Catching up with The White Briefs - The Manual

Remember when underwear shopping was just a necessity? Nowadays, we are spoilt for choice by myriad contemporary brands offering beautifully made niche styles to suit any mood or brief – we’re pretty sure we’re not the only ones who reserve a pair or two for when we’re feeling ‘sexy’.

The White Briefs is one of those brands that have captured our design lust and imagination. The ultra-minimal, high quality designs produced by the Swedish label are bound to take pride of place in your underwear drawer and the loungewear pieces offer both contemporary style and supreme comfort by the bucketload. We caught up with Peter Simonsson, the brand founder, to talk spring/summer 15 and warm-weather lounging.

Hi Peter, how’s business?

Great! We have several interesting projects in the pipeline, including the launch of our collaboration “Woolmark Presents The White Briefs Nick Wooster” this fall.

Can you tell us about your recent collaboration with Woolmark?

We wanted to challenge the belief that wool is too warm to keep close to your body. Together with Nick, we made briefs, t-shirts and other types of loungewear in 100% merino wool. The quality of the fabric is so high that it feels like cotton.

What is a GOTS fabric?

We only use GOTS certified fabrics selected and created from eco-communities in Lithuania and Portugal. The Global Organic Textile Standard is the worldwide textile processing standard for organic fabrics. The fabrics we use are certified by this standard through our commitment to manufacture with good intentions and consideration of the environment.

What does your design process look like, from initial inspiration to final samples?

Inspiration comes from everything – travel, film, art and photography to name a few. We set the look for the season and then find the fabrics that inspire us.

Why underwear?

I was never able to find any underwear that looked good while maintaining good values and comfortability, so I decided to do it myself and start my own line around those ideas.

Where are you based in Sweden? Can you describe it?

My wife and I work from a spacious white farmhouse, which we converted into a studio in the middle of a vast field at the very end of southern Sweden just by the sea.

How will the White Briefs guy be spending his summer?

Enjoying the simple days in crisp, voluminous cotton drawstring pants and oversized t-shirts with a reversed terry raglan sweater for the summer evenings. Effortless, cool. Where? Main street, Los Angeles.

How will you be spending your summer?

The new season is in full action, so I will be working, but also spending some good weeks in the south of France. I’m looking forward to long lunches by the beach and afternoon swimming.

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