Ethika

For people who want bold prints with genuine comfort, most fans say yes. Ethika built its name on "The Staple," a longer-fitting boxer brief, and the whole pitch is a multi-purpose, active-lifestyle fit that also has the cool factor. You are paying a premium over basic underwear for the print designs and the staying-put fit, so it comes down to whether graphic personality matters to you.

The Staple Fit, full stop. After athletes pushed for a longer pair of briefs in cotton fabric, Ethika developed The Staple in 2005, and the brand finally had its marquee product. At the time there were no lifestyle underwear brands offering that length, so The Staple is what put Ethika on the map. Start there.

Ethika leads with graphic expression where performance brands lead with sport tech. The founding insight was a void in the men's underwear category: no brand offered a multi-purpose product for the active lifestyle that also had the cool factor. So Ethika is about bold, colourful prints first, with a comfortable everyday fit, rather than a minimalist moisture-wicking workout staple.

Ethika organises product into three categories: Lifestyle, Performance and Premium. If you are new, the Lifestyle range is the classic Staple experience that the brand is famous for. Pick Performance if you want something geared to activity, and Premium for the top-tier styles. There are also women's and youth lines, so there is genuinely something for everyone.

Ethika was founded in 2001 by Malcolm McCassy, who noticed a void in the men's underwear category, alongside motorsports star Travis Pastrana and professional skateboarder Ryan Sheckler. The company is based in San Clemente, California. It grew slowly at first, with the official website launching at the end of 2009 and early product shipping out of Malcolm's garage.

Deeply. To get early exposure, Ethika put stickers on top skateboarders and motocross riders, and Ryan Sheckler was spotted at the X-Games at just 13 years old with an Ethika sticker on his helmet. Athletes drove the product itself too, since their feedback is what led to the longer Staple fit. That action-sports DNA is core to the brand.

Music has been a huge source of influence and growth for the brand. Early on, artists like Lil Jon, Justin Bieber, Lil Wayne, Machine Gun Kelly and Meek Mill were seen wearing it, and Ethika later released hip-hop mixtapes such as RGB1 in 2017, pairing new songs with signature underwear designs from twelve artists. The brand treats music as part of its identity, not just marketing.

Yes. Ethika began developing a women's line in 2014 that launched in late 2015, and a youth line was created and launched around the same time, which is how the brand started offering something for everyone. So if you like the prints, you can match them across the household, not just men's styles.

It has. In mid-2016 Ethika signed a multi-year deal with global soccer superstar Dani Alves that included a signature series of lifestyle and performance underwear, and in 2017 it announced a partnership with motorsports icon Valentino Rossi with its own signature collection. Signature drops are a recurring part of how Ethika releases product.

Ethika sells through its own digital platform, which it built out as the brand grew, and through select retail. National action-sport chains Zumiez and Tillys both worked with Ethika to build out the underwear category, so those are reliable bricks-and-mortar options alongside the official site. Buying from these channels is the safest way to be sure you are getting the real thing.

Stick to the official website or established stockists like Zumiez and Tillys rather than random marketplace sellers. Ethika tests new styles online to gauge marketability before scaling them, so the assortment is deliberate, and the hallmark is a comfortable, longer Staple fit in a vivid, cleanly printed design. If the print looks muddy or the fit is short and basic, be skeptical.