My dad used to come home from work and change into a vest. Not a clean one. The same one, which had been white at some point in its lifecycle, was now yellow with a small tear near the left shoulder. He'd sit in it, watch TV in it, and sometimes fall asleep in it. It was the universal sign of the part of the day when men could feel comfortable.
Nobody questioned it. That vest wasn't a choice. It was just what happened after a long day. Men's innerwear in India existed as functional, forgettable, purchased in packs of five and worn until they gave up on their own. The Ganji history of most Indian households, regardless of where you lived, was exactly this.
And then a man in his underwear jumped off a balcony.
The Frenchie Moment
If you're a 90s kid like me, you remember that one underwear ad. A woman in distress, and a suave model jumps to her rescue from a balcony, wearing a bathrobe and underwear on glorious display to save the day. When looked through a modern lens, the ad is all kinds of problematic. But at the time, it was also the first time men's fashion trends India had ever asked a man to feel something about what he wore as innerwear.
Innerwear went from a symbol of end-of-day tiredness to one that makes you think you’re a hero. Underwear wasn't just a thing you wore. It was now tied to masculinity. A decisive man. A heroic Indian man and, most importantly, a strong man.
And that category not only existed, it kind of thrived through the 00s with the biggest Bollywood stars becoming part of the myth. The logic was consistent across every campaign in Indian menswear history: wear this, become a hero. The category had found its language, and the language was machismo.
The problem with machismo, as any man who has worn a badly cut brief and badly stitched vests through a long summer afternoon can tell you, is that it demands you to absorb a lot without complaining.
It almost felt like badness was a feature of the innerwear category and not a bug.
The Sacrifice Nobody Talked About
Here is what the ads never showed: the waistband that started rolling by 11 am. The seam that scratched you every time you sat down. The general dampness of a Mumbai afternoon makes itself felt through the innerwear by afternoon. We've written about exactly this — what Indian summers actually demand from the innerwear you're wearing — and the answer has never been quiet suffering.
And because the archetype demanded toughness, nobody said anything. You bought the first thing you could get your hands on, wore them until they disintegrated after a year, and then quietly bought the next batch.
And the irony of this era of men's innerwear history in India vilified quick-dry fabric for a very long time.
The brief was: look like the man in the ad. The chafing was your problem.
What Changed
Somewhere in the last decade, a different question began to be asked. Not "who is wearing this?" but "what does wearing this actually feel like?"
And this was primarily because, thought and more importantly, money started getting put into men’s fashion. Categories outside men’s formals began to grow, and product education became more important than ads featuring men in innerwear.
A direct result of this was that brands stopped casting innerwear as a statement and started thinking about what happens between the fabric and the skin during a twelve-hour day. And once you start thinking about that, you can't stop. Uncomfortable clothes don't stay in one place; the irritation travels, it compounds, and it sits in the background of every interaction you have until you get home and finally change.
That's not a small thing.
This is where men's lifestyle trends made an unexpected turn. The man worth being, it turned out, wasn't the one silently absorbing a bad waistband.
He was fashion-forward and made conscious purchasing decisions.
The Innerwear Worth Thinking About
XYXX's Modal Underwear is the realisation of this new consumer. The underwear is built from a fabric so soft it feels luxurious and premium. The no-mark waistband doesn't dig in or constrict by lunchtime. The four-way stretch means bending, sitting, taking the stairs; none of it feels like a negotiation with the man in you. The XYXX Tactel Underwear is built for people who actually lead busy lives. Always on the move with work, gym, and hobbies that take them outside. They dry faster than anything I've owned before, which matters more than it sounds when you're in a city like Mumbai, where our winters are also 30-plus degrees.
The XYXX Invisible Vest does something the torn yellow vest on my father's back never could. It disappears completely under a shirt. No lines, no bulk, no moment mid-afternoon where you're adjusting something that shouldn't need adjusting. And the XYXX Coloured Vests exist in the space between that defeated post-work garment and something you'd actually reach for after work. Not because you’ve given up, but because they're just that comfortable.
This is what the shift in men's fashion trends in India actually looks like up close. Not a program where more money is put into advertising than R&D, not a celebrity, but product creation that is no longer adding to your problems.
The Afterthought That Isn't the Afterthought That Isn't
It’s been years since I stopped buying innerwear in packs of five. It’s because I realised that there’s more to being a man. Toughness and pain are outdated stereotypes that thankfully died out. I find myself living in spaces that allow me to be intentional with my fashion choices, and that’s a wonderful thing.
The archetype of the 90s innerwear ad wasn't wrong, exactly. It just confused the costume for the character.
My dad deserved a better vest. He just didn't know it was possible yet.
FAQs
What makes XYXX Modal Underwear different from regular innerwear?
The XYXX Modal Underwear is made from a fabric significantly softer than regular fabric, with a four-way stretch and a no-mark, anti-roll waistband that stays in place through the day.
Does the XYXX Invisible Vest actually stay invisible under shirts?
Yes. The Invisible Vest is cut with seamless necklines, contoured seams, and a second-skin fit designed to leave no visible lines or bulk under fitted shirts.
How fast does the XYXX Tactel Underwear dry?
The Tactel Underwear dries significantly faster than regular fabric underwear, making it well-suited for warm weather, active days, or travel.
Are XYXX Coloured Vests suitable for everyday wear?
Yes. The XYXX Coloured Vests are lightweight, breathable, and cut for comfort across long wear — they work as a standalone layer or under shirts.
Does XYXX Modal Underwear hold its shape after repeated washes?
Yes. The fabric is designed for shape retention, and the waistband includes an anti-roll construction that maintains its position and form over time.
