Archive for the 'Tomima Unplugged' Category
Cup-Sized Underwear for Men
July 18, 2010
There’s a curious reality to men’s underwear sizing; It assumes all men who wear the same size underwear have the same size…er, private parts. So, to put this in bra terms, it’s like thinking that all woman with a 36 band size, for example, have the same cup size. And we know that’s not true.
I discovered this fact back in 2002 when I first went live with HisRoom. I interviewed some mens underwear manufacturers and asked how a man is supposed to size his jock strap and thongs for a document I was creating. Naively, I just assumed it was a similar system to a woman’s bra. A few questions into my interviews, I found out I was wrong. All the jock manufacturers told me that if a man’s "package" didn’t fit in the cup, he would need to go up a size (e.g. from a medium to a large) to get a larger cup – even if that meant his waistband would now be too big.
I admit I was surprised by this because it didn’t make sense to me. Men are already size conscious when it comes to their package. Why wouldn’t they have a sizing system in place to accomodate this? Since over the years, HisRoom received very few comments on this subject, I chalked it up to sizing and fit not being a big deal with men.
So now, along comes a new men’s underwear line, HARDDRIVE, with an attempt to address this issue. They claim to have created proportion fit underwear for men, and it’s sized by both a man’s waist AND cup size.
When I saw this my mind immediately started racing… How are they determining cup size? I jumped to their size chart, found their "How to Find the Perfect Fit" instructions, and let out a howl that brought my dogs running to my office. Here is what it says:
"First, measure length. Next, measure girth. Multiply length & girth." And, I particularly loved the footnote: "Remember… always measure yourself in the state of mind that you expect to be in while wearing." At last, giving men worldwide a legitimate reason to measure.
Not being one to totally dismiss an "out-of-the-box" idea, I decided to do a little research. Searching on "average penis size" I found that this apendage averages 6 inches long with a girth of 3.5-4 inches when at rest. Their calculation therefore concludes that the average guy is a 21-24 measurment. And, according to their size chart, this would be an "A" cup. Oh, did I mention they decided to match the letters given to womens bra cup sizing? At least I would have thought they would have chosen something more "guy-friendly" like, I don’t know, maybe coffee sizes… regular, tall, venti? Or, maybe a car analogy like Boxter, Cayman, 911 and Panamera? Oh, what about hamburgers: Junior burger, Big Mac, Quarter Pounder and Angus Delux? But, I digress.
Feeling that further research was needed, I grabbed a tape measure and headed for my pantry. I wanted to find examples that represented the various cup sizes they are porporting in their size chart. Here’s what I found: a can of tuna fish qualifies as an A cup. A traditional soup can is a C cup. A 16 oz. water bottle is a D cup. And a mayonnaise jar or larger is a DD cup.
And this final suggestion from a male friend re naming the sizes: there’s no such thing as Small and Medium. Just start with Large and go up from there.
Shop for men’s underwear at HisRoom.
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Posted by Tomima at 7:40am
8 Comments »
A New Play Called ‘Cups’ – It’s About Bras
July 06, 2010
You’ve no doubt heard about ‘The Vagina Monologues’ and ‘Menopause the Musical’ –plays discussing coming-of-age for women. Well, add ‘Cups’ to the list.
I’m looking forward to seeing this 90-minute play for obvious reasons; it examines a woman’s life through the many bras she has worn. "I came up with the idea," says creator and Coloradan Joni Sheram, "that bras are diaries, and you can tell exactly where a woman is in her life by the bra she’s wearing." You know, she’s right – training, push-up, longline, maternity, nursing, supportive, comfort strap…
This week the play is in Kansas City. Sheram has sold the rights to have the show produced across the country. So, it could be coming to a theater near you shortly. And, according to reviews, men are enjoying the play just as much as women!
Find bras that tell your life story at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras
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Posted by Tomima at 12:28pm
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Yet Another Example Why Men Need to Quit Designing Lingerie
June 21, 2010
A 63 year-old man from Chengdu, China has invented, to great fanfare, a nipple bra. He claims his bra is healthier and a more natural option for women’s nipples.
His absolutely ridiculous premise is that a normal bra today puts pressure on our nipples and thus is uncomfortable. He thinks women need to be liberated from this bondage. So, his bra includes a bump in the cup where he thinks your nipple should go.
First, has any woman ever felt nipple-bound? Secondly, most of us don’t walk around with erect nipples all day. This bra would make us look like we are in a constant state of excitement. Third, check out the placement of his "nipple bubble" – anatomically wrong. A woman could wind up with 4 nipple pops – talk about weird. Fourth, wouldn’t it be even more uncomfortable to have our nipples sliding in and out of this crevice? Finally, if not for men, we women wouldn’t even worry whether our erect nipples might be showing or not.
Turn about is fair play. Let’s invent a men’s brief with prominent pockets on each side for them to stuff their balls in. Makes the same amount of sense.
Find everything but nipple bras at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras
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Posted by Tomima at 10:19am
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