????滿大街的男人都穿著肥大的牛仔褲，褲襠上多出來的布料皺得毫無形象——這個時代已經過去了。緊身牛仔、定制長褲和合腳的牛津皮鞋已經成了男人的標準配置，內衣方面自然也不能再濫用布料。想當年，男人們只需要在三角褲和平角褲中挑一種，如今卻有了更豐富的選擇。

????五年前，湯姆?帕特森白天推銷醫療設備，晚上則是消費者新聞與商業頻道（CNBC）唐尼?多伊奇主持的《奇思妙想》節目（The Big Idea）的忠實觀眾。“節目中展現的所有產品或服務……都是個人生活中不滿情緒的產物，”帕特森回憶道。“我發現自己總是在環顧四周，問自己這樣一個問題，‘哪些東西是我可以改進的？’”

????金融危機期間，帕特森遭到解雇，失去了已經干了六年的銷售工作。在這段令人沮喪的日子里，他發現了自己過去工作時面臨的最惱人的時尚難題之一其實是材料問題——汗衫總是松松垮垮，腰部鼓鼓囊囊，很不美觀。

????帕特森研究了高檔百貨商店里最暢銷的男士內衣，分析其用料與設計，隨后發現了超細莫代爾（micro modal）的優點。這種很快將獲得專利的面料非常柔軟，性能與棉相似，但不那么容易縮水、泛黃。“我拿著設計圖找到干洗店，付給老板100美元。后來，我又多定制了15件，邀請值得信賴的朋友試穿，然后給我反饋意見。”

????由于試穿者反饋頗為積極，帕特森與女朋友一起搬到了圣地亞哥，選定一家制造商，并創立了Tommy John公司。如今，這家成立雖然只有短短三年時間，但它的產品已經行銷于薩克斯（Saks）、內曼?馬庫斯（Neiman Marcus）和諾德斯特龍（Nordstrom）等高檔百貨，過去一年里的總銷售額已經達到了150萬美元，較2010年的90萬美元實現了大幅增長。帕特森預測，公司2012年的營收將增加到400-600萬美元。本周，該公司又在內曼?馬庫斯和諾德斯特龍推出了一系列新款男士內衣。

????“女士內衣仿佛來自《杰森一家》(Jetson's)中的未來世界，充滿創意和未來感，”帕特森說。“而男士內衣根本還沒實現現代化。”該公司出品的三角褲設有“快速方便”紐扣，開縫不是傳統的垂直式，而是水平的，強調涼爽透風和低腰設計。它使用的面料延展性很好，可防止內褲皺縮，以免穿著者大腿感到不適。

????帕特森介紹說：“多數男人在工作單位和健身房需換穿不同的內褲，而這些款式在兩種環境下都適合穿著——它甚至還設有一個小口袋，足可收納穿著者的iPod。”

????帕特森不愿意止步于內衣，事實上，他正準備進軍其他男士貼身衣物，比如襪子或浴袍。他希望自己的消費者放棄久經考驗的棄舊換新模式——內衣穿很久才買新的，而打算鼓勵男人們（或女人們）想要就買，或者只是因為需要某種內衣來搭配外衣。

????The days of over-sized jeans sagging from the derrieres of men everywhere are no more. Skinny jeans, tailored pants, and fitted oxfords are de rigeur, leaving little room for excess fabric in the undergarment department. Boxers or briefs used to be the only question men needed to ask themselves, but today, the options have grown.

????Five years ago, Tom Patterson was a medical-device sales rep by day and an avid-viewer of CNBC's The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch by night. "All of the featured products or services … were created out of personal frustration," recalls Patterson. "I found myself constantly looking around, asking, 'What can I make better?'"

????During the financial crisis, Patterson was laid off from a sales job he held for six years. During his down time, he realized that one of the biggest fashion annoyances he faced while he was working was a fabric gut -- that baggy bump just above the belt line caused by a loose-fitting undershirt.

????After researching fabrics and designs of the bestselling undershirts at high-end department stores, Patterson came across micro modal. The patent-pending fabric is soft, with properties similar to cotton, but it doesn't shrink or yellow as easily. "I headed to my dry cleaner's with a design and paid him $100. Then ordered 15 more, asking trusted friends to wear them and give me feedback."

????With positive reviews in hand, Patterson moved to San Diego with his girlfriend, locked down a manufacturer, and founded Tommy John. Today, the three-year old company offers its wares at stores like Saks (SKS), Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom (JWN). Revenue over the past year was $1.5 million, up from $900,000 in 2010; Patterson predicts that 2012 revenue will be between $4-6 million. And this week, the company launched a new underwear line for men at Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom.

????"Women's underwear is like the Jetson's. It's futuristic, innovative," says Patterson. "But men's hasn't been modernized at all." His company's brief line has a "Quick Draw" fly, which is horizontal rather than vertical, a ventilation zone, and no-rise legs. The fabric also allows stretching that keeps the briefs from riding up the wearer's thighs.

????"Most guys have to wear different pairs at work and at the gym. These can be worn in both settings -- and even have a pocket for your iPod," Patterson says.

????Patterson doesn't want to stop at underwear. Indeed, he is looking to tackle other men's intimates, like socks and robes. He wants his customers to deviate from the time-honored replenishment model -- buying new underwear to replace the old. Instead, he aims to encourage men (or women) to buy because they want the product, or need it with a certain outfit.