Today’s review is for the trunks by Debriefs. Debriefs is an Australian brand, fairly new to the market, launched in January of 2017. Their collection comprises trunks and boxer briefs in classic solid colours, made from a micro modal blend. One of their stand-out design elements is a horizontal fly on the pouch. The underwear we are about to review was sent to us by the brand.
One of things we like to start a review with is always the packaging. We believe that the way a brand presents its product is as important as food presented in a restaurant. It may not be as important as the taste of it but it certainly makes an impression, sometimes good, sometimes bad. Debriefs seems to have paid much attention to how its products are presented. They pass the packaging test with flying colours! The multipack we received came in a paper box and inside, three trunks were wrapped carefully around a thin and scented paper sealed with a branded sticker. On the inside the trunks were carefully folded and placed waistband up ready to be taken out and be put on! Note there is no plastic in any part of the packaging.
One of the highlights of Debriefs underwear is the fabric it’s made of: a micro modal blend sourced in Austria. Modal is a fiber that is made from beech trees. We have spoken quite extensively in Men and Underwear about it and the benefits it has over cotton and synthetic fabrics. Modal has a soft feel, similar to silk and drapes better than cotton so it clings on your skin. It also wicks moisture better than cotton, is more lightweight and shrinks a lot less. Micro modal is made from a finer modal fiber so the knit is tighter and finer with a denser concentration of fibers per centimetre. For those familiar with modal fabrics, you will notice that micromodal is smoother, even more silky than modal and these trunks by Debriefs are a perfect specimen!
One of the best places to wear these trunks is the gym and that’s exactly what we did for the needs of this review! We wore these trunks on an intense workout day which included a lot of running, rowing and cycling. To be fair, no trunks in the world can beat the comfort you get from a pair of briefs or the support you get from a jockstrap during workout, but for a pair of trunks it performed well. The legs did bunch up but the fabric helps so you don’t feel the excess of fabric as much. It wasn’t uncomfortable but it needed readjustment quite a few times. The fabric responded well with sweat, allowing for the skin to breath and keeping it a a good temperature. It dried quite fast and by the time the shower was over the trunks were almost completely dry, ready to be put back into the gym bag and on the way to the washing machine for the next test!
Before we get to the results of washing, let’s have a closer look at the construction and design elements of Debriefs. The pouch is contoured towards the crotch and made from two layers of fabric. The horizontal fly is fully functional allowing access when nature calls. The stitching seems neat and tidy with flatlock seams everywhere on the garment. In the pair we had for the review there were a few misaligned details but nothing too crooked as the change the overall shape of the garment. The manufacturing of Debriefs is in Turkey and the quality seems very good. The waistband is very soft and the branding is placed on a separate label, woven, stitched at the front center. The washing instructions are printed on the inside back of the garment so it is completely free from labels or tags anywhere. The brand seems to have paid much attention to comfort starting from the fabric and adding details like the absence of labels or a soft and smooth waistband.
After washing the garment there was no change to its shape or colour. Modal and micro modal retain their shape better than cotton and colours last longer. One problem we identified was with the branded label at the front. The label is about 8.5 cm long and it is made from a non-stretchy material so it responds differently than the waistband it’s stitched on. It is long enough to created small creases and this may get worse after multiple washes. The other element we found slightly problematic is the horizontal fly but that is the case with all horizontal flies out there. It is better if it is treated as a design element rather than a fly as things can get a bit messy getting your stuff in and out from there. As a design element alone, it looks great!
Our overall experience with the trunks of Debriefs was very good. This is good underwear for everyday wear made from a top quality material. The style is classic with a twist, featuring interesting design elements that should appeal to classic underwear lovers. There are five colours to choose from and four sizes to fit most men. This is a very good specimen of micro modal made underwear and the packaging is superb and eco-friendly!