男士内衣告别石器时代

    满大街的男人都穿着肥大的牛仔裤，裤裆上多出来的布料皱得毫无形象——这个时代已经过去了。紧身牛仔、定制长裤和合脚的牛津皮鞋已经成了男人的标准配置，内衣方面自然也不能再滥用布料。想当年，男人们只需要在三角裤和平角裤中挑一种，如今却有了更丰富的选择。

    五年前，汤姆•帕特森白天推销医疗设备，晚上则是消费者新闻与商业频道（CNBC）唐尼•多伊奇主持的《奇思妙想》节目（The Big Idea）的忠实观众。“节目中展现的所有产品或服务……都是个人生活中不满情绪的产物，”帕特森回忆道。“我发现自己总是在环顾四周，问自己这样一个问题，‘哪些东西是我可以改进的？’”

    金融危机期间，帕特森遭到解雇，失去了已经干了六年的销售工作。在这段令人沮丧的日子里，他发现了自己过去工作时面临的最恼人的时尚难题之一其实是材料问题——汗衫总是松松垮垮，腰部鼓鼓囊囊，很不美观。

    帕特森研究了高档百货商店里最畅销的男士内衣，分析其用料与设计，随后发现了超细莫代尔（micro modal）的优点。这种很快将获得专利的面料非常柔软，性能与棉相似，但不那么容易缩水、泛黄。“我拿着设计图找到干洗店，付给老板100美元。后来，我又多定制了15件，邀请值得信赖的朋友试穿，然后给我反馈意见。”

    由于试穿者反馈颇为积极，帕特森与女朋友一起搬到了圣地亚哥，选定一家制造商，并创立了Tommy John公司。如今，这家成立虽然只有短短三年时间，但它的产品已经行销于萨克斯（Saks）、内曼•马库斯（Neiman Marcus）和诺德斯特龙（Nordstrom）等高档百货，过去一年里的总销售额已经达到了150万美元，较2010年的90万美元实现了大幅增长。帕特森预测，公司2012年的营收将增加到400-600万美元。本周，该公司又在内曼•马库斯和诺德斯特龙推出了一系列新款男士内衣。

    “女士内衣仿佛来自《杰森一家》(Jetson's)中的未来世界，充满创意和未来感，”帕特森说。“而男士内衣根本还没实现现代化。”该公司出品的三角裤设有“快速方便”纽扣，开缝不是传统的垂直式，而是水平的，强调凉爽透风和低腰设计。它使用的面料延展性很好，可防止内裤皱缩，以免穿着者大腿感到不适。

    帕特森介绍说：“多数男人在工作单位和健身房需换穿不同的内裤，而这些款式在两种环境下都适合穿着——它甚至还设有一个小口袋，足可收纳穿着者的iPod。”

    帕特森不愿意止步于内衣，事实上，他正准备进军其他男士贴身衣物，比如袜子或浴袍。他希望自己的消费者放弃久经考验的弃旧换新模式——内衣穿很久才买新的，而打算鼓励男人们（或女人们）想要就买，或者只是因为需要某种内衣来搭配外衣。

    The days of over-sized jeans sagging from the derrieres of men everywhere are no more. Skinny jeans, tailored pants, and fitted oxfords are de rigeur, leaving little room for excess fabric in the undergarment department. Boxers or briefs used to be the only question men needed to ask themselves, but today, the options have grown.

    Five years ago, Tom Patterson was a medical-device sales rep by day and an avid-viewer of CNBC's The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch by night. "All of the featured products or services … were created out of personal frustration," recalls Patterson. "I found myself constantly looking around, asking, 'What can I make better?'"

    During the financial crisis, Patterson was laid off from a sales job he held for six years. During his down time, he realized that one of the biggest fashion annoyances he faced while he was working was a fabric gut -- that baggy bump just above the belt line caused by a loose-fitting undershirt.

    After researching fabrics and designs of the bestselling undershirts at high-end department stores, Patterson came across micro modal. The patent-pending fabric is soft, with properties similar to cotton, but it doesn't shrink or yellow as easily. "I headed to my dry cleaner's with a design and paid him $100. Then ordered 15 more, asking trusted friends to wear them and give me feedback."

    With positive reviews in hand, Patterson moved to San Diego with his girlfriend, locked down a manufacturer, and founded Tommy John. Today, the three-year old company offers its wares at stores like Saks (SKS), Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom (JWN). Revenue over the past year was $1.5 million, up from $900,000 in 2010; Patterson predicts that 2012 revenue will be between $4-6 million. And this week, the company launched a new underwear line for men at Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom.

    "Women's underwear is like the Jetson's. It's futuristic, innovative," says Patterson. "But men's hasn't been modernized at all." His company's brief line has a "Quick Draw" fly, which is horizontal rather than vertical, a ventilation zone, and no-rise legs. The fabric also allows stretching that keeps the briefs from riding up the wearer's thighs.

    "Most guys have to wear different pairs at work and at the gym. These can be worn in both settings -- and even have a pocket for your iPod," Patterson says.

    Patterson doesn't want to stop at underwear. Indeed, he is looking to tackle other men's intimates, like socks and robes. He wants his customers to deviate from the time-honored replenishment model -- buying new underwear to replace the old. Instead, he aims to encourage men (or women) to buy because they want the product, or need it with a certain outfit.