National Underwear Day

On August 9, underwear came out of America’s dresser drawers and hit the streets of New York City for the celebration of the fourth annual National Underwear Day. Conceived and promoted by online underwear retailer Freshpair.com, the event is a playful way to increase appreciation for and awareness of what were once called “unmentionables.” The burgeoning $14-billion intimate apparel industry certainly has come out of hiding in the past few years, as the lines between innerwear and outwear continue to blur.

Highly trafficked city spots like Rockefeller Center and Penn Station were inundated with models who roamed the city clad only in the latest intimates from Freshpair’s roster of brands. The male and female models distributed an estimated 4,000 new pairs of underwear to passersby. In addition, the “underwear ambassadors” conducted a poll, collecting information on Americans’ underwear preferences for Freshpair’s website. (The winners? Thirty-seven percent of women prefer bikinis, while 41 percent of men choose briefs.) Freshpair models also collected signatures for a petition to turn National Underwear Day into an officially recognized holiday.

Later that day, the newest trends in intimate apparel and men’s underwear were showcased during a dramatic outdoor fashion show amid the giant screens and the flashing neon of Times Square. Models paraded down a runway in the hottest looks from brands such as Chantelle, Diesel, Puma, and Le Mystere.

“During previous events, we’ve had lots of public participation, with New Yorkers showing their panties and skivvies and joining the festivities,” said Freshpair President Michael Kleinmann. This year was no exception, with a number of participants even opting to sport their new undies on the spot, and mobile changing booths were set up on the street expressly for this purpose. Many freshly changed revelers caught the carefree National Underwear Day spirit and proudly showed off their new underwear to the gathering crowd.

Despite the lighthearted Woodstock-like tone of the vent, the day did have a serious goal. “Our mission is to raise awareness for the industry as a whole, [as well as] for the brands that are sponsoring this day,” said Kleinmann. While sponsoring brands like Wacoal, Hugo Boss, Goddess, and 2(x)ist sought new audiences, the National Prostate Cancer Coalition and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation also used the occasion to bring attention to their causes. Both health-awareness groups distributed pamphlets to celebrants and urged men and women to be screened for the diseases.

National Underwear Day aims to raise brand awareness and to create a public dialogue about what normally remains hidden, and Freshpair’s agenda already is being reflected across the country. Kleinmann said he believes the United States is in the midst of an underwear revolution. “Both men and women are trading up from their traditional ‘tighty-whities’ and buying into new and more comfortable panties and underwear,” he said. With Freshpair’s ambassadors leading the way, the revolution should continue with a healthy dose of good will.

About Freshpair

Freshpair is a leading Internet retailer of men's and women's intimate apparel, offering hundreds of styles of bras, panties, t-shirts, boxers, briefs, socks, sleepwear, and more. From full-figure to petite, shapewear to thongs, boxers to briefs and everything in between, we are the ultimate destination for intimate apparel shopping. Freshpair.com carries many of the major brand names including 2(x)ist, C-IN2, Calvin Klein, Wacoal, Chantelle, Le Mystere and Bali.