CDLP Brings Luxury to Men’s Underwear
CDLP’s boxer briefs are 50 percent more expensive than Calvin Klein but are much better made.
Luxurious men’s underwear may seem unnecessary, or perhaps contradictory. Women have a range of price points and styles available across different underwear types — from high-end shapewear in Skims to endless options for lingerie — but most men just buy whatever’s cheap and convenient. The notion that men would care about the quality of their underwear can seem either odd or effete; and because of this, the “luxury” men’s underwear that does exist is usually quite bad.
It falls into three broad categories. The first are product line fillers for luxury brands whose clients buy wardrobes, not just items. Men in a certain income bracket want to look good, know their clothes will be well-made, but not think about it, and so go to Ralph Lauren, Boss, Fear of God, Loro Piana, or Zegna to buy a season worth of clothing. Because of this, they have to stock every item a man could need; not just jackets and jeans and sweaters, but also socks and underwear. While these brands use good materials, their underwear is not made with much thought about what makes a great pair of boxer briefs and exists solely to fill out an order and increase margins. Because of this, the raw material might be good but the final product isn’t necessarily, despite their extortionate price tags.
Then there’s the tackier version of designer underwear, where brands like Gucci and Balenciaga sell logo-covered underwear. These are not well-made but are a way for men to access a luxury brand at a lower price point than jackets or coats. For $275, you get “Balenciaga” on the waistband, and for some men, that’s enough.
The ‘text-logo’ waistband defines the third and most famous example of luxury men’s underwear: Calvin Klein. Years ago, Calvin Klein was a respected fashion brand that sold a range of clothes. Today, they do more in men’s underwear sales than almost any other company, with all advertising built around it. Their boxer briefs are the only iconic men’s underwear option; but despite this, their material quality is quite poor. But because they’re not particularly expensive, but denote luxury, men continue to buy them.
However, underwear can and should be made with care for material quality and feel, which is where CDLP comes in. Founded in Sweden in 2016 by Christian Larson and Andreas Palm, the brand has expanded into general luxury everyday essentials but was built around changing the norm with men’s underwear. They make quality garments that look good, feel great, last, and perform better than others in daily life, and their boxer briefs remain their best seller.
At $38 per pair or $95 for their three-pack, they are a big leap in price from Calvin Klein, which sells for $65 for a three-pack; but the difference in quality is incomparable. Where you’re buying the idea of luxury with Calvin Klein, CDLP actually lives up to the image.
Calvin Klein’s boxer briefs are made with a blend of 13 percent elastane and 87 percent modal. The high elastane presence gives them a comfortable snap-back stretch which feels great on first wears but quickly leads to a sagging feel and breaks down fast with wear. Try to avoid any clothing with more than seven percent elastane. Modal is a semi-synthetic cotton substitute made from the cellulose of beech wood. It is more sweat-wicking, breathable, and environmentally friendly than cotton but in cheap forms, it tears and stretches relatively easily.
Compare this to the CDLP boxer briefs, which are made in Portugal from five percent elastane and 95 percent Tencel lyocell. This lower elastane presence dramatically increases the longevity of the clothes while still retaining comfortable flex, and lyocell is a successor material to modal and, though more expensive, is far better. Made from the pulp of eucalyptus trees, lyocell produces less waste than modal, is more sweat-wicking and breathable, feels silkier in hand, and because of its longer and tougher fibers, it is more durable and does not pill.
Buying a full pack of CDLP boxer briefs is a big financial step up from other options, but it is worth the money. If you are buying Calvin Klein, you are paying extra for the look of quality without any of the benefits. CDLP’s boxer briefs, on the other hand, feel better, age better, and work better than any mainstream alternative.