5=Ten supports you and your favorite charities
A neon snake might not sound like a great thing to have in your pants. But if you’re a male athlete, it might be exactly what you want.
Neon snake is a design in the latest collection from 5=Ten, a men’s underwear and athleticwear company based in New York City. It follows designs with similarly fun names, like “black mamba” and “my ass.”
“When we started, we said, ‘Let’s just go with a muted palette,’ you know, whites, blacks, grays,” explained Doug Morris, director of public relations at 5=Ten and one of the brand’s original founders. “And then, as we moved into our next collection, we added color, we added more pattern.”
The 5=Ten core team is now a group of four, including a new partner, but the brand sticks to the five classic styles of men’s underwear: boxers, boxer briefs, briefs, bikinis and trunks.
“The biggest distinguishing feature is the fabrics that we choose,” Morris said, noting that fit is also a key component. “It makes you feel like you have practically nothing on. A lot of our customers have said that.”
The latest launch, which includes the neon snake design, plays on the colors and patterns that customers have liked best, including the skull print. There are also dragons and plaid prints because, you know, why not?
The boxers and briefs business isn’t all fun and games, though. The company — down to its name — is about ensuring a steady stream of charitable donations to organizations chosen by the original five founders.
“When we were going through the process — asking, you know, what’s our identity — it was during a time when there was a lot of changes with government,” he said. “It looked like there was going to be funding that was cut from some charities, and we thought this would be a great way of giving back and helping with those charities or overall.”
The founders decided to give 10% of profits at the end of the year to Divabetic, a non-profit specializing in diabetes education and prevention; The East African Center, which provides education and health resources to women and children in villages along the coast of Kenya and The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Community Center in New York City.
“It deals with providing information and resources and support for the LGBT community,” Morris said, noting that the decision to give to these three charities was based in the founders’ personal experiences. “Three of us that are currently partners — one’s married, and two of us have [had] long-term partners for 10 years.”
5=Ten has also partnered with Shop&Support to allow buyers to donate up to 30% of their purchases to a charity of their choosing.
“Consumers are now becoming more aware of what’s going on, and they like that feel-good piece where they can say, ‘oh, I purchased from a company, I’m going to get good-quality merchandise from them, and on top if that … I’ve given part of my purchase to a charity that I like,’” Morris said.
Morris previously worked at American Express, and his co-founders came from a variety of backgrounds, including sales, manufacturing and design. The original five met through community volleyball and softball leagues, where they commiserated on the state of their undergarments.
“We all had an interest in making a better pair of underwear because we’d all had issues with fit, the fabric choices, the rise when we were playing sports, so we thought we could make a better pair,” Morris said. “But we also wanted to do a little bit more, because we also wanted to make a difference in the world we live in.”
As athletes, Morris and his team tried to think about their own needs and how existing activewear could be improved.
“The design for the athleticwear is made to feel like it’s compression, but it’s not compression,” he said. “Everything is staying in place, and you’re able to have that mobility while also feeling radiant.”
In the latest collection, the company responded to consumer requests to include more sizes, including XS and XXL, as well as jock straps, which are a natural evolution for the activewear brand, Morris said. The team is also experimenting with a new cup for the boxers, which will provide additional structure and support.
“We always said when we started this that we wanted to be inclusive of all body types, so we’re slowly getting to that point,” Morris said.
And if you’re still wondering about Morris’ answer to the age-old underwear debate:
“For athleticwear, I like the trunks, because I like it minimal but I want everything to stay in place and be able to be comfortable,” he said. “But when I’m in every-day, walking-around-in plain clothes, I prefer briefs.”
