In their 1983 worldwide smash “Sharp Dressed Man,” legendary bearded Texan rockers ZZ Top succinctly summed up the importance of sartorial splendor for men struggling to stand out in a society ruled by conformity.
“Clean shirt, new shoes
and I don’t know what I am gonna do.
Silk suit, black tie,
I don’t need a reason why.
They come runnin’ just as fast as they can,
cause every girl is crazy ‘bout a sharp dressed man.
Gold watch, diamond ring,
I ain’t missin’ not a single thing.
Cuff links, stick pin,
when I step out I’m gonna do you in.
They come a runnin’ just as fast as they can,
cause every girl is crazy ‘bout a sharp dressed man.
Top coat, top hat,
and I don’t worry cause my wallet’s fat.
Black shades, white gloves,
lookin’ sharp, lookin’ for love.
They come runnin’ just as fast as they can,
cause every girl is crazy ‘bout a sharp dressed man.”
For many men, the lyrics of Messrs. Beard, Gibbons and Hill inspired wardrobe makeovers and a newfound adherence to the principles of dandyism, an elegant dressing style that influenced middle-class male consumer behavior in late 18th- and early 19th-century Britain and France. But for Chard and Vincent, partners in New Taipei City-headquartered online underwear boutique G-Punch, this approach is all for naught if it does not extend below the belt.
The pair, who declined to disclose their surnames, said demand for imported men’s underwear is on the rise in Taiwan with wearers increasingly taking responsibility for making their own purchases. This has delivered a steady increase in orders for the business, which Chard established in 2011 after losing his job as a result of the global economic downturn.
“There was a time not that long ago when men relied on mothers and wives to buy their briefs for them from traditional markets,” Chard said. “The result of this trend was a sea of Y-fronts hanging from washing lines all over the country.”
An ardent advocate of the adage clothes maketh the man, Chard argues that the time-honored style philosophy should also apply to underwear.
“Our goal is to have men in Taiwan put their best foot forward when stripped down to the bare essentials,” he said. “We are convinced that more attention must be paid to what’s going on in this most intimate of areas.”
Echoing Chard’s remarks, Vincent sees no reason for men to cling to outdated, ill-fitting underwear that probably saw its best days when Adam was a lad. “We offer a range of colorful, cutting-edge designs made out of high-tech material suitable for all shapes and sizes,” he said.
And Vincent is not exaggerating. G-Punch’s underwear stable includes many of the world’s hottest brands, including Addicted, Andrew Christian, C-IN2, Pipe, Pistol Pete and Timoteo, with new additions on the horizon.
The fledgling underwear barons believe a major reason for men taking greater interest in underwear is the impact of lifestyles of health and sustainability, or LOHAS.
“An increasing number of men are swapping sedentary existences dominated by cable TV viewing, Internet gaming and fast food for LOHAS,” Vincent said. “They are visiting the gym and swimming as never before, meaning more undressing in semipublic areas on a regular basis.
“Men tend to sneak peeks at what kind of underwear their peers are wearing and waste little time in seeking out similar items for themselves. They are beginning to understand that feeling and looking better starts with a nice pair of pants.”
But even without adherence to the LOHAS concept by Taiwan’s males, the local underwear market was always destined for change, especially given the impact of Calvin Klein underwear advertising in the 1980s and 1990s on consumers.
Bold and provocative CK commercials featuring seminaked athletes and celebrities in their underwear such as U.S pole-vaulter Tom Hintnaus and rapper-turned-actor Mark Wahlberg sparked worldwide attention after debuting in New York’s Times Square. The four storey-high images are often credited with giving birth to publicly acceptable male interest in underwear.
Men everywhere suddenly began wondering if they could go head to head with Wahlberg, one-time leader of the Funky Bunch in the sexy-cool stakes, with the end result a global explosion in demand for pricey undergarments that gradually made its way to Taiwan as well.
For Lien Zong-wang, CEO of Deous International Co. Ltd., male awareness in Taiwan of the need to look good at all times is a welcome development that helps keep his thriving underwear and T-shirt business, Body Formula, in the black. Established in 2004, the company operates two retail locations in Taipei City, one in Taichung City, and an e-commerce website.
“Seven years ago we sold underwear but now we sell fashion,” Lien said. “Men are taking better care of their bodies and want the right garments to show off their hard work in the gym. Appearance is very important.”
The manager of Body Formula Ximen, Wu Ding-guei, said major international brands such as CK are “nice” but do not really work for Asian men. “Our most popular products are from the Exponent and Toot lineups. Both are designed in Japan and considered hot-ticket items by men aged 22 to 40.”
Wu said the main reason these manufacturers are such a hit with his customers is that their products are made with the leaner Asian body shape in mind. “No one wants to spend good money on unflattering garments that look dull and uninviting. Firmer waistbands, shorter lengths, sexier lines and vivid color palates all combine to give the brands an edge.”
Huang Tien-yin, a PR manager with a political consultancy in Taipei and self-described metrosexual, said firms such as G-Punch and Body Formula are meeting the needs of Taiwan’s men who hold that looking good makes a powerful sexual statement.
“No doubt about it, I am a dedicated follower of fashion and will pay whatever it costs to be deemed hot,” Huang said, adding that his monthly underwear budget runs to NT$4,000 (US$135).
A former devotee of Toot, Huang is now “addicted” to C-IN2 and also picks up the occasional pair of Andrew Christian trunks if one of the company’s risque commercials featuring buffed men frolicking in various states of undress tickles his fancy.
“A pair of C-IN2 trunks costs around NT$900, which is nearly the same price as Exponent and half that of Toot,” he said. “Basically, I am getting more bang for my buck and just as many admiring glances and compliments.”
With men’s underwear buying habits increasingly influenced by emotion, fun and pleasure, local retailers are bullish on the market’s prospects going forward. They see plenty of room for growth and are constantly trawling the Internet looking for new products that might have local appeal.
“The fact of the matter is that men in Taiwan want to slip into something comfortable and are prepared to loosen their purse strings to do so,” Chard said. “Our job is to help make this happen and deliver the promise of body beautiful.”
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw