Red Drawers sells overachieving underwear

Have you changed your drawers lately? That's the salient question posed by Travis Powell, who launched Red Drawers, a Capitol Hill men's underwear boutique, last month.

Powell, aka "the waxing diva" and owner of Capitol Hill spa Salon Dewi, uncovered a market niche and filled it. "I was selling more men's underwear than women's [at his spa] and saw a demand for it," Powell says. "It goes hand-in-hand with man-scaping."

Widely known in Seattle for his deft skills in relieving both men and women of unwanted hair, Powell now has a red-walled space dedicated to men's underpants adjacent to his popular spa.

You can't miss the window of Red Drawers, which is graced by mannequins sporting the latest in trendy and playful underwear. Powell carries more than a dozen brands in the compact space, as well as "boy-beater" T's.

I never knew there were so many kinds of men's underwear until I visited the boutique. Styles include briefs, low-rise briefs, boy-short briefs, trunks, boxer briefs, boxers and the men's equivalent of a thong. Brand junkies will recognize names like Andrew Christian, JustUs Boyz, Unico, XXX, Ginch Gonch, DT from Australia and locally made undies from Daniel Webster.

Powell completely eschews "tighty-whiteys" in favor of color and pattern. You'll find lime green and bubblegum pink, as well as more demure neutrals like brown, black and sage.

A multitude of patterns is available, including skulls and crossbones, mainstream stripes, modern geometric prints, camouflage, patriotic prints with red, white and blue stars, and classy motifs like gold crowns and fleurs-de-lis on a black or white background. Choose from slinky jersey fabric, practical cotton or body-hugging spandex and cotton blends.

Look for "value-added" undies such as C-in2, which has a "built-in sling." The contraption stitched to the inside of the underwear enhances male profiles (oh my!). Play underwear discreetly folds up and fits into your back pocket, in case you suddenly feel the urge to take them off and transport them. Or opt for the Baskit briefs or trunks, which feature strategically placed contrasting colors.

Prices range from $15 to $32, but your best bet is to buy in bulk. Buy six and get one free: "One for each day of the week," points out Powell. End-of-season sales bring discounts of 10 to 20 percent off. While at the shop, join the e-mail list to get the scoop on sale-priced drawers.

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