underwear

OK, I admit to having some high-tech Japanese underwear. I picked up some fairly routine HeatTech long johns from Uniqlo. They keep me extra warm in winter, but can't compare with these deodorizing briefs from Seiren.

Deoest underwear is coated with ceramic powder to absorb all kinds of less-than-pleasant body odors, from sticky perspirations to gaseous emanations. Metal ions in the powder break down malodorous compounds.

The promo vid below also tells us the powder works on kareishu, which can be translated as "old age smell." It refers to 2-nonenal, a smelly organic compound that researchers have linked to aging. … Read more

A little shock now and again can be good for you, if you happen to be a bedridden patient at risk of developing bedsores and the shock is delivered through your underwear at very specific intervals.

So says a team of doctors at the University of Calgary, who recently tested their "Smart-e-Pants" on 37 patients with spinal cord injuries -- some of the most challenging patients because they can neither move nor feel when bedsores are forming.

The researchers found that by placing two pads of electrodes on each, er, cheek, and stimulating each patient's backside for … Read more

The Angry Birds bra came to our attention last year. Little did we suspect at the time it was just the tip of the undergarment iceberg in an upcoming flood of geek-themed bras.

If "Star Trek" is more your thing, then you can get a blue sciences division bra complete with insignia in vaguely the right location. Other options include a Portal bra and a nod to every 12-year-old boy's favorite calculator joke, "BOOBIES" done up in numeric style.… Read more

Science Inc. wants its latest startup to get in your pants.

If you've ever bemoaned the fact that underwear manufactures bundle pieces together in assorted colors, MeUndies.com could have the solution. Backed by Science, a startup shop founded by former MySpace CEO Mike Jones, Me Undies wants to bring style and simplicity to a clothing commodity consumed by mostly everyone.

Me Undies allows customers to pick their style, size, and color without making the compromises associated with bundle packs. The buyer is then subscribed to receive a new pair of underwear each month for $16. Individuals who don'… Read more

Americans are always looking for ways to drop weight without actually doing anything. That's why the Calorie Shaper line of underwear out of Japan is so enticing.

The fabric of the unmentionables features a honeycomb structure that theoretically forces your body to work harder to move. All that resistance is supposed to burn calories, but I'm more concerned about chafing.

Calorie Shapers--which, from what we can see online, sell for between $30 and $38 per pair--are available in training and daily-life versions. The daily-life option is designed to hide under your usual clothing so no one will suspect you're actually exercising as you stroll down the office hallway with a doughnut in your hand.… Read more

We have uplifting news from Triumph International, the company that brought us the solar-panel bra, the husband-hunter bra, and the environmentally minded No Plastic Shopping Bag Bra, among other novelty lingerie.

Today, on the two-month anniversary of the Japanese quake and tsunami, the company unclasped the "Support Japan Bra," a strapless bustier and matching skirt covered in encouraging messages to disaster victims delivered from around the globe.

Now, it's probably safe to assume novelty lingerie isn't a priority for the many people still reeling from the epic natural disasters. Still, encouraging words from the global community, be they delivered by relief agencies, social media, or brassieres, will hopefully remind victims that they're still very much in hearts and minds the world over. … Read more

Some people are very sensitive about showing their underwear.

These do not necessarily include people who wear extremely short skirts, droopy jeans, or minuscule tank tops. Lady Gaga is not included either.

However, a Japanese woman is reportedly so incensed by seeing private items on her washing line appear on the very public Google Street View that she has decided to sue the company.

The Telegraph references Japan's Mainichi newspaper, which quoted the woman from district court proceedings: "I was overwhelmed with anxiety that I might be the target of a sex crime. It caused me to lose … Read more

Last week, I had the privilege of telling you about new underwear featuring allegedly TSA scanner-proof radiation shields designed to cover your naughty bits. The privacy-protecting garb is one way to protest the airport body scanners that many people find to be invasive and in violation of Fourth Amendment rights.

We've asked the Transportation Security Administration how the undies will fly in the security line and haven't yet heard back whether the leaf-shaped blockers will single you out for a hands-on search, which could be even worse.

So if you want to let the TSA agent know you're not happy about mandatory virtual strip searches, check out this new line of T-shirts, skivvies, and socks from artist Mike McQuade called 4th Amendment Wear.

It's a series of underwear with either the phrase "Read the 4th Amendment, perverts" or the text of the Fourth Amendment printed in magnetic ink, so it can be read by the people manning the scan machines. I like this passive-aggressive way of letting a stranger know you don't like them seeing you naked. … Read more

This week, Donald and Jasmine have a lot to crave, not the least of which is a pair of health-monitoring tighty whities. And yet we are somehow much more impressed by a giant chess set made from robotic Legos, a swarm of hovering honeycombs, a massive LED art display that moves to the music, and a roving solar-powered car disguised as a shrub. On the list of things not to crave? Trading drugs for gadgets. Come on people...you're smarter than that! (Right?)