Underrated

Gifts that are necessary items like underwear are often mocked. But you know what? They shouldn’t be. And we’ll tell you three reasons why.

1. Nobody actually wants to shop for this stuff themselves.

It can be fun to look for a new sweater, or check out a new pair of jeans. T-shirts? Button-down shirts? A winter coat? Maybe they’re not the most exciting things to browse, but there’s at least some intrigue there.

Shopping for new underwear, meanwhile? It’s just not the same thing. They can be colorful or feature cheeky designs, but at the end of the day, they’re the clothing equivalent of comparing toilet paper options. It’s a chore, is what we’re saying.

So, by giving someone underwear for Christmas, you’re essentially removing that chore from the recipient’s to-do list. Which means you’re saving them time. And also money. And since time is money, that really means you’re saving them double the money.

Pretty rad if you ask us.

2. There’s not much risk.

With so many of the above-mentioned ‘more fun’ clothing items, there’s pressure. Say, for instance, you buy someone a sweater as a gift. It can pay off big time.

If you absolutely nail it.

But otherwise, there’s serious downside potential. Give someone a sweater, and they’re going to feel the need to wear it around you, even if they don’t like it, which could cause embarrassment or even resentment. (Or else they won’t wear it at all, which could upset you, or at least make you feel stupid for thinking they’d like it in the first place.)

Underwear, on the other hand, will very likely never be discussed again. The recipient will unwrap it, say, “Hey, thanks!” and then wear it or not, without you ever knowing.

And even if you ask outright, a month later, “Hey, how was that underwear I got you for Christmas?” and they respond, “You know, it wasn’t quite right for me,” you won’t be offended. Because taste has been removed from the equation; with underwear, it’s all about how it feels to them, which isn’t something that you, a different person entirely with a different body and different ideas of comfort, could fully anticipate.

3. It fills out the tree scene without being filler.

People might say, “Ah, please, don’t get me anything! I have too much already!” when you ask them what they want for Christmas. But they’re lying. Nobody wants nothing. In fact, nobody wants only one thing, even if there is one thing they want above all other things. When your friends or loved ones say, “Don’t get me anything,” what they really mean is, “Don’t get me anything that’s destined for the free box at my next yard sale.”

Underwear isn’t that. It increases the size of the gift pile, thus adding to the aura of a magical Christmas morning. But it’s not just bullshit for bullshit’s sake. It’s practical. The recipient will use it, so long as it fits and is comfortable. And if it’s not their preferred style, they can donate it, and someone else can enjoy it.

Pretty good arguments, huh? Guess you better some underwear.