Underwear review: HOM – Elysee HO1 mini brief

Adam Coussins posing in the HOM Elysee HO1 mini brief for Deadgoodundies.com

Passes the test with flying colours – A pair you really must try.
HOM has a very long history of manufacturing underwear for men. The French brand was born in 1968 in Marseilles and since then it has created outstanding designs and set trends for the underwear market not only in Europe but also worldwide. Just check out their HOMIX design of 1976 and you’ll realise how many brands today are producing underwear based on that same design.
Usually my reviews are of a specific pair of underwear, rather than of a brand as a whole, but I the history and expertise of this particular brand can hardly be overstated. The particular design I tried recently, the Elysee HO1 mini briefs, merely confirms that HOM deserves its place among the best underwear manufacturers in the world.
A quirk of this design, the HO1 opening at the front, works well not only as a fully functional (and highly practical) opening to the pouch, but also as a nice design element. The waistband is very finely manufactured both inside and out, looks great and has a very soft feel to the skin. The fabric is a blend of modal, elastane, polyester and silk and makes for one of the softest items of underwear you can buy.
The attention to detail in the stitching is also remarkable: softer, finer stitching where the waistband joins the panels and stronger, sturdier stitching around the legs, to keep the garment in shape. The colour combination of red, white and black appealed to me and I loved the HOM badge on the left, embroidered in the same colours. The only thing I didn’t like was the washing instructions label, which is too long, but you can easily cut it out.
These briefs were great to wear. They stayed comfortable and in place throughout a long day of heavy work in the garden – surely as rigorous a test as a long workout at the gym. After a couple of washes they look just as good as new and I expect they will stay in great condition for a very long time. Important when you find a garment you particularly like.
In a word, one of my favourite designs for a very long time.