Simple invention makes going commando no big deal

A funny thing happened on the way to my underwear drawer the other day. I realized that, for the first time in memory, I didn’t need any. The reason: I was going commando. No, I’m not giving underwear up for lent, and this is hardly some kind of creepy tribute to Paris Hilton, Britney Spears or some other Hollywood 20-something debutant who long ago decided underwear was, for various reasons, not worth the trouble. Instead, it was because I could. And not feel weird about it. Explanation forthcoming.

It is a growing trend, going commando, as evidenced by the increasingly common sight of the crack of a woman’s behind rising above her pantline. (“The slot machine is open,” as my friend Ian likes to call it.) Although I have yet to see any scientific data stemming from a worldwide survey, the assumption here is that not wearing underwear is an idea largely practiced by women rather than men, younger rather than older. On paper, it can be viewed as risque, trashy, comfortable or sexy, depending on whom you ask and whether or not you have a teenage daughter.

But what about men? I remember Joey from “Friends” joking about going commando while he was wearing Chandler’s clothes, but it’s not exactly common chatter among the male species, unless there are circumstances that require an embarrassing story to be told.

This is where Chicago’s very own Peter Whitney comes in.

A few years back, having just moved here from Dallas, Whitney and his wife thought it would work out best, with her traveling a lot with her job, for him to start a business from home to help raise their young daughter. So he did some research and brainstorming, and eventually something stuck.

“I told her I had an idea for a business, but it’s not one I would want to brag about at dinner parties with the neighbors,” Whitney said.

You see, he wanted to make jeans that had soft, cotton boxers sewn into the inside, as a liner of sorts, so you could, in effect, go commando without the accompanying fear of chafing or any other unsettling ramifications. His wife gave her consent to the idea. And now, as fate would have it, those same neighbors are going commando in his jeans. Well, not his jeans. That would be weird. The jeans he makes, is what I mean.

It all started because Whitney hated having his boxers creep up in a bunch when he would sit down or pull them on. Let’s face it, shoving a hand down your pants in public to straighten your underwear isn’t exactly an encouraged activity, and Whitney, like a lot of us, wasn’t particularly fond of giving up boxers and going the briefs route. So he took a pair of boxers and jeans to a nearby tailor and asked him if he could sew them together. The tailor chuckled initially, but admitted later he was quite fond of the plan.

Realizing he lacked a background in apparel, Whitney then met with a clothing designer he had met while researching the idea, and together they developed a pattern in every size and came up with the necessary specifications. With the trademark in place and a manufacturer to produce the boxer-jeans package deal, it was go time. No more wandering underwear. Yet another one of life’s little hassles conquered.

Whitney officially launched Commando Jeans in the fall of 2005, and he estimates that he has sold close to 3,000 pairs to date, mostly through his website and the rare stores that don’t mind carrying something other than a brand name, at a cost of $67, and he’s hoping an eventual alliance with a retailer or two will take his already budding business to the next level.

“I made the product for me,” he says. “I want to feel comfortable, first and foremost, and I don’t pay $100 for jeans. So it was important to make a good product at a reasonable rate.”

Though he has yet to design a style of Commando Jeans with the curves of a woman in mind (it is in the works, however), more than half of those who have purchased his product online were female, most bought as gifts. According to Whitney, 40 percent of buyers come back to the site within 60 days, and 10 percent buy at least two at a time.

“If you like laying around the house in sweatpants, this is going to give you that kind of comfort level,” he advises. “But you’re also going to look good when you step out to run some errands or do something that night. You feel like you’re not totally dressed, but you are.”

So this all leads me to a question I never thought I would ask another man, let alone a question I never imagined I would type for thousands of people to see afterward. But it had to be asked.

So, uh, Peter, exactly how long has it been since you’ve worn underwear?

He laughs, thankfully. Probably not the first time that line has been fired at him after he describes what he does for a living.

“It’s been quite awhile, I’d say,” he answers. “If I’m wearing a suit. And I sleep in boxers. That’s about it.”

So on this day, with the help of Commando Jeans, I venture out into society a changed man. Yep, I’m going commando. Free-balling. Hanging loose. And not feeling guilty about it. And if the paparazzi happens to catch me getting out of my car, well, I think I’m safe.

For more information on Commando Jeans, visit www.CommandoJeans.com. You can receive 15 percent off any pair by typing in the discount code “Real” or “RealChicago” during your purchase.

Trent Modglin
Publisher
The Real Chicago
Trent@TheRealChicago.org

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