Wonder pants to the rescue of desk-bound men

Gavin Jones, co-founder of Australia-based company Equmen, has pioneered “fitwear” for men who spend the week hunched over desks in high-stress jobs and weekends chasing their children.

Jones said compression wear was well researched and accepted among elite athletes as was shapewear for women that trims and smoothes those stubborn bulges, but when he stood in front of the mirror he had one question — what about me?

“I was just beginning to show the signs of wear and tear. I had a pretty active 20s and 30s and maintained a great social life and played sport but I was just starting to turn the corner into middle age,” Jones, 43, said.

While women have quickly snapped into the increasing lines of shapewear, Jones realised men wanted more than a male girdle or “mirdle” to trim the beer gut if they were to upgrade from their boxers or cotton briefs with fancy waistband. He spent $1.4 million developing a new product line that was more mainstream. He found a manufacturer in Israel who could produce a high-elasticity blend of fabrics. This led to Equmen’s range of undershirts and underpants hitting the market a year ago, boasting to help back support, better posture, and improved blood circulation as well as a better shape.