TomboyX has single-handedly changed my underwear standards forever with its comfortable, gender-inclusive styles
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- TomboyX strives to make underwear for everyone, regardless of their size or gender.
- Like Wildfang, TomboyX has adapted traditionally masculine offerings for women's bodies.
- Their underwear is eco-friendly and sweatshop-free.
- Their boyshorts, my favorite style, range in price from $23-$32 per pair.
TomboyX has been working to improve the inclusivity of the underwear industry since 2012.
Partners in both life and business, Fran Dunaway and Naomi Gonzalez set out to fill a unique hole in the market — "underwear that any body could feel comfortable in, regardless of where they fell on the size or gender spectrum."
A few months ago, Business Insider featured Wildfang, a brand that is designing masculine-style clothing tailored for women's bodies. TomboyX is the underwear equivalent. The company took masculine-style underwear like trunks and boxer briefs and adapted them for women's bodies, opening up underwear possibilities for those whose tastes fall outside traditional feminine styles.
TomboyX makes boxer briefs and trunks that maintain a masculine aesthetic while removing the excess fabric that often comes standard with men's underwear to accommodate a ... certain anatomy. This leads to a distinctly sleeker silhouette without the excess bulk that often leads to bunching or discomfort under tighter clothing.
I've worn men's trunks or boxer briefs for the better part of my adult life, so I had grown used to the design shortcomings as a necessary evil to get the style I wanted. When I first heard about TomboyX, I jumped at the chance to try them. Initially, I went with its 4.5-inch trunks that, based on their online photos, seemed to be the closest option to the underwear I was used to wearing. I found them to be a little long for me, so I tried its slightly shorter option, the boy shorts, and I knew right away I'd found something here. When I tried them on, I wasn't quite used to the fabric laying flush against my body, so it was a little strange at first. But after a few minutes I was totally used to it, and once I put pants on, I didn't think another thought about my underwear that day, which is the ultimate goal, isn't it?
TomboyX offers a wide range of styles, from 9-inch boxer briefs that come down to the mid-thigh all the way to more feminine styles such as bikinis and thongs. Size inclusivity is an unflinching tenant of the brand, so every item is offered in sizes from XS to 4X. What's more is all its products are sweatshop-free and produced by workers that earn a living wage.
Additionally, TomboyX strives to be eco-friendly, with many of its products certified Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex, an international organization whose strict specifications ensure the human-ecological safety of textiles. This certification ensures limited levels of harmful chemicals in the fabric, which, if you ask me, is incredibly reassuring given underwear fabric's proximity to sensitive areas.
Of the fabric options offered — a basic cotton, MicroModal, and Active Drirelease — the cotton is my favorite (I'm not fancy). But the Active Drirelease is great if you're an athlete or an avid gym-goer. I am neither, so they're just another pair of underwear for me. The specialized fabric is sweat-resistant and moisture-wicking and has reinforced seams that will stand up to lots of stretch and movement. The MicroModals are criminally soft, and a bit lighter than the cotton ones, but I find them to be less breathable.
The cotton pairs feel the sturdiest to me, and while they're not as soft as the MicroModal or as technologically advanced as the Active Drirelease, they are a bit less expensive. The cotton boyshorts run $23 per pair for solid colors or $25 for patterned pairs, the MicroModal boyshorts run $30 for solid colors or $32 for patterned pairs, and the Active Drirelease boyshorts run $30 for solid colors (no funky patterns yet in Active Drirelease). If that's a bit too pricey, the also offer three-packs in basic colors from $42.
In my experience, none of the three fabric styles ride up at all.
With every other brand of trunk or boxer brief I've worn, it's been a constant battle of trying to discreetly tug my underwear down to unbunch them. Imagine picking a wedgie, but with a higher degree of difficulty. TomboyX has managed to eliminate that problem entirely, at least in the boyshorts style I tried.
Naturally, TomboyX hasn't abandoned underwear's favorite companion — the bra. It offers four styles — two that mimic traditional sports bras in aesthetic and two more feminine bralettes. I tried the Essentials Soft Bra, one of the sports-bra styles, and while it was extremely comfy, it didn't offer much support, so it wasn't quite right for me. I prefer something with a little more compression, but my partner loves it as a casual lounge-around option or for wearing under T-shirts.
If you're looking for more masculine style underwear, but want a sleeker aesthetic than traditional men's underwear, TomboyX has finally answered your (and my) prayers.
Plus, you get the added benefits of undies that are eco-friendly, size inclusive, socially responsible — and most importantly, incredibly comfy. TomboyX checks all the boxes as the type of brand I love to support, and it's single-handedly changed my underwear standards forever.