The underwear we put to the test today is the Ribbed Briefs by PUMP!. We have featured this brand quite a few times in Men and Underwear and we are pleased to see it becoming stronger over the years. PUMP! is based in Montreal, Canada and since 2009, when it launched its first collection, it has had a crystal clear aesthetic: sporty-chic designs, bright colours, fresh styling.
After this small introduction, lets get back to the Ribbed Briefs we got in our hands from UK’s retailer VOCLA for the needs of this review. PUMP! seems to be paying attention to every detail. First of all the packaging was perfect. The briefs came in a mat plastic bag/envelope with the brand name on and a photo of the underwear included. You take it out and from the very first look you can tell this is a top quality pair of underwear. Soft and medium weight fabric, colours that really complement each other, perfect placement of branding. The Ribbed Briefs come in several colourways and the ones we got were the Military, khaki with black combination and they look stunning! The Canadian brand is known for its colour blocking features with many of its garments having contrasting colours on the pouch and side panels. In these briefs the colour blocking is more subtle, less sporty but more sophisticated. On top of that, one more element of great design, is the waistband. It has the logo name of the brand in the front centre and a second, smaller logo on the back left. This way the thin stripes of the design meet perfectly where the two ends meet and the logo is never cut. The overall visual the brand has created to this pair is beautiful.
Lets move on to some more technical details and lets start with the fabric. The fabric of this item is nylon based. I know many of you will not like that. Nylon may feel weird and may look cheap, but when you add cotton to the blend and treat it with a soft finish it is a completely different story! The precise composition of the main panel (covers back and sides) is 73% nylon, 19% cotton and 8% elastane and it seems to be getting the best of all three “ingredients”. It is ribbed, slightly shiny, it feels very soft and strong at the same time and it is stretchy. The pouch is made from a sporty mesh and it is lined with a second layer of a cotton blend fabric. There is also one more technical element which we found very nice: The legs are kind of reinforced with a flat elastic tape at the end. It feels very comfortable and it looks sturdy and very well put together. The fabric panels seem to be cut with extreme precision and all the seams are flat or covered with soft thread to eliminate any irritation.
The feel of the garment is exceptional. It stretches, hugging nicely all the parts of the body, and at the same time it is shaped and contoured to offer space exactly where it is needed. The fabric feels very cool and soft against the skin with the cotton based lining adds one more layer of comfort to the overall feel. My only objection would be the washing instructions label which seems impossible to remove without damaging the garment.
Overall the Ribbed Briefs by PUMP! are an excellent choice. They offer a great look, comfort and are very well made. Totally recommended.