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Male Underwear Models Secrets
Have you ever wondered what it might be like to be a male underwear model? Curious about how these men are able to look just right and in all of the most interesting places? The goal of this post is to get to these answers and many more.
If you have been following MV for a while now, you know that occasionally, we like to occasionally go beyond the vapid and shallow to bring you the real deal about a given topic. An example of this includes our piece about our piece of things male models do to get amazing skin.
And so we thought it might be kind of interesting to focus on underwear and the men who wear them, allowing you to gain a different perspective with a few facts that might surprise you.
In order to protect their identities, we’ve agreed not to disclose their names. In return, they’ve shared with us a number several tidbits of inside scoop.
What follows seven secrets of male underwear models! Let’s jump right in!
1. The pay can suck
They may look like a million bucks when you see them in ads but that’s not what they get paid. All of the models we spoke with told us that they are compensated on a per gig basis and that the money isn’t all that great.
Generally speaking, they’re paid a few hundred dollars shoot. Rarely are they paid more than a few thousand. What’s more, if you model for one company, you are pretty much excluded from modeling for others. “I make a few thousand dollars a year – that’s it!” said one model who is well known within the industry.
“If you show your face, you sometimes get paid more but you’re also trying yourself to that particular brand. That’s not aways a good thing …and people think we get lots of cash but we don’t. Most of us have other jobs to be honest. We have to!”
2. Many live at the gym
Every single underwear model told us they spend hours at the gym each day. You may be thinking this really isn’t news but from what we are told, these are run of the mill workouts. We’re several hours of pumping weights per visit.
“I’m in the gym a good 3-hours a day. Half of that time is spent doing cardio and abs and the other half is involved with resistance training,” mentioned one young man who recently turned 25 and has modeled for Calvin Klein.
“And you really can’t skip workouts either because if you do, you run the risk of losing your bod. Nobody wants to buy underwear from guys with a muffin top. Consumers expect perfection and so do the modeling agencies we work for. Most of us aren’t body builders if you notice. But we are super tight with athletic frames,” he adds.
3. They count every single calorie
We honestly were not surprised to hear that male underwear models watched their diet. What we were a bit stunned to find out is just how aware many of these men are with calorie intake. All ten of the models we spoke to told us that nutritional intake is always at the forefront of their minds.
“I weigh my food at home using a scale,” said one Manhattan based model who has done work for 2(X)ist. I know just how many grams of fat are in each ounce of food I put into my mouth. I restrict myself to no more than 2000 calories during the week and on weekends I splurge and go up to 2,500.”
And it appears that at least some of the models are mindful of their age.
Here is what one popular underwear model who just turned 30 in December said who has done work for Jockey and Fruit of the Loom. “My body fat right now is around 8%. Because I’m 5’10, I tend to put on weight easily. And now that I’ve hit the big three-Oh, my agency told me that it’s going to be harder and harder to find work.”
4. What you see isn’t always what you get
If you look closely at the pictures of male underwear models, you almost always see a provocative bulge staring at you in the face. Some look pretty impressive, huh? Well here is the deal – what most of those photos aren’t showing you are the Velcro straps and silicone rings that surround their manhood.
“Most of us are nowhere as big as people think. Unless I am doing a boxer shoot, my agency always requires that we wear a ring. It’s standard operating procedure. You didn’t think we were really that big, did you?” giggled one model who is an upcoming shoot for XUBA.
“We even wear them with the enhancing brands that you see. Even guys who are ‘big’ wear the rings because that’s what’s required,” he adds.
5. Some launch careers with underwear work
A few of the guys we talked to shared they have used their underwear modeling work as an entree into the world of acting. While this is rare, it has been done before. Celebrity examples include hunks like Shemar Moore, Rusty Joiner and Alan Richton.
“I’ve been in a television commercials and Broadway plays. My hope is to get noticed and eventually land something more permanent. But this is such a competitive field – like crazy competitive. You really are only as good as your last shoot.”
6. They wear makeup and beauty products
All of the male underwear models we talked to told us that they wear some type of makeup. They just don’t call it that. Instead, these beauty items are referred to as “grooming supplies” or “facial toners”. And the money they spend on these products can be big.
“I spend at least one hundred dollars a month on creams and gels. Right now, I’m really into Kiehl’s Facial Fuel ($55-$60.00) because it smooths out my lines and helps get rid of the bags under my eyes. Getting lots of sleep and hydration help too but that will only get you so far.”
Another model who just turned 22 and is fresh off a shoot with Pump brand shared, “All of us use something because when your agency sends in your pictures, they want to see everything from head to toe.
You learn very quickly that you better be more than just a nice looking ass. I know one guy who is 25 and has a killer bod…” he pauses to sip water and then continues, “But lost out on a serious contract because his face looked wrinkled. I’m thinking of Botox myself!”
7. Many are not gay
Many of the male underwear models you see in the online advertisements may be featured with others guys next to them, striking a playful pose. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they are gay. In fact, the models we spoke to revealed that most of these men are straight.
“When some people hear that term – male underwear model – they automatically think gay. But it’s really not the case. I’m a gay man that’s been in the business for almost five years and I can tell you more than half of the guys are straight.”
He pauses for a moment and then adds “It’s all part of the fantasy that these companies are trying to get people to buy into – particularly the brands that target gay men. It’s to their advantage right? To sell an image.
But I will say that the straight ones are generally all gay friendly. They kind of have to be. Some people think of this as a kind of ‘gay for pay” thing but I don’t. One thing is for sure. Homophobes don’t make it very long in this line of work.”
Wrap Up
Being a male underwear model may seem like an easy job, but the hard truth is this – it takes a lot of work. When you look at the different lines of male briefs, such as those made by Pump (see Amazon) it doesn't take long to recognize self-care matters for these men.
Do you admire men's underwear? Have you ever thought of being a male model?
