Do you remember the day we bought the same underwear as our favourite footballer whose name sounded like Romaldo? I do. I remember it like it was yesterday. The logo sits proudly across the waistband, the same one you'd seen in every ad. You put them on and, for a moment, you felt like you were a celebrity, just like the footballer. Same underwear. Same waistband. Same everything.
And then, about two hours in, the waistband started to announce itself by pressing into your skin. It wasn’t painful at first. The sensation was just there. Letting itself be known every time you moved or sat down.
But you wore them anyway. Because Ronaldo wore them. And the logo showing off from your low-riding pants meant you were a high-ranking member of society, and the discomfort was the price you paid for being a somebody. Eventually, you thought you’d get used to it.
You do not get used to it.
What made it worse was that every wash made things bad. Mumbai's water supply is just as harsh as its summers, and it shows early. After every wash, the fit and cut seemed to change. Some days it felt like a straight fit, and on others, a slim fit. The elastic softened in the wrong direction. And as the fit changed, the seams found new places to be, unbearing and in places that didn't bother you a week before.
The underwear wasn't falling apart dramatically. It was becoming, incrementally, a worse version of itself, but you kept wearing them because six hundred rupees is six hundred rupees, and you told yourself it was okay to settle.
I often reminisce about the nights my friends and I went clubbing. The kind of nights I’d remember forever. You're there, the music is banging, the lights are doing their thing, and all you can think about is the chafe slowly spreading across your legs. The seams, distorted by weeks of washing, are working on you from two directions. You're trying to look like you're having the time of your life, and technically, you are, but you just can’t live in the moment.
You adjust. Discreetly. Then again. Then you stop pretending it's discreet.
And again, you settled because at six hundred rupees a pair, you couldn’t afford to throw them out. So it just lives there, in a state of dignified collapse.
When I got my first job and finally had adult money, I bought new XYXX underwear and decided that I no longer had to compromise. And I want to tell you, younger me, this is the part of the story worth paying attention to.
The XYXX Cotton Underwear was where things started to change for me. Super combed cotton that actually breathes. Night outs at the clubs started becoming enjoyable, until you start realising you hate them for completely different reasons. What’s more is that Mumbai's hard water doesn't ruin them. They hold their shape and maintain their freshness well past what the city typically allows. The waistband doesn't dig. The seams don't argue. At ₹200, they were the first pair of underwear I bought that felt like a decision I was making for myself rather than for a brand I'd seen on a billboard.
The XYXX Modal Underwear came next. Material so soft it takes about three wears before you realise you've stopped noticing them entirely, which is, again, the whole point. Four-way stretch that moves with you. No ride-ups. No marks. The odour-free, antibacterial finish means you get through a full Mumbai day without needing a bath or a change in underwear. These are the pair for when you realise that comfort and fit are the only things that matter, and compromise is no longer something you’re willing to make.
And the XYXX Tactel underwear, those are for the days when you’re always on the move and the weather is your worst enemy. They dry faster than anything I've owned, which matters more than it sounds when May is doing what May does. Flat-lock seams, no irritation, no waistband drama. They're the pair that Romaldo promised but never delivered. The city is still doing its thing. Your underwear is just no longer adding to the problem.
So here is what I want to say to you, as plainly as I can.
Nobody is going to teach you this. Not school, not your friends, not Ronaldo. The things closest to your skin deserve more thought than the things people can see. You'll spend hours deciding what to wear to a night out. Give three minutes to what goes underneath. The right ones, and you'll stop thinking about them entirely, which is, as it turns out, the entire goal.
And if nothing I've said changes your mind about fancy imported underwear, you can get five XYXX underwear for ₹999. Five. And if nothing else changes your mind, I’m sure this will.
FAQs
Does XYXX underwear hold up to regular washing with Mumbai's hard water?
Yes. The construction holds its shape through repeated washes, and the elastic doesn't give out after a few uses, as some regular underwear tends to.
What's the difference between the Cotton, Modal, and Tactel options?
The cotton underwear is your everyday, reliable pair, breathable, fresh, and built for regular use. The Modal underwear is the softer option for long days when you need comfort without distraction. The Tactel underwear is for high-activity or high-humidity days, quick-drying, and designed to stay out of your way.
Why do flat-lock seams matter?
Regular stitching creates raised seams that rub against the skin. Flat-lock seams sit flush — no friction, no irritation, just something you stop noticing.
How do I know which XYXX underwear is right for me?
Active day with commuting and heat, go Tactel. Long day, where comfort is the priority, go Modal. Every day rotation that doesn't require overthinking. Cotton.
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BY UMAIRE EFFENDI...
About the author: Umaire Effendi is a writer and film & television professional with over a decade of experience across India and Canada. His cross-cultural background gives him a distinct lens on modern Indian lifestyle, one that understands how India doesn't just follow global culture, but absorbs it, integrates it, and sends something entirely new back out into the world. He writes about men's fashion and culture by taking things apart, the why behind what Indian men wear, and what it says about where we're headed.
