The men’s yoga shorts with extra ‘support’ for private parts that tackle a very male problem

Two Hong Kong-based American yoga enthusiasts have designed a new pair of shorts they claim offer extra “support” for men to keep their package comfortably tucked in place, while also reducing discomfort when doing yoga.

Both Roe Morris and Evan Tate tried a variety of yoga shorts but struggled to find a comfortable, highly supportive and durable pair that fitted well.

“We founded Brutal Buddha as a way to offer men a utilitarian yoga short that uses technology to offer a practical solution for a common yet unspoken problem among yoga practitioners,” says Morris, a 30-year-old global account manager at a fintech firm.

The duo surveyed close to 200 yoga enthusiasts and found most wanted a pair of shorts that addressed concerns of men accidentally exposing themselves or feeling painful pinching during workouts.

Focusing on technical performance and the feel of the shorts on the body, Morris and Tate came up with a three-in-one design featuring an outer short, a compression layer and a “package protector”.

Made of micromesh fabrics, the “package protector” is a pouch built into the inner liner of the short that keeps wearers dignified. The built-in compression layer on top wicks away sweat, and the shorts’ anti-odour technology prevents them from getting stinky.

Brutal Buddha’s shorts are stitched together using quick-drying recycled nylon and spandex, making them a more eco-friendly choice. The brand’s co-founders are also looking into more sustainable packaging with minimal paper and tags.

“By using recycled materials for the shorts and making sure the bag or packaging is biodegradable, we’ll be light years ahead of what other brands are doing,” Morris says.

Brutal Buddha raised over US$20,000 through crowdfunding platform Kickstarter in less than a day, reaching its US$10,000 goal in two hours. But other athletic brands have had a head start in the market.

Canada-based yoga apparel retailer Lululemon, for example, launched the ABC (anti-ball crushing) pant in 2015, which has become one of the most popular items among its male shoppers. The brand, built on premium women’s yoga pants and workout clothes, saw sales of men’s pants and shorts rise 28 per cent last year, compared with 21 per cent growth for women’s bottoms.

Competitors like US sportswear giant Nike launched a new collection of yoga wear for men earlier this year. Last autumn, Gap launched premium activewear brand Hill City to complement its already successful women’s Athleta line, which is known for its yoga pants, leggings and versatile office-to-gym styles.

Tate, however, remains optimistic. The 31-year-old sales executive says Brutal Buddha’s anti-slip waistband and three-in-one design stand out, as yoga practitioners do not need to wear separate articles of clothing for the lower body.

But production may hit a snag as China has banned exports of black clothing to Hong Kong after demonstrators adopted black T-shirts, jeans and sneakers, often paired with a black mask, as their uniform when taking to the streets.

The city has been rocked by over four months of anti-government protests, initially sparked by the now-withdrawn extradition bill, which would have allowed the transfer of criminal suspects to jurisdictions where Hong Kong lacks an extradition agreement, including mainland China.

While the co-founders do not believe the ban will affect their business, Morris says Brutal Buddha has taken precautions.

“There are geopolitical risks working with [Chinese] factories in this environment. We’re already talking to two factories in Vietnam. If we run into issues we’ll move production there,” he says.

“Or we’ll just change the colour,” Tate adds.