the museum may sue the fashion label.

On Tuesday, Etam published the escapade online without the museum's permission. Guerrilla performance art it has been described by some, and vulgar by others. The video is being used to promote Etam's fashion show online in late January. The same trio of models have also stripped off at the Eiffel Tower and the Charles de Gaulle airport to create similar commercials.

It's given us an idea or two ...

No Pants Day

2012-01-08T22:19:00.000-08:00

If you had been riding the London Underground or its equivalent in 59 major cities, in 28 countries around the world today you may have stumbled upon the sight of what appeared to be trouser-less commuters travelling to work, all part of the global 11th Annual No Pants Day, which for some reason some one decided was a great idea to hold in the second week of January each year.

Improv Everywhere co-ordinated the flash mobs which adorned many of the world's newspaper imagery some of which is shown below.

And here is a video from New York City showing just how co-ordinated this event is.

Levi's Arriving Soon!

2012-01-07T04:14:00.000-08:00

We can confirm that we have submitted our first order for Levi's Underwear which will be arriving shortly. We have a uploaded a few pictures of the Levi's range which will include trunks, tees, tanks, boxer briefs and button fly boxers too. These will also be at rates reduced from the recommended retail prices. If there is a product range or style you would like to see added to the collection please let us know and we will endeavour to stock this product in the near future.

BREAD & BUTTER 2012

2012-01-06T17:02:00.000-08:00

We are heading to BREAD & BUTTER from 18th - 20th January in Berlin. Our first visit to what appears to be a big party at an airport with a serious theme, this is even backed up by the maxim "fun & profit". We are already trying to woo new brands to The Undie Factory but this can be an arduous task.

We have on the cards for the near future, Bench, Ben Sherman, Levis, Dockers and Fruit of the Loom. We still have a few niche brands which we are contemplating as well. We are going to have to amend our brand navigation on the website to cope with the additions.

BREAD & BUTTER was founded in 2001, it has been held twice a year in January and July ever since. Following three events in Cologne, BREAD & BUTTER moved to Berlin in January 2003. With Barcelona as its second location from July 2005 on, BREAD & BUTTER took place both in Berlin and Barcelona, and from July 2007 to January 2009, BREAD & BUTTER was held exclusively in Barcelona.

In July 2009 BREAD & BUTTER returned to Berlin and has taken place at the historic Berlin-Tempelhof Airport ever since.

With over 600 exhibitors from the sectors of Denim, Sportswear, Street Fashion, Function Wear and Casual Dressed Up, BREAD & BUTTER represents the contemporary segment of Street and Urbanwear. With its exclusive brand portfolio and recognition from the European and global textile industry, which has grown and has established itself over the last ten years, the leading trade fair and superior trademark BREAD & BUTTER provides a unique and extremely popular meeting point for buyers, retailers and press representatives from the textile industry.

We will update you with pictures of our trip and hopefully news of exciting brand additions soon. You can check out the Brand Bible at the B&B website.

David Beckham Launches Mens Underwear with H&M

2012-01-04T20:02:00.000-08:00

H&M has unveiled its latest campaign, featuring footballer David Beckham in his collaboration with the Swedish chain.

David teamed up with H&M to create a range of underwear that will be available from February. The eighteen month collaboration, which H&M says will focus on “fit, function, comfort and design”, will consist of nine underwear styles for men, as well as a variety of T-shirts, vests, pajama bottoms and long johns.

David appears in the series of black and white ads, some show him wearing boxer briefs while others have him in a tank top.

“Working with a team has always been a key part of my life and I found that to be the same when developing this range. Collectively with my design team we spent time working on the feel, fit and style to ensure the product is not only something I would wear but one which I would be proud to put my name to. I always want to challenge myself and this was such a rewarding experience for me. I’m very happy with the end result and I hope H&M’s male customers will be as excited as I am.”
David Beckham

New Andrew Christian Advertising Images

2012-01-04T19:42:00.000-08:00

Andrew Christian's new Underwear lifestyle marketing images for Autumn Winter 2011 feature model Chance as photographed by Gregory Frye.
The imagery features the new Andrew Christian Slim Focus Boxer Short.

Thank You & A Happy & Prosperous New Year!

2011-12-31T20:18:00.000-08:00

We at the Undie Factory would like to thank you for your continued custom in 2011, and wish you a happy and prosperous 2012.

This year has been the busiest year to date and we continue to grow in sales and customers. In 2011 we have processed close to 20 000 mens underwear orders and shipped to 72 different countries around the world, from Azerbaijan to Vietnam.

We also won Best Export Business at the 2011 Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards and have been short listed for the Local Business Accelerates competition with the three regional Belfast winners announced on January 11th 2012.

We look forward to 2012 with the addition of new products from existing brands Calvin Klein, Jockey and Andrew Christian, as well as the planned addition of brands Fruit of the Loom, Bench, Levis and Dockers to name just a few.

We look forward to serving you in 2012!

Andrew Christian Underwear Christmas Doll Promotional Video

2011-12-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Check out Sexy Santa as he picks up the latest packages in Andrew Christian Doll Factory. Happy Holidays from your friends at The Undie Factory.

Security Notice on Secure Pages

2011-06-25T03:14:00.000-07:00

We are currently renewing our SSL certificate so any secure pages will state that there is no valid certificate available on these pages as this expired on 25th June 2011. This issue is in the process of being resolved and we should have the problem resolved sometime late on Saturday 25th June 2011.

This will be an annual certificate, but will be a temporary solution as we are currently in the process of implementing an Extended Validation SSL Certificate for our website.

Two Years in Business - SALE!

2011-05-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

The Undie Factory will celebrate their second full year in business on Monday 20th June 2011. To mark this occasion, each day from the 01st June 2011 until 20th June, we will be offering one of our products at over 50% off the recommended retail price.

Each day at 00:01 GMT we will set a product to an exclusive price. All the prices will also include free UK delivery and the products will remain at the promotional price until the items sell out or the promotion ends on 20th June.

Stock is limited, but we will have most sizes available on all products each day, we aren't just trying to get rid of sizes we have left. For all the products we are selling across the promotion there is over 6000 items in stock.

There will be a small charge for international orders at £3 per order. This is purely due to the low prices we can not offer international shipping. However if you are purchasing a normal priced item along with your order this fee will be waived.

How can we offer such great prices?

We purchase our products direct from the brands. In this case the majority of items on promotion will be Calvin Klein products. Calvin Klein offer us discounts on a select product range twice annually. Previously we have offered these discounts via sitewide discounts (ie 15% / 20% Off). However, as we have bought so many of specific products we have decided to offer these specific products at huge discounts. On some of the intended offerings we will be making a loss as these will be completed for the intention of clearing discontinued stock.

You can find out more at the Undie Factory Sale page on their website.

New Brand: Jockey

2011-04-19T06:37:00.000-07:00

We can confirm that we are now an authorised seller of Jockey Underwear. This is our fifth brand to be added to the store and we are continuing to work to try and add further exciting and developing brands to the site.

Our full Jockey range will be available on our website before the end of May at 15% off the recommended retail prices.

Belfast Fashion Week Pictures

2011-04-19T06:16:00.000-07:00

We added a little bit of eye candy to this years West Coast Cooler Belfast Fashion Week with men in underwear. Sam, Richie and Matthew were showing off our collections from Calvin Klein, Bjorn Borg, Andrew Christian and DT.

We also showed our full Calvin Klein One collection which will be added to our site shortly.

Here is some pictures ...

The Undie Factory is VAT Registered

2010-11-29T06:11:00.000-08:00

The Undie Factory will begin charging VAT on all new orders from 01st December 2010. We will not in the short term amend our pricing as a result of this, all our prices will include VAT at the current rate from 01st December 2010. However we may increase prices slightly in the new year when the VAT rate is increased to 20%. This will be completed after we have carried out a review of the impact the changes to our business model as a result of reduced margins.

We are trying to implement this transition as smoothly as possible and are hopeful this will be completed without any hitches in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

If you have any queries in relation to our changes to becoming VAT registered please do not hesitate to contact us.

Selection Of Our Favourite Calvin Klein Mens Underwear

2010-11-28T01:46:00.000-08:00

This is some of our new and bestselling products merged together into one big collage of underwear. Click on each product to go straight to that pages product information and to buy at our great rates.

Christmas Promo

2010-11-28T01:37:00.000-08:00

Receive £10 Off When You Spend £50 until Monday 29th November 2010.

Take advantage of this even bigger discount in the run up to Christmas at The Undie Factory.

Bjorn Borg in Stock From 20th August (ish)

2010-08-13T17:32:00.001-07:00

We have Bjorn Borg Underwear arriving next week sometime, and hope to have it all fully cataloged, photographed and live by Friday 20th August. We have a limited 132 units until the first part of 2011, so when it sells out its gone. This is due to the product having to be ordered 4 months in advance. We have since improved sales dramatically and expect to sell out quickly.

You can see our full range of underwear at the newly revamped Undie Factory site.

The Longer Version

2010-06-07T05:30:00.000-07:00

X Marks The Spot - Ad

2010-06-07T05:26:00.000-07:00

England Win

2010-06-07T05:16:00.000-07:00

Calvin Klein Underwear, which is showing at Moda Lingerie & Swimwear in August, has announced England’s Laurence Hope as the winner of its ‘9 countries, 9 men, 1 winner’ model search competition, which saw finalists from nine European countries battle it out for a year’s contract with Select Model management.

Launched last August in celebration of Calvin Klein Underwear’s Steel product range, the competition invited hopefuls from around Europe to submit photos via the website, with the finalist in each country decided by public vote. The overall winner, who bags a trip for two to South Africa as well as the modelling deal, was decided by a panel which included former Calvin Klein Underwear model Jamie Dornan and head of Select’s menswear division Devon Parsons.

Keeping Track Of Your Orders

2010-05-29T15:55:00.000-07:00

At the Undie Factory we have had issues in the passed with items going astray and missing, but thankfully this only affects a small amount of orders, and no item as yet has actually gone missing, but sometimes the postie as diligent as they are sometimes forget to put that "while you were out" card through the door.

So we are now ensuring each order receives an automated email with tracking code for each shipment they receive. These are sent after the item has been dispatched, and you should receive one within 24hrs on weekdays, or the next working day after you have ordered. This is so you can track your item more efficiently.

We are also keeping track of all orders using new software which keeps track of all our packages, and informs us when they have been delivered, so that we can spot items which haven't been delivered or items which attempts have been made, in these cases we will issue an email notification to the buyer so that they know an attempt has been made.

We are also using the software to keep track of delivery times, especially in recent months with postal strikes before Christmas and the ash cloud over Europe, this will help us give more accurate information to customers on expected delivery times, and to areas which may be suffering more extreme delays.

10% Discount This Weekend on Orders over £60

2010-05-28T02:59:00.000-07:00

It's Sunny Outside and it's a Bank Holiday Weekend!

All orders over £60 will automatically receive 10% discount at the checkout until Tuesday.

Thanks to all for your continued support.

Calvin Klein Prostretch Hip Brief

2010-05-27T04:51:00.000-07:00

Calvin Klein Pro Stretch Hip Brief was the first type of Calvin Klein undies I ever had, and I loved them for their comfortable fit and cotton stretch fabric, which provides flexibility and support. This is the relaunch series which is the latest and improved version, and includes moisture wicking technology and the signature Prostretch red waistband.

They are available from the Undie Factory for the low price of £12.50, saving £3.50 off the recommended retail price. Prices include shipping and further discounts are available for mult-unit purchases.

Calvin Klein Body Stretch Trunk

2010-05-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

Jamie Dornan models Calvin Klein Body Stretch Trunk. The Body Stretch series features a colour contrast waistband, body-defining fit and soft cotton stretch fabric. They also feature a contour pouch which flatters the physique.

The Body Stretch Trunk is available in Black and White with contrasting waistbands. They are available from the Undie Factory for £14.25, a saving of £4.75.

Free Shipping and Multi-Unit discounts are also available.

Calvin Klein World Cup Underwear

2010-05-12T16:04:00.000-07:00

We want you to show your colours off this Summer, as the World Cup approaches why not get your hands on a pair of our Calvin Klein Global X series trunks. We have ten countries available;

England
France
Germany
Greece
Italy
Russia
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Brazil in a low rise trunk.

So why not grab a pair of world cup underwear. Each pair is priced at £23.00, and you can take advantage of your VIP discount if you are a member if not check out the discount codes online.

Undie Factory May Update

2010-05-12T15:47:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to all of you for making April our busiest month to date. June will see the first anniversary of the Undie Factory, and sales have grown far beyond where we thought they would at this stage.

We are now also listed on My Voucher Codes, the leading online coupon website.

From June some exciting things will be happening to ensure that we grow even further;

An actual person in the office from 10am - 4pm every day

We are commiting to ensure that we have someone in the office 6 hrs a day to respond to queries, and even answer a phone call or two daily. This will really improve our service to you, with hopefully faster responses to your queries and also ensuring that all confirmations including tracking information are sent to buyers.

Phone transactions

We are also hoping to implement a phone ordering and purchasing support with the ability to pay over the phone including for orders that are abandoned or that can't be processed due to technical difficulties.

More pictures

We are going to start adding additional product images to each product page and overall try to improve the quality of the website, with that we are also creating v2.0 of the website, by a professional, not just my basic web design skills.

More blog, facebook and twitter updates

We shall be from June also keeping our twitter, facebook and blog up to date with daily posting to all three, in some way managed by Ken who is a social media addict.

Pride events

Hopefully if we can squeeze in the time to get to a few events around the country this Summer we will promoting the Undie Factory.

Calvin Klein Body Stretch Trunk

2010-04-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

The Calvin Klein Body Stretch Trunk offers a body-defining fit with contoured pouch which is intended to flatter the physique. The Body Stretch range offers a contrasting microfibre waistband with the signature Calvin Klein logo.

You can purchase the Calvin Klein Body Stretch Trunk at the Undie Factory for £13.96 which is a saving of £5.04 off the recommended retail price. Prices also include free shipping in the UK and also available on this product is multi-unit discount which is applicable when you order 3 or more items in the same size and colour, of £1.21 per item.

Calvin Klein Basics Briefs

2010-04-01T09:37:00.000-07:00

These Calvin Klein Basics Briefs are in an all-round great value three pack. These are one of Calvin Kleins best selling range especially towards Christmas as they are a stocking filler suitable for any man.

They are available for £17.67 from the Undie Factory store, saving £6.33 off the recommended retail price. Their prices also include free shipping in the UK.

Calvin Klein White Hip Brief

2010-03-31T12:40:00.000-07:00

The ultra sexy Belfast-born model Jamie Dornan showing off a pair of Calvin Klein White Hip Briefs. The White series is unusually available in both black and white, and features super fine premium cotton which is enhanced with a gentle stretch, for a modern every day fit.

They are available from the Undie Factory store priced £17.88 - saving £6.12 off the recommended retail price.

Calvin Klein X Series Available in Store Now

2010-03-17T05:42:00.000-07:00

Four of the hottest bods in the sporting and acting world have been chosen to front the latest Calvin Klein underwear advertising campaign. Baring almost all for the cameras this season are: Fernando Verdasco, the Spanish tennis player, and Hidetoshi Nakata, the retired Japanese soccer player, along with the American actors, Kellan Lutz, of the 'Twilight' film series fame, and Mechad Brooks, who will be well known to fans of the TV series, Desperate Housewives and True Blood. It is the first time Calvin Klein has used four famous faces at once.

The campaign was photographed by Mikael Jansson. The four hunks in trunks continue Calvin Klein's muscular reputation for mixing pecs and sex appeal. Previous under-cover stars for the brand have included the footballer, Freddy Lindberg, Dijimon Hounsou of The Gladiators and Black Diamond fame, and Travis Fimmel, the good 'ol country boy-turned-male model, from the Australian Outback. The most recent to model was Keira Knightley's ex, Jamie Dornan.

Calvin Klein X Cotton Hip Brief
Calvin Klein X Cotton Trunk

Both products are currently available in Black, White, Pink and Blue.

Calvin Klein Steel Cotton Gripper Trunk

2009-11-05T06:35:00.000-08:00

You might be excited to know, as I am. That we will soon have the Calvin Klein Steel Gripper Trunk available to buy in our store.

Available from Monday 09th November 2009.

Very Exciting.

Sign Up Now and Receive a Discount Code in September!

2009-08-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

We on the Undie Factory love to spoil our customers.

In September, we are mailing our loyal customers, our first ever newsletter for the revamped site launch and the introduction of the new luxurious range of Calvin Klein's.

Haven't signed up yet? You don't need to worry. Sign up now for free in our mailing list at www.undiefactory.co.uk to receive exclusive offers.

For the first newsletter, we're giving our subscribers secret discount codes to use in our online store.

Yes. You read it right.

-Our CK's are already at least 30% cheaper than the suggested RRP
-Volume discounts when you buy 3 or more of the same pair
-Free UK delivery
-And further discounts on top of these when you sign up!

Spread the word.Only at the Undie Factory.
www.undiefactory.co.uk

XLarge Now Available for Backorder

2009-08-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

We now are making available XLarge as a sizing option on the majority of our Calvin Klein to see how demand goes. These will be exclusively backorder items. Backordered items generally take 8 - 12 days from receipt of order until delivery.

In addition to this we are working hard on a complete revamp of our site as its looking drab. We certainly need a revamp and soooooon.

The Evolution of Underwear

2009-08-04T18:08:00.000-07:00

This Exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum (FTM) ... (the building designed by my uncle) chronicles the changes in female underwear, from health garment to fashion ‘must have’. It explores different themes, styles, advertising and it’s impact on society and culture. At the exhibition are such classics as M&S, Triumph, La Perla, Christian Dior, Elle Macpherson, Myla, Wonderbra, and others.

The Evolution of Underwear, Fashion and Textile Museum, runs until 27th September 2009

Coming Soon to the Undie Factory

2009-08-03T11:35:00.000-07:00

We have found a new line of underwear that we really like and we hope you will too. The Go Softwear, California Colours Low-Rise Brief and maybe brief too. We are likely to be carrying 6 colours in sizes small to large.

What colours do you like?

Calvin Klein White ... and Black ... Are You Ready?

2009-08-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

The highly anticipated Calvin Klein White and Black lines will be launching on 8th August 2009. Just five days away!

We will be stocking a full range of underwear from both lines, which should be arriving some time this week, we will be sending out our first monthly customer email to let you all know when they arrive. But be quick they are guarenteed to be highly popular.

Underwear Smuggler

2009-08-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

A tip for would be holiday underwear buyers on how not to get your purchases through customs. Belarus' customs have caught an unlucky smuggler, who tried to cross the border from Ukraine wearing 16 pairs of briefs. He also had four tracksuits on him and three pairs of pants, reports Interfax news agency. Customs officers noticed something was wrong with the traveler because he was breathing hard from the heat. The smuggled goods have been confiscated while the man has been fined.

Via Russia Today

Experimental Underwear Finishes Month-Long Wear Test

2009-08-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

Via ... The Gadget Blog

So your a Japanese company working on the J-Wear, underwear that’s “designed to be anti-bacterial, odor free, flame retardant, static free and water resistant”. How do you test it? Get a Japanese astronaut to try it out on the International Space Station for a month!

Koichi Wakata took a big step for mankind, probably breaking the record for consecutive days faced with the same underwear. Last we heard, Wakata is back from space, and his month-old apparel is now undergoing serious testing by (of course Japanese) scientists to determine its effective.

It’s honestly hard imagining for a pair of groin covers to remain effectively unsullied after a month of continuous use. The junction between a human’s legs is easily one of the dirtiest parts of our anatomy, thanks to constant skin-to-skin contact that accompanies the constant covering required by societal propriety. And how many here are willing to admit their relative failure to clean up their waste conveyors after use?

But there’s a reason why people should hope that the J-Wear project is successful. Aside from making longer trips into space much more practical (light packing and fewer resource use for laundry anyone?), this would probably make long travel trips much more bearable. And of course, once you conquer one of the potentially most stinky place of the human, who’s to say working J-Wear fabric wouldn’t be utilized for normal, overwear clothing?

Press Things

2009-07-12T16:08:00.000-07:00

This is where we will keep you up-to-date with the things that the press say about us and the products that we stock. This is a work in progress and whilst there ain't anything here at the moment there soon will be in the next few weeks.

Reviews

Smart Geezer - Undie Factory - Calvin Klein 365 Cotton Stretch Trunk - 17.07.09
Smart Geezer - Undie Factory - Calvin Klein Steel Cotton Low Rise Trunk - 21.07.09

Any media related request type things can be sent to admin@undiefactory.com. We look forward hearing from you soon. Review samples are available to those media outlets that meet our requirements.

If you have posted an article about The Undie Factory that we don't know about, let us know and we will add it to this page, tweet the article, and add it to our other social media outlets.

Holidays

2009-07-10T02:20:00.000-07:00

Just to let you all know that due to the Public Holidays in Northern Ireland we will be unable to post items on 13th or 14th of July. However normal service will resume on Wednesday 15th. All orders from Saturday to Tuesday will ship on Wednesday.

The office will still be open, so you can email us with any queries and still expect a nice response time : D

Who Are We?

2009-06-29T14:52:00.000-07:00

We felt like our ugly pictures which we had up before were scaring customers away. So we got rid of those (you might beable to find them on Google Cache for a while.

Well working at the office of the Undie Factory are Ken & Gareth who are the co-founders ... it sounds just like the humble beginnings of HP, only slightly less co-ordinated and probably alot messier. We now have adequate shelving solutions thanks to IKEA, which keep our CKs and future brands nice and safely stored. After all there are about 1000 items in stock.

I would post a picture of the office, but if you image 1980's boardroom, with the chunkiest table in the world, cardboard boxes, a drum kit and packaging materials, the biggest laser printer in the world that could be considered for home use, then you could well be there. I will add an image soon.

We set the Undie Factory up after a thought about a new business venture. Three years earlier I had worked on the idea but gave up due to lack of funds for stock, I had just returned home from travelling around for too long and owed copious amounts of money to my mother for the privledge. I returned to the venture early this year as something to invest the cash I had in the bank into, as well I love running a business. It helps if I own it so my mistakes are my own fault and only affect me, plus less stress and more fun, but of course a professional customer service based organisation.

We decided to go with two core brands Ginch Gonch and Calvin Klein as they are quite mainstream. The approach for the business is premium brands at discounted prices, so that we can offer great value for money products, and free shipping to boot. We work on fine margins, buying direct from the brands, hence the unsexiness of our office.

Our aim is to achieve volume to make the business a success, and in the first week of trade we have had a quite unprecedented response, with double figures of units being sold and we have yet to do any real marketing. It was kinda, if you build it they will come. We expected to be going weeks with no sales, so thanks and keep buying.

One full month gone in business and we are still here, and thanks to our customers we have achieved several hundred items which have safely arrived with our customers, give or take a few mishaps by Royal Mail.

We are always looking for other brands and products, so if you want to pitch something to us. Just drop us an email, you can find it on the website.

Calvin Klein Release Fall 09 Campaign Images

2009-06-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

Calvin Klein have released their sexy new Fall 09 campaign featuring Eva Mendes and Jamie Dornan together. The campaign was shot by photographer Steven Klein in the desert in Palm Springs, California.

These dramatic black and white campaigns will be featured in global print and outdoor advertising. The campaign has just broken in the press so you should start to see PR coverage for the UK and Ireland.

Zac Efron Shows Off His Calvin Klein Body Relaunch Trunks

2009-06-09T15:22:00.000-07:00

Zac Efron showed off his white Calvin Klein under while filming a cameo appearance for Entourage with Jeremy Piven and a cute toddler. According to E! News, Zac filmed scenes for the show's upcoming sixth season at the Beverly Hills Niketown store on Tuesday morning.

Buy Calvin Klein Underwear like Zac's.

Comfy Holey Undies

2009-06-09T12:16:00.000-07:00

There are some men who love their underpants so much that they sometimes refuse to throw them out, even when they are filled with holes. I have to admit I am one of those people. I can remember my first Ginch Gonch Shooting Star low rise briefs, lasted longer than they should, and I tend to wear my comfy favourites more often than the rest. The main reason is undie designs tend to turnover quite quickly and its hard to find that same design again. Now torn drawers can be fixed with the Men’s Underwear Repair Kit, giving them a new lease of life.

This set includes a needle and thread, iron-on patches for holes, safety pins, elastic waste-band cincher, and duct tape. Also, if you have stains that won’t come out in the wash, there is underwear white-out.

I know letting go of your favourite boxers is hard, but I say chuck the old boxers and embrace the cleanliness of a new pair! Check out our adorable CK and cutest of cute Ginch Gonch Collections.

Underwear Thief Caught in The Act

2009-06-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

The thief, a 42-year-old with a family, was stealing underwear while on his way home from work. It was not the first time this kind of thing had happened, so the victim installed a camera to catch him in the act. When an NTV reporter chased the man down and confronted him, he admitted his crime. Police were summoned and he was arrested.

Economic Woes? Check Out The Underwear Aisles

2009-06-08T17:05:00.000-07:00

Guys, if you want to know where the economy is headed next, look in your underwear drawer.

If you're like most men, you've got more than a few skivvies in, well, less than perfect condition. If you're put off buying replacements -- and your significant other hasn't done it for you -- then guess what? The recession probably ain't over yet. In fact, right now men's underwear sales suggest that things have bottomed but not started to recover.

Sure, this sounds trivial. But no less an economist than former Federal Reserve chief Alan Greenspan is a fan of men's underwear sales as an important economic indicator. It's one of several unusual indicators economists turn to in hard times. We went looking through them in a quest for the much-discussed "green shoots" of an imminent recovery.

Greenspan reasons that because hardly anyone actually sees a guy's undies, they're the first thing men stop buying when the economy tightens. (He told this to National Public Radio's Robert Krulwich years ago.)

Marshal Cohen, the chief industry analyst with NPD Group, which tracks consumer behavior, suggests that by extension, pent-up demand means underwear sales should be among the early risers when growth returns and consumers feel confident enough to shrug off "frugal fatigue," After a 12-month, 12% decline through the end of January, men's underpants sales leveled off during February and March, according to NPD. That suggests the economic was stabilizing.

For a recovery, we'd need to see a return to 2% to 3% annual growth in underwear sales. And that's not in the cards, believes Bill Patterson, an analyst at consumer research company Mintel. Based on market research and surveys, Mintel predicts a 2.3% decline this year in men's underwear sales and no recovery until 2013.

Folks such as Greenspan don't seem to look as closely at women's lingerie -- reasoning, perhaps, that women are more sensitive about wearing worn undergarments.

But Cohen says a pickup in sales of bras, as well as denim and footwear, will indicate the economy is on the mend.

David Beckham to Launch Emporio Armani AW09/10 on Thursday

2009-06-08T16:46:00.000-07:00

Giorgio Armani is pleased to announce that his friend and international sporting icon David Beckham will reveal the worldwide exclusive of the new Emporio Armani Underwear Fall/Winter 2009-10 campaign on June 11th at Selfridges Oxford Street in London.