McAlson Boxer Shorts

The commonest complaint that we men have about boxer shorts is that they (and I try to express this delicately) allow one's assets a freedom of movement that is at times uncomfortable. The Belgian brand McAlson have got round this by designing in what they coyly describe as "an internal support system". Over the past few years I've featured one or two brands that have used similar methods of holding it all together by sewing a soft cotton pouch into the front of the shorts and usually, as here, it's very effective. This means that one has all the stylish, classic elegance of the boxer short but with the support of a pair of stretch trunks.

McAlson offer a large selection of colourful and attractive designs and also sell pyjamas and swimming shorts.  Priced at 35 Euros, they are rather at the mercy of the variable strength of the pound in these uncertain days, but they are well-made and comfortable and can be found at McAlson.

This is a collaboration with McAlson.

Penny Dreadful: naughty boxer shorts made in England

Penny Dreadful Menswear was launched in 2014 and makes men's products, including underwear and accessories, here in the UK. Their naughty, vintage-inspired, tailored boxer shorts are made in Manchester and feature designs by illustrator Sarah Dvojack. They have also recently released 100% organic cotton V neck t shirts in white and grey. 

Penny Dreadful Menswear are dedicated to ethical manufacturing, supporting UK manufacturing wherever possible and giving a platform for up and coming designers and illustrators. See Penny Dreadful. 

Tom Clinch: the search for ideal boxer shorts and their maker, PeterBarnett of Twickenham, England

A few weeks ago I had the massive pleasure of visiting a factory making clothing just a few miles from my house. The purpose of the visit was two-fold, firstly to catch up with Nicholas Clinch, the creator of Tom Clinch, whose men's boxer shorts I've tried and liked, and secondly, to meet the maker of Clinch's products, Peter Barnett of the Factory in Twickenham, situated in the shadow of the huge England rugby ground.

Peter Barnett (L) and Nicholas Clinch discuss the finer pints of boxer shorts

Nicholas has contacted me some time before to tell me how his search for decent boxer shorts which provided support, rather than allowing the manly assets to flap around uncomfortably. 

He felt that boxers are far more flattering for a middle aged man than other types of underwear, but wanted a twist on the inside that he hadn’t found in any shop. Nicholas searched the internet at length, rang every manufacturer he could find and visited as many shops as he could but drew a blank, until he stumbled upon Peter Barnett. Peter loved the idea. He then sketched out some pairs, made a sample, in fact many samples! Eventually he and Nicholas agreed on a design that he could make and fitted with Nicholas’s original idea. 

Tom Clinch boxer shorts

Nicholas was adamant that the only colours would be white (everyone's favourite) light blue and pink; no patterns or silly designs here! Understated and top quality fabric was purchased, mother of pearl buttons and the softest lining fabric Peter could find all arrived within a few weeks. Initially the plan was Nicholas should have forty or fifty to sell to friends and recoup the cost of manufacture, but the reaction from everybody was so good that all were sold within a month and so an order was placed for some hundreds. Once that was decided, the task became one of selling to the wider public and the company was born. 'Hung like a hero' is their catchphrase.

Tom Clinch boxer shorts are beautifully-made and their unique design, using a tactically-placed pouch, makes them more comfortable and supportive than any other boxer short I've tried. See Tom Clinch website for more information and to try. A laundry bag will join the collection soon

To contact Nicholas Clinch, telephone +44 (0)1243 773223

Flying the flag at Peter Barnett, Twickenham

Peter Barnett's factory is a fascinating place. He has been manufacturing in Twickenham since 1992. When I was there he and his staff were working on an order for Victoria Beckham, so this little place is a destination for brands large and small looking for a quality manufacturing service. As a centre of British manufacture, this is an example for many.

Contact Peter Barnett for more information.
The Factory
61 Haliburton Road
St Margarets
TW1 1PD
Telephone: 020 8892 9748

Making Tom Clinch boxer shorts at Peter Barnett's factory in Twickenham

Friday Favourites - Men's t-shirts and underwear special: Robert Owen, Hamilton Hare, The White T-Shirt Co.

Robert Owen

Made from bamboo fabric (rayon) mixed with elastane (Spandex), Robert Owen's undershirts are made in London, England. The fabric has a soft, silky feel and comes in four colours and five sizes. I find them very useful as the weather turns colder and, unlike many thermal undershirts, they stay  reasonably odour-free in warmer weather. Prices from £22.

For more information, see Robert Owen's website.

Hamilton and Hare

Hamilton & Hare's men's boxer shorts are now made in the UK. The Frank collection takes inspiration from the original boxing short. Made from 100% two-ply cotton, they're priced at £35, the shorts can be personalised, as mine were.

A donation of 10% of proceeds from profits from the collection is given to Carneys Community, a London charity that gets disadvantaged and excluded young people away from crime through community boxing projects. 

For more information see Hamilton & Hare

The White T-Shirt Co

Makes just that; organically-made cotton t-shirts in white. A wardrobe staple, these shirts are simple and ethical in concept and design. Price £35 for men and women. Customers can trace the complete supply chain and see the workmanship that goes into each t-shirt on their website (see below).

See the website for more information or to buy.

Grey Fox's Friday Favourites: socks, hair, boxer shorts, Private White VC

This is the first of an occasional Friday round-up of news and of products I've tried and approved of. If you'd like to contribute your selected tips, news or recommendations about favourite products, please e-mail me.

Archer & Peyton socks

I'm a bit of a sucker for a nice pair of socks, particularly if they come brightly-coloured. I've had to struggle hard to manipulate this image to show the lovely apple-green of these socks from Archer & Peyton, whose products are beautifully-made in Italy. Lovely colour, lovely socks.

Visit Archer & Peyton's website for a range of patterned and colourful socks, with style advice, limited editions, information and a shop to buy your choice of hosiery.

White Hot hair products

I reviewed these products for grey and white hair a while ago. I recently realised how much I'd come to rely on them when I ran out of their shooshing creme, which so effectively keeps my longer Fox locks on place. An urgent message and replacements were rushed to me by the lovely people at White Hot.

I've been using a number of their products, from shampoo to conditioner, and they've been ideal for my grey hair as it becomes whiter, keeping it lustrous and healthy-looking. Highly recommended.

For men and women, they can be ordered from the White Hot Hair website.

British Boxers introduce stretch trunks, made in England

Another brand I've talked about before, British Boxers have added stretch trunks to their range. For those of us who prefer their assets to be held more securely than looser conventional shorts, these provide the very comfortable answer. I'm planning a feature on this brand soon.

Meanwhile, you can buy the stretch trunks online at British Boxers (new website due soon) or at Susannah Hall Tailors.

Private White VC news

It's been a busy time at Private White VC. They've welcomed The Princess Royal at their Manchester factory, refurbished their shop in Lamb's Conduit Street in London, had a successful time at Goodwood Revival and are about to open a second London store. Their AW14 collection contains some mouth-watering products, including gorgeous knitwear and the rather nice cashmere Ashley blazer.

It's good to see their collection developing each year and to see a proud British menswear producer achieving the recognition they deserve.

The Princess Royal pays homage to Brutus, head of Private White VC

David Gandy's M&S underwear - Grey Fox tries it on

This package arrived yesterday from Marks & Spencer - it contains a sample of their new David Gandy for Autograph briefs, launched this week in a hugely muscular global campaign. 

This raised a few questions. How is a picture of David Gandy meant to sell underwear to a red-blooded male like me? Wouldn't it be better if the image was of a scantily clad female (preferably grey-haired)? Does it suggest that most underwear is bought by women for their menfolk? If so, would I want underwear bought for me by a woman who's been attracted to buy them by a picture of David Gandy? All very mysterious. But, of course, M&S are right; men will buy them in the hope that they'll make us look as buff.

Anyway, enough of this jocular philosophising. The briefs are to M&S's usual high quality; comfortable (I can vouch for this; I wear them as I type) and well-made. Also available in the range are boxers of different shapes. All were developed closely with David Gandy in soft, high quality and durable cotton and Lycra. Cost £20 for a pack of two. 

Click here to buy - Marks & Spencer. There, you may, if interested, also find a video lingering on Gandy's musculature. Gandy will be touring M&S flagship stores, starting with Marble Arch London on Thursday 18th September at 12pm and moving on to Ireland, Hong Kong and France.

M&S promise that Gandy will 'personally unveil the collection', so it all sounds very exciting. Book your ticket now.

Henri James - made in England boxer shorts

A new brand, Henri James, makes its boxer shorts in the UK. See their website for the full range of prints available.

British-made men's underwear - an update

Since writing about British-made underwear for men last July (see the post here), I've heard about a number of other brands. I hope you'll support British-made men's underwear as well as they will no doubt support you.

Robert Owen Undershirts

These undershirts are made from bamboo fabric. When I was sent one to try I found it was silky smooth, even after a machine wash. Like a man-made performance fabric, the shirt feels cool to wear and absorbs light sweating, but also keeps you warm in cold weather. The slim-fitting design has panels under the arm to keep sweat away from your shirt, allowing it to evaporate with just your body heat. They come in four pale colours so they remain unobtrusive under a shirt. I really liked these British-made undershirts.

Dick Winters

Dick Winters celebrate the British origin of their products, making boxer shorts from smooth British microfibre. I haven't had the chance to try these, but they look well-crafted with all seams flatlocked for comfort.

Cahoonas

Made in Scotland from a British microfibre, these are made to allow for the fact that 75% of men hang to the left and the rest to the right, so allowance is made for the correct placing of your tackle. Again, I haven't tried these so can't comment on this interesting design feature. 

Cock & Bull Menswear

Cock & Bull's products are ethically and sustainably-made in the UK and come in a wide variety of colours and patterns. Their limited edition boxer briefs and t-shirts are made from super-soft organic cotton (thought to be the first organic briefs made in Britain). I've seen some of their superb products, but haven't been able to try them.

British underwear for men - patriotic to the core!

Sir Plus

[I have edited this post in July to clarify some of the suppliers who have confirmed that they genuinely manufacture here in the UK. Unfortunately this exercise has confirmed for me how much of a minefield this area is and how easy it is to assume British manufacture from 'British Heritage' type advertising - I've learned a painful lesson. Additional supplier added in August].

There was a time when a British gentleman's underwear would have been British-made. Alas, no more. However, Grey Fox, has found some genuine UK-made boxers to enable you too to fly the flag with your underwear.

I've even found out that I live within a couple of miles of an underwear factory - how exciting is that?

Purposeful Activity

You too can now show your patriotism by wearing underwear designed and made in Britain. Here are a few makers of genuine British boxer shorts.

Purposeful Activity - a company rooted in the British-made approach.
Sir Plus Clothing - clothing made from cabbage, surplus fabrics - very sustainable.
Tender Co. Trestle Shop - they tell me that their boxers are English-made from English woven cotton. This is a lovely site and many other interesting things are sold - I suggest a look.
Burtonwode - have confirmed to me that they make their boxers shorts here.
British Boxers - read the fascinating story behind these genuinely UK-made boxers.
Udeshi - the website describes boxers as made in London.

I've contacted the following suppliers to ask for confirmation of UK manufacture, but haven't yet had replies, so I leave it to the reader to confirm this, or otherwise -

Derek Rose
Sunspel

Hamilton and Hare - have now confirmed that their boxers are made in Portugal, using buttons, labels, silk from the UK.

Finisterre - they make their boxer shorts in Portugal, so strictly don't meet my criteria here, but I'm including them because they source Merino wool for some of their products from Devon Fine Fibres, who breed sheep to produce superfine merino wool in SW England.

If your products aren't here, get in touch and I'll add you in a follow up (and make sure you follow Grey Fox on Twitter so you don't miss any more calls for British products).