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Monday, May 3, 2010

Interview with /baskit/'s CEO, Eric Schwers

5/03/2010 01:12:00 PM |

Posted by Menswear Review |

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A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of reviewing Baskit's SnugFit Seamless Fishnet Trunks - and boy are they fantastic! So, what's the story behind the design? Who's behind the design? Will they expand? Check out the interview with Eric Schwers, Baskit's CEO and read his response to the top 5 questions...

Five Questions with Baskit's Eric Schwers: SnugFit Seamless

With the most recent success of Baskit's new SnugFit Seamless line, Baskit's CEO Eric Schwers offers us the background behind how he was inspired to create this new line, just how it is manufactured and where he hopes to take it.

What was the original impetus that inspired you to create such a uniquely different line of underwear? Have any other underwear brands created something similar to SnugFit Seamless, or is it the first of its kind?

I wish I could take credit for the original design of seamless underwear but I cannot. If you look at some of the luxe European brands like La Perla, Hanro or Zimmerli of Switzerland, they have been making seamless for men for years. I purchased my first pair of seamless a few years ago while living in Austria and I really liked the way it fit and felt. It was a lot like ‘going commando’ but still having some support.

In 2009 I introduced the first pair of SnugFit Seamless briefs to the baskit collection. It did extremely well and we received requests for more colors and styles. So this year we added a trunk and the fishnet fabric. The additions have also done very well and we’re seeing an increase in US men looking for seamless underwear.

Why do you feel that the initial reaction to the SnugFit Seamless line has been so positive?

It really feels great on your body and it looks amazing. Men want underwear which feels good against their skin and feels good in the terms of support. Our SnugFit collection just does this and again, it really doesn’t feel like you’re wearing any underwear, yet you feel supported. Don’t take my word for it. Try some.
Are you planning to take the SnugFit Seamless line further and create different variations of it for new lines? Will you expand it into more colors?

The short answer is 'yes.' We’ve only designed a brief and a trunk so far, but we’re working on another style for 2011. We’ll be adding more colors too as the line grows, but while seamless is still 'new' to the US market, we want to keep the colors and styles simple.
Tell us a bit about how the SnugFit Seamless line is manufactured? Is it a difficult process?

Wow… I can talk for hours about how seamless underwear is made. It’s really a unique process. Unlike traditional underwear, which is made from individual pieces (i.e. pouch, body, seat), and then sewn together to make a pair of underwear, seamless underwear is actually woven in a continuous circular loom to create the underwear. It takes a very special and quite expensive sewing machine to make the underwear. We use CF Rimoldi, an Italian brand, to make our seamless. Rimoldi is the world leader in seamless underwear and their machines are known, not only for amazing quality, but the ability to execute intricate designs.

If you watch a pair of seamless being made, it basically appears before your eyes. The machine is moving very fast and suddenly you begin to see the top edge of the waistband and then slowly the baskit logo becomes visible (and the care instructions are being woven on the inside of the waistband at the same time!) and then the machine continues down to the bottom of the underwear where it is cut from the machine and then finished. So if you look at the SnugFit seamless, there is actually one small, short seam at the bottom of the pouch. It’s hardly noticeable and you certainly never feel it. Ok…I’ll stop talking about the technical part now. It’s just really cool.

What's the difference between the SnugFit Fishnet trunk and the SnugFit Seamless trunk? What causes the line to fit a person's body so well? .

The SnugFit Fishnet collection is based on our standard SnugFit designs in the brief and trunk. The only difference is in the construction of the weave that makes up the underwear. The fishnet weave is, well, a fishnet design. Think of how fishing net is constructed. We did the same thing in the body and seat of the underwear. However, the pouch is a solid weave. Our Fishnet collection provides a nice airy feel and shows off a little more skin!

SnugFit fits your body like a glove due to the seamless weave and design of the underwear. It’s strange when you see a pair for the first time. It tends to look really small and you think, “This is not going to fit me or be comfortable.” But then you put it on and you feel nothing. It just stretches to fit the form of your body. It gives you the exact amount of support you need in the pouch based on what you’re…well...based on what you’re packing.

Where to buy/baskit/BodyJockCoFreshpairPalace TrunksSkiviezUndergear

What do YOU think? Thank you for reading this post, feel free to get involved below and let me know whether you agree or disagree with this post. Do you like what you've read/seen? Have anything extra you would like to add? Add your comments and make yourself heard!

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