Silky Undies for Guys, Sleek Jungle Shoes
THE BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO MEN’S UNDERWEAR SINCE JIM PALMER: Finally, equal time for sexy, sensual men’s underwear. While women have numerous shops devoted to high-end unmentionables, men have had a far tougher time finding fine-quality undergarments. But now in the Beverly Center is Boxer Bay, carrying men’s briefs, boxers, robes, nightshirts, neckties and more--all made of luxurious cottons and silks available in Europe but almost impossible to come by here.
Boxer Bay co-founder Cynthia Hillis says she started the store because male customers were always asking her where to buy better underwear. She had no place to recommend. Hillis says she still can’t figure out why American manufacturers “use less expensive cottons on something that you wear all day and is closest to your skin, whereas the Europeans almost always use a high-quality cotton that’s soft and comfortable and durable.”
Goods at Boxer Bay range in price from $7.50 for a Calvin Klein brief to $68 for Sea Island cotton knit boxers by London’s John Smedley. The store, which also has branches in Seattle and Santa Barbara, carries robes and loungewear by Fernando Sanchez, underwear and sleepwear by Hanro of Switzerland, Laura Pearson socks and ties, Jhane Barnes socks and loungewear, Derek Rose pajamas and robes, Pantherella socks, Tino Cosma neckties and a line of Japanese bath brushes. Designs are on the stylishly conservative side, but there is a glow-in-the-dark undie from a line called Briefly Stated.
JUNGLE SHOE FEVER: The ‘90s are shaping up as the decade of the gam. Miniskirts have instigated a boom in wildly patterned panty hose, seamed stockings, second-skin leggings and thigh-high hose.
What’s next? The Jungle Shoe, a shoe and thigh-high stocking in one. Designer Else Anita, who hails from Los Angeles, combines a high-heel leather pump with a same-color (or patterned) nylon-Lycra stocking.
Best of all, Jungle Shoes retail for $110 to $140--far below what Gianni Versace and Jean Paul Gaultier charge for similar looks. In Los Angeles, they’re available at Antenna, In Step and Palais des Modes. They’re also at Shoe Fiesta in Sherman Oaks.
What’s more, the company does custom orders; call (818) 995-6788. And here’s an inside tip for washing the Jungle Shoe: Immerse the stocking part in soapy water, gently pulling the stocking away from the shoe. Blow-dry the shoes, or put them on a table and allow the stockings to dangle over the side.
