Underwear Makes Good With Wood

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What do you call a company that sells men’s undies made partly from wood fiber? If you don’t mind a never-ending stream of double entendres, perhaps Wood Underwear LLC.

That’s the moniker chosen by Terresa and David Zimmerman for the Hermosa Beach company they co-founded a year ago and that last week launched an updated line of briefs, boxer shorts and undershirts.

The new offerings make good on the wood name. Called the Hermosa Beach collection, the line is made from a blend of cotton; spandex; and modal, a textile product made from cellulose found in beech trees. Shirts and briefs will ship next month and be available in 20-some stores, including several Equinox fitness club locations.

While Wood’s first products were made only of cotton and spandex, Terresa Zimmerman said the intent was always to make products with wood content to connect with the brand’s risqué name.

“It plays into the brand, and there are some amazing wood-based fabrics out there,” she said, noting that the brand name is a big part of her company’s strategy to attract customers. “We wanted to do something that has humor in it. When people hear Wood Underwear, they start riffing on it or joking about it. But they remember it, and the product keeps them coming back.”

And in case you’re wondering, the answer is no. The wood-based fabric has no splinters.

– James Rufus Koren