European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 11, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine Ewor Cohen co owner of underworld in Manhattan tells a pair of Boxer Thorit to Pat Danieli. Indulgent trend to Silks and Satin new York times put i3 now sexy briefs for men by Lisa Belkin new York times Hannah Kaplan spends her Day surrounded by men s  owner of underworld a none month old boutique in Manhattan her world is one of silk briefs and Satin Boxer shorts combed Cotton nightshirts and Cashmere socks. This is tas Elul bul luxurious she said fingering a Robe and Matching pair of Shoals that sell for almost $300 and these Are really hoi she said pointing toward a rack of $30 pal Lerned silk Bikini briefs in purple red and Black. Whether Kaplan meant hot As in sexy or hot As in setting Well is unclear bul unimportant the briefs Are sexy and they Are Selling Well both in her shop and in stores All Over new York men s undergarments ii seems have come out of the closet the Dresser drawer and she Back of the re Pearl Merit store near the pay telephones they Ara on display in a window at Saks fifth Avenue. They Are for Sale amid the camisoles and teddies at Victoria s Secrel the lingerie store. Perry Ellis will see a one of combed col Iii briels in february and Giorgio Armani will follow shortly alter with a sine of Borer shorts pyjamas and Matching Robes in the last year two stores have opened in Manhattan thai sell Only men s underwear underworld. There Havo always been stores that sell women s in Jrie " Lee a d men deserve Equa attention " women have Beel wearing sexy Slinky things for Mentor " Kaplan said. It s time men started dressing sexy Lor women men s underwear has Long been a big business. Alter All everyone wears  said Charles Tolbert who follows the underwear Industry for the menswear retailers of America. Sales Lor l9b5were estimated Al 480 million pair about where they have been or the last 10 years Worth about $1.3 billion. Most of those purchases Are made by women. For As Long As jockey International has been conducting surveys Only 20 to 25 percent of men s underwear was found to have been bought by men. Bul while total sates of men s underwear have remained constant. The percentage of the Market ceded to fashion underwear or briefs that Are not White has grown Over Tho last live years. In 1981, that category accounted for b.6 percent of the Market and in 1964 in had reached 12.2 percent according to the National knitwear manufacturers of America. In the Tirol nine months of 1385 it accounted for 10.5 percent. They will never overtake the pain White Basic  said Robert Blanchard president of the association this is not volume Type merchandise but it is a Good High margin a penalty  like most fashion trends this one was Severa years in the making. First. Men rediscovered Boxer shorts said Howard Cooley president of jockey International inc. In Kenosha wis., which with about 15 percent of the Market is the largest manufacturer of men s underwear in the United sales. Then in 1960, Jim Palmer the baseball player appeared in Bagful be ads wearing Only jockey s new line of coloured briefs and. Two years Laler. Calvin Klein came out with his larger thai mile billboards showing a Model sleeping in the Sun and wearing Only a pair cd Calvin Klein briels. The ads had such a positive a float on business according to Michael Claman a spokesman for the advertising division of i hat company that they ran fur 21 years which is More than a lifetime in the Fash on Industry. And now underwear Consumers seem to be lookup Lor a Louch of Sass and luxury say the manufacturers sunday january 12, 1086 and retailers of the new silk and Satin lines. Today. John Forsythe wears designer dressing gowns on dynasty and Bill Cosby wears coordinated pyjamas and Robos. Purchased by Abc a underworld on the Bill Cosby show. It s part and parcel of the whole Call t the Yuppie movement it you will said Peler Fresola of the Watfy news record a journal for the men s fashion Industry there s a general trend Loward spending More Money and one of the industries it s affecting is the underwear  this generation wants to have  said Linda Hopler vice president and fashion director of men s and boy s Wear Lor Saks fifth Avenue where during the past Holiday season sales of everything trom $400 silk Robes to $82 silk and Wool briefs to $40 silk and Cashmere socks were brisk. The trend to Silks and Satin is. Well. I would t use the word decadent because i Don t think opulence is decadent la s  just exactly what to Call in poses a problem or those who sell in. We won t use the word lingerie that s too  Lee said. He prefers she term men s undergarments while Kaplan uses intimate apparel for  and Elizabeth Sally Man. A spokesman for Giorgio Armani uses the word  officially we Call it in Linale men s Wear " she said. But mat s just a Lancy word for  whatever the name in is undoubtedly generating interest. At under wares on recent afternoon a Gray suited lawyer came in for 10 pairs us Mariner briefs at s11.50 a pair. They Are made in Francc ind not widely sold in the urn led states at underworld a half dozen shoppers All women browsed but did nol buy most of our customers Are  Kaplan said they say. I Don l think hell Ever Wear in bul they buy it Burn use they want him to Wear it. But i Tinow someone tins to be wearing it she said. We do a lot a repeal business and we Don r gel vey Many returns the stars and stripes Page 13