Non-American Apparel undies with similar styling?

February 10, 2013 9:37 PM

I quite like American Apparel's boy briefs for their unisex-ish retro styling and ginormous variety of vibrant colours. However, I am not at all a fan of Dov Charney and so I am looking for non-AA alternatives. Suggestions?

The wearer of the undies is female-bodied.

posted by btfreek to Shopping (16 answers total)

These aren't quite what you're looking for, but I purchased them recently and have been really pleased. They are cheap and colorful. They do run slightly small, so I sized up. It looks like Amazon/Amazon sellers have boy brief's that are similar to what you posted, though I can't vouch for them.

Good luck!
posted by lucy.jakobs at 10:04 PM on February 10, 2013

Ginch gonch!
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 10:10 PM on February 10, 2013 [2 favorites]

Also, Hanes used to have an amazing line of boxer briefs and briefs for women under the Authentic label that were discontinued, and it looks like this is their current closest equivalent, which might be worth a shot.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 10:20 PM on February 10, 2013

A) PhoBWan those two links are identical. B) I completely agree that those authentic label boxer briefs were the best things ever ... I've been trying to find something to replace them for YEARS. C) Hanes' new replacement for them SUCK. Don't buy their new boxer briefs. D) The closest I've found to the old ones from Hanes are from the Gap. E) Good luck.
posted by kthxbi at 10:28 PM on February 10, 2013

Bella Ladies is kind of similar.
posted by barnone at 10:46 PM on February 10, 2013

YogaColors briefs are similar too.
posted by barnone at 10:47 PM on February 10, 2013 [1 favorite]

Whoops, second link was meant to go here. I haven't tried them--still surviving off my stockpile of authentics, plus quite a few ginch gonch undies (their boxer briefs are good, though their women's styles are a bit narrow in the crotch.)
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 10:49 PM on February 10, 2013

Also just a note that, in my experience, everything bought from the "yogacolors" amazon store are just American Apparel. Perhaps bought with an illicit wholesaler license or something like that, but at some point money's got to be going to Dov.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 10:51 PM on February 10, 2013

French undercrackers merchants Undiz (work firewall won't let me link directly) have got it with the vibrant colours (and GNOME PATTERNS)
posted by runincircles at 1:42 AM on February 11, 2013

Alternative Apparel doesn't do undies yet, but some of their other pieces are very similar to American Apparel items. They're a pretty small company, so emailing them to let them know what you're looking for might help them bring then to market sooner than later.
posted by furnace.heart at 5:39 AM on February 11, 2013

Mossimo at Target. $6.99
posted by Jason and Laszlo at 7:18 AM on February 11, 2013

As a female-bodied person, I love and look great in Uniqlo's men's briefs. They come in lots of fun colors and are super comfortable.
posted by 168 at 7:57 AM on February 11, 2013

Seconding 168 on enjoying Uniqlo's men's underwear. I would caution though, they have a higher rise on the waist than I would want in a perfect world.

There's also a company called Pact that makes really neat underwear and is, from what I understand, a very ethical company.

American Eagle has a hipster boy-cut that is similar in their Aerie store.
posted by forkisbetter at 9:00 AM on February 11, 2013

Dov's a jerk, but the people who sew American Apparel clothes are treated and paid well. In the grand scheme of things, I think they're pretty ethical as a company, and I'd rather give them my money than most other places (if you have ethical qualms about Dov Charney, don't you have worse qualms about clothes made with cheap, possible mistreated labor in the 'developing' world?). Pact & Alternative Apparel are decent as well.
posted by three_red_balloons at 4:58 PM on February 11, 2013

Do you get Bonds underwear in the USA (if that's where you are)? I just bought these and they have the retro unisex styling you are after and are SO soft and comfortable. But I don't think they come in a wide range of colours, unfortunately.
posted by lollusc at 11:12 PM on February 11, 2013

Also, when I do visit countries where it exists, I buy men's underpants in H&M, even though I am have a women's body with a particularly womanly ass-shape. H&M men's have awesome colours and they are very comfortable. I have a pair of superman undies and a pair of pirate skull & crossbones undies from H&M men's section that are my favourite ever.
posted by lollusc at 11:15 PM on February 11, 2013