Men's underwear multi-packs were regarded as the cheap stuff for a long, long time. It was poorly made, less desirable than in-store designs and often not worth the lower price point. That's all changed, however, and the most prominent brands in the men's underwear industry are offering a slew of their hottest styles in pairs, three- and even four-packs that are made with the quality we've come to expect from an industry leading brand.
Major brands like 2(X)IST, Calvin Klein Underwear, Emporio Armani, Hugo Boss, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors are reacting to budget-conscious consumers that don't want to forgo style for the need to save a few bucks. They're joining lower price point brands like Hanes and Fruit of the Loom in releasing a variety of men's underwear multi-packs in a full range of silhouettes and colors. 2(X)IST is even offering a jockstrap two-pack.
"We have expanded our multi-pack offering in recent years due to more customers looking for value, and now offer color, stripes and different fabrications to allow a wider range of customers to save money without sacrificing style," a Calvin Klein Underwear representative told the Underwear Expert. 2(X)IST's creative director, Jason Scarlatti, speaks to the raised awareness of both fashion and wallet-friendly designs. "There is no doubt that the economy plays a role into it. People want to get more for their hard earned money, and rightly so."
And these multi-packs are indeed worth going out of your way to pick them up. The savings average between an astonishing 50 and 70 percent. The arithmetic adds up for these brands, too. Hugo Boss reports that multi-packs now account for 90 percent of the brand's basic underwear business, and other brands are seeing an increase in sales due to multi-packs that offer better construction and design, too.
A representative from Emporio Armani told the Underwear Expert that their multi-pack designs are equal in quality to those found on the hanger. "All of our products are subject to the high standards of Armani. We are not just a fashion, luxury underwear brand, we are an everyday necessity."
Jason Scarlatti agrees, and speaks to the previous issues with the value designs. "Multi-packs have been lowbrow, or low-end, and very basic. We wanted the opportunity to introduce our expertise in quality and fit, as well as our eye for color into the genre. The multi-pack business needed to evolve, and that's exactly what we're doing."
For more on multi-packs, including top multi-pack underwear available today, head to the Underwear Expert, the ultimate resource in men's underwear news, trends and information.