Green may be the newest shade of tighty-whiteys

by Jennifer Letz

Hey there, eco-stud. Sure, you drive a Prius, sip on fair-trade coffee, and conserve water by not taking nearly enough showers. Yet do you still struggle with that not-so-green feeling when you put on those old, synthetic briefs every morning? Before you turn in your “green” card, a new Bend-based business is here to help make your underwear drawer a little more eco-friendly.

Enter Fully Briefed, an on-line retailer of designer men’s underwear owned by Bendites Ron Goetz and Paul Robson. The company’s website (www. fbonme.com) offers shoppers an eye-popping array of underwear in earth-friendly fabrics for men of all shapes and sizes.

Hawking men’s underwear is a retail no-brainer, consideringg that half of Americans slip on a pair everyday. But what inspired Goetz and Robson to enter the world of eco-undies? Turns out, Robson is no stranger to green business. He spent 10 years as a production manager for Rising Star Furniture, supervising the assembly of beds made with organic cotton and recycled pop bottles. “I was interested in eco-friendly products before then,” Robson remarks, “but working at Rising Star really grew my respect for and knowledge of green materials.”

After leaving Rising Star, Robson and Goetz hoped to start their own business — a smart move in an era of downsizing. Fortunately, they didn’t have to look far for inspiration. “I’m a bit of a husky man,” Robson admits. “I’d look online for underwear in my size — hoping to find designer styles in natural fibers — but could only find boring black or white styles made of synthetic materials.” Goetz and Robson soon realized this frustration was an opportunity in disguise, and an e-tailer was born.

To offer shoppers a wide range of style and sizes, Fully Briefed does sell underwear made of synthetics and traditional cotton.  However, Goetz and Robson are particularly proud of their eco-friendly collection made of natural, renewable fibers.

Browsers can choose from briefes made of Tencel — a fabric derived from sustainably harvested wood pulp — as well as undies made of bamboo and a new fabric called Seacell (made from seaweed). Fabrics created from these two sustainably harvested plants, Robson explained, have natural anti-microbial properties, wick moisture, breathe bettter, and are more comfortable against the skin than traditional cotton.

Only five months old, Fully Briefed is proving to be stiff competition in the men’s underwear market. Sales have increased each month month since the company launched — an achievement in this economic climate. Robson attributes some of this success to the company’s green ideals, noting that “the sales of the nautral fibers are edging out the synthetics so far.” Welcome news for Goetz, Robson, and eco-studs everywhere.

courtesy of the The Source Weekly, Bend OR