Mr Ayers: Decades ago, more years than I care to remember, I was chosen to be in a nationwide underwear advertising campaign for Stedman's Underwear Company. I know you run a long john / union suit site but thought you and the readers of your blog might be interested in my contribution to the underwear world. Now, here in southern California, I'm not too often in need of long underwear, but I do own a couple of red union suits for wearing when I ski Big Bear and Reno Nevada area ski resorts.
Anyway, I've been a fan of Union Suit Fan for several years now and I know occasionally you allow your contributors and emailers to showcase other underwear types, so thought I would contact you with mine.
As a young teenager, my mom got me an appointment in response to an ad she ran across of an underwear company needing boys to advertise their product. She told me I could earn some money to be set aside for college. I wasn't too keen on the idea when I first heard that I would actually have to model underwear! Couldn't it be jeans or a nice shirt. Underwear?! But I came around finally.
Yes, eventually I agreed to at least go with her to try out. I was one of four boys chosen for Stedman's ads and later TV commercials. The theme, I suppose, was that up-and-coming boys headed to the corporate world wore upscale underwear, Stedman's, of course. And what mom wouldn't want underwear for her boy that "fits better, wears longer, and costs less." Right?
Here is a photo of the ad which appeared in Life, Ladies Home Journal, and some other magazines. I'm the oldest boy standing at the back of the elevator in what then was called a "mid-length brief" and an "athletic" undershirt. I was fourteen years old but hadn't reached my full height. I wasn't too much taller than the younger boys, so seemed to have been chosen for my ability to fit in with them.
There must have been a couple of hundred boys who showed up with their moms or dads to apply. For doing so, all the boys were given Stedman briefs and undershirts for the initial session. About half of us were chosen to continue. Those not, were thanked and sent away with new underwear.
The rest of us went on to give it our best shot. We changed into their underwear to continue the process. Ninety some odd boys were not chosen as it turned out and were paid by getting three packages of white briefs and three packages of white undershirts, plus the new shoes and socks they were given and wore for the audition. We four finalists got about two years worth of underwear and socks, all white, and a nice paycheck that I did end up saving and using for college. I guess Stedman's didn't manufacture color underclothes.
That's my story, If you feel like it, you are welcome to add it and the accompanying photo to your postings. I've lived in Burbank all my life but don't tell anyone I switched to boxers a long time ago!
Thanks, James
First off, James, I'm Chris not Mr. Ayers. Ha! As an underwear guy, my first name is more appropriate and less formal than a "Mr so-and-so." After all, I oversee a long underwear blog, not a tuxedo one. LOL. No formality is needed. Anyway, new friend, I appreciate you taking the time to email your experience and am happy to add your most interesting story to my blog. Their are probably a bunch of us who grew up wearing white briefs. All the best... Chris
Back in the day, Munsingwear was big on appealing to mothers for their husband's and boy's underwear too.
Added March 12, 2022 from Ohio's Buckeye Mike:
Imagine financing your schooling by being an underwear model. I would do that in a heartbeat now, but at 14 years old would most likely would need being talked into it.... Buckeye Mike (Ohio)
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Buckeye Mike |
More modeling underwear from Kenny of Kankakee, IL:
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