Is Prada serious?

By Ray Zhang

I frequently see guys in my neighborhood wearing boxers—outside, even at the mall. It is possible that some of these fellows are not aware that there is a difference between boxers and actually shorts, even if both come with elasticised waists and are sometimes hard to tell apart. Anyway, I always think that boxers worn to wherever other than to bed is regrettable. But now, Prada—bless their forward thinking—appear to be pushing for the traditional whities as replacement for anything resembling out-on-Sunday shorts! It’s been terribly hot in Italy—no doubt, but do Italian men (and those elsewhere) really want to go about their outside-home business in their undies? I find this a head-scratching proposition.

Sure, the styling could be executed for marketing purpose, so that you and I know that Prada makes underwear. But so does Comme des Garçons, under their Shirt imprint. Their White Forever briefs (available for many years now) have, as far as I am aware, remained an item worn under. Prada has chosen to show theirs as a comfortable wear-to-show. Which many explain why the waistband (also elasticised) needs the Prada inverted-triangle fastened right in the middle: unmissable and status-screaming (is that why Prada describes it as “decorated”?). Which is also evocative of the singlet that released exactly a year ago that was sold for a staggering S$1,480 (it’s still available, and also for men). The briefs—in cotton—at a no less mind-boggling S$775. Seriously! If you prefer a style that’s fancier, there’s a version with black stripes that’ll set you back S$890. Seriously!!!

With such prices, it is imaginable that those who cop them are going to wear them in such as a way as to announce the exorbitance of their underpants. But unlike during the halcyon days of the Calvin Klein underwear (and that notorious Bruce Weber-lensed billboard ad featuring the Olympian Tom Hintnaus), when boys would wear their ‘Calvins’ to allow the logo-ed waistband to peek from—and peak above—the waist of their baggy jeans, Prada puts out for consideration, theirs worn without the pants altogether, with a shirt tucked into the waistband that is punctuated with that unmistakable triangular plaque. You have the option of throwing a longish grandpa cardigan over your shoulders, and if the staring around you becomes too intense, you can cover your visually-terrorised below-waist battle ground with the knitted outer. Yes, seriously.

Photo: Prada