We are joined by Matthew, the guy behind the incredible brand MWear NYC. We have reviewed some of his pairs in the past but we talk to him about how he started in brand. What they are doing currently and that the future holds. Matthew is all business and impressed me. Listen to this interview!
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Hi everyone, welcome to a very special edition of our brief tale podcast because we have a brand on with us today. We have Matthew who founded MWear. Welcome to the podcast.
Thank you, I’m happy to be here.
Yes, it’s good to have you here. You’re one of the smaller brands out there and but you do have a nice loyal following.
’cause everyone loves your thong. Many of our guys included. I love your thong and I’m not a thong guy believe it or not.
Well, we’re happy to convert anybody.
Yes, yes yes, I agree, so we’ll get started in our interview. So what made you start your brand? What was it that you saw out there is like Hey, we need a brand.
There it’s not. Meaning needs an. I’m gonna do it. So what means you start the brand?
Well, it’s almost exactly what you just said, as as with most products on the market, it was born out of a need. There was this gap in the Mens underwear market that affected people I knew, so I chose to fill that gap. I mean, imagine bras only coming in One Cup size.
and then also have parts of their body that aren’t uniform, especially in correlation to their measurement. So so MWear was born?
Nice yeah it it was very good to see because I would see several guys promoting you online when you started. Joe would do it from Chicago and a couple other guys would constantly post your pictures.
In and um Instagram once like trying to think of what it was. Uh, in other places and it was really cool to see you grow and sort of mature over the last step in two or three years. It’s been awhile.
But we officially, the website officially launched on June 1st of 2018, but I think the A lot of the social media posts happened. You know, maybe a year before that, so we were really only.
Selling via word of mouth on social media and and Whatnot. And that’s when business started to pick up. I realized, hey, I need to make this a real thing and I need to. I need to have like a proper website so that this is a much more streamlined.
Yeah, you can make great gear. I will say I’ve tried the pride thong. Very nice, fits great, incredible.
And I’m not a phone person an if I say that it’s gotta mean something and just telling you,
So did you? Yeah, it’s you know what everyone was talking about now when I tried it I was very happy.
So did you enjoy underwear before you started making it, or was it sortof a brain that was like a need? What? What was it really that got you interested before then?
I did enjoy it or well rather I do enjoy it. Some people like to say that if you make a job out of doing what you love that it then becomes work and doesn’t.
Or maybe at least passion for it. I’m I’m thankful that I haven’t reached that point and I hope I never do because I I really do enjoy it and it’s exciting to see something you know, start out in in the studio and it’s it’s great to see it later on on somebody posting it on social media or sending in a photo saying.
Oh my gosh, you know I. I’m not going to put this on my social media because that’s that’s not the kind of content that I post, but here’s a photo of me just so that you know how much I’m enjoying it an and that’s. And that makes me enjoy what I do even more is those moments when people go out of their way to respond or reach out and say, Hey, this is really great.
That’s cool, yeah, that’s, amazing that you’ve had such a great following in people, write in. That’s a sign you’re doing something, right? Yeah,
What makes your brand different from other brands out there? What’s some things that you know you focus on that. Other brands aren’t right now.
I’m actually I’m really excited to answer that question so.
There’s a few things and I’ll say that these few things are not necessarily exclusive to our brand, but I am. I am very proud to say that we offer all of them in tandem. So one thing is, we offer extended waist sizes and that sort of goes for both sides of the spectrum. You know it goes into the larger sizes and it goes down into the smaller sizes.
Um, I mean, we, we go from XS all the way up to three X, and you know, eventually we’d like to expand on either side of that. But I mean even where we started the range that we have, I feel like is already to very diverse comparatively to the other brands. The other thing is the ability to choose.
The pouch size of your underwear again on both sides of the spectrum. You know either people who have like smaller packages or larger packages for whatever reason, and you know, just just be ’cause. Like I said earlier, just because your waist is 1 size doesn’t necessarily mean that your package has some uniform size that other, like more traditional mainstream brands.
Tend to make for, so I mean the. The other thing is we do custom underwear and I think that there are maybe a couple, maybe a few other brands that I can think of that have sort of a custom division, but there’s really there’s really not many, and at least not any that I can think of off the top of my head so that and then like. Finally we.
All of our products are sourced in the US and they always will be. all of our all of our fabric. All of our elastic, all of the artisans that we work with to produce our work. They’re all in the US and you know, we’re sort of in the process of outsourcing production to like a on a factory scale. But you know, we.
We’re, we’re very adamant that we want to keep whatever that labor is inside the US because there are there are so many people you know here in this country, specifically in New York City, which is where we’re based out of that are incredibly capable of doing this. And, and I I certainly want to give back to to that community and to this country, to be honest when it comes to when it comes to production like that so.
a lot of people you could pull on for that and take on creating and sewing for you. Plus with it being in the US you have greater control over quality, which I’ve heard many horror stories from many brands about outsourcing. So when.
Sorry, I originally thought you know, hey, why don’t why don’t I just see what the difference is an and see what what it would cost or what the process would be if I if I went to a factory that was in like South America or Eastern Europe o,r or in Asia an it’s, it’s super complicated. I mean there’s there’s A.Huge,
There’s a huge disconnect be cause the the quality is much less great when you when you get stuff made overseas and it’s and it might look great an and all of these things, but it’s it’s not gonna be as rated quality. I don’t think that it’s gonna last as long and to be honest the the most important part of the whole aspect of keeping it here in the US is.
You know there are so many people here in this country that are, are hungry for, for this work, and these jobs and the money that I’m willing to pay them. And if that means that I have to pay a little bit more t,o to get underwear made here in the US. And that’s what I’m gonna do. And it’s something that it’s something that I strongly believe in, and it’s something that will always be part of our Our foundation
nice. Yeah, the brands I know that do outsourcing well have to have a very hands-on approach. It’s going to the factory. It’s managing the whole situation and you can do that. But that takes a lot more time when you have to go overseas as opposed to go down the street.
You know, probably a lot of these people in New York know each other and know their reputations. Know their work.
It’s a lot of word of mouth. And you know, hey, if so, and so does it. It’s gonna be good. It’s not going to be cheap. It’s not gonna fall apart. So that’s a good thing about that as well. And I think you yeah, it’s great.
I mean, I think it’s great that you combine all these different pieces with the extended sizes, the smaller sizes, the pouch, everything all in one to make amazing underwear ’cause there’s so many people left out of the underwear world like myself that it’s amazing to see that ’cause I’m a larger. I’m currently at a 42 waist.
Trying to get it down to 36 but Covid it’s not working for me, but it’s frustrating when it’s 36 is the largest. I’m like I can barely get that up my leg, so that’s great to see.
Sure, yeah, you’re you’re certainly not the only person that that has that that obstacle or that issue an and The thing is, is that that shouldn’t be an issue that people have like it should be.
It should be.Easy for someone to walk into a store or to to go onto a website and see things that they like and not have to wonder. Oh is this gonna come in my size? Yeah is This Is This? Is this actually going to fit main, you know for whatever reason, whether it’s like is is the pouch going to be big enough? Is the props going to be small enough? Is the way it’s going to be large enough?
You know their sizing issues and I guess body dysmorphia. If you want to call it that on, on both sides of the spectrum.
Yeah, and that’s the one thing I like about your site is you list on your front page is underwear for everyone. We’re seeing a trend in the last, probably six months. People are going larger sizes up to 42 and beyond.
So that’s really good to see the industry’s moving in that way. It sort of slowly getting there, but it’s moving and it’s not just. Boxer briefs and briefs. its bikinis and thongs and shocks. ’cause guys want somebody sexy and I’m like well I like bikinis but I don’t want a boxer brief ’cause they drive me insane. It’s too much material.
Right like no, so it’s great to see and you really put put it on your website too that you have models of all different kinds on your website you have different colors, races, different sizes, everything. When you launch your website and that struck me really cool that. OK, here’s This person starting this company.
Who speaks about inclusiveness of sizes, everything, and then you show it on your website as well. I think because not a lot of brands are doing that right now, .
Right? Yeah, it’s, it’s important and the easy answer is because everyone should be able to find something that they like in their size. Like I said a minute ago, but.
Also, it’s 2020 and the fact that most brands only offer sizes ranging from small to extra large is sort of pathetic. I mean, businesses need to wake up and realize that they’re not being inclusive. By doing that. I mean our tagline, like you said, is underwear for all men and all is in all caps and we take that very seriously. And I think that other.
Underwear clothing brand shirt as well.
I think they’re starting to you. I think we’re seeing a move in that direction, but it’s not as it’s not as fast as I think. A lot of people want to see, but.
Right, right, right, right? I mean, I mean, I have several friends who are women and they have the same issue when they’re trying to find bras that fit.
And I’m like come on, come on really, there shouldn’t be an issue.
Yeah it is. It’s ’cause we have guys. We do a reader survey with pouches and that’s the number one issue they have with underwear. Is it too big? Is it too small? Does IT support main? What’s the deal with the pouch? Why is it?
Not doing this or that, or so that’s usually the biggest complaint outside of itchy tags, which comes in a close second usually.
That’s a big one, but most brands now are doing away with itchy tags, but not all. But most are. But how to serve? It’s important to have different sizes and I think we’re starting to see that in some brands, but you were like one of The Pioneers that did it before the other brands are really caught on, which is very cool, and I think that’s a good selling feature for your brand.
Yeah, ’cause I’ve seen it all out there and well, it’s, it’s an interesting I love the market and it’s interesting, but sometimes I wanted to move faster.
Yeah, no. I, I 100% agree.
It’s a business and you go with what sales, but I won’t get sidetracked on that. So I have a question for you about the industry in general, I got the pride thong.
You from you couple of years ago amazing thong like I said it’s amazing it’s great. Not a thong guy but I recommend it. Go when he has it stock go get it you will, You will not be disappointed. Why do you think thongs have increased in popularity in the like last two years, as fast as it happened? Because it seemed like it came out of like nowhere.
Everyone wanted thongs all of a sudden.
That’s a That’s a really good question. So to be honest, I have no idea, but I’m very thankful that they have because it’s giving me business. I do. I do have a theory though, so I think it has to do with thongs traditionally being seen as one of the more feminine styles.
And up until the past few years, men used to have like a a stronger desire to come off as masculine or or Butch. So they so they wore briefs, or Jock straps or whatever other style they wore. But I think now is the line between masculinity and femininity is slowly beginning to disappear.
And the definition of masculinity is evolving and becoming greyer. Those people are accepting thongs more and realizing there there’s this unique sexiness that only a song can provide and they’re falling in love and embracing that feeling.
Nice, that is one of the best reasons for thongs. I’ve heard I will say.
I I relate that mostly too.
My own experience because you know when, when I became an age where like in my sort of early 20s, I guess I that’s when I really started. Just realize that I, I loved underwear. I love different styles of underwear. I mean, it probably wasn’t until I was God. 21 until I like bought my first jockstrap an
I was like, Oh my God, this makes it. This makes me feel like a man. much everyone’s dismay. I was a lady but I it took me a few years to really find something valuable and wearing a thong. And I don’t really know what it was. I don’t really remember the moment that I realized it. I want to say it was about the time that this whole.
Movement if you want to call it that. Over the past couple of years started when I was like, oh, I really do like wearing thongs. And, you know, a lot of it might have to be or might be influenced by what I’m seeing on social media, because really, that’s most of my exposure to them. But I mean the, the truth of it is that I think you know, with with most fads and, uh.
In any sort of fashion industry, you know, things come in. Things go and you know, maybe and maybe in five years there will be something else that everyone is obsessed with. And you know we’re going to. We’re going to bob and weave and we’re going to move along with that.
So True, Yeah, but I think thongs, thongs are here to stay after this.
because I don’t think they’re going anywhere anytime soon.
It’s more than just a fad now. There are guys who that’s all they wear. Yeah, no matter what that’s there that we have a couple on the podcast that are like that. They are diehard thong fans. That’s all they want to wear either underwear to the pool. The beach wherever is. Like this is my style. Kind of like I am with bikinis.
There that way, with thongs and another thing you said is the blurring of masculine and feminine is definitely going on right now because we’re seeing a lot of things that were kind of like look down upon four years ago five years ago now. Kind of like oh, lace the big one that’s come up. The guys are wearing.
And now it’s kind of like OK, whatever before it was like what are you wearing now? It’s like, oh, that’s.
And that was even yeah, and that was even happening in the Queer community. Like it wasn’t just like like a straight against gay or straight against Queer thing that was happening. It was like even people within this sort of like Queer community were like, oh.
No, if you’re wearing a thong like.
Yeah, it’s amazing what’s happened that now the fabrics are changing from lace at and the non masculine colors like more pastels. More if those colors are coming in.
The whole Men’s underwear world is like when I started the blog in 2008 has changed into 2020 to something much bigger, much wider and the straight guys are now involved because they love thongs. So they love least. They love everything. Really blown up in the last couple of years and I only see it getting bigger from here.
So many more people in America to wear better underwear, God willing.
Right, and I think that there are there’s this thing that’s happening in our society where everyone’s desire for modesty is slowly slipping away like even, even, with even within a more conservative crowd. Like you, you can see that you know if you go.
If you go down to the beach and like I don’t know Texas or Alabama or whatever and you, you see people like straight people at the beach, you know even there like boardshorts are getting shorter.
and you know eventually. Maybe I, I don’t know. Eventually, maybe they’re going to continue to get shorter and it’s like people are gonna care less about.
Sort of that that Catholic shame thing that’s happening, and it’s an, you know. Hopefully it moves to a world that is more reflective of like European culture where you know people. Men, particularly in this case, are are less concerned about the amount of skin that they show.
Let’s hope so. I’ve been preaching that for years. I’m like, come on.
Get a swim brief. Get a swim brief? Get something. Get rid of the dork short.
If everyone would just see it my way, we’d all be happier.
We’d have a much better place and it wouldn’t matter who wore what. That’s my point. Definitely, totally, uh, yeah. That’s that’s one thing I really like about your brand is. It’s always been. It doesn’t matter what you like, you’ve made it. You will make it and there’s no shame in it. ’cause I think a lot of guys kind of hide their underwear.
’cause a lot of guys are into it, but they don’t really share it with other people which is changing. But it’s still like when I first got underwear when I was like about bikinis. When I was 13 ’cause I wanted them, it was like hiding them because no one could see them and that still goes on. Especially here in the US that needs to change because we always go.
And straight guys ever talked about underwear. I know gay guys occasionally do, but do you ever say, Oh my God. I love this brief?
Yeah, it’s still very taboo?
I mean, even in even in gay circles to some extent. It’s like I’m not talking underwear. It has to be with the right guy.
Recently, oh totally. I recently had this, this person. This this guy reached out to me on like via a direct message.
On Instagram and he, I don’t know who he was talking to before, but someone directed him to to our page and they were like you know, whatever the issue you’re having with your underwear, does not fit. I think that MWear NYC can can fix that. So he reached out and he was like, hey, I’m like a really tall, really slim guy.
I think he said he was like 6 five an like 150 pounds like very, very slim and he’s like I have a really difficult time finding finding underwear that’s small enough for me like even the even the size smalls. When I when I purchased them from, you know, like a Calvin Klein or uh, whatever he’s like. It’s still a little baggie. It’s like I don’t really have much of a butt.
My my packages like average size and I was like, oh that’s perfect you you fit into an XS and you can just get like the standard medium pouch because like our XS is gonna like fit your butt perfectly and he so he ended up ordering a pair and he sent me a message. I mean he’s I think a lot more modest than I. I think that most of our.
Followers and customers are so like we we didn’t get a photo accompanied with his response, and that’s fine, but he he was like wow, this is fantastic. Like I had no idea. I mean he just bought like a pair of briefs like it wasn’t anything like super exciting and I think that briefs are probably what he normally wears. But you know, he was never able to find a brand that carried a size or a fit.
That worked for his body.
That’s awesome. Yeah, that’s that’s one area that, well, there’s two areas we usually talk about that usually get no mention. It’s guys who are really small. You have really small waist bands and then the other one is like guys with butts. Because I was like Graced with that problem. I wish I did.
But I don’t and that’s still one of those areas where guys it’s like I have a big butt an underwear. I have to be careful what I get and I think that’s why I thongs also grew is if you have a big butt anywhere thong you have to worry about it, that’s.
Because your butts not covered.
Your butts are covered. It’s interesting to see I think we’re tackling issues.
And we’ll see that more and more as we go. At least I hope so. That’s that. Seems to be where the industry is going. But you never, never trust you never know. Fingers crossed. But that leads me to one question. We usually ask a lot, either in our personal or on the main show is at our blog. We say good underwear gives you confidence.
It could either be at work on a date, whatever. ’cause I always tell him that when I go on a date First Date, I usually wear my sexiest underwear ’cause it’s rarely people are going to see it on the first date. They have, but usually not always. It’s usually not the case.
That’s a different podcast.
But it has happened, but it’s like and I have friends who I don’t know. You don’t wear the sexy stuff on the first date. I’m like why? That’s when you need it the most when you’re need that boost of confidence on the first date. Nervous when someone you like. Do you feel the same way? It looked like through your business? That’s good underwear gives you great confidence an in life in general.
I think that the way you carry yourself has a lot to do with how you’re dressed, and that begins with a base layer or your underwear. If you feel confident when you look at yourself in your underwear in the mirror, you know, like when you’re in the early stages of getting dressed, then you’re starting at the most basic level of dress and you can.
Only go up from there or so yes I. I do believe it provides competent on some level. Obviously if you’re if you’re at the Beach at the pool at a club. Oh my God, remember clubs? Oh yes, in in in just her underwear or your swimwear an and you like the way it fits. It’s only going to increase your self confident and that’s the key.
It’s just amazing that something so simple as a great pair of briefs or whatever you enjoy. Jog bone, right? Just makes you feel better. ’cause I know when I have bad underwear on, I just feel miserable all day.
I’ve reviewed appear once that hated. I mean, I had to take it off. I was like I’d rather go without underwear. Than wear this.
that’s not good. I certainly don’t want to be that underwear for anybody.
Yeah, I doubt you will have that, but this one was just like I can deal. I’d rather free ball, and I love underwear. So no, no you make amazing underwear. I will say that’s everyone definitely needs to go check it out.
Yeah, so your stuff was, he said his hand made and you’re an expanded to other people. How does being handmade affect your orders? I know some guys see will see that and go. Oh I’m gonna take forever but you really are good about making it quick and having it for guys. So how does the handmaid play into your brand?
So yes, all of our stuff is made by hand. I mean, it’s really the only way you can make underwear, but for the most part, our time frame for you know from the from the moment your order is placed at the moment you have it in, your hand is usually not more than two weeks, especially during normal times. When like when it’s.
When it’s not COVID, we we have a little bit of stock inventory and you know when. When we have downtime, we we fill that inventory so that you know when we get into a crunch and there’s like a bunch of orders in the queue. We can just pull from that and send those out just to get some stuff out the door. We’re actually in the process of finding a vendor. Like I said earlier, who can take over all of that production of our ready to wear?
So that I will say that I can focus on the business side of things and you know, I as a person in my in my personal life who does a lot of online shopping. Actually most, most all of my shopping is done online, especially when it comes to clothing. I hate having to wait more than a week to receive something in the Mail. I hate it so much.
Thank God Amazon gives Me 2 day delivery on the things that I need to buy from Amazon. , but you know when? When I was trying to figure out the best way to structure that when we first when we first launched the website like what, what timeline do I need to give our customers an you know I’m sort of starting at the longer end of things like 2 weeks.
Is the Max that I ever want anyone to have to wait for their underwear and I mean there have been cases where someone’s order has maybe taken like three weeks because you know a fabric ran out and we had to. It was back ordered from the vendor so we had to wait for them to get it done so that we could get it in and then make the underwear. And you know that those kinds of things are sort of unpredictable and I, I can’t really.
Relate those issues to that because you know those are sort of freak accidents, but I I hope to eventually get to a place where people don’t have to wait more than like a few days or a week to have something in hand when they when they place it. I mean with this whole e-com thing happening in the in the world like people want things instantaneously.
Like they they don’t want to wait for anything. Everyone’s impatient. Everyone wants things now and they want it. They want it yesterday, so , so I’m I’m trying. I’m trying to get to that point, but you know, because, because we are not yet outsourcing our work. Everything is more or less made to order. So from the time that somebody places their order, we start cutting.
And it usually you know couple of days and and their piece or pieces are are complete and we try and we try and get it out the door as quickly as we can. Um, and I’m. I’m thankful that we haven’t had anyone ever blow up and say Oh my God, this is taking too long. I want my money back or like this is stupid and like had a had a full meltdown and.
I’m I’m glad we haven’t come into that, but I know that as, as time goes by an every other every other e-com business is sending things in a much quicker way. Eventually people are going to get to that point and they’re not going to want to wait a week and a half or two weeks to get something in the Mail. So yeah, .
well, I think your brand, which I agree I’ve never Heard a bad thing mentioned about your brands as you would shipping quality. Anything online and I usually hear from people about brands like this brand sucks, taken 8 weeks for this and blah they won’t do my return. Whatever I’ve heard it all with a ton of brands out there and yours is one of the few that nothing, nothing negative has ever been said.
so that’s a good thing and I usually hear everything people are not afraid to share their opinions on DMS or emails, so that’s well,
I’m I’m thankful that our name is not gotten any slander on the Grapevine.
No one, no one’s reading you for filth yet, so you’re good. You’re very good.
But I think also your brand with handmade an especially custom piece is expected to take a little longer ’cause you know the quality is going to custom. He says yeah it custom pieces and even your regular pieces that you know it’s OK ’cause it’s going to take a little longer and you’re going to wait a little bit for quality and you’re going to be happy with the outcome.
I think if right yeah, and then if you’re tell them all along, like usually if you communicate with people with them now, it’s gone there usually fine, they’re like Oh OK, cool is usually when they don’t hear. They’re like man you’re driving me crazy, yeah,
I think I’ve only ever had like maybe a couple customers ever send in an email.
Or something and say Hey just checking on the status of my order are like you know it’s it’s been a little bit and then I always respond and say like hey, you know your your order is currently in the process of being produced. You know it should go on a couple of days and no one’s ever like had a freak out. They’re always very understanding and I’m very thankful. I’m very thankful for that, you know, because our our volume certainly isn’t at.
Like this crazy level where we have, like 40 orders coming through at once. So I’m never had that overwhelmed then if somebody. If somebody sends them an email and says. Hey, like it’s been 2 weeks or whatever since I placed my order. You know, I’ll I’ll do my best to push the order through this as quickly as possible, but you know, there’s there’s this like fine line between like.
Pushing it through and it being sloppy and you know taking an extra day to make sure that like everything is perfect and there’s like not a stitch out of line. So yeah,
no you you have a good rep and you have a good head on your shoulders. ’cause I’ve met a lot of people in who’s Come and gone in the industry who do the design side but don’t get the business side which is the important part to get.
and talking to you, you get the business side. You know about growing, you know about production. You know about all the stuff you need to know as well as designing amazing underwear, so that’s great to hear, right? Because so many brands over the years have come and gone. It’s like where do they go? They were here for one collection and now they’re gone.
Right, yeah, yeah. we’re trying to be in it for the long haul.
Well, you’ve been in it for a few years and I think you’ve got a lot more years to go and I’m excited for your expansion into outsourcing in New York, so that’s gonna be a big help for you. I know, and probably take a lot of stress off of you in the company like Oh, got it.
Yeah, it’ll let me focus on the business side of it more an not have to focus most of my time on production and I can I can work on actually growing the business and and doing like development. All of that kind of stuff. So yeah, well, you’ve gotta.
Yeah Gotta Smart head on your shoulder so I think you’re definitely gonna go way far in the industry.
It just takes time to grow and I think you’re growing at a reasonable rate. ’cause other times if you grow too fast that causes issues as well. It’s great to be popular, but when you get popular, you have to send the underwear out and it’s like where’s my order, So yeah, so that’s perfect. I guess that’s all the questions I have for you.
Um, I’m sure we’ll have you back on one of our shows very soon because you’re a lot of fun to talk to you. Where can people buy your underwear and follow you on social media?
We are exclusively online right now and our website, our Twitter, an our Instagram are all the exact same. It’s just MwearNYC obviously.
That’s definitely go check them out. They make amazing underwear. I have a pair. I’ve gotta get more. I’ve just been lazy and haven’t ordered any which I need to do specially during these times. But support your small businesses out there. Specially underwear, businesses, people. Thank you again Matthew, I really appreciate it. Thank you. I appreciate your time as well.
Ann, everyone have a great week and we will talk to you very soon. Bye everyone.
