La Perla Takes On the Man and His Crown Jewels

Silk, lace, satin and embroidered cottons are all commonplace when it comes to luxury women’s underwear. With a myriad of style choices from babydolls to slips, bustiers to teddies, the fantasy of unmentionables and their concealed sensuality has never had more prevalence. But do we ever talk about the menswear side of things, what’s their lot in the private department?

Yes, being an underwear model of calibre has its appeal (here’s a nod to David Gandy). Yes, seeing those male models on billboards is inspiring in its own, slightly perverted way. But which would you give the label of luxury when it comes to underwear, men’s or women’s? Women’s, of course. All that men tend to have are simple cotton briefs or boxers, or a jock for the thrill seekers. This could all be set to take a turn, however!

Taking a more luxurious approach to the art of covering an arse, La Perla’s collection of men’s underwear features things you might not want or expect when selecting a pair of undies for the day ahead. Bringing in a mixture of popular AW15 trends and luxury fabrics, La Perla’s first menswear collection is anything but usual when it comes to dressing the nether regions.

Corsetry and feminine design are at the heart of this Italian brand, so when it came to branching out and crossing the gender barrier they were bound to hold true to their essence of textile and design. Pinstripe boxer shorts, tuxedo briefs with high-waisted cummerbund detail, silk printed boxers and soft micro-modal briefs embroidered with the Nero Perla logo; all of which are rather indulgent, takes on the usual uniformity of men’s underwear and crosses the final frontier to total dandyism.

Male underwear being branded as ‘luxury’ may be a somewhat new concept for many to embrace fully. Often, a simple pair of Calvin Klein briefs is sufficient to satisfy the needs of both parties in the bedroom; they are clean looking, comfy and basically make the wearer, whoever he is, look good. But could things be set to change? Could it soon be the man who must impress the woman with his display of silken panties? It may be an odd notion to some, especially with something as unchanging in use and practicality. It isn’t that men have been afraid to indulge in the luxuries of fine clothing, or even to peacock their appearances in order to show off their wealth or social standing; but dressing up the family jewels seems to have been one step too far for the male ego to take, until now!

When considering the history of male dress; the lack of fancy briefs is somewhat surprising. Take for example the ornate bows worn by male Tudors on their shoes. Or the white curls of French kings. Or the velvet smoking jackets and silk gowns of the bohemians. Gentlemen throughout the ages have retired to their smoking rooms puffing away on cigars and pipes. The velvet of their jackets would absorb the smoke and protect the clothing underneath from falling ash, thus also giving purpose to lavish dress and holding his male ego intact.

This need for fashionable display in males is something as old man itself. Like the caveman with his loincloth of animal pelts, the more extravagant your display, the greater your appeal. This new display, concocted and served up to us by La Perla, surely makes the wearer nothing more than a neo-Neanderthal, moving up the chain of fashion evolution. Will you be the first to make the evolutionary step, to buy and get your paws on those silky drawers?

If you are tempted, or at the very least curious, please browse here: www.laperla.com (Archive from 2015 via the Wayback Machine)