Introduction: Unboxing My Box Menswear Order
Unrelated to my social media work with Box Menswear, I decided to place a self-paid order to get a feel for the ordering and receiving clothes. The stages I went through were selecting and ordering clothes, selecting delivery option, and then receiving and trying on the clothes at home.
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Ordering at the Box Website
During my social media work, there were some clothes that I wanted to try: the lounge (bed) shorts, the king fit boxers (black), and the peach boxers. I read the product descriptions, looked at the photos (many of the models are muscular men; I am not right now (maybe one day :)) to see how the clothes fit (also at the Box Instagram page where customers (wider range of physiques) post their photos), as well as how to care for the clothes.
I placed my order for the items I wanted. When offered a mystery box (later discovered to be one of the following: jockstrap, briefs, king fit boxers, socks, and sports shorts (see discussion below)), I accepted and added it to the order.
The overall cost was not too high but quite more for a first order without being able to feel the fabric in my hands.
Delivery–to the United States
Box Menswear is based in the United Kingdom. As I live in the United States, I have found that international packages tend to get stuck in customs. Being a Black Friday special, there was delivery special fee to the United States US$5.99 for 5-8 business days (Landmark Global shipping) and another with DHL for US$17.99 for 1-3 business days.
I chose the cheaper version, even though I knew about the specific customs issues. While the wait was not overly long, I think I would pay the extra US$12 for the DHL shipping for more-certain tracking and quicker delivery. The Landmark Global option did have tracking information, but there were days in which the information was not updated.
Order Received
I placed the order on 30-November-2019 and received it on 16-December-2019.
I received a grey envelope with 2 smaller packages of red boxes. One box had my order and the other was the mystery box.
My selections: lounge shorts, king fit boxers, and peach boxers
Lounge (bed) shorts
From the time that I saw model Dan Tai wearing the lounge (bed) shorts in photos from the Box Menswear photoshoot in Texas, I wanted to buy them. My instinct was on point.
The photos posted on Instagram and on the website provide good images for how the shorts look and fit. They are comfortable and soft. Great for bedtime and as well as spending time relaxing at home.
King fit boxers
The boxers are the long 6-inch inseam version, which covers the whole thigh on me. They should not ride up. The fabric feels great on the skin.
I have gotten used to a shorter inseam (mid-thigh length), but I will see how the king fit works on a typical workday.
I think I will love wearing them; they felt fantastic when I tried them on for fit.
Peach boxers
I selected these boxers because of the orange color. The color is more light orange that what they appear in photos. The cotton fabric is soft, though not as soft as the king fit, which is made mostly of bamboo viscose. In addition, the peach boxers have seams on the rear while the king fit boxer does not have any rear seams.
While the stitching looks that it may be uncomfortable to wear, they do not pose any problems when I tried them on.
Overall, while I do not regret trying the peach boxers (and I will wear them), I will probably concentrate on the king fit boxers for future purchases.
The mystery box: jockstrap, briefs, sport shorts, king fit boxers (white), sport socks
A little background
The mystery box was a mix of pros and cons for me. I was able to see other Box product that I did not select. However, some items pushed me out of my comfort zone.
I tend to be a fashion conservative when it comes to underwear. I used to be a black boxers guy. Just wait for the holiday sales of a large underwear competitor and stock up on all the black boxers versions. Recently, I have selected more colors, which is good.
Winners: socks, king fit boxers, sports shorts
The mystery box had the shorts that I wanted to try as well as the king fit boxers (white) and socks.
The sports shorts are thin and light. I could see them being more like a more-fitted lounge short or another version of boxer shorts.
The socks are mid-calf length and are black and white. The socks are comfortable and have the right amount of elasticity.
The king fit boxers in white are like the black king fit boxers that I reviewed above. White is a non-forgiving color, so I hesitate in buying anything white except t-shirts and dress shirts. Again, recall, I am used to buying all-black underwear as well (smile).
Nonstarters: jockstrap and briefs
In the box was a pair of jockstraps and for styling, my past still has a strong effect on the present. The jockstrap is a huge step forward. While the fabric felt good, the styling felt too forward. The briefs do not look right on my physique.
Conclusion
I am happy with my purchase, especially the lounge shorts. For delivery, I think that for living in the United States, I would pay more for quicker shipping to accommodate the customs processing time.
Despite the mystery box having items I did not want, the items which were included in the box (and I liked) were worth the price paid. (Maybe I will try the jockstrap one day.)
Author: Andre M. E-mail: info at menswearnews.com
